Mark 1:42

And they, speaking about the early church, continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need. Continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all people. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Lord, we thank You for this text. In many ways, it identifies just what we are about as a church, here living under Your grace, awaiting Your return. We are doing just what the early church did 2,000 years ago, continuing in the teaching of the Scriptures, continuing in fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers. We ask, God, that You would continue to open greater opportunities for us to fulfill that as a body.

Lord, I pray that You would plant Your word in our hearts. We, standing here this morning, recognize that Your word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is inspired by You and useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that we would be thoroughly equipped for all and every good work. So, Lord, equip us, ready us, and transform us more and more into Your image and likeness, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, "Amen." You can be seated.

As I said a moment ago, we are in our third study here at Cross Connection in a series that we're starting this year called Life in Connection. We are seeking, as I said last week and the week before, to clearly articulate what our mission, vision, and values are as a church. We want to be able to express who we are, why we exist, what we do, and how we do it as a body here at Cross Connection. If you take a look again at the sermon outline or sermon guide in your bulletin on the side that says Life in Connection,

We started our series two weeks ago with a message called "Know the Vision." Then last week, we talked about the importance of worshiping together. Today, we're discussing the significance of connecting with community.

If you look through the vision statement of why we exist, it says that because of the cross of Christ, we know we have been connected to God and one another in life-giving and satisfying communion. As a family of God, we grow together into His likeness through worship and the application of His Word. As a community of faith, we labor together for the joy and justice of all peoples.

In the values section, we discuss how we do this. 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, Cross Connection aims to promote a vision for worship and fellowship. Fellowship is what we are focusing on in our study today. The idea of community, togetherness, family, and connection is central to our message.

We place a high value on connection here at this church. We want to live this connected life, which I have been emphasizing over the last two weeks. The connected life ultimately is the abundant life. Therefore, we want to explore this topic and understand why it is so central to who we are. Our name, vision, and values all speak to the idea of being together, being connected, and being a family.

No less than seven times in our three-sentence vision statement do we see the concepts of connectedness, communion, family, and togetherness. We are to be knit together as one body in Christ, experiencing and expressing that to the world. The church is to be the expression of community; that is God's desire for us.

These ideas or concepts mentioned in our vision statement are not earth-shattering. However, in the era we live in, more and more people are leading very separated lives. They are not only separated from their extended family but also from their immediate family. We live in a culture that is very abnormal in the context of human history, although it feels normal to us because we have always lived this way. For many years in our nation, the baby boomers were among the first to experience this reality. When people reached a certain age, they often left their families to go away to school.

After school, many people leave their families to find work. This has been the case for many years; individuals leave what they know, what is common to them, and what they are connected to by blood and family culture. They travel across the nation or even around the world to establish a new life. While this disconnection may seem abnormal in the context of human history, it has become normal for us. The ramifications of this sort of disconnected, independent existence are clear.

The shift has been occurring for more than 50 or even 60 years in our nation. In 2006, the American Sociological Review published research indicating that social isolation in America had grown dramatically from 1985 to 2005. Over the span of two decades, social isolation became a reality for many Americans. But what exactly does this concept of social isolation mean?

Practically speaking, it means that the number of people reporting that there was no one with whom they could discuss important matters nearly tripled. Many individuals felt they had no one close enough to confide in. Furthermore, those in the study who reported having only one person they could share important things with or seek counsel from saw that number increase from a quarter of all Americans to almost 50%. This means that nearly half of all Americans feel they have no one to turn to for counsel or to confide in during difficult times.

This is a heavy reality to consider. There are over 330 million Americans living in this nation today, and nearly half of them have no one in their life, or just one person, whom they would consider close enough to seek counsel from. The ramifications of this situation are significant.

In May of 2013, another study revealed that one-third of all middle-aged Americans, defined as those aged 35 to 55, are chronically lonely. This loneliness is so pervasive that, as of 2013, more Americans die by suicide than in car accidents. This statistic highlights the severity of the issue and the urgent need for connection in our society.

The number of suicides among middle-aged Americans increased by 30% from 1999 to 2010, and among men in their 50s, it increased by 50%. Most of these incidents of suicide were fundamentally linked to loneliness. This is surprising because we live in a culture where there are many people around us. It’s not as if we are living in rural areas where we are completely disconnected. The reality is that you can live in a housing development here in Southern California, where you could literally touch your neighbor's house with your foot and never know your neighbor's name.

People can spend their entire lives in that box, to the point that we now create bigger boxes to avoid feeling caged. These homes can be 3,500 or 4,500 square feet, and many people don’t care if their yard is only 12 feet long in the backyard because they just stay inside. In the morning, the garage opens, and they leave for the office, where they sit in a cubicle. After a long day, they return to the garage, and no one ever sees them.

This disconnection is evident in news reports. It is not uncommon for people to die in their homes, and no one knows until a smell emerges three to five weeks later. We live in a very disconnected environment, which is abnormal in the context of human history. However, you don’t have to look far to validate the cliché that life is better together. Deep down, we know this is true.

For example, it is not as fun to watch a football game on TV by yourself. It’s much more enjoyable when there are other people around. I live in a neighborhood in Escondido, and when there’s a good football game on, I can hear my neighbors yelling. I know the Chargers just scored because I can hear cheers from multiple houses. It’s not just one person watching; it’s a community gathering together.

We don’t plan barbecues just for ourselves; we want to invite others to join us because life is indeed better together. I had an interesting reconfirmation of that this week.

I was thinking back on it. In my life, I would say I've probably been to Disneyland ten or more times. Living here in Southern California, that's not necessarily a strange thing to say, because it's just a little over an hour away. In going to Disneyland ten or more times, I don't think there's a single ride that I've not ridden at least once, and probably multiple times. For me, going to Disneyland is not earth-shattering; it's not like something cool is going to happen or that I'm going to do something I've never done before. It's kind of mundane. If I went to Disneyland by myself, I’d probably never go again, because I've already been. You buy that little hat, and you buy the shirt. You've done it multiple times and seen it all. I've been there, done that. I don't need to do it again.

But this last Thursday, my wife and I brought our two oldest kids to Disneyland for the very first time. They've never gone before, and you re-experience it and get excited again. Why? Because they are experiencing it for the first time, and you're with them. You're coming around a corner, and you know they're going to see something amazing. With our daughter Addison, she's like a princess every day of the week. I mean, I'm not kidding. Since Christmas, she's been wearing a princess crown the entire time. She wants to go to school with it when she goes to preschool. We can't let her, because they don't allow it, but every day, she's wearing her little fairy dress and her crown. She wants to wear it all the time.

So we go to Disneyland, and we walk through the gate. Everybody there is saying, "Hi, princess!" and she just lights up. Then we come around the corner, and we know we're going to see the castle. I remember as a kid, it seemed so much bigger. It's sad that it feels like it's shrinking. But we come around the corner onto Main Street, and there's the castle. She gasps, "Oh my gosh!" You’re freshly experiencing this, and life is better together. We see it in those moments. The daily realities of life become mundane and lonely if we're not living life together. Life was meant to be lived in community.

Why? Because, number one on your outline, humanity was created for community. Humanity was created to live in community. God made us this way. If you would turn in your Bibles to the first book of the Bible, we have been going to Genesis quite a bit over the last couple of months here at the church. Let's look at Genesis chapter one. The reason that we're going back to Genesis so much is that every worldview, every philosophy, and although Christianity is a religion...

Christianity is a faith, but it is also a worldview and a philosophy. Every worldview must answer certain core questions. One of the essential questions that any philosophy needs to address is the idea of origin: Where did we come from? What is the foundation? Additionally, there is the question of purpose: What were we created for?

In the book of Genesis, particularly in chapters one and two, we find revelations about origin and purpose. God is the one who created us; that is our origin. However, He also created us for a reason and for many different purposes. One of those purposes is that we were created to live in community.

In Genesis chapter one, verse 26, we read, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.'" This is an interesting concept. God is here creating everything that is seen and even those things that we cannot see. He continues, "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, over the cattle of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

God, who in the Scriptures is revealed to be one God existing in three persons, embodies the doctrine of the Trinity, which every Orthodox Christian holds. Within the Godhead, there is an existing community and relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God did not create us to have friends; He didn't need relationship or community, as there is already community within the Godhead.

Yet, God says, "Let us make man in our image and likeness." So what did He do? God created man in His own image. In verse 27, it states, "In the image of God, He created him." Notice how God expressed His image in humanity: "Male and female, He created them."

I realize that in our current climate here in Western culture, people struggle with the gender realities of God. However, every time God is revealed in the Scriptures, He is presented as male. There is a certain maleness to the reality of who God is. Some people may have difficulty with this, but that is what the Bible says. When God created man in His image, He did so with intention.

He created them male and female as an expression of His image, of who He is. Why? Well, turn in your Bibles one chapter over to Genesis chapter 2, and we can answer the question about why. Genesis chapter 2 is a restatement of Genesis chapter 1. It restates the creation account a second time, with minor differences.

In Genesis chapter 2, verse 18, God had created man first, but then this comes in Genesis 2:18. The Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone." That's interesting. God looks upon humanity, created in His image and likeness, and says it is not good for man to be alone. God's desire is that man would experience community. He created us for community because we are made in His image and likeness.

To fulfill this, not only did He create woman, but He also gave humanity, both man and woman, the ability to perpetuate community. How? Well, go back to Genesis chapter 1 again and look at verse 28. We already looked at verse 27, where God said, "Let us make man in our image," and He created them male and female. In Genesis 1:28, He said to humanity, "Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply.'" Make more to have more community.

God says, "I am making you an expression of My image and likeness. You are male and female to experience oneness in relationship, to experience community." The two become one in united community, and from there, they perpetuate community. It is true, and science says this: all human beings have a common ancestor. We agree with that. Our common ancestor is described here in the book of Genesis. From one man, God created woman. From that union, He brought forth the human race. Some people may have a hard time with that, but the reality is God created us to experience community and to live in community.

Of course, we know that Genesis 1 and 2 are just the beginning of the story of humanity, and the story gets complicated. Every story gets complicated, right? In Genesis chapter 3, the story gets complicated, and there we see the reality, point number 2 on your outline: community was lost in the fall. Community was lost in the fall.

Genesis chapter 3, look at verse 7, if you would. As you do, remember that God, in Genesis chapter 2, verse 17, had given a command to humanity. He said, "Of all the trees that are in the garden that I've created for you, you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden, you shall not eat thereof, for the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die."

Then, in Genesis chapter 3, verses 5 and 6, we see that humanity partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We read in verse 7, "Then the eyes of both of them, Adam and Eve, were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings." They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God had warned them about, and their eyes were opened. In their eyes being opened, they saw that they were naked, and then they covered their nakedness. This is an expression of their shame, which is interesting because, when God originally created them, we see back in Genesis chapter 2, the very last verse, that both the husband and his wife were naked and were not ashamed.

Before they partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, there was no shame and no fear. However, when they partook, their eyes were opened, and they were instantly filled with shame, leading them to try to cover it. There was one, and from one, God made two, with the intent that He would join them together as one flesh again, as husband and wife. But then, when shame entered in through sin, there was a division. There was a separation. Community between humanity was broken in Genesis chapter 3; it was disrupted.

Not just the community between man and his wife was broken, but there was another destruction that came. In verse 8 of Genesis chapter 3, we read, "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then God said to them, "Adam, where are you?" (Genesis chapter 3, verse 9). Of course, Adam replied in verse 10, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; I was fearful and ashamed, and so I hid myself."

You see, when God created humanity...

Back in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, God made us united together as human beings in community. Not only that, we were united in communion with Him. I've talked about this here at Cross Connection before, but it's so very important. The communion that we had with God and the community that we experienced with one another was broken at the fall in Genesis chapter 3. This means that every single generation after that, every human being born after Genesis chapter 3, post the fall, has experienced the loss of community.

Since we were created for community, there is deep down inside of us a yearning and a desire to have that repaired again—to be in community with one another and to be in communion with God. Although humanity in its fallen state does not recognize and may not clearly articulate this, there is a desire within us, a created, hardwired desire to be in community with one another and in communion with God. Humanity is longing for this; they are looking for it. Death brought separation, and sin brought death. Therefore, we are living disconnected lives.

All of man's attempts at religion, fraternity, or clubs are efforts to try, by his own strength, to bring back the idea of community and to express it. We have communities today that are creating areas where we can experience a sense of community. This is a really big thing even in our own city here in Escondido, where our city officials are always trying to find ways to restore a sense of community.

However, I would posit that there is no genuine community outside of Christ. Man is looking for this kind of satisfying community. This is why we have the kind of relationships and really broken relationships that we do in our world today. People are innately desiring this oneness connection. Since they can't find a satisfying oneness connection, they move from one relationship to another and are never able fully to find it. Whether it's heterosexual community or homosexual community, people are searching for this. Because we are in a fallen state, we will grab onto things.

That are fallen representations of community, but never be satisfied with it. There is no satisfaction with this faux community that man creates in and of himself. We know this. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards knew this, and they tapped into something.

The first hit of the Rolling Stones here in the United States of America in the summer of 1965 is a memorable moment for some. I don't remember it; I was born much later. However, in June of 1965, a new song from a new group from the United Kingdom came on the radio here in America. It instantly went to number one, and it was called "Satisfaction" or "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."

If you listen to the lyrics, it's a little strange. It talks about the dissatisfaction of commercialism and the dissatisfaction of sexual frustration. These are some interesting concepts. Rolling Stone Magazine tells us that it is number two on the top 500 rock songs ever recorded, and it has held that position since 1965. The Rolling Stones' hit "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" is still performed, and the band members, especially Mick Jagger, who is now over 70 and still wears tight leather pants, look like the Walking Dead when they do. When he gets up and screams, it's like, whoa! If you ever wanted to see zombies, that's it. You can't tell me that's not drug-induced.

But they headline with that song every time: "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." It is number two on the rock charts of all recorded hits because it connects with us at a level where we all say, "You know, that's a reality. I Can't Get No Satisfaction."

Point number three on your outline: Christ came to reconcile us to God and one another. Would you turn in your Bibles to the New Testament, the book of Ephesians? Ephesians chapter two. We are going to start at verse 11, primarily looking at verses 14 through 18. But first, look at Ephesians two.

Therefore, remember that you were once Gentiles, or just non-believers. You were once non-believers in the flesh who were called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision. So, you were outside of the community.

At that time, you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. You had no joining family, no real community, and were strangers from the covenants and promises that bound them together. You had no hope and were without God in the world.

But now, there is a change that has taken place. Now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off, disjointed, and disconnected have been brought near. How? By the blood of Christ.

Why? For He, Jesus Himself, is our peace who has made both one. He has united those who were disconnected and disjointed together as one. He has broken down the middle wall of separation. Sin brought death, and death brought separation, but Jesus breaks down that middle wall of separation.

How? Having abolished in His flesh the enmity, the division, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, He creates in Himself one new man. He brings us together as one in Him from the two, thus making peace.

That He might reconcile—there is that word—both to God in one body through the cross. Why are we called Cross Connection? Well, we believe that through the cross of Christ, we have been brought back into connection with God and one another because of what Jesus did on the cross. He has reconciled us to Himself, to God the Father, and to one another through the cross, having put to death the enmity that was there.

Verse 17 states that He came, Jesus did, and preached peace to you who were disconnected and far off, and to those who were near. For through Him...

I don't know, I broke my mic. Don't stand there, I guess. You want to bring me the handheld? Okay, we good? All right. Sorry, man. Whew. Anyway,

For through Him, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Through Him, we who were once disconnected now have access. Jesus said in John chapter 14, verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me."

You see, we were created, as stated in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, to be in communion with God the Father, and that was devastated and destroyed by the fall. But now, through Jesus and the cross of Christ, we can be reconnected to Him and reconciled to Him. He brings us back into connection. Christ came to reconcile us to God and to one another.

Another verse to consider is in 2 Corinthians, which is just two books to the left of Ephesians. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17, Paul the Apostle speaks about the fact that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. Verse 17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."

Now, all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. You and I, who were once far off and disconnected from God and one another, have been brought together as one in Christ, the body of Christ. Now, because we are reconnected to God and one another in communion and community, we have the ministry of reconciliation. God's desire is that all humanity would experience communion with Him and community with one another.

We now have the ministry of reconciliation. We go forth preaching the word of reconciliation, which is the gospel. We have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Verse 19 explains that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their sins or trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

So then, in verse 20, we are ambassadors for Christ. We go forth with a message to this world: you are disconnected from community, and you are longing for communion with God and community with one another, and it is only found in Christ. It is not found on Facebook, even though one-seventh of all humanity has a Facebook account.

It’s a sad reality that the American Psychological Association tells us there is such a thing as Facebook depression. What is Facebook depression? It’s the feeling that, although you have many friends on Facebook, they all seem to be having the time of their lives. People only post good updates and happy pictures, so you look at everyone else and think, "Man, their lives look so easy, and mine sucks." When you post a picture and no one likes it or comments, you can feel really down and depressed. This phenomenon is called Facebook depression.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat create a sense of community, but not a real community. We live in a time where you can enter a communal space, like a coffee shop, buy a cup of coffee, and sit down at a table surrounded by twenty other people, all of whom are on their devices. They never talk to you, and you never talk to them. You have no idea who they are, and they have no idea who you are. We live completely anonymous lives just five feet from each other.

I thought it was really amazing, and this was before the advent of smartphone technology. Back in 2002, Pastor Eric and I were in New York City with Horizon Christian Fellowship. We got into a crammed subway car during rush hour, surrounded by tons of people. Everyone was engrossed in their books or had their headphones on. If you bumped into someone, you would say, "Sorry," and then forget about it. People wanted nothing to do with anyone else. They would say, "Don't talk to me. Just leave me alone. Don't touch me."

You can see similar scenes in pictures of Japanese subways, where people are pushed in and then stand there, not wanting to engage with anyone. What is that?

Jesus' death in our place made the way open for us to be reconnected to God and to one another in community. This is a life-giving and satisfying community that extends into eternity. Escape from eternal punishment and into eternal paradise with God is not the only wonderful thing about salvation in Christ. Yes, we look forward with hope to the day when we will be with Him for eternity in paradise. But until then, what about now?

God desires that we live in community and communion with Him. We have the ability to do so.

To experience that here, point number four on your outline is that the church is God's plan for the restoration of community. It is within the church that we are going to experience and express community.

Again, let’s go back to where we started: Acts chapter 2. A little context in history: in Acts chapter 2, God pours out His Spirit upon 120 believers, followers of Jesus, there on the day of Pentecost, a feast of the Jews in the city of Jerusalem. When the Spirit is poured out, there is a manifestation that God has done something powerful among this group of 120 people. The onlookers in the city of Jerusalem, and there were many of them at that feast, look and say, "What in the world is this?"

Peter, one of the apostles, stands up empowered by the Spirit of God and begins to preach a message of grace and salvation. He says to these people, "You crucified Jesus, but He is the Messiah; He is the Lord, the Savior." When they are cut to the heart, they ask, "What must we do?" He replies, "Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins, and you will experience times of refreshing that will come in."

In Acts chapter 2, verse 40, it is said that many of those people heard what Peter had to say and were saved. Then, Acts chapter 2, verse 41 states that they were baptized, and about 3,000 people—probably just men—were numbered. More than 3,000 people are now united together in a community of faith in Jesus Christ, having believed in Him, been saved, and been baptized.

What was the outcome? What did these people, now united together as one in Christ, do? Verses 42 through 47 describe for us just what it is that the early church was doing. Acts 2:42 states that these 3,000-plus individuals continued steadfastly. It was important to them; they were earnest in this. They continued in four things: the apostles' doctrine, which is simply the teaching of the apostles—who were the early followers of Jesus, who lived with Him for three, three and a half years, who saw Him perform miracles, walk on water, feed the hungry, heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. They saw Him raised from the dead. Those individuals who heard His teaching, the apostles, whom Jesus called, they taught. So, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching.

Then, in fellowship, the rest of the verses describe what fellowship is, which is the Greek word "koinonia," in the breaking of bread. It's important to recognize that typically we misunderstand in the church today the breaking of bread to mean partaking of the Eucharist, the bread and the cup. We say that's breaking of bread. But the reality is that the breaking of bread here is simply hospitality, experiencing oneness in relationship together, and eating a meal together. We see that later on in this passage.

So they continued in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Continuing on, in verse 43, fear came upon every soul, and many signs and wonders were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as everyone had need.

Now, I'm not contending that we need to connect with community for a commune sort of kibbutz lifestyle that was big during the 1960s and 70s. I'm not saying that, but we should learn some of the things that we see here. They sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as everyone had need. That is koinonia. That's what fellowship is in the New Testament sense. That's caring and sharing for one another. That's fellowship.

Continuing on, in verse 46, they continued daily with one accord, gathering together in the temple. They would gather at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, where there were open patio areas for groups of people. Breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. That is breaking of bread together, praising God and having favor with all people. The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Our aim here at Cross Connection Church is to promote a vision for fellowship and community. One of our biggest desires as the leaders of Cross Connection for 2014 is that we would do a better job of increasing opportunities for fellowship and community. We do that in a number of ways. First, we talk about the importance of it, like we're doing here today. Secondly, we intentionally create opportunities for fellowship.

More than a year ago, I shared with the church our desire to create a home group ministry that would be geared toward this idea of living in connection with one another. We want to call it connect groups. Right now, there are about three connect groups.

We want to increase involvement in our church community because God created us to live in community together and to express our faith with one another. It is not our desire to simply create a home Bible study ministry. I say this because there is no lack of opportunity for good Bible study in our day. If you want quality Bible teaching, you can find it easily. We live in Southern California, where it is all around us. Additionally, you can access videos and audio teachings on the internet or listen to them on the radio. There is no shortage of good Bible teaching today, and no one could argue this point.

What is lacking in our church, and in most churches, is fellowship, hospitality, and prayer. The reality is that even within the church, many people feel lonely and say, "I have no friends." Therefore, we want to create an environment where we can extend fellowship, hospitality, and prayer. That is what connect groups will be. It will not just be a home Bible study group. However, if you feel that the Lord is laying it on your heart to have a home Bible study, God bless you. We encourage you to start that, invite some friends, and have a home Bible study.

We want to create something called connect groups, and to do that, we need people to say, "I'm willing to be a connect group host." Not a leader, but a host. So, what is a connect group host? Look at the bottom of your outline, and I will share with you what a connect group host is.

A connect group host is, first, a person who has a heart for people. Second, it is someone who is willing to open their space and home. Third, it is a person who will serve their guests. Lastly, it is someone who will simply talk about Jesus. If you have a heart for people, are willing to open your space, will serve those who come in, and will talk about Jesus, then you could be a connect group host.

If you look in your bulletin, you will notice the top two announcements. Pastor Mark didn't mention these earlier, but the first is the connect group host meeting. If you are interested in becoming a connect group host, we invite you to join us.

Join us on Wednesday, February 12th, at seven o'clock here at the church. We will share with you what exactly that looks like and how you can become a Connect Group host. You don't have to be able to give a ten-point message on Ephesians chapter one, verses one through fourteen. You just need to have a heart for people, be willing to open your space, serve those who come in, and talk about Jesus.

If you think you can do that, then I invite you, men and women, to come out to our Connect Group host meeting on Wednesday, February 12th, at seven o'clock. We will discuss how this can become a reality. It will be just about an hour-long meeting where we will talk about that and list out a few requirements involved. We can't just say, "Hey, anybody who just arrived here yesterday and used to go to the Jehovah's Witness church down the road, come be a Connect Group host." No, we can't do that.

There are a few requirements, but primarily we are saying that if you have a heart for people, are willing to open your space, will serve those who come in, and will talk about Jesus, we want you to be a Connect Group host. We are looking to have 100% of our church involved in home group ministry. This is why, almost five years ago, we got rid of our midweek Bible study, our Wednesday night Bible study. There are many of you here who never even knew we had a midweek Bible study because, even if you were here at that time, you didn't come. However, you've probably been new to the church since that time, and we are trying to open up opportunities for us to live in community.

We think this is exceedingly important because we were created for community. The awesome thing is that genuine, satisfying community, which is only found in Christ, is evangelistic. We know for certain, as the Bible reveals, that all of humanity desires community with one another and communion with God. If we create an opportunity for it, we believe that God will add to the church daily those who are being saved through it. People are saying, "Hey, I want that."

In Romans, Paul says that we are to stir people unto jealousy, so they see what we have and say, "I want what they have." One of the greatest things that the church has, which the world will never have, besides salvation and eternity forever, is community with one another and communion with God.

As we wrap up, I feel it is important to say this: If you are still living a life disconnected from God...

From the body of Christ, because you have not received salvation in Jesus Christ, we want to give you an opportunity to do that today. If you would stand with me, we're going to have Rich and the team come back up to close in prayer and end with one more song.

It may be that as you're here today, you say, "I desire to be in communion with God and community with one another," but I have not experienced that yet. You're still living a disconnected life. Jesus came to reconcile us to God. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in Christ and experience communion with God and community with one another.

So let's bow our heads as we pray.

Father, we thank you that you loved us so much that you gave your only begotten Son to die for us in our place, making the way open for us to have fellowship with you and with one another. Father, pour out your Spirit upon us that we would experience afresh and anew what it is to be one in you. In Jesus' name, Amen.