A Call to Smallness
Moving Ahead Together, Part 8
I have entitled today’s message ‘A Call to Smallness.’ I say call because I believe it is something God is calling us to not as another program but as a way of life, as part of our DNA as a church. Why do I believe that God is calling us to smallness? God is calling us to smallness because community as described in the NT is a life of real, authentic, and growing relationships. There is not full-fledged body ministry to the extent the NT describes. It is not happening on Sunday mornings, it is not happening in Sunday school, or it is not happening in our times of prayer together. It does not and cannot happen in large corporate meetings.
1. Relationships are the basis for ministry
Listen to the following verses:
ESV John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another
ESV Romans 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
ESV Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor.
ESV Colossians 3:16 teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.
ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.
ESV Matthew 24:10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
ESV John 15:12 "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
ESV Romans 15:7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
ESV Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
ESV 2 Corinthians 13:11 Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
ESV Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
ESV Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another . . . tenderhearted, forgiving one another.
ESV Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
ESV 1 Thessalonians 5:15 always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
ESV Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
ESV James 5:16 confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
SV 1 Peter 4:9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.
ESV 1 Peter 4:10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another:
We cannot fulfill all these commands unless we meet together in small formal and informal groups. Why is it important for us to meet together and why does the NT describes the one another texts the way they do? I propose to you that the normal supernatural life that the New Testament describes comes from people meeting together in small groups to encourage each other to thrive spiritually.
2. Relationships Keep me spiritually thriving
Are you thriving spiritually or are you just surviving? There is a difference. Surviving is going through the motions, activities, and routines of the Christian life. Thriving is going through those same motions, activities, routines with life and passion and enthusiasm because you see God working in your life and in the midst of the lives of others. There are two primary purposes for relationships in the Christian life.
• To persevere in the faith
ESV Hebrews 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
Listen very carefully; take your mind out of autopilot because I am going to say something very deliberate and I want you to understand it. It is imperative to your spiritual health. It does happen to people and has happened to people here at CCC that they become deceived by the attractiveness of sin and become hardened toward the things of the Spirit and fall away. There are and will be people that profess Christ that will not hold firm to the end and then there are people who will profess Christ that will hold firm to the end. Verse 14 clarifies and distinguishes between these two groups of people. In verse 14, we have a for – it is explanatory. For we share in Christ IF we hold to our original confidence firm to the end. Genuine Christians are those who hold fast or persevere to the end. What God uses in our lives to make our calling and election sure, as 1 Peter describes it is encouragement of my brothers and sisters to hold fast to Christ and forsake the pleasures of sin. The deceptive nature of sin is real. I am not talking about perfection I am talking about perseverance. The warnings of Scripture are real because the possibility of falling away is real. God uses warnings like this to encourage us to persevere, which in itself is a work of faith and the Spirit. A great example of deceitfulness of sin is apathy or luke warmness because it is so accepted as normal Christianity. So many people live their lives as cultural Christians always being reminded that they made a decision for Christ but no fruit in their lives. But we are going to fight that deception. We are going to swim upstream against the current. God is going to make CCC a great church because he is going to move on our hearts and in our lives to do awesome things. How will he do that? What is the means God, in his wisdom, to use by which the Spirit moves in our lives to make us aware of our sin and the deceitfulness of it and to keep of from falling away and throwing our hope away? It is personal relationships – look at verse 13 But exhort one another. How do we fight an evil unbelieving heart? How do we keep from falling away from the living God? Exhort or encourage one another. How often are we to do this - every day! That does not happen on Sundays, prayer meetings, SS. Notice it also does not say Pastors, teachers, elders, encourage one another – brothers. I.e. person I am currently meeting with. We can only encourage one another in small groups where we can get to know each other and share our lives. But this is not the only purpose of encouraging relationships, the second toward radical acts of love.
• To Radical acts of love
NIV Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
There is a similar phrase, hold fast to the hope. The writer of Hebrews says to stir one another up toward loves and good deeds. How do we stir each other up to radical acts of love – consider, think, ponder. That can only happen in the context of small groups. As we listen, as we pray, God can give us words of life, to address the situation. I.e. praying with guy in sanctuary
God brings about radical acts of love by stirring each other up. We need passionate people to stir up passion in others. An awesome and inspiring example is in NIV Hebrews 10:32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 FOR You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay.
Does this happen on Sundays? Sundays are valuable for truth, inspiration, and imparting faith but we are not fulfilling that command here. Does it happen in Sunday school? Sunday school is valuable but we are not fulfilling that command. Does it happen at the pre-service prayer? Gathering for prayer is valuable but we are not fulfilling that command. Does it happen on Thursday noon prayer gathering? Gathering for prayer is essential is valuable but we are not fulfilling that command. The reason we have small groups is not to give you anther thing to do. God is calling us to smallness because we ALL need to be encouraged to persevere in the faith with a faith that values and treasure Christ above all else. God is calling us to smallness because we ALL need to be encouraged to radical acts of love that were normal for the New Testament church. It will only happen as we gather in small groups. That is why God is calling us to small togetherness. You cannot and will not overcome the deceitfulness and the attractiveness of sin in your life alone. You cannot and will not thrive spiritually alone. You are not thriving if you are not in some kind of small group. Imagine what kind of love and good deeds God could stir up if we took this seriously. I.e. computer issue. Imagine what hidden sins, struggles, habits, hang ups, hardships God could deliver us from if we took this call to smallness seriously. Imagine what God could do if we were in a small groups that loved us, cared for us, carried our burdens, pastored us, and committed to care for us. Vision
How can we pray for one another if we are not in small groups? Small groups are going to be part of our culture and part of our DNA. If CCC is your home, I expect you to be in some kind of small group. I imagine all kinds of groups for all kinds of people – kids at the campus meeting over lunch to pray for witness, strategize to win their classmates; moms meeting here on Wednesdays, Working moms meet at night; retired folks dreaming about life and mission; singles having a place to build encouraging relationships.
We are so indifferent about small groups and relationships because we do not see ourselves as soldiers in war. We see ourselves as vacationers just sightseeing. We do not have the appetite for spiritual passion as the norm because we settle for what we see instead of expecting, wanting, desiring more.
3. 4 Essential Relationships in the Christian life
• Personal Relationships
By personal, I do not mean functional. You have a functional relationship with our doctor or your mechanic without it being personal at all. To be personal you relate to each other about personal things – our joys and our hurts, our struggles and our victories, our hurts and our hang-ups. One of the realities of a growing church is that neither I nor anyone else can have personal relationships with everyone in the church. Our aim is not that everyone relate to everyone in a personal relationship, but that the atmosphere be so real and authentic that these kinds of relationships form easily and are prized and nurtured—that everyone no one stands alone.
• Deepening relationships
The second word to describe relationships we need is deepening. That is we do not stay at the level of superficiality – knowing a few personal things about people and not diving in deeper with people. We cannot go deep with everyone but the command to bear each other’s burdens implies something deeper than a passing hey, how are you doing? I say deepening because relationships are always in process. They are not static and they take time. I want to develop a culture here where authentic and deepening relationships are encouraged rather than shall and superficial.
• Supportive relationships
The third adjective we use to describe the relationships God is calling us to be supportive. This is where love comes in. It means having a heart to lighten people loads as we get to know them.
• Encouraging relationships
Finally, encouraging relationships. I call these relationships of love "faith-building." Which means that the bottom line in why God designed us for relationships is so that we would help each other live by faith. Faith means, "being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus." So all Christian relationships have this as their goal: to help each other stay satisfied in God.
Study/Small Group Questions
What has been your experience with relationships and small groups in the church?
What are the factors that make your experience positive or negative?
Why are small groups/relationships essential to the Christian life?
What is the difference between surviving and thriving spiritually?
Are you surviving or thriving spiritually?
Are you surviving or thriving in encouraging relationships?
What is one action step that you can take tonight towards thriving spiritually or thriving in relationship?
