WHO CONNECTED YOU TO JESUS
AND HIS CHURCH?
FAITHBOOK: God’s
Social Network
DRAMA: You sitting next to me in the pew.
Philippians 2:1-4
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any
comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to
your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
A recent facebook conversation of mine
ME: Patty - I see you "liked" my comment about the
Georgian Heights parade and that we have 8 mutual friends - Did you grow up in
Georgian Heights and or go to West? You look familiar but the memory part of my
brain keeps getting older - don't know why that happens.
Patty
Archer Terry: I grew up on Briggs Rd right across from
Wedgewood’s old field. I also met my best friend Becky Radel who lived 2 houses
down when we were 3 yrs old & still are best friends. We used to ride our
bikes everywhere. Going straight down Briggs Rd to Georgian Heights school was
a blast to watch the great parades. I also loved the Holly Hill parade. We were
very fortunate to have such a great childhood community :) I went to Eakin, Wedgewood, then moved away to
Franklin Heights.
Patty and I have 8 mutual friends on FB. David Hendrickson, Greg Hall, Sonya Wills,
Tim Schroeck, Joe Merz, Tom Webb, Don Wolfe, Terry Henson.
If facebook can bring
together a convoluted connection like that, imagine what it will be like in
heaven. This is part of why I say it
will be an eternity of discovery in heaven.
We will not only find out how we are connected to people we never really
knew but also to people who were living prior to and after us. The possibilities boggle the mind. In this life people study 6 degrees of
separation from Kevin Bacon – in heaven we will talk about degrees of
connection, not separation.
This idea of connecting
people with people is an amazing gift but not more than connecting people to
Jesus Christ and His church. WOW! How does that happen? How did that happen for you? For me:
Mrs. Bland; Mr. Meford; Zach Willcox and Awana; Mark
Leach and Young Life; Bryan Hitch and Pat McClaskey with Bob Laurent and the
Good News Circle.
God’s Social Network is vast and vital.
----------------FAITHBOOK: God’s Social Network? What people to people connections come to mind when you think about the Bible?
How about Adam
and Eve: the first people – the first parents – the first sinners.
Noah and his
children
restarting the human race.
Moses and Joshua – The first Law givers
moving God’s people from slavery in Egypt to the promised land in Canaan
(Israel).
Naomi and Ruth
The Israelite Naomi lost her husband and two sons in
a foreign land, one daughter in law decided to leave her people and return with
Naomi to her home with that famous speech: Ruth 1:16-17 Where
you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people
and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.
May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death
separates you and me. Talk about
connections and God’s Social Network!!!
Elijah and Elisha
– Prophets
Elisha was the faithful
disciple of the prophet Elijah, and his successor. He had followed his master
from the moment they met, when Elisha was a young man, plowing his father's
field near the ancient town of Abel-mecholah in northern Israel. Elisha saw his
master disappear in a fiery chariot, going up to heaven, without dying first.
At that moment Elisha cried: "My father, my father, the chariot of
Israel...!" and tore his clothes. He knew then that he was to carry on the
great work of Elijah, to spread the knowledge of God, to bring relief and
blessing to his people, and teach them to be kind and charitable.
Elisha picked up the mantle
which Elijah had cast off when he went up to heaven. He felt the spirit of
Elijah within him, and when he had to cross the Jordan to return home, he waved
Elijah's mantle against the water, and they parted suddenly and made a way for
the prophet to cross the Jordan on its dry ground.
Paul and Barnabas
Acts 14:1-3
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.
There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles
believed. But the Jews who refused to
believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time
there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by
enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
Jesus
and the Church
Acts 20:28-29
Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Eph 1:15-23
For this
reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for
all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in
my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you
may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the
riches of his
glorious
3inheritance
in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That
power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ
when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the
heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be
head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the
fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
1 Cor 12:27-28
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Matt 16:17-19
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was
not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades
will not overcome it. 19 I will give
you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound
in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
If God cared enough about you to
connect you to Himself through His Son by the Holy Spirit so that you could be
a literal part of His body ‘the church’, how should we respond? First in Thanksgiving and second by working to
connect other people to the same vital life giving work of Jesus and His family
of love known as the church.
INVITATION
TO CONNECT
Our God is
ALL about relationships. About
connecting with us and having us connect with one another. Why did God create Eve? For Adam to be in relationship with. Why did God create the family unit? For us to be connected. Why are there partnerships and friendships –
because God designed us to connect. Why
is there a church? For us to connect
with each other and to help others connect to God. How often do you hear, “I don’t believe in
church, but I have a personal relationship with Jesus.” No you don’t – maybe a distant relationship
but not a vital personal one. If you did
you would know he designed you to be a part of his body = THE CHURCH which he
expresses through local units known as churches.
Don’t get
me wrong – this is not about being part of the church as of more importance
than being part of Christ as some religions promote themselves as the one true
church and that becomes the primary focus.
Our connection focus is to Seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness found in Jesus alone – but Christ design for connect us is
through his body – the church!
Therefore, If you have any
encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if
any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my
joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit
and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not
only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
No comments:
Post a Comment