Life change happens best in small groups,
#4 of the core values of Christian community series
Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ
October 27, 2002
A couple of years ago Tammie and I were living in central Ohio we had just bought a house and been there for a few months. Tammie decided that she was going to color her hair. As you can see she went from long and brown to short and blonde. About a week after she did this I was in my back yard and the neighbor came over and he said what happened to your wife. I said what do you mean. He said “I’ve seen you in the car with some blond girl, what happened to your wife?” I said I buried her out back somewhere.
Sometimes there are things that happen and others don’t recognize us, the tragedy happens however when God doesn’t recognize us.
A woman in the hospital who had a near-death experience while on the operating table. She sees God and asks Him if this is her time to die, and He assures her that she has another 40 years 6 months and 21 days to live. She remembers God’s revelation after coming out of the anesthetic, and decides to make the most of her newfound longevity, so she orders a whole series of cosmetic surgeries.
And she gets the works—liposuction, face-lift, tummy-tuck, well you get the idea. She even had professionals come in to change her hair color, an optometrist for contacts, and a Nordstrom consultant for a new wardrobe. After the last operation she walked out of the hospital all dressed up and turning every head she passed. She was so impressed with her own appearance, that she stepped off the curb in front of a speeding ambulance and was killed.
When she got up to heaven she immediately say God and she asked, "What happened, You told me I had another 40 years to live?" God replied, "I didn’t recognize you."
Have you ever wondered if God recognizes you, when he sees you? That maybe your life is not as consistent or as godly as it used to be? Have you ever done something and when It was over thought “that’s not me” or “I don’t know why I did that”.
Do you know why we have thoughts like that? It’s because we know God expects more of us. The truth is that God recognizes us through our relationship with Jesus.
Does anybody here feel like they are the exact person that God wants them to be?
Those of us who are serious about calling ourselves Christians know that the Christian faith is a journey. That there is always room to improve. We know that though it might be painful we have to allow Jesus to mold our hearts, our hands, our heads and our habits. We know that is going to mean changes in who we are as people. Mainly these changes mean correcting character flaws or specific sins in our lives.
If you are here today and you are struggling with a specific sin, have you heard the call of God to change your behavior? The bible reminds us that everyone has sin in their life, we are all flawed. So what’s your sin. What poison has you crippled to the point where you can not grow spiritually?
Dave Stone tells a story about a possum that was in his back yard. He was into everything and making one big mess and so Dave called a friend and borrowed a cage to trap this wild animal. And Dave said I didn’t know what to do so I left some carrots. He said a week later I still hadn’t caught the possum so I called my friend and said you told me to put carrots out and it isn’t working. His friend said Have you been changing the menu? Are you putting and fish out or letus.
That’s what Satan does to us. He wants us to get trapped because of our preferences. So he plays on our weakness. Maybe he uses the course language of friends in the lunchroom. Or if that doesn’t work he might try to make you become greedy or selfish and covet things that are not yours. If that doesn’t work he might make you think you’re smarter than you are and that you are therefore better. Do you see how it works? Satan keeps changing the menu.
So what’s your dish? Is it in the desire of a someone who is not married to you. Or it might be in the words we chose to use, It might not even be the words but it may be the place where we loose our tongue and gossip about something that was said privately or should at least remain private. Or maybe your sin is subtler like arrogance or negativity and your attitude is that everyone should consult you before acting.
There is a story in the Bible about a woman that Jesus meets in fact she is brought to him by the rigid religious group. This woman was caught in the act of adultery. This new math is killing me but last time I checked these religious leaders probably should a have brought another person with them. That encounter is found in John chapter 8 Here is what it says
John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
I want you to keep this verse in mind because it has a lot of elements that the church needs to have but right now I want you to look at that last statement from Jesus to the woman. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Being a follower of Jesus demands life change. Did you catch that? Jesus said stop sinning. Stop doing that. Being a Christian does not just mean changing my life once and that’s it. It means that the Spirit of God is in our hearts convicting us of sin. Jesus before he ascended into heaven said this about the Holy Spirit
John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:
So the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Our Love for Jesus helps us beat sin, and our small group is there to mirror the balance. We have to have life change in order to be more like Jesus. Here we believe that life change happens best in small groups.
Let me ask a question. How many of you would want to pack up and move all by yourself? When I say by yourself I mean without any family or friends where you do all the work.
I have moved 4 times in the 4 years Tammie and I have been married. And every time we had a team of people helping us move. Except that time I went to the football game and Tammie moved us into our apartment. The point is that we all enlist every friend we have to help us with our change of address. Then why do we insist on renovating our spiritual house alone?
You may be afraid of what you will find if you were to join a small group. I would bet that if you found a group that was reflective of Jesus, you would want to be there all the time. Notice Jesus is not critical rather he is compassionate towards this woman. He does not blame her but tries to bless her. He does not call her out but takes time to care for her. He does not alienate or accuse her but he does assist her on how to have a better life. He is not negative but he does nurture her soul. Jesus is not callous instead He offers comfort. That’s what a small group should be. That’s the group I want to be a part of.
Small groups are places where community is found, lives are shares and responsibilities are divided. They are places where we can be open and share our experiences. They are a place where you can be heard. They are led by the Holy Spirit and a blessing to be a part of.
Jesus was the ultimate small group leader. He watched the lives of his small group change because of their relationships. How fulfilling it must have been to see peter step out of the boat and onto the water. And how frustrating it must have been to watch him begin to sink. I can only imagine how great it must have felt to watch Jesus feed 5000 and I can only imagine how embarrassed I would be when he caught me being arrogant and wondering where my place would be in His kingdom. But that’s what a small group is. They are real with each other. They do great things together and they get closer to God together.
Small groups provide a certain environment where self expression is encouraged and people can belong. That’s where everybody knows your name. That’s the place where you can share something about yourself that you never thought you would ever share. That’s the place where we form our team of movers who help us renovate our house to God’s expectations. There are some clear benefits to being a part of a small group. Such as having an established alibi. If a group is a good group the following are benefits that come from being a part of a small group.
You will understand the Bible better. I heard a story recently about a church that went through a huge building project. Just before the carpet was laid the church leaders said we want to do something creative so that people can really feel like they contributed and that God is glorified. So they decided that they would all take permanent markers and write on the concrete before the carpet was laid. That way they could really say “we stand on the word of God.
So the people came in and each area wrote bible verses that related to their area of the building. The Choir room wrote “make a joyful noise. The preaching staff went to the stage area and wrote “woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” which comes from 1 Corinthians 9:16 Well the cleaning committee wanted to get into the act too so they were finishing up cleaning and were getting ready to go get something to eat. They would typically eat together. So they were trying to figure out what to write. So they decided that the verse they wanted was the verse that says where two or 3 are gathered in my name I am there with them.
Somebody said “what verse is that” and someone said Mathew 18:28 so they wrote Mathew 18:28 on the floor and went to lunch. They got to lunch and wanted to double check the verse and as the leader opened up the bible His face went completely pale. He said Mathew 18:verse 20 are the verse we meant to write Matthew 18:28 is something different. Matthew 18:28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ’Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
Hopefully your small group will not leave you with the urge to choke anyone. The reality is sometimes the best of us needs help with basic bible navigation. There is no shame in not knowing the answer to a biblical question. Small groups provide opportunities to really learn about God and his word. They provide opportunities to dig in and go deeper in study. They allow you to have the chance to see what the bible says about relevant issues that affect your lives.
Small groups should not just get you familiar with the bible though, If you are part of a group that is inquisitive you will begin to see God’s entire plan from the beginning of the world to bring us salvation in the form of Jesus Christ. Small groups help you understand who God is and why He wants to get to know you.
Small groups help you feel like a part of God’s family.
A married couple who had recently moved to New York was trying to live up to a certain lifestyle, they went to an up-scale party. The conversation turned to Mozart. Someone said "Absolutely brilliant, magnificent, a musical genius!"
The woman, wanting to join in the conversation, remarked casually, "Ah, Mozart. You’re so right. I love him. This morning I saw him getting on the No. 5 bus going to Yankee Stadium."
There was a sudden hush, and everyone looked at her. Her husband was mortified. He pulled her away and whispered, in anger, "We’re leaving right now. Get your coat and let’s get out of here."
As they drove home, he kept muttering to himself. Finally his wife turned to him. "You’re angry about something."
"Oh, really? You noticed?" he sneered. "I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life! You saw Mozart take the No. 5 bus to Yankee Stadium? Everybody knows the No. 5 bus doesn’t go out to Yankee Stadium!"
Have you ever been embarrassed of your family? Some of us are even embarrassed by our church family but we need to remember that we belong together. I hope that you will get to know your church family here and one of the best ways for that to happen is through small groups.
Fred Craddock who is probably the best story telling preacher in the United Stated tells a story about one time he was on vacation in Tennessee and someone started talking to him in a restaurant.
Fred said I wanted to tell this guy I was in vacation and I didn’t want to be bothered but this man found out I was a minister and wanted to tell me his story,
He said "I grew up in these mountains. My mother was not married, and the whole community knew it. I was what was called an illegitimate child. In those days that was a shame and I was ashamed. The reproach that fell on her, of course, fell also on me. When I went into to town with her, I could see people staring at me, making guesses as to who was my father. At school the children said ugly things to me, and so I stayed to myself during recess, and I ate my lunch at home.
"In my early teens I began to attend a little church back in the mountains called Laurel Springs Christian Church. It had a minister who was both attractive and frightening. He had a chiseled face and a heavy beard and a deep voice. I went to hear him preach. I don’t know exactly why, but it did something for me. However, I was afraid that I was not welcome since I was, illegitimate. So I would go just in time for the sermon, and when it was over I would move out because I was afraid that someone would say, ‘What’s a boy like you doing in a church?’
"One Sunday some people stood up in the aisle before I could get out, and I was stopped. Before I could make my way through the group, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was that minister. I turned around and caught a glimpse of his beard and his chin, and I knew who it was. I trembled in fear. He turned his face around so he could see mine and seemed to be staring for a long while. I knew what he was doing. He was going to make a guess as to who my father was. A moment later he said, ‘Well, boy, you’re a child of…’ and he paused there. And I knew it was coming. I knew I would have my feelings hurt. I knew I would not go back again. He said, ‘Boy, you’re a child of God. I see a striking resemblance. Then he patted me on the shoulder and said, ‘Now, you go claim your inheritance.’ I left the building a different person. In fact, it was really the beginning of my life."
Fred Craddock was so moved by the story that he had to ask the man, "What’s your name?" He said, "I’m Ben Hooper."
And as the man left their table and walked away, Fred Craddock remembered that, when he was a child, his father had told him about Ben Hooper, the man whom the people of Tennessee had twice elected to be their governor. (Craddock Stories, by Fred B. Craddock)
Churches, small groups provide a place to find out where you belong, to meet your brothers and sisters and to get to know your father.
Small groups provide a place where you can belong and be yourself. They are a place where you grow comfortable sharing your faith, they will help you handle stress and pressure and you will gain a new appreciation for prayer. We really don’t have nearly enough time to discuss all of the good reasons to be involved in a small group but let me say this. The blessings are infinite. God wants you to be a part of a small group.
If you are here today and have not joined the family. We invite you to come today. The Bible says that there was a time when Jesus Family was embarrassed by Him. In mark chapter 3 Jesus has been teaching and driving out demons. And he is becoming a very popular teacher. And His family says “we have to go get him”
This would have been the equivalent of an intervention and the family planned to say “Jesus you just can’t do this anymore.”
20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
30 they were saying, "He has an evil spirit." 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."
Jesus is saying to you today that if you want “this can be your family” If you need to place membership with us today we invite you to come.
