Let’s Connect! SPECIAL ALERT SERMON 031724
To watch this sermon CLICK HERE
Here is the raw sermon manuscript. I believe this is the best way I can communicate what happened that morning (unless you watch the video-which you should if you can :) In this message you will find why we are doing the worship/Sunday School (SS) switcheroo, the new vision for our “connection time” (with tools to help that happen) and 2 fresh class ideas.
I’m thrilled with the response I’ve received so far from this message. I hope if you have joys, questions or concerns to share you will let me know.
OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Jesus keep me… near the cross… There a precious fountain… RING, RING… it’s Jesus-I think I better take this… Hey Jesus what’s up? The sermon… you want me to do the other one… but they don’t have an outline… let them make their own… you sure about this? Yeah I guess your always sure about this… ok love you bye…
Ok that wasn’t exactly Jesus just now, but at 557AM on Friday morning the Lord woke me up and gave me hot sermon, that was sparked by our coming switcheroo of SS and worship times, then it went into full flame after a rambunctious worship comm. meeting Thursday night.
This is not how I usually roll-I give the sermon that’s scheduled-but I’m trying to be faithful in giving you the messages God gives me when he says to.
Here’s the deal, the previously scheduled sermon “Jesus keep me” will be preached at campfire tonight, so bring your bulletin then, but for now just flip the insert with Nathans picture on it to make your own outline like Jesus said you should… the sermon title is: Let’s Connect! Write it on top if you wish :)
One of the greater frustrations of modern life is when we have a lack of connection. I think of our cell phones. We expect them to work all the time. Texts and calls should go thru. When they don’t or when they get dropped it’s irritating to say the least.
Why?
Today we think we have the ability to be more connected to each other than ever before-yet we often are not.
The internet brings the perfect example. The rise of social media brought the promise of broad and deep connection with the whole world, if you want it. But that connection often doesn’t work either. Literally or figuratively. If our internet goes down or we aren’t connected to it (which some still aren’t), or worst of all we use it (on purpose or by default) as a tool of isolation. Anybody lost friends b/c of what you or they posted?
The pandemic put a spot light on the lack of connection all virtual modes produce. Is virtual better than nothing? Of course it is I LOVE OUR LIVE STREAM!!! but can it replace face to face conversation, handshakes, hugs and the other vital forms of connection? Never.
So here is what we hope to do about this connection problem.
Several months ago, reps from our children’s dept. let church council know that there is a serious lack of connection happening between kids and our ministry to them. What we know as Sunday School (SS) for our kids has critically dipped in attendance. The observation was made that kids were showing up with their parents for worship but not SS.
The idea was floated, what if we would switch SS and worship times? Would that allow parents to engage their kids in SS more than we see now? Council discerned it deeply and felt this was something we should try. They began to communicate this with the broader congregation including worship committee (WC).
In a recent WC meeting, we tried grapple with some of the concerns we see coming with this change. One of them was a general sense that we need a new or at least renewed understanding of what we are doing with the SS hour.
What is its purpose?
Someone (with significant school leadership background, I might add ;) said “why do we call it school-kids go to school 5 days a week-they don’t want to have school on the weekend?”
That got our wheels turning.
From a mission vision stand point (please review those at our website if you don’t know them-or ask me ;) the SS hour invites us into Equipping and Discipling experiences. We want to learn something with someone about God. Simply put by another WC member-we want to have connection time.
This really got traction as a unifying idea.
What if we would see this new time after our worship as connection time? Instead of the few minutes before our current SS, or between SS and worship or even after worship before we rush off to lunch-now we have as much time as you want to connect intentionally with people we know but even more so, with people we don’t know yet.
How does this happen?
As of April 14, our worship will begin at 10am and go till roughly 11. After worship (the time we connect with God) we have time to connect with each other in various ways. We have 4 adult and 3 kids classes that are open for people to enter. Are you in one? If so, when you see someone who is not in your class would you invite them to go with you? Why or why not? Talk to your class and teacher about this. More on this later.
If you are not in a class (which quite a few are not) how do you connect with people? I see many people talking every Sunday in our open areas (the new and improved) foyer and wing café. This is a good thing that can be a legitimate form of connection if we do it right. And how is that?
If it’s after worship and you don’t want to go to a class, look around for that person you know and want to connect with. This is pretty natural for most and we do it instinctively. It’s totally legit to go and have conversation with people we know. But there is another more important connection that needs to be made. This is a super natural connection.
Please understand you can have supernatural connection with people you know by following the same pattern as I’m about to outline but we need to be intentional. Otherwise, we can fall into the cycle of surface conversations that relationally do not connect us more deeply and allow true discipleship to happen.
INTERACTIVE ILLUSTRATION: yo, Rich how you doing? Good, (how are you?) good-ok see ya… not a lot of connection there. We got our names right, but that kind of conversation could happen at Walmart, the gas station or work. Can we do better? Can we go deeper-I hope so!
I believe almost every Sunday, with the Spirit leading, you can see someone that you don’t know-or don’t know well. The Spirit, I’m talking about being the Holy Spirit-if you are in a committed relationship with Jesus the Spirit is in you and will guide you-if you let Him. How do I know this ? Open your Bibles to John 14:15-17… Jesus says this:
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
There’s the rub-will you let Him in? Especially on Sunday morning when you see someone new? I hope so! What if after worship you would just go and say hello. What if you would ask their name, tell them yours, and then ask them any number of connecting questions, something like:
How’d you sleep during the sermon (Ha!) or last night? What are you looking forward to this week? What was a good thing that happened last week? Granted these are less than natural but they move us toward that super natural connection.
When does that happen?
One way would be as the Spirit leads us in our conversations He can open doors for us. Often, as we connect more deeply, joys and concerns are shared. [I’m having brain surgery this week] This is where the super natural connection can happen if we want them to. When the concern comes out, hear it out and then simply say “I would be glad to pray for you about that.” What is the reaction?
If a person says nothing, note the concern and let the conversation roll on (of course, later in your day you must pray for that concern to be faithful to your word). But if that person says anything like “thank you so much” or “that would be great” the door is open to this next level question that you could probably should ask: “would you like to pray about this now?”
Now I know some may be thinking-whoa preacher man that’s not me! I get it. For many this would be waaaaaay outside their comfort zone. To that I would just remind you an essential element of our vision is for you to do exactly that-get you out of your comfort zone and on Spiritual adventures. The truth is not all conversations will go there but they could and so, we need to be equipped when they do. Go to Philippians 4:6-7 says:
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This is to be a place and more importantly we are to be a people of prayer.
That was just one scenario that could play out but there are others. What if during that connection time you see someone who is obviously hurting? I hope the Spirit would lead you to go to them and simply ask if you can help.
Every Sunday we have numerous people (myself included on the right/wrong Sunday) who are hurting.
Help means listening to the hurt if they want to share it. Often times this is big help in itself.
If the Spirit prompts you to offer of tangible help, it could be offered. This is also a form of super natural connection Let’s look at what Jesus said in Matthew 25:37-40
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Here's the point: we are creating this time after our worship to connect with God thru each other.
One on one connection is what I just illustrated but let’s talk about the other environment this can happen. Classes are available and the truth is we need more of them. One of the classes that could pop up in this new time frame is a sermon response time.
This could look like an actual class (in a room, like the one by the nursery that is now open) or just in the open areas, one on one. You take your bulletin outline and read the Bible text again and then ask these questions:
What do you remember from the sermon?
What was visual?
What was funny?
What was serious?
What was helpful?
What was confusing?
What questions do you have?
THEN THE BIG ONE: What do you believe God was saying to you in the message today?
Then listen.
Or you could start into the applications questions on the outline. Does anyone want to share their answers? Jot down anything that seems important for the preacher to know. If you feel the Spirit is leading you to pass this info on, sign your name to it and give it to whoever preached that morning. Please believe this: Honest Spirit lead feedback is one of thee best gifts you can give a preacher! (the second best gift is gift cards to The Leaf or Coccia House, I know shameless ;).
This would be an incredible class you could lead-yes I mean you! If you listen to sermons you could lead this class!
Other classes could abound.
No longer restricted by a pending worship time it opens up options like watching the Chosen series. What’s that? The Chosen series are stunning videos about Jesus that are available from me on DVD or on line thru our website. There are 24 episodes available now with 8 more on the way. This would be plug and play class with tested discussion guides available. Everyone should see these!
There are other longer videos that could be used and then actually have time to discuss them. Bring a lunch! Have it delivered! Go out for afterwards! The day is yours but I believe God wants you to spend it connecting with Him and each other (this is the essence of sabbath rest-which is commandment #4-see Exodus 20:8).
This change could be the catalyst for greater connections but it will depend on how you chose to use it. My hope is that we will see God in this and give Him the glory for all the good that comes of it, starting today, let us pray…
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