Know The Vision (Life In Connection part 1 of 3)

I will stand my watch, and I will set myself on the rampart to watch and see what He, God, will say to me and what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the Lord answered me and said, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak. It will not lie; though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come, and it will not tarry."

Father, we thank You for Your word. We believe that Scripture is inspired by You. Even the Apostle Paul says that to Timothy: "All Scripture is given by inspiration. It is useful for doctrine, for correction, for rebuke, for instruction in righteousness." We come this morning recognizing that, in one way or another, we all need that. We need to be instructed in how to walk in righteousness.

Lord, You have made us righteous by Your death, burial, and resurrection, by our trust in You. You've given us salvation. You've robed us, just as the prophet Isaiah said, in righteousness. But Lord, help us to walk out that righteousness, to work out our salvation in such a way that people in our families, in our workplaces, and on our school campuses—those who don't know You—would see You in us.

Lord, we pray this in Your mighty and precious name, and all God's people agreed, saying, "Amen." You can be seated.

Habakkuk may not be a book that you've spent a lot of time in, but it is an important small book in the Old Testament. Habakkuk was a prophet to the nation of Judah. The Old Testament focuses primarily on the people of Israel, those who descended from Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. At a certain point in their history, after King David had died—many of you know of King David—he had a son named Solomon. After Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, took over the leadership of the nation, but the nation was divided under his rule, and it became...

There were two kingdoms. A group of people from the descendants of Israel lived in the north, and they went under the name Israel. In the south, there was another group of his descendants known as Judah. Of course, David was from the tribe of Judah, which held the city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.

By the time Habakkuk came as a prophet of the Lord, he was speaking to the people who lived in Judah. The northern ten tribes had already been taken away, exiled by the Assyrian invasion that occurred in the eighth century B.C. At this time, we find ourselves at the end of the seventh century B.C., and the people of Judah had departed from following the Lord. They had done exactly what God had commanded them not to do. The nation was filled with idolatry, and as a result, the people were walking in unrighteousness. Very clearly, they were engaging in actions that were not pleasing to the Lord.

Habakkuk was a righteous man, one who sought the Lord. In Habakkuk chapter 1, we see him calling out to God on behalf of the wickedness of his nation, saying, "God, you've got to do something." God then gives Habakkuk a shocking vision of judgment. The idea that God was going to judge His sinful people was not necessarily shocking; in fact, it was a fulfillment of God's law. In the book of Deuteronomy, God had spoken blessings and curses to the people who would descend from Israel—a blessing if they followed and obeyed God, and a curse if they did not.

Habakkuk, like many other righteous people, knew that judgment would come because the people were not walking with the Lord. However, it was the source of judgment that shocked Habakkuk. As he prayed to God, saying, "Lord, do something; the people of Judah have become wicked; they've departed from You," God responded, "I am going to do something. I want you to look around. I'm going to do something that's going to blow your mind. I'm going to bring the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, and they are going to judge your people in Judah."

Habakkuk was taken aback. He exclaimed, "Whoa, time out! That just doesn't work for me because the Babylonians are more wicked than us." He thought, "We're wicked, but we're not that bad." The same prophet who had just a few verses earlier been lamenting the wickedness of his people now found himself questioning God's choice of judgment. He was discouraged and concerned about this turn of events.

And then we come to chapter two, where we read these words we just read a moment ago. He says, "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart." The rampart is that place on top of the city walls where the watchmen would set themselves. They would watch for an invader and for someone coming to lay siege to the city. They would sound the alarm if anything like that was happening so that the city could be sealed up and made ready.

He says it's not necessarily that he will physically go out there on the rampart, but in a spiritual sense, he is going to set himself as a watchman. Sometimes prophets in the Old Testament were referred to as watchmen. Ezekiel speaks about this and others. He says, "I will set myself as the watchman, and I want to hear what God has to say to me about this." In a sense, he's saying, "I want to have a little conversation with God." He is not entirely sure that he likes what God is planning to do. He prays, if you will, a prayer of complaint.

Anyone ever pray a prayer of complaint? Come on, let's be honest. "Lord, I'm not sure that I agree with your chosen course of action." None of us have ever been in that position before. So he says, "I'm going to set myself on the rampart, and I'm going to see how you will answer me. I have a concern. I want to know what you're planning to do and how I will answer when I'm corrected." He does this humbly. He knows that, "Lord, obviously you have a plan, and I want to know what that plan is." He wants to walk in humility in this.

But then the Lord answered him and said, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." God says, "I want you to listen up. I have something that I want to speak to you as you have set yourself to seek me. When I speak this vision to you, I want you to take the time to write it down and to make it plain so that anyone who reads it can carry it out. They can run with it. It needs to be clearly articulated."

Now, the context may be different, but I do think that it is important that we, like Habakkuk, from time to time take the time to hear from God. We need to set ourselves, if you will, spiritually on the rampart. We should say, "God, I need to hear from you. I need you to direct me." It is God's desire that He would be our God and that we would be His people, that He would lead, direct, and guide our lives, that He would literally be the Lord of our lives. The Lord is one who has authority, the one who has rule.

Now, we live in a culture where we all want to be our own Lords. We want to direct our own path, and we think that we have the ability, the power, and the mind.

To be able to fully direct our own paths, we must recognize that as we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Christ, we don't always do the best job of leading, directing, and guiding our own lives. I find it very comforting that God desires to direct and lead my life. I think many of you will probably be able to identify with this. There are times when I don't always agree with the exact plan that God lays out. Sometimes I find myself saying, "Wait a minute," just like Habakkuk. I'm not sure that I like this, but I'm going to set myself on the rampart. Lord, help me to be humble in receiving from you how you want to direct.

We've all heard that verse from Proverbs chapter three, verses five and six. One of the wisest men who ever lived, Solomon, said, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." We can trust that our God will direct our path. He desires to direct our path.

Before He ascended into heaven, even before His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit that would come. In John chapter 16, He said, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth." God desires, by His Holy Spirit, to guide us into all truth. Jesus goes on to say that the Holy Spirit will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.

God in heaven wants to direct our lives. He desires to be intimately involved in our lives and to show us the path that He would have us walk in, giving us vision for what He wants to accomplish in our lives. I believe that if we are to know that vision and be directed by God in the way He wants to lead us, then we need to do like Habakkuk and set ourselves to seek Him, asking, "God, would you reveal to me? Would you show me?"

In saying that, it's important to note that God doesn't give us the five-year plan. How many of you know that very clearly? He tends to unfold things one step at a time. There are times when He'll take us, if you will, on a high mountaintop above the valleys, above the clouds, so that we can see a long distance and future mountaintops—future peaks of where God is going to take us. However, He doesn't show us all the details. He reveals the direction, but not always the details.

But God promised, Jesus did, that He would give the Spirit of Truth who would guide us. He would speak those things that He would receive from heaven, from the Father. He would reveal to us things that are to come in the future. Our God is a loving God. He is a good God. That's what the Scriptures reveal, and He desires to be intimately involved in our lives in a way that He would direct us.

Now, you'll notice in your bulletin this morning, there's this little piece of paper. If you would take this out, this is kind of an outline for where we're going today. We're starting a new series here at the church, "Life in Connection." This week, we're talking about vision—know the vision. If you look at that side of the paper where it has Roman numeral number one, it states that God is a good God. God wants to be intimately involved in our lives.

If you look at point number one, this good God has good plans for His people. God has good plans for His people, and I think it's a good thing to note that His plans for us are good. How do we know that? Well, if you wouldn't mind turning your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, which is to the left of Habakkuk, Jeremiah chapter 29. It's a verse that some of you probably know well. Some of you have even committed this verse to memory. I've met a number of people over the years who hold on to this verse tightly as a core of their life verses, if you will.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Another translation, the New Living Translation, says, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good." As I said a moment ago, it is comforting to know that our good God has good plans for us, His people. He has something good planned.

Now, sometimes when we look out at some of the things that are happening in our lives, we all recognize that not everything that happens in our lives is particularly a good thing.

There are certain things that we go through that are very trying, very challenging, and can be very troubling. But ultimately, God has good things planned. Another verse that many people hold on to dearly is the great verse in the New Testament, Romans 8:28, which states that God works all things together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. So, God has good plans for His people. Even if we are going through challenging and difficult times in our lives, we can be certain that He has something good planned for us. Ultimately, the greatest good that God has for His people is the end of our salvation, the redemption of our souls, and that we will be with Him for eternity.

Secondly, you will note on your outline that God makes known His good plans for His people through God-inspired vision. The prophet Amos, another servant of God, was not only a seeker of God but also a mouthpiece for Him. God would reveal visions to Amos, and he would share those visions with others. In the Old Testament, individuals like Amos were often called prophets, sometimes referred to as seers or watchmen. They would set themselves to seek the Lord, and God would reveal visions to them. These revelations were not always about future events; sometimes, they were corrective prophecies or rebukes, guiding His people to walk in the right way.

In Amos chapter three, God reveals an important truth to Amos in verse seven: "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the prophets." I don't want you to get hung up on the word "prophets." Sometimes we do in our day. We recognize that there was a very clear prophetic office in the Old Testament, but there is no longer a prophetic office in our day. I am always a little concerned when people come to me claiming to be a prophet. I've had two or three people do that over the years I've been walking with the Lord, and every time, it has turned out to be a little strange. They often have unusual words that are typically discouraging and rebuking. Maybe they are from the Lord, but a lot of times, I just say, "Well, I'm very concerned."

Because I don't necessarily see the prophet office in the New Testament, I do see the gift that God gives of prophecy, where He speaks to His people. The person who sets themselves to seek the Lord, just as Jesus said, "If you seek, you will find; if you knock, it will be opened unto you; ask, and God will answer." God told Jeremiah in Jeremiah chapter 33, "Call to me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know."

God desires to make known His plans. He doesn't keep them a secret; He wants to reveal His plans, and He does so through God-inspired vision. Now, if you're still in Jeremiah chapter 29, right after verse 11, look at verse 13. Jeremiah 29:13 states, "And you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart." God says, "I'm not hiding from you, nor am I hiding my vision, my plan from you. If you will seek for me, you will be found by me." When you search for Him with all of your heart, He will reveal Himself to you. For God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants, those who are seeking Him.

As I mentioned a few minutes ago, He unfolds that vision a step at a time. He doesn't always show us the five-year plan. In fact, if He did show us the five-year plan and gave us the blueprint, we would probably object. We might say, "Well, wait a minute. I don't like this part here or this part there. I'm not a fan of that." But God unfolds for us His vision, His plan, His call. I sincerely believe that God has a vision, a plan, and a call for every single one of us. He has gifted us in such a way that we can walk through the things He directs us into.

The prophet Joel, also a prophet in the Old Testament, in chapter 2, verse 28, gives this great declaration: "It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions." One of the awesome things about this prophetic word from God through the prophet Joel is that in the book of Acts, chapter 2, at the beginning of the church, God poured out His Spirit upon the church on the day of Pentecost in fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy and promise in John chapters 14, 15, and 16, and again in Acts chapter 1, when He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."

Be witnesses of me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts. Just a few days later, on the day of Pentecost, there in Acts chapter 2, the Spirit of God was poured out upon the disciples as they were seeking the Lord. God compelled the apostle Peter to stand up and preach this message as people were concerned, asking, "What is happening here?" He explained that what was happening was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. God said, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. I will reveal to you what it is that I want you to do."

God makes known His good plans by God-inspired vision in fulfillment of Amos 3:7 and Joel 2:28. He reveals His good plans. The wonderful thing is that it is good that God reveals His plans to us through vision because, without vision, we would be lost. God's people would be lost without vision; they wouldn't know where to go or what to do without Him directing us. Leaning on our own understanding gets us in trouble because the Scriptures say, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." If left to ourselves, we all know, when we're honest, that we mess things up pretty well.

The book of Judges is a classic picture of this. If you've never read through the book of Judges, I encourage you to put it on your list for this year. Perhaps you're already planning to read through the Scriptures, to read through the Bible in the new year. That's a good thing. I pray that you're able to make it all the way through Leviticus because, normally, that's like the major speed bump to people's Bible reading. When you get to Judges, it repeatedly says, "There was no king in Israel; there was no leader in Israel, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes."

What ends up happening when man does what is right in his own eyes? He ends up under the captivity of a burdensome bondage, under the captivity of sin. There is a way that seems right to us, but it leads down the wrong path. It is comforting to know that God has good plans for His people and that He makes known His plans for His people through vision. We are lost without vision. Again, Proverbs chapter 29 reminds us of this through the wisdom of King Solomon.

King Solomon says this in Proverbs 29:18: "Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint." That's the New King James Version. Another translation, the New Living Translation, says, "Where there is no divine guidance, the people run wild." They are lost and do not know where to go. There is a blindness that comes when we are not being directed by God. Why is that? Well, we walk in darkness. John chapter three makes that very clear: man walks in darkness, but light has come into the world—the light of Christ. God desires to reveal to us the path that He wants us to walk down.

In Psalm 119, that great long Psalm, we are told that the Word of God is like a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. God has good plans for His people. He makes known His plans through God-inspired vision because we would be lost without vision. In line with Psalm 119, where we read that His Word is like a lamp unto our feet, number four on your outline is that vision must be tested by God's Word.

Would you turn in your Bibles to the New Testament, near the end of your Bible, to First John, chapter four? In First John 4:1, the apostle writes, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test, prove, and try the spirits, whether they are of God." Why? Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. We should not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are of God, as many false prophets are being led astray by false teaching and false spirits.

We have gone out into the world, so we need to be like those who were in the city of Berea, as mentioned in the Book of Acts, specifically in Acts chapter 17. When the Apostle Paul came to Berea on his second missionary journey, he sought to minister to the Jewish people in the synagogue, sharing the gospel about who Jesus is as the Messiah.

Acts chapter 17 states that the men of Berea were more noble than those of the city of Thessalonica, which is not far from Berea. They heard what Paul preached and went to search the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so. They acknowledged Paul's background, saying, "We know that you studied under Gamaliel, Paul. We know that you're a rabbi from the city of Jerusalem." However, they did not take everything he said at face value. Instead, they compared his teachings with the Scriptures to determine if what he was saying aligned with what had been revealed to them by God.

This is a very safe and important example for us to follow. Vision must always be tested by God's Word. It is sad but true that many well-meaning Christians have been led astray by someone else's vision, by someone else's teaching, or by their own emotions because they did not take the time to see if that vision lined up with revelation.

In saying that, I want to make it clear that I do not believe we need a verse of Scripture backing everything we ever do. However, I do believe that nothing we do should be in conflict with any verse of Scripture. You do not need to have a verse saying, "This is why I'm doing this," or "This is why I'm taking this job," or "This is why I'm going to this place." I do not think you need a verse for everything you do in your life, but nothing we do should ever be in conflict with God's Word.

There should never be a time when we say, "I'm going in this direction," and someone responds, "But this is what the Bible says, and it says you shouldn't do that." If you say, "I'm doing it anyway because the Spirit spoke to me," that is not the right approach. We must test the spirit to see if it is of God. God's will and His plan will always align with His Word. What we believe is revealed will always be in accord with what is revealed in the Scriptures. If it conflicts with what God's Word says, then it is not of the Lord.

God has good plans for His people, and He makes known His plans through God-inspired vision. We would be lost without that vision. However, vision must always be tested against the good Word of God.

Number five, if you turn your paper over, vision, I believe, should be written and clearly articulated. We began with this verse, but it's a good verse to commit to memory: Habakkuk chapter two, verse two. Then the Lord answered me and said, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." God was the one who instructed Habakkuk to write the vision. He was to write it in such a way that it would be clearly articulated so that others who heard it, who read it, or who took it could carry it out. The vision should be clearly articulated so that others can take it and carry it out. People should be able to understand it. It shouldn't be cryptic or masked in a whole bunch of metaphor and simile. It should be something that someone can look at and say, "Yeah, that makes sense." They can easily test it against the Word of God and say yes or no to it, yay or nay to it.

Research has shown that vision and goals that are not written down are less likely to become reality. When we don't take the time to write those things out, it is less likely to become a reality. Research done not too long ago by a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California found that people are 42% more likely to achieve their goals when they are written down. Their vision is more likely to become a reality when they write it down.

Why is this the case? Let me give you a number of reasons—five of them. You may want to write these down, as they are not expressly on your outline. Writing it down is important because this simple act forces us to make the vision clear. It compels us to articulate what we believe God is directing us to do.

What is it that we are testing? We can write it and rewrite it to see if it stands up to the Scriptures. This process forces us to make it clear.

Number two, it motivates us to make the vision happen. Number three, it challenges us to stay on track. Number four, it encourages us to overcome obstacles. Lastly, number five, it provides a way for us to celebrate progress.

Now, how many of you went to college or university? Raise your hands. Some of you. You know that at a certain point, those universities require you to declare a major. Why? Because they don't want you just meandering there forever. Although it's beneficial to them financially, they don't want you to meander there indefinitely. So, you declare a major. Once you declare a major, it's like setting a goal, a vision. This is the direction that I'm going in.

As you go in that direction, they say, "Okay, this is the course load. This is the path to make it to the end so that, in the end, you actually accomplish that goal. You finish that vision." Declaring the major is looking out to the future, and that's the direction we're going. It keeps you on track and motivates you to fulfill it. It prevents you from going to the left or to the right. Ultimately, you can chart your progress and see, "Is this where we're going? Are we getting closer to where we believe we're supposed to be going?"

So, vision should be written and clearly articulated. Sixth and finally, on your outline, vision must always become mission. Did you open your Bibles to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 16? In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are traveling on a missionary journey.

They came to the region of Galatia, where Paul and Barnabas had previously planted a number of churches. When they arrived in these cities of Galatia, they found a disciple, a young man who was growing in his faith and was a product of the churches that Paul and Barnabas had established there. His name was Timothy. They took Timothy along with them and continued on their missionary journey to places they had not yet visited.

Paul and Barnabas had planted churches in Galatia, and now Paul's aim was clear; he desired to go to the region of Asia, specifically Asia Minor. He was likely aiming for the chief city, which he would ultimately reach at the end of this journey and at the beginning of his third missionary journey. The chief city of Asia Minor was Ephesus. As he sought to enter Asia, we read in Acts chapter 16, verse 6, that when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, where they had already ministered, they picked up Timothy. Notice this: they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

We do not know exactly what it means that they were forbidden to preach the word, but for one reason or another, they could not enter the region that Paul desired to go into. They could not go to Asia. Afterward, in verse 7, they came to Mycenae and tried to go into Bithynia. Paul thought, since they could not go into Asia, they would head into Bithynia. However, the Spirit did not permit them. So, passing through Mycenae, they arrived at Troas.

If you look at a map, which you can do later in the back of your Bible, you will see this area. Paul was trying to go down into Asia Minor, but God said no. Then he attempted to go to the right into Bithynia, but again, God said no. Now he found himself in Troas, with Galatia behind him. In front of him was Troas, a coastal city, and he was pressed against this coastal city, wondering where to go next. He could not go to the left or the right; the Lord had forbidden him from doing so.

In Acts chapter 16, a vision appeared to Paul one night. A man of Macedonia, who was across that body of water, stood pleading with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Paul had gone through Galatia, and he had a desire to go into Asia and Bithynia.

But God closed the door by one means or method or another. Now he's in Troas, and he has a vision in the night. You might call it a dream, whatever you will. There was a man from Macedonia saying, "Come help us."

Now notice this in verse 10 of Acts chapter 16. After he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go. Would you circle that word "go" in your Bible? We sought to go. This vision was not in conflict with the Word of God. In fact, it was actually in fulfillment of God's commission to go and preach the gospel to all people. Paul desired to preach the gospel in Asia, but that wouldn't happen. He also desired to go into Bithynia, but that didn't happen either. Now he's in Troas, and he has a vision. God is calling them to go to Macedonia.

Paul shares this vision with the group of people that are with him: Timothy and Silas. Notice in verse 10 that it says we sought to go to Macedonia. The author of the book of Acts is Luke, so now Luke is with them. Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke are there in Troas, at least that group. Paul says, "I've had this vision that we should go to Macedonia." They agree that it's not in conflict with God's Word. After he had seen the vision, they went to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called them to preach the gospel to them.

Preach vision must become mission. It must be put into action; it must become a reality in who we are. It can't just be a statement. It can't even just be written down, although I think it should be written down. Eventually, there needs to be feet put to that faith, and we need to step out and fulfill the vision.

This church was planted nearly 33 years ago to reach out with the gospel of Christ to North County, San Diego, and to the uttermost parts. Now, more than three decades later, God has been faithful to do just that through us, His church. He has raised up a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ to spread the gospel to those in this area and to the uttermost parts, as we are empowered by the Spirit of God to do so. Being a part of what God is doing here personally for more than 20 years has been a great blessing.

You see, when this church was planted in 1981, I was not the pastor; I was one year old. However, my family started attending this church around 1991. At that time, some of you were part of this church, which was then called the Donut Church. That wasn't its official name; it was just a reference to its location behind Winchell's Donuts on East Valley Parkway, right across the street from what is now a charter school in Escondido. How many of you were part of the Donut Church? Lift your hands up high. A number of you were, and some of you predate the Donut Church.

After the Donut Church, we moved to the Vineyard, yes, the Vineyard Shopping Center, which no longer exists. The only remnant of the Vineyard is what was Acapulco, located near Albertson's and Home Depot on East Valley Parkway. But that, too, is gone. Rightly so; it should have been condemned, and it was.

Then we moved here, and we've been at this location since 1994. This church has served this community for many years. Pastor Pat Kinney was the pastor who came and took over a very small fellowship in 1981. At that time, it was called Christian Chapel of Escondido. In 1985, it changed its name to Calvary Chapel of Escondido when we joined the Calvary Chapel family of churches. Then, in 2012, we changed our name a third time to Cross Connection Escondido. That's the name we use here: Cross Connection Church.

But what exactly does that mean? Why are we here? Why do we exist? If you look at your piece of paper, I want to share something that some of you already know. I think it's important, especially as we stand here at the beginning of 2014. For the last five years, every year at the start of the year, I stand before this congregation and say, "This is what we, the leadership of the church, believe God is calling us to."

As we've been looking at this year, the vision we have is that we would be a people living this life in connection. We are Cross Connection Church, and we want to live this life in connection. That's why we're doing this series. But where does that come from? Our vision answers the question: Why do we exist?

Look at our vision here. Because of the cross of Christ, we know that we have been connected to God and one another in life-giving and satisfying communion. Because of the cross of Christ, we know that we have been connected to God and one another in life-giving and satisfying communion.

When God created humanity in Genesis chapters one and two, He formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life, making him a living being. Before that happened, God said, "Let us make man in our image." The triune God created man in His image to be in fellowship and communion with God and one another.

However, we know that in Genesis chapter three, that communion with God and community with one another was broken by sin. A separation occurred, and man was distanced from God. The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, husband and wife, experienced this separation because of sin. They hid their nakedness from one another and felt ashamed, leading to a breakdown of community.

Not only was there a rupture in the fellowship and community between humanity, but there was also a separation in the communion that man enjoyed with God. We see this when God stepped into the garden in Genesis chapter three and called out, "Adam, where are you?" Because of sin, there was a death—a separation that came between humanity and one another, as well as between humanity and God. Ever since that time, man has been seeking to restore that connection and community.

This longing for community is evident in the rise of social networks like Facebook, which have become significant in our day because they provide a sense of connection. However, research shows that, paradoxically, we are even more disconnected. For instance, when you sit in a third space, like Starbucks, you might observe that everyone is on their computers or phones, engaging with people far away rather than those right next to them. They may feel connected, but they are not genuinely interacting with anyone in their immediate surroundings.

This search for community is a deep-seated need, and it can only be truly restored through the cross of Christ. The separation that came from sin is profound, and we even see the separation between God the Father and God the Son because of sin on the cross.

Jesus cries out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He experiences for us that separation. Why? So that He can rejoin us once again to one another and to Him. Through the cross of Christ, we know we can experientially understand that we have been reconnected to God, enjoying communion with one another and community in life, giving and satisfying communion.

Why do we exist? Because of what Jesus did on the cross. Now, as the family of God, we have been restored and brought into connection with God and one another. First John tells us in chapter three, verse one, "Behold, what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called the children of God." Now we are the family of God.

As the family of God, we grow together into His likeness through worship and the application of His Word. You see, God's desire is that we, His children, would be transformed more into His likeness. How many parents here recognize that your kids look like you? I'm not talking about physical appearance, but the way they act. And that's not always a good thing. They start to take on your mannerisms and say things that you say.

There's been a joke going around here at the office at the church. My daughter, Addison, said something to our daughter, Evangeline, not too long ago that has become a saying people have been using, especially in the children's family. They say, "Life is hard, Evangeline." One day, something happened, and Evangeline was crying. Addison, our four-year-old, said to our two-year-old daughter, "Life is hard, Evangeline." I was thinking, where did she get that? Then one day, something happened, and I said, "Life is hard, Addison." I realized she got it from me. I say it, and I didn't even know I said it.

Our kids start to grow more into our likeness as they are in fellowship and communion with us within the family. They grow into our likeness. As the family of God, we grow more and more into His likeness. How? Through worship. The God that you worship is the God that you will ultimately become like, for good or for bad.

The psalmist says that the gods of this world are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have eyes but do not see, mouths but do not speak, hands but do not handle, and feet but do not walk. Those who make them are like them, and so is everyone who serves them. You become like what you esteem and worship, for good or for bad.

But we, the family of God, grow more into His likeness through worship and the application of His word. As we put into practice those things that we see in Scripture that are good and pleasing to Him, we become more like Him.

Thirdly, as a community of faith, we are drawn together because we have a common faith in God. As a community of faith, we go together on mission. Why? We labor for the joy and justice of all peoples. When we say justice, we mean salvation. We go laboring together for the joy and justice of all peoples. That is why we exist. Because of the cross of Christ, we know that we have been connected to God in a life of giving and satisfying communion.

As a family of God, we grow more in His likeness through worship and the application of His word. As a community of faith, we go laboring together for the joy and justice of all peoples. It is summed up in those three words of our mission statement: know, grow, go. These words help us remember what we are here to do.

However, that vision must become mission. It cannot just be a statement about why we exist and who we are; it needs to be expressed in the things that we value and the things that we do. Over the next five weeks, we will be looking specifically at these values. How do we live these things out as the people of God practically?

We will be unfolding this values section. Let me read it to you: We believe that a church is a gathering of individuals connected to God and one another by the cross of Christ. To facilitate this life in connection with God and one another, Cross Connection aims to promote a vision of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, mission, and generosity.

We aim to promote a vision of worship. Next week, we're going to be talking about worship together and fellowship. The following week, we'll discuss connecting with community, discipleship, and ministry. We'll also talk about serving the body and mission, as well as engaging in mission and generosity. We're discussing giving sacrificially. At the core of this vision is a love for God, one another, and the world.

Over the next five weeks, we're going to look into the Scriptures to explore how we, the people of God and the family of faith, can live a life in connection with God and one another. What does it look like through worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, mission, and generosity? It is my hope that as we do this, we can embrace these concepts and run out this mission together. God has given us a commission to fulfill, right?

There is coming a day, as we looked at a couple of weeks ago, when He will return. I want to hear Him say, not just to me, but to us, "Cross Connection, well done, my good and faithful servants. You've been faithful in what I called you to do." The only way for that to be a reality is for us to know the vision and understand what God is calling us to do.

I hope that you will think about these things, pray about them, and ask yourself, "Is this who I am? Is this what I am doing?" The reality is that the only way we can live this life in connection is by being connected to Christ. We must maintain that connection by spending time with Him. God wants to have that fellowship with you personally.

Let me tell you, it doesn't happen just by coming one day a week out of seven. It happens when we say daily in the morning, "God, I want to be with you today. Would you spend time with me? Would you reveal yourself to me through your Word?" Jesus died on the cross to restore that communion.

There are so many distractions in this world, and the enemy does not want us to enjoy that communion. The abundant life, which is the life in connection, is only lived as we walk in communion with God and in community with one another. We will be looking at these important topics over the next five weeks, and I hope that you'll join us each week.

I'm going to ask the worship team to come back up and lead us in worship with one last song. So let's stand together and we'll close in prayer.

Father, thank you for sending your Son to die for us, Jesus. Thank you for experiencing the disconnection that we feel. Because you became sin for us, you are the perfect High Priest who can make the connection once again, bringing us into communion with the Father and into community with one another.

Lord, I pray that as we live on this side of salvation, we would be an expression to the world of that very thing: communion with you and community with one another. It may be that as we stand here today, there are some in this room who have not come into connection with you through the cross of Christ. They have not put their trust in you for salvation. I pray that you would draw them by your Spirit, drawing them to put their faith and trust in you.