Connectors Inspire

I want to start by saying a big Happy New Year…I know some of you may have heavy eyes so I will try to be as engaging as possible.

As you all know on November 6th we overwhelmingly voted to change our name from Broken Arrow Church of the Nazarene to Connect Church as a step toward achieving our Mission to:

“Connect people to God, and others by creating a space where everyone belongs.”

If Connect is our Name and connection is our mission…it is important that we are not only enthusiastic to the process but we are inspired by being a part of this community of faith.

When we are inspired we are better “Connectors!”

What is a CONNECTOR?

A Connector is a person or thing that brings two or more things together.

When I started at MNU the football team was on campus 2 weeks before everyone else....I remember being alone and kind of anxious about what everything that was going to happen and I found out my assigned roommate (whom I did not know) would not be on campus until everyone else came...

So our coach told those of us without our roommate to double up. So Jeff and I doubled up. It was a great match. Jeff and I really did connect and helped each other during the two a day practices but when our assigned room mates showed up we were forced to connect with them…

He had a great roommate mine not so much…we had lots of run ins but the biggest problem was how he talked about his girlfriend Jennifer.

My roommate was mean crude and rude to her and so when they broke up I was very happy for her....I can’t remember just how it happened but I seem to remember that when Jenifer and my roommate were in the process of breaking up…you know returning trinkets etc…

Jeff and I were in the hall and when Jeff saw Jenifer you could tell he was completely smitten…after Jenifer left Jeff asked me about her and to make a long story short I was able to introduce them and they began to date...

Today they are happily married with several kids....God used me to connect them and as a result they have had a great life and I am appreciated at least by two people.

This is the reason we are changing our name…Not to be a match maker....we are changing our name so that we can be connectors.

So we can connect the seeking to God, Connect the lonely to the church, and Connect the hurting to healing.

We are committed to Connecting people to God, ourselves and the larger Church of the Nazarene…

So how will we know if we are accomplishing our mission?

How do we know if we are being a Connector?....

Do we measure it with attendance growth?

Do we measure it by the amount of money we bring in for missions and for the general operating ministries of the Church?

Or Do we measure it by how many people we have in our small groups?

These are all important measurements…in fact these metrics have traditionally been the most common church growth/health evaluation tools of the last century.

However what if these metrics were a result of something deeper?

What if growing numbers in Attendance, Finance, Missions budgets, and small group attendance sprang from something more substantial and inspiring?....Something truly worth giving yourself away for?

What if instead of being simply committed to our church we were enthusiastic or inspired about being Connect Church?

Commitment screams of obligation but enthusiasm communicates Love.

Inspiration comes from what motivates us…

Very few if anyone is truly motivated by numbers. People are motivated by Meaning.

The letter to the Ephesians is written to the church in Ephesus by Paul from a prison Cell. Paul was arrested after he returned from his third missionary journey (see Acts 21:27–36). Accused of defiling the Temple by bringing Gentiles into the inner court, an angry mob closed in, but he was rescued by a commander of the local Roman troop and placed under arrest.

Yet even in prison Paul was overwhelmed with love for the church in Ephesus.

Paul was Not writing this letter to inquire about whether the church is achieving any numerical gains… in fact he is reminding them that no matter what happens they are called to live an Inspired life…Why? Becuase:

When we live an Inspired life we will naturally Connect people to God and others.

Ephesians 1:3-10

“3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,

9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”

Paul was inspired…not becuase the Church was feeding the hungry, Paul was not impressed by a great Children’s and youth program.

Paul was not even preaching becuase he was Committed…Paul was preaching becuase he was Inspired by Jesus.

Simply stated, the reason for Paul’s exuberance before God is the salvation plan God has made and fulfilled on our behalf.

It is a provision preplanned by the Father, made possible by the Son, and bestowed upon and sealed for the believer by the Holy Spirit. Paul blesses God for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms.

Paul was so overwhelmed by the Love of Jesus that nothing else mattered. Paul was not deterred by people challenging his credentials as an Apostle....nor was he sidetracked by government officials trying to keep him from speaking about Jesus.

Paul leaned into the truth that Jesus has a plan for the redemption of the entire world.

Paul had every reason to turn inward…Paul had every reason to give into those who questioned his call as an apostle, and to those who wished to lessen the influence of Jesus on society.

But Paul had one reason to Connect people to Jesus and the Church....Salvation!

In a World full of Division be a Connector

The reason Jesus came into this world was not primarily to save people from their sins, show the world the love of God, or reconcile us with God and each other.

This is our motivation this is what fuels our living…When we understand the Awesomeness of God’s Goodness toward all Humanity we never happier than when we are connecting people to God and other believers in Christ.

Inspired people Inspire people

If we are always striving to meet a tangible goals like attendance, money Etc…we could unintentionally confuse the result with the reason we set the tangible goals.

The only way to inspire others is to allow God to continue to inspire us. That means we should value our relationships with God and God’s people so that we can develop the confidence we need to live out a Kingdom come life.

Value Connection over Expectation.

I dream of a future were people strive to unite everyone to the love of God by remembering the extent to which God loves them and and wants to reconcile all people under one purpose.

I dream of a Church that is so inspired that the Love of God radiates from them in such a way that they draw others into a wonderful cacophony of people finding meaning with the leading of Holy Spirit in their everyday lives.

I dream of a Church that is the model of Unity not the mirror of worldly discord.

I dream of Connect Church being that Church.

Where will it lead? I don’t know! I am not going to paint a picture of a 1000 person Church. I am not going to paint a picture of a Church that brings in and gives millions of dollars to build the Kingdom of God on earth.

These are all outcomes of something greater.

I dream of a Church where everyone has a place to grow into the next stage of their faith.

Non Believer to Believer

Believer to disciple

Disciple to Discipler

The lost to Found and the hopeless to Inspired.

The Committed to Inspired Connectors.

I dream for you…I dream we become that Church…when we are inspired by salvation the rest takes care of itself.

When we live an Inspired life we will naturally Connect people to God and others.

Heart Inspection for the New Year......

In what ways do you need to let Jesus Inspire you?

Communion: