All great change in America begins at the dinner table.” -Ronald Reagan

Central IDEA

God, who is Himself a community of Father, Son, and Spirit, created us in His relational image. We are not built for isolation. Jesus calls us to be family.

This is our job description:

Ephesians 4:

The table I am bringing emphasis to this morning is The EMPTY TABLE

Genesis 1:26–27 | Mark 3:13–35

Theme: Loneliness & God’s Design

Sociologists and historians point to the kitchen table as the most formative table in human civilization-where families ate, argued, laughed, and passed down faith and values.

• It's where language and story were passed down.
• It's where conflict got resolved (or didn't).

• It's unglamorous and therefore consistent.

• Research backs it up.

Tables are connected to some of the most important and meaningful moments in our lives.

The Empty table. Loneliness and God’s Design.

The Loneliness Crisis (Statistics)

But for followers of Jesus, this isn't simply a social problem. It is a spiritual problem.

The enemy's strategy has always been isolation. God's design has always been community.

The Deeper Problem that drives loneliness and the empty table:

• Sociologists call it “radical individualism” — the cultural programming to prioritize self above any community.

The community is then valued only as long as it helps the individual achieve those goals.

• Radical individualism is sabotaging our formation into people of love because it trains us to prioritize personal autonomy, self-fulfillment, and private spirituality over the sacrificial, interconnected life Jesus calls us to live. Here are several ways individualism is destructive:

1. Love Becomes Optional Instead of Obligatory

Jesus commanded, "Love one another as I have loved you."

2. Community Becomes a Consumer Choice

Instead of asking, "How can I contribute to the body?" we begin asking, "What am I getting out of this?"

3. We Avoid the Cost of Relationships

As Paul writes, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

4. Personal Freedom Becomes More Important Than Mutual Responsibility

Radical individualism elevates rights and preferences;

Christianity elevates responsibility and love.

5. Self-Expression Replaces Self-Giving

The highest virtue becomes self-expression.

Jesus offers a radically different vision:
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

Instead of looking inward for identity, Jesus calls us to look upward and outward:

6. Faith Becomes Private Instead of Shared

When God saves you, He doesn't just forgive your sins; He brings you to His table and makes you part of His family."

Radical individualism teaches us to organize our lives around ourselves; Jesus teaches us to organize our lives around love. Love requires a table.

POINT 1 | God Is a Community

Genesis 1:26–27

POINT 2 | Jesus Called a Family

Mark 3:13–35 NLT

Mark 3:34–35

Key Word: Adelphoi (Siblings)

Dunbar’s Four Circles

Our deepest formation happens in the smaller circles — not just the tribe, but the table.

• Intimates (1–5): People who deeply know and love you

• Community Kin / Table (15–50): People you do life with

• Small Group Village (~150): Your wider church community

• Tribe: The larger movement — Turning Point, Open Bible Churches

CONCLUSION

• The ache of loneliness is real — and God put it there It is not a malfunction; it is a signpost pointing us back to community

• We are made in the image of a relational God.

• Jesus did not save us to be alone — he saved us into a family

This summer, we’re going to learn how to set the table.

ANCHOR VERSE

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”