One of our greatest fears is irrelevance--living a boring, inconsequential life. We have this nagging sense that not only should our lives matter, but they should matter for others, and matter for God. Everyone is looking for some crumb of meaning to lay claim to. And once they find it, they seize it, and make it their very own.
I was talking with a man whose life was unraveling. He was struggling to keep his marriage together. He'd grown cold & distant toward his wife and children who deeply craved his affection. His work had become unfulfilling. A project that he'd poured his life into had been reassigned to new team. To comfort himself he'd stay up late at night viewing pornography. He was angry, depressed, disillusioned. Despite being a U.S. Marine, he broke down in tears, "I just know I was created for something great."
I know this can be a hard case to make. There are a million things competing for our energies and affection. But the most meaningful thing we can do is realize (1) that God has set his affection upon each and every person around us, (2) that God is moving, and he is at work, everywhere and in everyone around us, and (3) that God has in mind that we join in his work, that we'd be on the move as he is on the move, that we'd care about those he care's about, that we'd do the work he's prepared for us to do from the beginning of all creation (Show Ephesians 2:10)
I imagine whatever purpose I've found for myself pathetically paling in comparison to the great things the God of the Universe has in mind for me to do. What about you? You may wonder what that great thing could be, as if it's a secret. But it's usually sitting or standing right in front of you every single day.
God created us for himself and for one another. Last week, we saw how CARE was one of Jesus' go-to strategies. Matthew 4:23-24, "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed: and he healed them."
Good deeds generate good will. In Romans 2:4, Paul describes the power of kindness to bring a person to see their need for repentance/change. Jesus' kindness led people to repentance. Tangible acts of CARE penetrate hearts & minds words may never.
CARE was also one of the church's go-to strategies. Acts 2:44-45 says, "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." Possessions are unleveraged resources, sitting around, not being used. Goods are things of value we can produce with our labor, that we can do to create margin, so we can be generous toward people in need.
Our lives take on meaning, and we find joy, the moment we make our lives matter for others and for God. In early church, the believers were filled with great joy!
This morning I want to talk about another one of Jesus' go-to-strategies. Jesus didn't just CARE "for" people. He CONNECTED "with" people. As cliché as that sounds, there is a world of difference between the two. A few years ago, a homeless man named John wound up on the bench one Saturday night, outside out church. John was an alcoholic, he was addicted, homeless, jobless. A group of us spent weeks talking to him about his struggle, helping him find an apartment, and work.
At the end of the day, however, what he most needed was CONNECTION. We were willing to help him with his needs but were we willing to be his friends, and watch NFL football with him? Were we willing to persevere in love despite his often aggressive and offensive behavior?
I think CARE "for" a person is easier than CONNECTION "with" a person. No question about it. Think of it this way... CARE opens the door but only CONNECTION keeps that door open. People don't care how much you care until they know how much you intend to connect. If we withhold connection, a person is apt to slam the door closed, and resist future acts of kindness. Everyone cares, but few connect. How can we as a church CONNECT as much as we CARE?
Let me suggest some ways to connect like Jesus...
Be adventurous. A lot of folks suffer from a geographical inferiority complex. Maybe you're convinced there is no opportunity, that you cannot make a difference where you are. Maybe you romanticize the idea that God is more at work somewhere else, just not here. But what if you're not in the middle of nowhere? What if you're in the middle of everywhere? What if God has an adventure in store for you right where you are?
John the Baptist was a voice crying out in the wilderness. Jesus spent thirty years in Nazareth--a small, pathetic, dirty town with a bad reputation. The grand adventure serving God begins wherever there's a fellow human being--and that can be wherever you already are. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to open your eyes. Who can you CARE for? Who can you CONNECT with?
Be open. Someone has said people are like legos. Some legos only have a few connectors; some have dozens. If you're introverted you might only connect with a few people. If you're extroverted, you might connect with more. Jesus was purposefully connective. He was never haughty, or arrogant but openly associated with all kinds of people (even unsavory people). He allowed Jews, Greeks, Samaritans, women, children, lepers, evil and demon-possessed people to approach him. For heaven's sake, he was ridiculed for being a friend of tax collectors and sinners (show Mark 2:16). Jesus cared less about his reputation and more about people far from God.
Be curious. Sometimes connecting with people feels awkward. We don't know what to say, or do. One of the best ways to connect with people is to be curious. If you pay attention, you'll notice the most charismatic people are curious by nature... likewise the most boorish people are aloof to others, and only talk about themselves.
Jesus was curious by nature. When Jesus was left behind in the temple, as a boy, Matthew 2:46-47 says his parents (Mary and Joseph) "found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers." Put that focus on others.
Be long. Jesus had an uncanny ability to "be long" with people. Take his disciples for instance. On numerous occasions, Jesus showed up on the beach, while they were working, and cleaning their nets. He invited them "come, follow me" and invited them to come, see where he was staying. He would walk for miles with his disciples between towns, stay with them all night long, fishing boats. Jesus attended a family wedding, where he performed his first miracle. He went to Simon Peter's house, where he healed Peter's mother-in-law.
The key to connection is not to be "rushed", but to be "long." A few weeks ago I was up in Chicago for the Cubs-Cardinals game. Instead of parking by the stadium, we took the EL-TRAIN. As we stood on the platform, I struck up a conversation with a transit worker. I suspect that was the longest conversation she'd had all afternoon. Long is in the eye of the beholder. What's long for one isn't for another.
Be gracious. If you spend any amount of time you will inevitably be offended by something they say or do. More likely, they'll get offended by something you say/do! Proverbs 12:16 says, "A fool shows their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook at offense." The mystique of Jesus, was his ability to always be "full of grace and truth." Obviously, ungodly people felt "safe" enough around him to hear what he had to say. More on that next week!
Be salty. I'll end with this. One of the fears we have, is that if we connect, we'll lose our saltiness. Connecting doesn't mean losing our distinctive character, or values. In John 17 Jesus prayed that though being "in" the world, we'd not be "of" the world. As we CONNECT it's so important that we project the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. It's so important that we project our faith, hope, and love. In Matthew 5:13 Jesus warns that if salt loses its saltiness it's no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
So, how can we as a church CONNECT, and do so much more than just CARE?
On your bulletin, write the name of 1-2 people God is showing you. Then circle just one of these ideas for connecting more deeply, and make it a matter of prayer. Begin to pray about how we can be a church that CARES + CONNECTS like Jesus.