Why Every Believer Should Be Connected

Sunday evening we had a few wonderful testimonies from individuals that talked about the importance of discipleship. And that happens as people began to make connections with one another in the body of Christ. I'm not speaking of just getting to know a fellow believer, but connecting is knowing God, relating to God, sharing God, growing in God, and serving God. As we do this within the framework of the body of Christ, discipleship results.

Our fast-moving lives have wreaked havoc on our relationships. We don’t feel nearly as connected to each other as people did a generation ago. These days we can close our electronic garage door and step into our house without even greeting our neighbors.

Yet we were created for relationship. In fact the first thing God said was, “It’s not good for man to be alone.” God said that humans were not made for isolation. We were made for connection. Why? We were created in the image of God. The Bible says God is love. And to love, you’ve got to have somebody to love.

The Bible says that that being spiritually connected means:
• We’re built like a building. “In Christ you are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2:22 NRSV). We are meant to fit together like bricks in a new building. It’s essential that the parts of a building fit together. You aren’t safe otherwise because there’s no support. Likewise, those who aren’t connected to a church family in any meaningful way have no support. Life is tough. We all need the support of people who care about us. Your church can provide that for the aimless multitude in your community.
• We’re joined in a body. “Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s Body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others” (Romans 12: 4-5 TLB). What Jesus Christ did when he was here in his physical body, he wants to do today through the church. We are the body of Christ on Earth. We are his hands. We are his feet. All of us have to play our part. Being part of the body of Christ means we are a part of something bigger than ourselves, and if we don’t play our specific part, the mission of the church is impacted.
• We’re born into a family. “I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church…” (1 Timothy 3:15 GW). This is my favorite metaphor for the church. It doesn’t take any explanation. Most people think that Christianity is a belief system. There are beliefs in Christianity, but it’s so much more. Christianity is a belong system. The Bible says we were born again into God’s family when we became a follower of Jesus. It also says that we’ve been adopted into God’s family. Both are great metaphors for what it should mean to be a part of the church.

Because those of us who follow Christ are part of God’s family, we should accept one another and love one another. Now let me be very clear here. We don’t approve of everyone’s behavior. That’s not love. If someone is doing something hurtful, approval is the opposite of love. But we must accept and love one another. Your family hasn’t always approved of everything you’ve done, but – I hope – they’ve loved you anyway. That’s a picture of the church that your congregation needs to see.

• We’re attached to a vine. “Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me”(John 15:4 GW). Being connected isn’t just a horizontal issue. It’s a vertical one as well. Your congregation needs to be connected to God himself. Jesus says when we are connected to him it’s like being attached to a vine. Fruit not connected to a vine dies. It’s that simple. Our congregation can have all the interpersonal relationships possible, but if we are not connecting to God, we will not have the life that God wants us to have.

Paul continues Jesus’ metaphor when he talks about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. When we’re connected to the True Vine, there will be certain spiritual fruit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. If you’re connected with God, those fruit will characterize your life. And that’s the kind of connection we all want.

Connection is a major focus of Kings point. We are making every effort to connect people based on the five biblical purposes of knowing God, relating to God, growing in God, serving God, and sharing God.

-Pastor Randy