Be Connected

At the heart of every person is the need to be connected. Without connections, nothing of importance has ever been accomplished. God made His desire for us to be connected from the very beginning, connecting us with Him through His image and likeness for the purpose of fellowship and being connected. God created the family for us. Breaking these God-given connections is the means by which the enemy has been able to destroy people.

1. You were born to be part of something greater than yourself. Think of how many things have been created to fulfill our need for connection, most of which serve only as distractions from what God intends. God created His family for every single person. You have a need to contribute as well – it’s abnormal to just receive – yet this is what society tells us we need.

Galatians 3:26 – “Son” by definition means you are part of the family.
John 1:12 – becoming a part of a family isn’t automatic. You become a member of the family not at conception, but when a parent assumes responsibility for the child – when there is reception. Everything we do is a shadow of God’s kingdom.
Ephesians 2:19 – any person can come to God and be granted the legal right to become a child of God through adoption. Once you come through Christ, you are no different from the saints, a member of God’s household. Religion (man’s way) tells us that a saint is a position, voted in (or out) based on works! If God met your need to be part of something larger than yourself, specifically God’s family, then why would you allow someone to convince you not to be connected to the Body of Christ?

2. God supplies nearly all you need through His family. I say “nearly” because some things are outside the family that will come to family by legal right. But realize that you can’t have the benefits of being part of a family under your own terms. We’ve learned that another name for a family is the Body. Just like jewelry is an enhancement to the Body, it isn’t part of the Body, or a necessity.
Ephesians 4:11-16 – The work of the leader is to equip and edify the Body for order, design, and purpose. God instructs to look at the fruit of the leader to discern for ourselves if that person is truly a leader and following God’s purpose. Any gift that God has given won’t be afraid of your questions, poking or prodding! We are all knit together to supply other parts of the Body. Being a producing member of the Body is your protection and your guarantee of provision. Just as in the physical body, not every member plays the same part; you shouldn’t mistake the child for the parents. No matter how long you live, a child can never close the gap that should exist between children and parents.
1 Peter 5:1 – Ministry gifts were given by God to men to answer the needs of, provide oversight, and to serve as an example to the people of God. No one can make it alone. Don’t use the excuse of being burned by church once as a reason for not finding another church Body to be part of!