Connected to God's People
Being a Connected Church:
Connected to God’s People
John 15:12-17
So far we have looked at the overall concept of what it means to be a “Connected Church”. So we understand that the Bible teaches that the call of God’s church is to be connected to God, God’s people and God’s purpose. Last week I took you through the concept of being connected to God. There are three parts…
You connect to God, first and foremost, through Christ. We looked at the second part and that is being connected to God through communication, specifically through Him communicating to us by the Scripture and us communicating to Him through prayer. And lastly, we discussed what it looks like to be connected to God through obeying His commandments. Let’s pick up there…
The Great Commandment: Matthew 22:37-40
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’ This is the great and foremost commandment…”
[This week we are focusing being a connected church when it comes to God’s People.]
“…The second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
First, let’s define God’s people…
Whether you are male or female, young or old, born or unborn, sinner of saint you have 5 things in common with everyone else and that makes you, in one sense, God’s people. Let me explain…
We’re all people. Humans, Unique, Special & Valuable
We are all created by God.
We are all created in the “image of God”.
We are all created for God.
We are all loved by God.
All 5 of these are reasons God gives the command… “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
A church that is connected to God’s people, yes, loves and values all people, but they are especially connected to those in the family of God. So when I use the term God’s people, it is more intimate than what I just previously described. So generally speaking, all people, BORN and UNBORN, are “God’s people” in that they are people, created by God, in the image of God, for God and loved by God. But specifically speaking, God’s people are those that not just born and unborn but those that are REBORN!
(John 3 “…you must be born again…”
We started of this series of messages in John 15:1-11. Let’s go back to John 15 now and pick up where we left off… Read John 15:12-17 (then pray)
We are God’s people because…
Jesus loved us first.
(v. 16) “…You did not choose Me but I chose you…”
Jesus made us family.
(v. 17) “…that whatever you ask of the Father…”
We connect to God’s people through…
Loving one another
(v. 12, 17) “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you…This I command you, that you love one another.”
Romans 12:10-18 (NASB)
“10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Laying our lives down for one another.
(v. 13) “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
1 John 3:16 (NASB) “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
But what does it mean to “lay down” our lives for each other? Look at Acts 2:42-46 (47) (NASB)
“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart…”