Living Connected

Two teenage boys were out cave exploring when they found what appeared to be huge bear tracks deep inside a long, cavernous tunnel. They bravely decided to keep going; but they moved ahead slowly and cautiously, keeping their eyes and ears open in case a bear lurked nearby.

Suddenly, from behind a large rock formation jumped the biggest, meanest-looking grizzly bear they had ever seen. The bear stood up on his hind legs, beat his chest, and roared so loudly that it sent a terrible sound echoing off the walls of the cave.

Scared to death, the two boys ran for their lives toward the cave’s exit. Suddenly, one of the boys dropped to the ground and started untying his boots. He whipped his backpack off and took out a pair of running shoes and began lacing them on his feet. His buddy yelled at him: “Hey, man! Whatcha think you’re doin’? Let’s get outta here! We don’t have much of a chance of outrunning that bear as it is!”

The boy on the ground hopped up and began sprinting toward daylight. He turned and yelled back over his shoulder: “I don’t have to outrun the bear. All I gotta do is to outrun you!”

Our natural instinct is to look out for #1 first, and we all know who #1 is. But God, our Creator, has another way for us to live – a better way. God sent his Son into the world to reunite us to Him and to reconnect us to Him in the same way that God is connected to Jesus. Israel was God’s vineyard, but they just could not connect well to God their Creator. Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches; and being connected to the true vine, we produce the fruits of the Spirit that fulfills God’s purposes for us.

There is good news and bad news here for us. Both scripture texts are not talking about non-believers. They are talking about followers of Jesus Christ. We cannot use these passages to point to non-Christians and feel that we are healthy branches. It is about us - we Christians who do not love each other, though we claim to be connected to Christ. The fear that John talks about has to do with judgment day. Those who live in God‘s love and who love their brothers and sisters do not fear judgment day for there is no judgment for us.

God is love, and beneath all that beats a heart of love. God can only live in us and we live in Him when God’s love is active in our relationships. We need to give love and receive love in order for God’s kingdom to grow among us. This is His purposes for us. We need each other because God wants us to bear fruit, and the fruit of the community of faith is love for one another. God sent his Son so that we could know that His love is the soil and root of our lives. Jesus is the connection we have to God; and he declares, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

The command, “Abide in me and I in your” in the Gospel of John has been construed as being a “me and God” relationship because the “you” has been assumed to be singular. It is not; it is plural. It applies to all who abide. The branches come together as the body of Christ and abide together – together - for God’s nourishment. The branches of a grapevine are so intertwined that we cannot separate them. You cannot tell where one begins and where one ends. We are family. We believe, support, accept, love, and give our lives for one another….right?

Anne Ortlund, in her book, Up with Worship, says that the average church is too much like a bag of marbles – we scratch against each other and make a little noise, but we really don’t affect each other much. She says the church should be more like a bag of grapes that mesh together, producing a sweet-tasting wine because of the interaction. So if a branch disconnects and is good for nothing it withers, dies, and is thrown in the garbage dump and burned. It is either connected and produces or it dies.

Let me get really practical here for a moment. Sin is not being connected to God; and when we are not connected, we begin to wither and live in fear. Fear cripples us and only God’s love flowing through us can overcome fear. God loves us and we are to respond to that love by loving Him. How do we love God when no one has ever seen God? John tells us that there is only one way to love God. We are to love one another as it is the only means available to us to love God. “Those who do not love brother and sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen…those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.”

If someone asks you to show them your God, you can point to any child of God in our church who loves and produces fruit and say, “God abides there. Feel His presence.” Can someone say that about you?

Mothers, this is your day of honor. So let me close with a story that will speak to you about supporting your child who brings God’s love into His kingdom. It is from Dale Galloway in "Dream a New Dream."

Little Chad was a shy and quiet young fella. One day he came home and told his mother, he’d like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, "I wish he wouldn’t do that!" because she had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three whole weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.

Valentine’s Day dawned, and Chad was beside himself with excitement! He carefully stacked his valentines up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mom decided to bake him his favorite cookies and serve them up warm and nice with a cool glass of milk when he came home from school. She just knew he would be disappointed -- maybe that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn’t get many valentines -- maybe none at all.

That afternoon she had the cookies and milk on the table. Then she heard the children outside and she looked out the window. Sure enough, here they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. She noticed right away - his arms were empty, and when the door opened she choked back the tears.

"Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you." But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow; and all he could say was: "Not a one -- not a one." Her heart sank. And then he added, "I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!" He gave without any thought in return. That is the heart of a servant who had determined that in this world he would be like Christ Jesus our Lord.