Life In Connection With One Another

Every human being desires to experience a united relationship, a oneness with one another. God created us this way, but we live in a world that is filled with all kinds of loneliness and isolation. Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to deal with that. That's what we're going to discover today as we open the Scripture.

So, open with us to the Gospel of John and follow along. Amen. Good morning. Would you open your Bibles with me to the New Testament book of John? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of the ushers will bring you one. John is the fourth of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John, right before the book of Acts in the last third of your Bible.

John chapter 10 is where we're going to pick up with just one verse spoken by Jesus. As He is speaking to His disciples and also to a multitude of people, He says this: John 10, verse 10, "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly."

Lord, we see the work of the thief. So many people, both in this room and those we know, have been robbed by the thief who has come to steal, to kill, and to destroy. People don't even realize, oftentimes, that they are feeling and living the effects of the thief's work in their lives.

But Jesus, You came to give life and more abundantly, and I pray that that would be the experience of this group here. I pray that we would know life in You, that we would not only know life in You but an abundance of life. May it be our experience, and may it be the very thing that is seen and expressed in our lives.

God, by Your grace, by the power of Your Spirit, and by the work of Your Word in us, make us bold to share and extend that abundance of life to other people. There are people in our lives—friends, co-workers, family members, neighbors—who have been...

Robbed and don't even realize it. I pray, God, that we would be those who are able to show them life, to shine light into dark places. So, God, work in us, Your church, to make us more and more of a bright light to a world that is in such desperate need. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

In a June 2016 interview, the Surgeon General of the United States said this: our greatest public health crisis isn't cancer or heart disease; it is isolation. Isolation, he said, and the effects of being socially isolated. That's a pretty powerful statement coming from the Surgeon General of the United States—that our greatest health problem or crisis is not cancer, is not heart disease, but it is social isolation.

It's hard to believe that this is his view, that this is what he sees after examining all the data from institutions like the National Institutes of Health. As he looks at the data that comes out from the CDC and considers all the different things that happen at a medical, health, or welfare level in our nation, for him to say that the greatest health crisis we are facing is isolation is striking.

I don't think it's false to say, and I think you would probably agree, that we are the most connected people in all of human history. From a technological standpoint and a practical standpoint, we are most certainly the most connected individuals in human history. At just about any time and from virtually any place, you and I can instantly connect with just about any person.

It's been this way for a period of time, especially in the last ten years. We've seen it quite a bit in the last decade. It was even amazing to me in 2010 when I was in Mozambique, Africa. We were about 100 miles from any sort of real civilization. On a Sunday morning, in a grass hut church, I was giving the message with a translator, and in the middle of my message, I heard a noise and was interrupted.

In Mozambique, I visited a church in the bush, housed in a grass hut with no actual lines of electricity. They get their electricity from solar panels. During my visit, I was interrupted by a cell phone. It struck me that there is no difference between being in that remote church and being at Cross Connection Church at 1675 Seven Oaks Road. We are the most connected people at any other time in human history. Even individuals who do not know us and have never been introduced to us can still connect with us.

This was made very clear to me this past Monday. I was on my way to pick up two of my kids from preschool when I pulled into the parking lot and received a notification on my phone. It was a message from a person I had never met before. This person did not have my cell phone number or my email address, but they wanted to get in touch with me. They went on Twitter, searched for me, found my handle @PastorMiles, and sent me a message. In an instant, I was connected with someone I had never met, who wanted to reach out to me. It was simple and amazing.

For modern Americans living in the United States, especially in Southern California in the 21st century, the only places where we are not connected are in the shower or the pool. However, companies like Samsung are trying to change that with new waterproof devices, ensuring that we can stay connected at all times and in any place. After all, you might really need to answer a text message while you're in the shower in the morning, and they want to make sure you are covered wherever you are.

This constant connectivity has become as normal to us as brushing our teeth. In fact, for many of you, before you brushed your teeth this morning and probably after you brush your teeth tonight, you will look at your device to see what is going on, who has tried to connect with you, or to connect with someone else. It has become completely normal for us. For a growing percentage of Americans, checking their devices is the first thing they do in the morning and the last thing they do at night.

Now, some of you might be shaking your heads, saying, "No, that's not me." If that describes you, I bet you two things: number one, you are over 40, and number two, you have kids or grandkids who are like that, even if you are not.

And this is not going to change. It's only going to get more and more like this, that we are constantly connected. I see more and more people with wrist devices, whether it's a Fitbit or a smartwatch. Now, these devices are waterproof as well, so you can be notified when you are in the pool. If someone is trying to get ahold of you, you don't have to type on it; you can just speak to it.

In fact, I was teaching a class here yesterday on faith and finances. My phone was sitting on the table next door, and I said something that my phone apparently thought I said, "Hey, Siri." I don't want to say it too loud because it'll start talking to me. You don't even have to touch it; you can just say, "Hey, Siri," and she will respond, "What do you want me to help you with?" I can say, "Send a message to my wife," and she will ask, "What do you want to say to your wife?" I can reply, "I'll be home in 10 minutes," and all of a sudden, it's sent to my wife. Boom! We're instantly connected with anybody, anytime, anyplace. It's phenomenal, and it has become completely normal, even though it is totally new.

This year, the iPhone, which was the first of the tablet-sized smartphones with a touchscreen, will turn 10. It's only been 10 years since this came out, and it has completely transformed society. We see this in every single one of us, don't we? I was laughing at this, and I'm sure you've laughed at it before. We all have this experience when we're in a group of people. I was at my parents' house on Christmas Day, sitting in the living room with probably eight or nine other people. I looked around the room, and what did I see? A whole bunch of glowing faces. No one was talking to anyone; they were just looking at their devices.

It doesn't matter if you're in your 60s or if you go down to my nephews who are just 8, 9, 10, or 12 years old; they're all with their devices. I was at the airport in San Francisco earlier last year. I had flown up to teach at a church in Santa Rosa, and while sitting at the airport, I looked around the gate I was at. There were probably 200 people that I could see, and virtually every single person there was like this—no interaction.

What's really funny is when you see a group of people. If you've never seen this, just go over to the youth ministry, and you'll see it. You'll find a group of five or six people sitting together, sending messages to each other and laughing. Their communication is through text, not talking. But there is this constant connection, even though it's new. Facebook will turn 13 on February 4th; it becomes a teenager this year.

At this point, there are 1.79 billion people on the face of this planet who are connected through Facebook. If Facebook were a nation, it would be the largest nation. Sixty percent of American adults are on Facebook, which means the majority of you in this room. One hundred sixty million Americans check their Facebook accounts every week. The average American spends thirty-nine minutes on Facebook each day.

It became very interesting during this last campaign cycle because it has been found by Gallup and others that the number one source of news for Americans today is Facebook. This means you only see news that is liked or promoted by people you know, which generally means you only see news related to things you like or agree with. This changes perspectives. It is fascinating that we are connected in this way. If you have a Facebook account, you can instantly connect with up to 1.79 billion people, including those you don't even know. You can, to borrow an old motto, reach out and touch someone on a different continent instantly. There is no lag in this communication; it has become ubiquitous.

Yet, the Surgeon General of the United States says that our number one health crisis is social isolation. Social isolation is on the rise in America, with a growing percentage of Americans reporting that they are lonely. The amazing thing is that technological social media does not help reduce social isolation; in fact, it appears to increase feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

Within the last ten years, the American Psychological Association has introduced a new classification known as Facebook Anxiety or Facebook Depression. Facebook Depression occurs when a person looks at social media—whether it's Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, or whatever it is—and sees that people only feature the good things in their lives. They post pictures of their delicious meals with friends, exciting outings at the beach, or other fun activities. Consequently, all the people you see on Facebook seem to have awesome lives. Everything appears perfect; they never show the flat tire or any of the less glamorous moments. It seems that everything going on in all of my friends' lives is awesome all the time.

My life is not awesome, and so you're depressed. To amplify the Facebook depression, a person posts something—a picture or something on Instagram or Facebook—and they don't get any comments or likes. All of a sudden, they're down. This is a real thing. Just two weeks ago, a 12-year-old girl committed suicide, hanging herself while live streaming it on Facebook Live. I guarantee you she was suffering from social isolation, and social media is not fixing it.

Twenty percent of Americans, and that number is climbing, suffer from what is called chronic loneliness. Chronic loneliness has been associated with a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even a more rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease in older individuals. Chronic loneliness is not reduced by social media; it's actually amplified by it. A 2010 National Institutes of Health study found that, regardless of age and gender, stronger social connections increase the likelihood of health and thriving. In contrast, a decrease in connectedness contributes to a loss of mental and physical health. It is becoming more and more clear all the time, and science and medicine are confirming this.

Point number one on your outline: you cannot and will not experience an abundant life without connection. I was reading an article on this recently—not from a faith perspective at all, but actually from a scientific journal. The article started out like this: humans were not designed to be solitary creatures. We evolved to survive in tribes. The need to interact is deeply ingrained in our genetic code. So much so that the absence of social connections triggers the primal alarm bells, just as hunger, thirst, and physical pain do. I totally agree with that statement.

Although I find it interesting that the author of this article has a conflicting worldview in their first and second sentences. In the first sentence, the author states that humans were not designed to be solitary creatures. In the second sentence, he claims we evolved to survive in tribes. So, what is it? Were we designed, or did we evolve? Of course, I believe the former; we were designed. We were created for this connection. God said, "It is not good for man to be alone." That's what God says.

God's observation, recorded in Genesis chapter 2, verse 18, emphasizes that it is not good for man to be alone. Following this, He created a comparable helper for man. In the beginning, God created a man, Adam, and over that man, He stated that it is not good for man to be alone. Therefore, God made a compatible helper in woman, so that the two would become one flesh. He then gives a command to them. Genesis chapter 1, verses 22 and 28, instructs them to be fruitful and multiply, to make more. Why? Because it is not good for man to be alone. It is abundantly clear.

Point number two on your outline: we were created to live life in connection with one another. God never intended for us to live independently of one another. This is by design; it is not by evolution or social construction. Independence and isolation bring death. They reduce human thriving and contribute to the increase of mental and physical health issues. At the very least, being disconnected is a life that is, in scientific terms, non-optimal. That's what scientific research indicates. It is non-optimal, which means it is bad.

It is not good for man to be alone. What God has said for thousands of years, science and medicine are confirming over and over again: it is not good for man to be alone. There is a lot of research that has been written on this. A great book came out, I believe it was in 2004, called "Bowling Alone."

The rise of social isolation in our nation is a significant concern. The author of a notable study on this topic is a Harvard professor, and some of his writings are quite prescient. They are prophetic because we are now witnessing many of the realities he identified. He wrote this at the same time that Facebook was being developed at Harvard University, the same institution where he teaches. He highlights the problems of social disconnection and isolation.

Fast forward 13 years from Facebook's founding, and what do we see? Social isolation has only increased, even though we believed that social media would bring us closer together. This trend is not good for us; God never intended for us to be alone. We were created to live life in connection with one another. So, the question arises: if God designed us to live in community, why is social isolation on the rise?

Despite the growing number of humans—humanity has essentially fulfilled and continues to fulfill the command to be fruitful and multiply, with 7.4 billion of us on this planet today—you would think that more people would lead to greater connection. Yet, we find ourselves more divided and isolated than ever.

Interestingly, among certain elite influencers in Western culture, there is a call to decrease the population. This stands in stark contrast to God's command to be fruitful and multiply. If we look at Western Europe over the last half-century, particularly the last 25 years, we see that the idea of decreasing population has become a major issue. In countries like France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and many other European nations, birth rates have fallen below the replacement rate.

The replacement rate, as defined by researchers, is 2.1 children per family. While I’m not sure what 0.1 of a child is, I can assure you that it’s a peculiar classification. In places like France and the Netherlands, they have not been reaching that 2.1 children per family for a very long time. This decline in population is why there has been such a push in the European Union for open immigration over the last 20 years. They need people to come from the Middle East and Northern Africa to help sustain populations in areas where numbers are dwindling.

Now, they are having a very hard time dealing with the influences of Islam from Northern Europe and the Middle East coming into Europe. How do you address that? No one has a good answer for how to deal with it other than this: they need the gospel. They need Jesus. Unfortunately, at the same time that there has been a push in Western Europe for a decreasing population, there has been a war against God.

In places like Scotland, where the English Bible originated, they are now considered an unreached people group, with less than 2% evangelized. So, we see a trend of getting rid of God and decreasing the population. This leads to all kinds of problems stemming from social isolation. If God created us to live life in connection, where did this isolation and loneliness come from?

If you read through the opening chapters of the Bible, you will find an answer. In Genesis chapter 3, we see the rebellion of humanity against the command of God. In humanity's rebellion against God's command, sin entered the world. Sin is the rebellion against God's commandments, and from sin comes death. God said to Adam and Eve, "You shall not eat of all the trees in the garden, but of the tree in the midst of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it. For in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die."

When they ate of it, as recorded in Genesis chapter 3, they did not immediately keel over dead, but they experienced a death instantly. This death is described as follows: they saw that they were naked and made coverings for themselves. There was a separation of oneness, a shame that entered in, and a death of connection.

We live thousands of years from that point, yet we still experience the death of this connection. Point number three on your outline is that sin destroys connection. Sin destroys connection just as it did thousands of years ago, as recorded in Genesis chapter 3. Sin still destroys relationships and community. Every single person in this room has felt the effects of this personally. There are people in your lives—maybe a brother, a sister, a parent, or a cousin—who have been affected by this reality.

You may no longer have any sort of connection with someone because of bitterness, anger, or sin at the root of it. When you dig deep, you find that the roots are sin in some way, and it causes the destruction of connection. It causes the destruction of relationships. It always separates and alienates. The result of sin is always death in some form. This side of Genesis chapter 3, we live in a world filled with broken relationships and division. Sometimes the heights of that division are amplified more than at other times.

I think a lot of people would agree that the rhetoric in our nation this last year has brought further division. And it's all the result of sin. Yet, resident in every single human being—whether they go to church or not, whether they have an interest in the things of God or not—every human being has a desire for deep relationship and oneness. Everybody wants to belong. Everybody wants to be a part of the group.

I would venture to guess that most of you have an experience that you remember. It’s still in your thought patterns, going back to a time when you were in elementary school or junior high and you found yourself isolated from a group that you really wanted to be a part of. Someone put you out of that group, and the pain it caused is unforgettable. I have witnessed this with some of my own kids. We moved to a new neighborhood about a year ago, and it’s a great neighborhood with a lot of kids. However, I have seen several times where there are these little groups, and one of my kids will come home with tears in their eyes because they have been isolated and put out from the group.

We can all relate; we've all been there. There is this desire to be connected, and it shows up very early. I watch this quite frequently with our youngest child. He’s three years old and is one of those kids who has no problem entertaining himself. Has anyone ever had a kid like that? He will go find his cars—he has a billion of them—and gather them up. He has his fire engines and will play for hours, crashing them into each other. But here’s the interesting thing.

Though he loves to play by himself and entertain himself, he does not want to be in a room by himself. He will follow wherever I am, bringing his cars and sitting five feet from me. He doesn't have to talk to me or interact with me, but if I get up and leave the room, he wants to know where I'm going. He wants to be near somebody. What is that? Is it just evolution? God created us that way. We long for it. This means every person you know has this desire within them.

Now, there are people who object. They say, "No, I don't really like crowds." I am among the majority who identify as an introvert. How many of you have heard of extroverts and introverts? The majority of people in our society identify as introverts. They tend to experience some social anxiety when they're in larger groups or meeting new people. That's pretty normal for a lot of people. However, they still don't want to be alone. Just because they may have a hard time with a big group or new people doesn't mean they want to be alone. Nobody wants to be alone unless there has been some sort of rift or brokenness that has caused them to be afraid of the group.

We desire oneness. We desire relationship, and sin hinders that. But this is what Jesus came to deal with: to deal with sin, to deal with death, and the effects of death. He came to seek and save that which is lost. He came to find the one who has been isolated and to bring them back in. He came to deal with sin. How did he deal with sin? On the cross. He died in our place for our sin to address the punishment, the penalty, and the effects of sin.

And he deals with death. How does he deal with death? He died and conquered death by rising from the dead, which we are going to celebrate in four months. He conquers death so that he can say, "Oh, death, where is thy sting?" The sting of death is sin, but he deals with that. And that is great news. The night before Jesus would die...

To deal with our sin and to conquer death, the night before He dies on that cross, Jesus prays to God, the Father in heaven. Some people have a really hard time with the concept that Jesus is God, and yet He prays to God, the Father in heaven. What's going on here? Well, actually, the answer to that question is found in the prayer itself, which is recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter 17. If you're in John chapter 10, you just need to turn a few pages to the right to find it.

John 17 contains this record of Jesus's prayer, often referred to as the high priestly prayer. Jesus is situated between partaking of the Last Supper with His disciples in an upper room and the Garden of Gethsemane, where He will be betrayed by one of His disciples, Judas. He might already be at the garden; whatever the case may be, this is where He is when He prays.

In John chapter 17, verse 11, Jesus is praying. He says, "Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world." Who is He talking about when He refers to "these"? At the very least, He is talking about the disciples who are with Him—at least 11 of them, since one has already gone. Judas has left to prepare to betray Him. So, Jesus is with His 11 disciples, and He says, "Father, I pray for these who are in the world because I'm not going to be here any longer. I pray for these in the world. I come to You, Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given to Me, that they may be one."

How do we answer the question of how Jesus, the Son, can pray to the Father, who is God, while Jesus is also God? This leads us into the doctrine of the triune nature of God, the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Three persons, yet He states here, "We are one." One God existing in three persons, total unity, total oneness—the perfection of oneness. This is the very thing we desire at the deepest level, the perfection of oneness that exists in what is called the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, completely one.

What is Jesus's prayer for us? He says that they may be one as we are one. In verse 20, He continues, "I do not pray for these alone, these 11 alone."

But also for those who will believe in me through their word—who's that? That's us. Jesus, do you realize this? He prayed for you and me 2,000 years ago. What did he pray for us?

In verse 21, he prayed that they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us. Jesus is praying for oneness, that we would be united as one in Him, connected to God and one another. Through what? Through Jesus. This is His prayer for us.

And why? Look at the end of verse 21 for the reason behind what He is doing: that the world may believe that you sent me. What is that? This oneness that we can experience in Jesus—a united connection with God and with one another. This oneness is evangelistic. What does that mean? It is the very good news that this world is longing for at the deepest level. People long to be connected, to belong. They may not realize it or articulate it in such words, but they are longing to be connected to the divine, to God, and to one another, to the group. There is a deep longing. When people see it actually worked out, it is attractive. It draws them.

So Jesus says that the world may believe that you, Father, sent me. In verse 22, He continues, "And the glory which you gave me, I have given to them, my people, whom I'm praying for, that they may be one just as we are one." I think He is trying to drive home a point here.

In verse 23, He states, "I in them, you, Father, in me, that they may be made perfect or complete, whole in one." This is the second time He emphasizes that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Point number four on your outline: Jesus destroyed sin to restore connection. It was sin that brought the destruction of connection. Jesus destroyed sin to restore connection. How does He do this? How does Jesus make this happen?

Well, the answer I believe is found in another New Testament book, the book of Ephesians. You can turn there if you'd like, or just note it down in your notes. Ephesians chapter two, beginning at verse 14, states, "For He, Jesus Himself, is our peace who has made both one. And He has broken down the middle wall of separation or division, having abolished that in His flesh, the enmity, the warring between individuals, between man and God. He has abolished that enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace."

In verse 16, it continues, "And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." So, here's what Ephesians 2 says: Jesus came to this world, in His flesh, to deal with the problem of war, sin, and death on the cross. Through His death, He reconciles us together. He brings warring parties back together and reconciles us to God in one body.

What is the one body? What is the body of Christ? It is the church. Where does this take place? In the church. This is where it is experienced and expressed here upon the earth—the oneness of relationship that God desires His people to experience and express as it happens in the church, the body of Christ.

Now, unfortunately, because of our fallenness, we see the division of churches. But still, within the body of the local church, it's amazing what God does in bringing people together. I look around this room and see the diversity that is reflected, and not just in this room, but in the church globally. The diversity that is reflected in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the church is supracultural. It transcends culture and moves beyond the borders and boundaries of culture.

And so, He, Jesus, is our peace. He is the one who brings this. At the birth of the church, recorded in the second chapter of the book of Acts, after Peter preaches the gospel empowered by the Spirit of God, we read this in Acts chapter 2, verse 40. Note it down in your notes: "And with many other words did Peter testify and preach to the people that were gathered, and he exhorted them, saying..."

Be saved from this perverse generation. Be rescued from the brokenness of this world. Then those who gladly received the word were baptized. What is baptism? It's the introduction into the church, the body of Jesus. Those that gladly received His word were baptized, and that day about 3,000 souls were added to the church.

What did they do? In Acts 2:42, a central verse for us as a church, it states that they, the church, continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, in fellowship—communion with one another—joining together in the 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 they had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need.

Continuing daily in 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.

Point number five: The church is God's plan for the restoration of connection. This is why our mission, our vision of what we want to be, and our mission to get there is life in connection with God, one another, and the world through Jesus. This connection with God and one another only happens in and through Jesus. You cannot have it apart from Jesus.

All the efforts of politicians, nonprofits, and other groups to try and join people together and break down racial divides, as well as all the divisions—socioeconomic and otherwise—will always be in vain. They will yield little dividends. Only in Christ and through Jesus is this life more abundantly found; this life in connection with God, one another, and the world only happens through Him. This is what people are longing for at the deepest level.

We want to be those who are experiencing this life in connection. How does that happen? In some respect, it happens when we gather together in this corporate experience, just as they did 2,000 years ago in the early church, continuing daily in the temple. They gathered together as a corporate group.

We have the corporate experience of worshiping God, connecting with Him through prayer, worship, and His Word, and growing together. We share that common experience, but it's not sufficient. The time spent here for about 90 minutes on a Sunday, interacting with people and worshiping together, is not enough.

At Cross Connection, we have desired to increase our connection with one another, which is why we have our connect groups. We have been doing these for a couple of years, and they have been very fruitful for those involved. However, about 80% of our church is not engaged in connect groups, which means many are not experiencing life in connection in the way that God desires. I am convinced that without that connection, you will not experience the fullness of life that God intends. We want you to plug into these groups.

You may wonder, what is a connect group? It is an event outside of the church where we gather together, just like the early church did. In Acts chapter two, it says, "continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house." What does that mean? They had meals together. It's as simple as that.

You might think it sounds trivial, but God has created this amazing aspect of partaking of a meal together, which unites us closer as one. This is why there is such a significant push among secular people in our society for families to have dinner together. You hear people advocating for this, even at governmental levels. Families need to have dinner together. Why is that such a big deal? There is a oneness generated through that experience.

Within our connect groups, that is what we do. Every other week, we gather in homes throughout our community, and people bring something to share, like a potluck. I don't particularly like the term "potluck," but that's essentially what it is. We come together and enjoy relationships with one another. In the early church, this gathering was classified as an agape feast, or a love feast, where they shared with one another.

You might say, "But that sounds so simple." Yes, that's exactly what it is. Is there a Bible study? No, there is not a formal Bible study. We simply gather to be with one another. Over the last couple of years, my family has been involved in one of these groups, and it just so happens that the one we attend is at my parents' house. Every time I put my kids in the car to go to Grandma and Papa's house, they ask, "Are we going to connect group?" They are super excited to go. My wife normally works, but...

On the nights that the connect group is going on, which is on Tuesday nights, my wife is getting ready to go to work right at the time that we're getting ready to go out the door. There are nights when I wonder if I want to bring four small kids, ages eight to three, to the connect group. I don't know if I want to do that tonight. Has anyone ever been in that place? Just be honest. I've had a long day, and I don't know if I want to do it.

You know what happens? My four kids come and say, "No, we have to go to connect group. We've got to go to connect group." Why? Because even the littlest one loves that connection with the people of the church. It's life-giving. We want you to be involved in connect groups. If you're not plugged into a connect group, you need to be involved with one.

You might be wondering how to do that. Go out to the connection point afterward. We'll log you onto the website, show you where some of them are, and help you get plugged in right there. With modern technology, you can click the join button. You can do this on your smartphone right now if you want to. Go to our website: Lifeinconnection.com. Does it get any simpler than that? Just go to Lifeinconnection.com and then slash groups. All of a sudden, you're connected with connect groups. Click join, and you're connected with the host. They receive a little message saying, "Oh, so-and-so wants to join our connect group. Come on over. This is when we're meeting."

Not only do we want you to get involved in connect groups, but maybe you are a person who has a heart for people and is willing to open your home to serve your guests and talk about Jesus. Perhaps you could be a host of a connect group. What's a host? They have a heart for people, open their home, serve their guests, and talk of Jesus. H-O-S-T.

If you have a heart for people and would like to open your home, serve your guests, and talk about Jesus, and you're interested in being a connect group host, come out to the connection point. Let us know, and we'll be in contact with you this week to plug you in. You can open your home, serve your guests, talk about Jesus, and experience the growing abundance of life in connection.

The amazing thing is that your neighbors and some of your friends who don't know Jesus can be invited too. They might ask, "What is it? How come there are all these cars in front of your house every couple of weeks?" You can tell them, "There's a group of people who come over to my house, and we spend some time together." When they ask, "What is that?" you can respond, "Well, they're people from my church." They might say, "Ooh, what's that?" You can reply, "Well, I'm a Christian." They might respond, "Ooh, I heard about you on the news."

Well, you can come over. When they do, they often realize that Christians aren't quite as weird as they thought. Listen, we're still weird; the Bible calls us a peculiar people. However, we may not be as strange as people think we are. This is evangelistic because people want connection, and Jesus came to restore it. That's good news.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father, I pray because I know that right now there are people here for whom this sounds really good. They come on Sunday and do so faithfully, but they've never plugged in. I pray that you would draw them by your Spirit to grow in their connection with you and with one another within your body.

Draw them out to come and be a part of a connect group. There are some people standing here right now who have a heart for others, who have a home they are willing to open, and who love to serve because you've given them the gift of hospitality, a spiritual gift. They talk about you already. Lord, you're calling them to be connect group hosts. I pray that you would help them take that step and just come and say, "Yeah, I might be interested in that."

Draw them out. Lord, you want us to live as your people in the life-giving and life-satisfying abundance of connection. Make that a reality for us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

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