Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
June 17, 2001 - W0124

I nostalgically flipped through all of these various certificates ñ track, basketball (we were a very small school), student council president, leadership, and my favoriteÖexcellent attendance.  I remember posing for some pictures for this certificate, and even though there was a short-lived moment where people might think I was smart because of perfect attendance, what I found out is that it really isnít a guarantor of my success or fruitfulness.  For me, attendance was not the main measuring stick, because within two years, I would be kicked out of my first high school in my sophomore year, and in another short year and a half, I dropped out of the second high school I went to!

DQ 1:  What are some of the best measuring sticks for success in school and in life?

The same is true for everyone here.  As people who want to grow in Christ, we sometimes have this notion that what God is really looking for is that we show up and have perfect attendance at church.  As wonderful as that is, we need to graduate into something deeper. 

Weíve been going five and a half years now, and in September weíre going to celebrate our sixth anniversary.  However, itís time for us to graduate into something much more profound that will anchor us in ñ and itís not just coming every week to sit in rows.

Growing up, I was led to believe that attendance was what pleased God.  Coming from a Catholic background, when my brother or my sister would date someone, my dad would ask, ìDo they go to church?î  Upon receiving a ìYes dad, they go to church,î he would give his consent.  It did not matter if they were the mafia, just as long as they went to church! 

That was the measuring standard!  However, it isnít what the Bible teaches.  Attendance is something that we must begin with, but graduate from. 

DQ 2:  Name some of the true measuring sticks of a successful Christian walk.

Letís look at Acts 2 to get a picture of what the early church was like.

So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.  (Acts 2:41)

Now the scripture says, those who received what God was saying, or his word, were baptized.  If youíve never been baptized, baptism is a public statement which says, ìIím going to die to the old me, of trying to figure things out on my own strength.î  What the Bible says, is that when we come up from the water, we are going to live from this moment on according to the power of Jesus Christ.

Since New Hope began ñ in this fellowship, or others we have birthed ñ did you know that over 10,200 decisions have been made, and they are still in church somewhere?  Isnít that tremendous?  But that isnít the end!  Letís read on:

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostlesí teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.  And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.  (Acts 2:42-45)

Now weíre not talking about some irresponsible cultic selling of property where a despot would use it incorrectly and inappropriately.  What weíre talking about is something similar to what happens today when a brother might donate a car to another brother in need.  Letís continue:

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.  (Acts 2:46-47)

Notice the importance of taking meals together and breaking bread from house to house.  They received Christ and came into the kingdom, but they began to move into groups of accountability where growth would truly take place. 

Now the emphasis of the New Testament is not getting perfect attendance.  It is being connected in genuine relationships.  Because we all have a tendency to drift, the anchor that holds us together is not all of us sitting in rows ñ it is all of us sitting in a circle.

You see, if we just come for perfect attendance, itís too easy to drift because there is no glue.  When things hit the wall and push comes to shove, itís always easier to drift out of attendance than to drift out of relationships and community. 

DQ 3:  How do relationships help us to anchor ourselves, and each other in Christ?

Ölet us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The word assembling comes from a Greek word in the Bible ñ episunago.  The word sunago is where we get the word ësynagogueí from.  Sunago, or the assembling of ourselves, is when people get together for the common purpose of hearing God.

Epi means around, before, beside and in back of.  So when the Bible mentions epi-sunago, it does not mean getting together in a big group, but getting together in a small group where there is someone in front of you, behind you, on your left, and on your right.  Itís circling up so we are face to face.  Now, someone is on the side of you, walking with you, encouraging you to do the things that we know need to be done, but donít have enough discipline to do.

Itís not always the nicest thing, and even gets irritating sometimes.  However, as we grow more in God, it becomes increasingly important to circle up in groups rather than just sit in rows.  Why?  The more you grow in the Lord, the more you realize how little you really know.  As we age, the tendency is to drift and become autonomous because we donít believe we need anybody.  But God is saying ëNo, the older we get the more we need to get our roots down instead of just filling out attendance charts.í

DQ 4: Sometimes the most Godly thing to do for a friend in a small group involves confrontation.  What is the best way to confront a small group brother or sister?

Now you may be saying, ìwait a minute, if Iíve got a sin, itís between me and God.  I donít air my dirty laundry in front of other people.î  I understand.  But sometimes, that kind of thinking can be dead wrong.  If there is a sin that Iím trying to cheat God about, and I let it go underground, that secret sin will one day become public.  All of a sudden, you see a marriage go ñ bang!  Or you will be shocked by an ugly event by someone who surprises you.  It did not start that day, but because of a secret sin that wasnít resolved ñ when it became public, it was a monster. 

It is better to have a group that loves you and is committed to you, where that sin can become public when itís small, so that it never grows to a point where it becomes public and is a monster.  That is the essence of the New Testament.  Letís get serious about God by graduating into something deeper.

DQ 5:  How are you going to be different from the message that you just heard?