Monday, May 7, 2012

CONNECTING WITH GOD


Life is complicated.  It’s complex.  It’s difficult and challenging at times.  It can be confusing.  That’s why Albert Einstein’s words about complexity speak so timely to us today.  He said, “Out of the complexity, find simplicity.” 

God has not called us to live lives that are complicated or confused or too busy that we live unfulfilled, defeated, and overly stressed lives.  Colossians 2:6 (Ph) says, Just as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so go on living in him—in simple faith.  In light of living in Christ with a “simple faith”, we have reformed our church’s purpose statement this year around three simple yet profound actions: 

CONNECTING WITH GOD
GROWING SPIRITUALLY
SERVING PEOPLE

This is who we are and what we are to be about.  These three dynamics are at the heart of what a church does.  And it is the church’s responsibility to follow through with them. 
Jesus said,“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40.  The first and greatest thing I can do is to love God.  The second greatest thing I can do is to love others to God.

When we think about “connecting with God” there are two kinds of people we connect with God:  Ourselves, and Others who don’t have God in their lives yet.  Jesus said in Mathew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples…”  The way it works here at Clay Community to “connect people with God” is like this:  We invite them to church so they can have the opportunity to experience God.  The Sunday morning worship is the primary “entry point.”

Our theme this year is: “Purpose that is processed produces excellence.”  We can have purpose, but unless we work it, we’ll not excel.  Another way of saying it is that “nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific.”  There is “no energy” in it until we specifically do something about it.

Therefore we need a specific activity for “Connecting People with God.”  I’ve asked our church to covenant together to do this:  To work at connecting people with God by bringing them to church.  We know we need to be doing this.  So let’s motivate one another forward on this.  And I don’t mean that we compete.  What I mean is that we “help” one another to do this.

Call it “ONE-2-ONE”.  The objective is that we each bring one person to church to become a regular attender by the end of the year.

It’s each of us reaching out to one other person and bringing them to church such that they become regular attenders, and hopefully in time commit to Christ and join the church.  Here’s the latest statistic from Lifeway in Christianity Today:  The percentage of Americans who never attend worship services is 67%.

What we’ll experience is that some will respond, others will not.  Some will come a Sunday or two and then stop.  You will feel disappointment and frustration sometimes.  Therefore, in your search for ONE, you must invite SEVERAL.  We must develop a “pool” of people.  We need to have several relationships from which we can invite and encourage them to come to church.

Think about it this way:

BUILD A POOL
Build a pool of friends.

GET IN THE POOL
Associate with your friends.  Spend time with them.  Get to know them and let them get to know you.

BRING THEM TO THE LIFE GUARD
Bring them to Christ.  How?  Either bring them to church or share with them Who Jesus really is and the difference He makes in your life.

Visualize what can happen.  If by the end of the year we really did this, we would have a significant increase in our attendance,  And don’t you think there would be a fresh excitement with the new faces and new friends?  ONE-2-ONE.  Let’s do this.

1 comment:

  1. This message has lead me to share some rather painful observations about myself. In years past it was often difficult to connect with God. I let illness, hurt and painful circumstances blind my faith. When I think about building a "Pool"...sometimes I felt insecure about bringing new people in my life. I was afraid to build my pool because of fear of rejection (selfishness/fear). The only pool I would try to get in wasn't always the one I built. Even when I would go to the pool I would sit at edge with only my toes in the water...not really getting to know, enjoy and share the friends I had made (selfishness/fear). The most difficult thing to admit is I never introduced them to the Life Guard because I felt unworthy to be His friend. (Selfishness/fear.) Dear Father God, forgive me for my selfishness and fears. You did not give me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind. Help me Father to build my pool...lead me to, or bring people into my life so that I can invite them into the pool. Help me to enjoy the fullness of friendships (new and old) and share the love you have given to me so abundantly. Father, help me seek and understand your wisdom so that I will always introduce them to the "Life Guard" with the hope and desire that they will know how you "Save" lives and choose you as their personal Savior. I pray Father that I will continue to stay connected to you as I continue to learn how to swim in your word. I Pray that you will remove or help me see through the complexities of my life so that I can see more clearly the simplicity of faith. Bless Pastor David as he leads us in growing our church. All these things I ask in Christ's name knowing always that your will be done not mine...Amen

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