Sermon Cloud

"Give a Little Bit" - Supertramp - Goo Goo Dolls

The Dream . . . .as found in the Book of Acts

Acts 5:42
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 13:1-3
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: . . . While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 20:36- 21:1
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos.

Hebrews 3:12 -13
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

The Problem

The Chinese join two characters to form a single pictograph (word) for busyness: heart and killing. The overly busy life kills the heart.

The Result . . . .

(2006), the American Sociological Review published a disturbing study, "Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades." "remarkable drop" in the size of people's core friends:

As of 2004, the average American had just two close friends, compared with three in 1985. Those reporting no close friends at all jumped from 10 percent to 25 percent. Even the share of Americans reporting a healthy circle of four or five friends had plunged from 33 percent to just over 15 percent. Increasingly, those whom we consider close friends-if we have any-are household members, not people who "bind us to community and neighborhood."
Robert Putnam, a professor at Harvard University, wrote in a Time essay: "As a friend said, ‘So what if the average American now has two close friends, not three? Two is plenty.' But that's like saying, ‘If global temperatures rise from 65ºF to 70ºF, I wouldn't even notice.' That's fine, as long as you ignore the indirect effects, like mega-hurricanes in the Gulf."
This "indirect effects" of social isolation are numerous and troubling, added Putnam, who wrote Bowling Alone, a book on the problem. "Kids fail to thrive. Crime rises. Politics coarsens. Generosity shrivels. Death comes sooner.".
"We're not saying people are completely isolated. They may have 600 friends (via the internet) and e-mail 25 people a day, but they are not discussing matters that are personally important."
What have I been learning? First, I will always have to be an initiator in both beginning new relationships AND in continuing those that I desire to deepen. Second, I don't want the "600 friends" mentioned in the article; rather, I want a handful of close friends who live in my community that help me meet social needs at 3 levels: for me as a woman (daughter, wife, mother, and friend), for my husband and me as a couple with other couples, and for our family of 4 with other families.
Discipleship - we learn to follow Jesus in relationships?
Family? Americans go on 60 percent fewer picnics today and families eat dinner together 40 percent less often compared with 1965,

Life?

Personal Devotional Life - "Hurry is not of the Devil, it is the Devil," Richard Foster

Wrong Answer

Church Inc.

Organic Church Connection Institutional Church Connection
. . . . Relationship Based . . . . show based
. . . . want to . . . . have to
. . . . friends . . . . curriculum
. . . .shared interest . . . . program
. . . .mentor relationships . . . . reports

Major Parts of the Bible people are ignoring and not obeying . . . Romans 12:4ff

Solutions?

Three Ss - Sunday morning, Small Group, and Service area (Simple Church)

God First - Obey God? - Tithing and First Fruits principle applied to Time

Sabbath Formula - (Sunday for = faith and family)

Our Hearts for God?

Small Group Questions

Opening: What is making us so busy as a culture? What is making you personally so busy?

Bible Study: Please read and review Romans 12 (the entire chaper).

1. Why is it important that you use the gifts that God has given you for the church - for the benefit of the church?
2. Brainstorm: come up with the top 3 things that happen when people are not using their gifts in the church?
3. If people are too busy for relationships, what happens to the teachings of Romans 12:9ff?
4. What are you personally willing to do to make sure you have more time for relationships?

Closing: What can we be in prayer about for each one of us, so that we will have more time for relationships and connections at church this year?