A Church That Fosters Community

The Kind of Church God Builds
A Church That Fosters Community

I. Introduction

A. In every measurable way, people in America are becoming massively more from one another.

B. Private between people have gone way down in the last 50 years, too.

C. There are fewer and fewer places to connect with people, in order to build with people!

D. Building with other people is a biblical value!

1. The biggest issue affecting student performance is the level of connectedness.

E. Depression is absolutely linked to being , feeling like you have no one who’s really close to you!

F. Isolation and lack of community are also linked to .

G. The most disconnected people in America are people. (People under the age of 30)

H. Community is not only good for us, but it’s for us.

I. John 17:20-21 (NLT)  ²⁰“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

J. John 17:23 (NLT)  “I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

K. God is a Being!

L. When we don’t have connection with other people, we other things to fill our relational void.

M. “Concerning happiness and church-going—the statistics are clear—the more often you attend church, the happier you’ll be.” (Robert Putnam)

N. The most important thing that happens when you connect in a church is that you begin to !

1. It’s impossible to grow spiritually in our love for without developing love for each other!

O. I John 4:12 (NLT)  No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

P. John 17:20-21 (NLT) ²⁰“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

Q. Worshipping God is not about !

1. “Was pleased with our worship today?”

R. John 17:23 (NLT) “I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

S. “Is there something compelling about your in a world of radical disconnect?”

1. Would the love you have for other people in this church make the stand up and take notice?

II. Conclusion