Connect With Community (Life In Connection part 3 of 3)

The Bible reveals from the very beginning that God created humanity to live in connection with one another. That's one of the reasons our church is called Cross Connection. God wants us to live out a connected life here at our church. Right now, we're doing a series called "Life in Connection," and we're spending time looking at how we live that out. Today, we're going to be talking about the importance of living in community and living life together. The reality is that life is lived better when it's lived together.

We will be looking at what the Bible has to say about community and how we live it out, so I hope that you'll spend the time looking at it with us. Open your Bible; we'll be looking at a number of places in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Let's begin with Acts chapter 2. I was talking with someone before the service, and when you have little kids, you're always trying to teach them to share. The problem is that they don't share the things you want them to share, and they do share the things you don't want them to share, like their colds.

Acts chapter 2, beginning at verse 42, is a passage that is central not just to our church but to many other Bible-teaching churches. There we read, "And they," speaking about the early church, "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Then 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. So 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

That, as a body, Lord, I do pray that you would plant Your word in our hearts. We stand here this morning recognizing 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 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 are 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 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 are discussing the importance 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 that 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 by 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, talking about how we do it, 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 zeroing in on here in our study today—the idea of community, togetherness, family connection. We place a high value on connection here at this church. We want to live this connected life, which I have been saying over the last two weeks is ultimately the abundant life. So, we want to look at this topic.

Understanding why this is so central to who we are, our name, our vision, and our values all speak to this 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 ideas of connectedness, communion, family, and togetherness. We are to be knit together as one body in Christ, experiencing that and expressing it to the world. The church is to be the expression of community; that is what God's desire is for us.

These ideas or concepts mentioned in our vision statement are not earth-shattering, but in the era in which we live, more and more people are living very separated lives. They are separated not only from their extended family but also from their immediate family. We live in a culture that is very abnormal to 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 some of the first to experience this reality. When people reached a certain point, they left their family to go away to school, and then after school, they left their family again to find work. This pattern has persisted for many years, with people leaving what they know, what is common, and what they are connected to by blood and family culture. They go across the nation or even across the world to find where they can live and set up a life.

This disconnection is abnormal to human history, but it is normal to us. We see the ramifications of this sort of disconnected, independent existence. The effects are clear. The shift has happened for more than 50 or 60 years now. In 2006, the American Sociological Review published research that found social isolation in America had grown dramatically from 1985 to 2005. Over the span of two decades, they observed that social isolation had become a reality for many Americans. But what exactly does this mean? What does the concept of social isolation entail? Practically speaking, it means that the number of people saying there was no one with whom they discussed important matters had increased significantly.

There was a significant increase in the number of people who feel isolated. A study revealed that those who reported having only one person they could confide in or seek counsel from pushed the number of Americans without close connections from a quarter to almost 50%. This means that nearly half of all Americans feel they have no one in their lives, or just one person, whom they consider close enough to turn to for support during difficult times. This is a heavy reality to consider, especially when there are over 330 million Americans living in this nation today.

The ramifications of this loneliness are profound. In May of 2013, another study identified that one-third of all middle-aged Americans, classified as those aged 35 to 55, are chronically lonely. This is astonishing, especially given that more Americans die by suicide than in car accidents. In 2013, 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 rooted in loneliness.

It is remarkable that we live in a culture filled with people, yet many feel isolated. One can reside in a housing development in Southern California, where it is possible to touch a neighbor's house with a foot and still not know their name. People can spend their entire lives in such isolation. In response, we have created larger homes, with sizes of 3,500 or 4,500 square feet, to avoid feeling caged. However, many do not care if their yard is only 12 feet long because they remain inside their homes. They leave their garages in the morning to go to an office, sit in a cubicle, and then return to their garages, continuing the cycle of isolation.

At the end of the day, no one ever sees you, and the reality of this is evident in the fact that we hear news reports about people who die in their homes, and no one knows until they start to smell something three or five weeks later. We live in a very disconnected environment, which is abnormal in human history. However, you don't have to look very far to prove the cliché saying true: life is better together. We know at a deep level that this is a reality.

An example that came to mind the other day, although it may not be the best example, is watching a football game. It's not as fun to watch a football game on TV by yourself; it's more enjoyable when there are other people around. I live in a neighborhood here in Escondido, and when there's a good football game on, I can hear people yelling. I know the Chargers just scored because I hear cheers from multiple areas. It's not just one person in their house; it's multiple people gathering together. We don't plan barbecues just by ourselves; we want to invite others to be a part of that experience because life is better together.

I had an interesting reconfirmation of this idea this week. Reflecting on my life, I would say I've probably been to Disneyland ten or more times. Living here in Southern California, that's not a strange thing to say, as it's just a little over an hour away. In going to Disneyland so many times, I don't think there's a single ride that I haven't ridden at least once, 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 feels mundane. If I went to Disneyland by myself, I probably wouldn't go again. I've bought the little hat and the shirt, and I've done it multiple times. I've seen it all; I've been there and done that.

However, this last Thursday, my wife and I brought our two oldest kids to Disneyland for the very first time. They had never been before, and experiencing it with them reignited my excitement. Why? Because they were experiencing it for the first time. As we came around a corner, I knew they were going to see something magical. Our daughter, Addison, is like a princess every day of the week. I mean, I'm not kidding; since Christmas, she's...

My daughter has been wearing a princess crown the entire time, and she wants to go to school with it when she starts 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.

When we go to Disneyland, we walk through the gate, and everybody there greets her with, "Hi, princess!" She gets so excited. Then, as we come around the corner, we're heading to see the castle. I remember it being so much bigger as a kid; it's sad that it seems to be shrinking. But as we come around the corner on Main Street, there it is—the castle. She exclaims, "Oh my!"

Experiencing this with her reminds me that life is better together. We see it in those moments. The daily realities of life can become mundane and lonely if we're not living in community. 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.

The reason we keep returning to Genesis is that every worldview and philosophy, including Christianity, which is both a religion and a faith, also serves as a worldview or philosophy. Every worldview must answer certain core questions. One of the questions that any philosophy needs to address is the idea of origin: Where did we come from? What is the foundation?

Not only do we need to understand origin, but we also need to consider purpose: What were we created for? The Book of Genesis, particularly chapters 1 and 2, reveals to us the ideas of origin and purpose. God is the one who created us; that is our origin. He also created us for a reason and for many different purposes, one of which is that we were created to live in community.

Look at Genesis 1:26. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image." This is an interesting concept, as God is here creating everything that is seen and even those things that we cannot see.

According to our likeness, 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 but existing in three persons, is a concept that is not always easy for us to grasp. This is the doctrine of the Trinity, which every Orthodox Christian holds to.

God, within the Godhead, exists as a community. There is relationship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God existing in three persons. At His very nature, God did not create us to have friends; He didn't need relationship or community. There is community within the Godhead, but God says, "Let us make man in our image and likeness."

So what did He do? God created man in His own image. In Genesis 1:27, it states, "In the image of God, He created him." Notice how He expressed His image in humanity: male and female, He created them. I realize that in our current climate here in Western culture, people have a hard time with the gender realities of God. However, every time God is revealed in the Scriptures, He is revealed as He. There is a certain maleness to the reality of who God is, and some people have a hard time with it, but that is what the Bible says.

When God created man in His image, He created them male and female as an expression of His image of who He is. Why? Turn in your Bibles one chapter over to Genesis chapter 2, and we will 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 2:18, God had created man first, but then this comes in Genesis 2:18: "And 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 that man should be alone. God's desire is that man would experience community. He created us for community because we are created in His image and likeness.

Not only did He create woman, but He gave humanity, man and woman, the ability to perpetuate community. Let's go back to Genesis chapter 1 and look at verse 28. We already examined 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, relationship, and community. The two become one and united in 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 ancestry is described here in the Book of Genesis. From one man, God created woman, and from that union, He brought forth the human race. Some people may have a hard time with that, but the reality is that 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 takes a turn. There, we see the reality of point number two on your outline: community was lost in the fall.

In Genesis 3, look at verse 7. As you do, remember that God, in Genesis 2:17, 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 in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die."

Then, in Genesis 3:5 and 6, we see that humanity partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We read this 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.

When they opened their eyes, they saw that they were naked, and they covered their nakedness. This act was an expression of their shame, which is interesting because when God originally created them, we see in Genesis chapter 2, the very last verse, that both the husband and his wife were naked and 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. They tried to cover their shame, and thus, there was one. From one, God made two with the intent that He would join them together as one flesh again as husband and wife.

But when shame entered through sin, there was now a division and a separation. The community between humanity was broken in Genesis chapter 3. This disruption was not just between man and his wife; it affected the entire community of humanity. There was another destruction that came. In verse 8 of Genesis chapter 3, we read that they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and 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 3:9).

Adam responded in verse 10, "I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked." He was fearful and ashamed, so he hid himself. You see, when God created humanity in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, He made us united together as human beings in community. Not only that, we were united in communion with Him. I have talked about this here at Cross Connection before, but it is very important to understand that the communion we had with God and the community 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 post-fall, has experienced the loss of community.

Since we were created for community, there is a deep yearning and desire within us to have that repaired—to be in community with one another and to be in communion with God, although humanity in its fallen state struggles with this longing.

The state does not recognize, and maybe cannot clearly articulate, the 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 express it.

We have communities today that are creating areas where we can experience a sense of community. It's a significant issue. Even in our own city here in Escondido, 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, which is why we have the broken relationships that we do in our world today. People are innately desiring this oneness and connection. Since they can't find a satisfying oneness connection, they move from one relationship to another, never fully able to find it.

Whether it's heterosexual or homosexual community, people are searching for this. Because we are in a fallen state, we tend to grab onto things that are fallen representations of community, but we will never be satisfied with them. There is no satisfaction in the faux community that man creates on his own. We know this, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards knew it too. They tapped into something profound.

The first hit of The Rolling Stones in the United States came in the summer of 1965. Some of you may remember it; I don't, as I was born much later. In June of 1965, a new song from a new group from the United Kingdom came on the radio in America, and it instantly went to number one. 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 relationships.

Frustration can lead to some interesting concepts. Rolling Stone magazine tells us that "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" is number two on the top 500 rock songs ever recorded. It has held this position since 1965. The Rolling Stones are still singing it, and boy, do they look like the Walking Dead when they do! When Mick Jagger, now over 70, gets up in his tight leather pants 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. They headline with that song every time, and it remains number two on the rock charts of all recorded hits because it connects with us at a level where we all say, "I can't get no satisfaction."

Point number three on your outline is that Christ came to reconcile us to God and one another. Would you turn in your Bibles to the New Testament, the book of Ephesians? We will be looking primarily at Ephesians chapter 2, starting at verse 11.

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

Verse 12 states that 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 has been a change. Now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off, disjointed, and disconnected have been brought near.

By the blood of Christ, why verse 14? For He, Jesus Himself, is our peace. He has made both one; He has united those who are disconnected and disjointed. 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? 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: And He came—Jesus did—and preached peace to you who were disconnected and far off, and to those who were near. 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 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me." You see, we were created 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 one another. If you would, turn to 2 Corinthians; it's just two books to the left of Ephesians. 2 Corinthians 5.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul the Apostle speaks about the fact that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. 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. 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, and 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 states that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, in verse 20, we see that 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. This longing is only found in Christ.

It is not found on Facebook, even though 70% of all humanity has a Facebook account. I have joked about it before, but it is a sad reality that the American Psychological Association tells us there is such a thing as Facebook depression. What is Facebook depression? It is the feeling that, despite having many friends on Facebook, everyone else seems to be having the time of their lives. People only post good updates and pictures, so you look at everyone and think their lives look so easy while yours seems difficult. 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.

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Snapchat create a sense of community, but not true community. We live in a time where this distinction is increasingly important.

Where you can go into a communal space, a third space, a coffee shop, and buy a cup of coffee, you can sit down at a table with twenty other people. They are all on their devices, somewhere else. 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 when we're five feet from each other. I thought it was really amazing, and this was before the advent of smartphone technology.

Myself and Pastor Eric were in New York City back in 2002 with Horizon Christian Fellowship. We got into a crammed subway car in the middle of rush hour, and there were tons of people. Everyone was engrossed in their books and had their headphones on. If you bumped into someone, you would say sorry, but they would forget about it. They wanted nothing to do with anybody. They would just leave me alone, don’t touch me, leave me alone.

You see pictures of the Japanese subways where they are pushing people on, and everyone is like this—don’t talk to me. What is that? Jesus's death in our place made the way open for us to be reconnected to God and one another in community—life-giving and satisfying community that extends on into eternity.

Escape from eternal punishment and unto eternal paradise with God is not the only wonderful thing about salvation in Christ. Yes, we do look forward to the day when we will be with Him for eternity in paradise, but until then, what about now? Well, now God desires that we would live in community, in communion with Him. We have the ability to experience that here.

You see, point number four on your outline: 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, go back to where we started—Acts chapter 2.

In Acts chapter 2, a little context in history: 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’s a...

Manifestation that God has done something powerful among this group of 120 people and the onlookers in the city of Jerusalem. There were many of them there at that feast, and they looked and said, "What in the world is this?" Peter, one of the Apostles, stood up empowered by the Spirit of God, and he began to preach a message of grace and salvation. He said to these people, "You crucified Jesus, but he is the Messiah; he is the Lord, the Savior." When they were cut to the heart, they asked, "What must we do?" He replied, "Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins, and you'll experience times of refreshing that will come."

In Acts 2:40, it is said that many of those people heard what Peter had to say, and they were saved. Acts 2:41 states that they were baptized, and about 3,000 people—probably just men—were numbered. More than 3,000 people were 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, who were now united together as one in Christ, do? Verses 42-47 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—those 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, were called by Jesus, and they taught.

So, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, and the rest of the verses describe what fellowship is, which is the Greek word "koinonia," in the breaking of bread. It is 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 is breaking of bread, but the reality is that the breaking of bread here is simply hospitality—experiencing oneness in relationship together, eating a meal together. We see that later on in this passage. They continued in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread.

Prayers well. Continuing on, then, those—I'm sorry, verse 43—then fear came upon every soul, and many signs and wonders were done through the apostles. All who believed were together, and they 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, when I say that we need to connect with community for a commune sort of 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—caring and sharing for one another.

Continuing on, so continuing daily, verse 46, with one accord, together in the temple, they would gather there at the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. There were open patio areas where you could gather together as 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 here 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 that are going on, but we want to increase that because we want all of our church body to be involved in community. God created us for that—to be living in community together, living our faith out with one another.

Now, it's not our desire just to create a home Bible study ministry, and I say that because there is no lack of opportunity for good Bible study in our day. If you want good Bible teaching, you can get it. I mean, we live in Southern California, where it's all around us. On top of that, you can get videos and audio of it on the internet; you can listen to it on the radio. There's no lack in our day, and no one would be able to argue this point.

With me, there is no lack in our day of good Bible teaching. What is lacking in our church, and in most churches, is fellowship, hospitality, and prayer. The reality is that even within the church, there are a lot of people who feel lonely and say, "I have no friends." We want to create an environment where we can extend fellowship, hospitality, and prayer. That's what connect groups are going to be.

It's not going to be a home Bible study group, although if you feel like the Lord is laying it on your heart to have a home Bible study, God bless you. We want you to start that and invite some friends. However, 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.

What is a connect group host? Look at the bottom of your outline, and I'll share with you what a connect group host is. A connect group host is, first, a person who has a heart for people. Secondly, it is a person who is willing to open their space, their home. Thirdly, it is a person who will serve their guests. Lastly, it is a person 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 would look in your bulletin real quick, you will notice the top two announcements. Pastor Mark didn't mention these earlier. The top two announcements are about the connect group host meeting. If you're interested in becoming a connect group host, we invite you to join us on Wednesday, February 12th, at 7:00 PM 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 1:1-14. 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 7:00 PM. We are going to share more about it.

How that becomes a reality is through an hour-long meeting. We'll talk about that and list out a few requirements involved in it. 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're saying if you've got a heart for people, you're willing to open your space, you'll serve those who come in, and you'll talk of Jesus, we want you to be a connect group host.

We're 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 a whole bunch 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. But you've probably been new to the church since that time, and so we're 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 this genuine, satisfying community, which is only found in Christ, is evangelistic. We know for certain that the Bible reveals all of humanity is desiring 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, that they see what we have and desire it. 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 and 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, 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 you 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...

The righteousness of God in Christ allows us to experience communion with God and community with one another. 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. Lord, it may be that as we stand here, there are some who have not experienced that yet. They have not received salvation by grace through faith. Would You, by Your Spirit, draw them now?