There is a popular thing that has been around for quite a few years, it’s called 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The goal is to connect someone or even yourself to the actor Kevin Bacon with at most 6 different people. That might mean you have a friend (1) who’s mom (2) went to school with a dentist (3) who did the teeth of someone (4) that was the make up person to actor John Lithgow (5) who starred in Footloose with…KEVIN BACON. See how that played out?
Needless to say…its all in fun and interesting to see how many degrees separate you from Kevin Bacon. Me? I’d prefer being a degree away from a plate of bacon with Kevin, one of church kids. But still, there is something about having a connection, even remote from someone famous or someone infamous.
For all the effort trying to figure out our 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, I love knowing that I am on a one to One basis with God. I mean, it’s not going to do anyone any good on judgment day to say they are 6 degrees away from God because they knew of a guy who was friends with a girl that had parents that went to church and knew the guy passing the offering plate that was a Christian. As Christians with one on One relationships we need to pray for others to have the same connection that we do with Jesus. The only One between us and God should be Jesus Christ who gave His life so that we could be saved. Simply, we need to know Jesus directly.
1 Timothy 2:1-6
Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
We have shared this with the kids in our Kid Ministries. While using the Gospel Project, we go through the whole Bible and every story in the Bible connects us to Jesus. Every story in the Old and New Testament connects us directly to Jesus. Prophecies, situations, applications and relationships all point us to Jesus. From “In the beginning, God…” to “Come quickly Jesus…”, the opening of the Bible to closing on the last page. We find in God’s Plan that God is all about us having an intimate and personal relationship with Him. He seeks us even when we aren’t seeking Him. We can try and hide from Him, but this is also futile, He knows where you’re at physically and spiritually.
Jeremiah 23:23-24
Am I a God near at hand, says the Lord, And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him? says the Lord; Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.
God created man for a relationship. There are family relations, marital relationships and friendships, etc. But the greatest and most needed is that relationship God created from the beginning, God and Mankind. Man by sin broke that relationship. God made a plan to restore that relationship. Why? Because God so loved us. His plan to have a restored relationship with His creation required a punishment, a payment. That cost was death. But because of that strong desire to have us in a right relationship with Him, God gave us grace, He gave His Son, Jesus. God provided the payment…His only Son. THIS to be reunited with Him. One on One…NO separation…no degrees between.
Have you left anything in between? Do you think He can’t remove something between you and Him? Maybe you’re hiding behind something? Maybe you’ve placed something before Him? God’s plan removed everything in between, sacrifices, works and sin so that we could be redeemed, made whole, righteous, restored and reunited with Him. That sure seems like God doesn’t want anything, any degree between us and Him.
Ultimately God wants to spend eternity with us. I find that amazing, after all I know ME. I often want to distance myself by degrees from my own sinful self. But God wants us, we just have to receive that forgiveness, that gift. For God so loved me…so loved you…so loved the world…He sent Jesus. While others will be separated from God by hundreds of degrees in Hell, we have a hope…a place Jesus is preparing for us. A carpenter’s son, the Son of God that laid down His life for His brethren, for you and me…preparing a place for us. Wow, what a family reunion!
John 14:1-6
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Revelation 21:3-5
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.
I hope you understand what I am trying to share…to some degree or another! It shouldn’t take a degree to do that.
Be Bold, Be Blessed,
Pastor Steve