THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY – PART II
The Spiritual Basis for Group Ministry
Series Text: Acts 2:46-47 - Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
We are on Message # 2 today on the Value of Community.
Last time, we looked at the Biblical Basis for Group Ministry and looked at the examples of Jesus and His Disciples, as well as The Early Church.
We were able to see how Jesus and the Early Church utilized this method for the purpose of training, discipleship, and early church growth, as well as come to the realization that the Group approach is not the only approach to Church Growth, but it certainly is a Biblical one.
Today, we are going to take a look at:
THE SPIRITUAL BASIS FOR GROUP MINISTRY
The Spiritual basis in this context means that we are determining the personal spiritual growth potential of being involved in Group Ministry.
The desire of every Christian here today is to be a person who is continuing to grow in their spiritual walk with the Lord. You must decide that you are not satisfied with the status quo, and you want to go “above and beyond” in your relationship with God and His family.
Often, one of the greatest problems with growth is that it’s hard to see happening overnight!
We’ve all seen the measuring marks people make on their doors or walls, or even posters they can buy now as they mark the progress of a growing child, however, if we didn’t have a clue in life and wanted to measure our child’s growth by sitting and watching them grow, it would drive us insane very quickly as we would see no growth whatsoever.
Growth takes time physically, and it also takes time spiritually.
We must give new Christians some “slack” as they grow in God, realizing that like the little song says, “He’s still working on me”
Stuart Briscoe says… So many times, you can’t see anything happening week to week. Spiritual growth takes place beneath the surface.
First of all, we see under this topic:
I. DISCIPLESHIP FOR ALL
What does Discipleship or Disciple mean?
Well, we know that Jesus had the 12 Disciples, and in essence they were “followers” of Christ, and all the time they were following Christ, they were learning and being educated in practical and spiritual ways of serving God.
To be a Disciple basically means that one goes a step further from just being a “believer”, to being a follower who is working to duplicate the acts of the one who is being followed –
When Jesus called His disciples, He used the words “follow me” – This didn’t just mean to get behind Him and make a straight line as they walked from town to town, but it meant that they would now follow His instructions, and live the way He wanted them to live.
They went from surface relationship to that of a Teacher and Student, yet even further than that as they watched him heal the sick, set free the captive, and bring hope to the hopeless. Jesus was instructing them in the ways of God, and showing them the heart of God, yet again, it did not happen overnight, and one might in reality say, they never ARRIVED at the place of perfection.
It was the desire of the Lord that the Disciples reproduce who He was, and the works He did, then, as they began to lead other people duplicate the efforts all over again, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual sense. They learned from Him, then they went to share what they had learned with others, and the process continues even to today. If the church does not reproduce itself after the pattern of Christ, it simply becomes a warped representation of something, yet not having the power of God.
Apart from a life impacted by Jesus Christ, we have nothing that is worth emulating and duplicating if all we are offering is our answers of the way morality should be defined.
Our children and others need to know that God is still a God of relationship, and holiness, with Biblical answers and absolutes, who expects us to live according to the Word of God in 2009 as much as any time in history.
Too many people are making this thing up as they go along to fit in with their views of how they think God should be, and writing books that are outright heresy covered with titles that seem like you could find them in a local Christian bookstore.
Two particular books are, Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don’t judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question, "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was ’born that way’ because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?"
His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God’s forgiveness of sin. His reply, "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive. There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.
And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to schoolchildren through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
We must be a people of the Word, who live and emulate the Word, and share it with those coming behind us, as well as those who are watching our lives and example.
2 Tim. 3:5 - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
Someone said it this way about the church as a whole – (Don’t take it personally if it doesn’t apply!)
PUT PICTURE OF MULE 1 UP
"The church today is raising a whole generation of mules. They know how to sweat and to work hard but they don’t know how to reproduce themselves.".
It’s not known who said that, but it is a statement of incredible insight. Mules are hard workers. They have carried supplies, plowed fields, pulled wagons and transported people. The only problem is that they are almost always sterile and thus cannot reproduce. They are hard workers, but they are the end of the line. They do not produce more like themselves. A Mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, yet 2 mules will never make another mule -
The church is full of hard workers. They teach classes, serve the physical needs of others, clean up and mow the grass, cook, move tables, organize social activities, visit and even write letters and cards, and do a host of other things. There is just one problem. They don’t "reproduce." They don’t teach the gospel to the lost so others can become hard workers. They are the end of the line.
http://www.lovelongears.com/faq.html
The real job the Lord gave us is to go into the world and "reproduce ourselves" by making disciples of others (Matt 28:18-20). It is a tough lesson to realize that you may have worked hard and yet still haven’t gotten the job done. Let us say it plainly. If we are not evangelizing, we are not doing the job completely. If we are nothing more than a generation of mules, we are on the road to extinction.
One of the big problems too with mule workers is that they can get overworked, and take on too much as we see illustrated here in this picture
On Wednesday night, we read a statement from our lesson that went like this:
Quite frankly, it is much easier to “win souls” than it is to “watch for souls”
(see Ezek. 3:16–21).
Group Ministry enables us to be disciples of Christ, and to help others learn more of who Christ is, and the plan He has for their life.
It enables us to be “watchers of souls”, and not just “winners of souls” -
Questions and discussion are part of the time, whereas in an environment like we are in today, you are listening to one voice, and hopefully not hearing many voices in your head while I’m speaking.
If you are, then we have other issues and groups to go to!
People must know that we love Christ, and our lives should be a reflection of this love as we reach out to love others around us, even as we get to know each other a bit better in a group setting. The world needs to see the love of God shining forth from His disciples:
John 13:35 - By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 15:8 - This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
According to this, we show others that we in fact are Disciples of Christ if we:
a. Love One Another
b. Bear Much Fruit
I believe that love is developed not just through good times, but it is also developed through adversity and difficulties that arise. Often these difficulties that arise can be brought out in a small group setting, and prayer and compassion can take place for the growth and healing of the soul.
The Bible also says that a Disciple bears fruit. In other words, as a result of your love and compassion and active growth in soul winning and Bible knowledge, people are won into the Kingdom of Christ.
God wants each and every one of us to be more than just believers. Being a believer is a good thing, but the Bible tells us that even the Devil believes! We must be doers of the word, and the more we “DO” and “OBEY”, the more we can grow in God.
I believe that being part of a Growth group becomes an additional learning environment where we can become schooled in the things of God.
This is one of the reasons that being involved in a Sunday School class is so important as well. It is learning the Word of God in a group environment which can often accelerate the learning process.
Not only do we see today, DISCIPLESHIP FOR ALL, but we also see another important aspect of what we need to be doing as Christians, and it is:
II. EVANGELISM AND OUTREACH
We may not see small group ministry as a way to Evangelize and reach out, yet it is one of the most powerful ways to reach the lost that exists in the church today.
Often, you will find that people who feel like they could never darken the door of a church, will in fact go to a small group meeting if they are invited.
One of the ways we should utilize Growth Groups for, is Evangelism and Outreach, we will invite those who attend on a Sunday or Wednesday to join with a group that week.
The very fact they came to Church (if that’s the first approach), means they are looking for something, and often, they are facing crisis points in their lives, so therefore they find a church to attend, and it’s up to us at that point to determine how we are going to reach out to them and follow up so that they can come to know Christ, and be Discipled and start the process all over again.
Maybe one of the groups we have will go through the “Nothing’s Too Hard For God” curriculum, and perhaps a person has been struggling with a great sense of FEAR in their lives, and they find themselves in the group study for that day on Fear.
They begin to realize that FEAR just stands for False Evidence Appearing Real and that God truly is the one who can help them deal with that particular area of their life – Finally, they hear the scripture:
2 Tim. 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
AND also: 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Maybe someone walks in with the weight of the world on their shoulders in the area of finances, and they’ve done all they can do, but aren’t able to get ahead. It seems like the more they spin their wheels to get traction, the deeper they get in the hole. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THERE?
We will be able to tell people that while Nothing Is Too Hard For God, it will still require hard work and effort on their behalf to see the Victory won in their lives. Very rarely will God just swoop down in one grand event and fix it all.
Sometimes there’s a bit of “rocking the vehicle” to get it out of the ditch! Growing up in Maine I learned to do something that has often been a help in getting me out of the snow bank, but not always, and I’ve since learned it’s bad for your transmission. You go forward, put the brakes on, quickly shift it into reverse and go backwards, and then keep doing that until you’re out. Anyway, not recommended for the life of your transmission, but sometimes when we’re getting out of the hole, it seems that’s the way it goes!
There’s nothing like breaking free!
God has the answer for any situation in life, and if it’s not answered in the way we had hoped, at least he gives us the strength to go through it, and come out the others side testifying of the keeping power of God!
Growth Group ministry is more than sitting around with legs crossed singing Kum Bah Yah! It can be a time of great ministry outreach, and providing of answers both from the word of God, and the experiences we go through in life.
People may need to hear YOUR story, not mine!
Not only do we see Spiritual Basis in the areas of Discipleship and Evangelism and Outreach, we also see a third important area in the Small Group environment.
III. ACCOUNTABILITY
One thing we know for sure is that one day we are going to give a final account of our life, as we stand before God.
Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. [11] For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. [12] So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
There is also a sense of accountability we have to each other in the here and now as well. I believe that individuals and yes, even churches at times have taken this to the extreme, and have become a greater hindrance in lives than a facilitator of spiritual growth.
Years ago, I believe in the early 70’s a movement arose called The Shepherding Movement in which people would take this accountability to the extreme and were not able to do much of anything in their personal lives without the approval of someone in spiritual authority over them.
The movement gained a reputation for controlling and abusive behavior, with a great deal of emphasis placed upon the importance of obedience to one’s own shepherd. In many cases, disobeying one’s shepherd was tantamount to disobeying God. A few of these criticisms were exaggerated, but many lives were damaged.
I’m not talking about this kind of extreme at all, but simply a balance between everyone being independent and doing their own thing without thoughts of one another, and someone else being in total control over your life.
The Word of God is the final authority of right and wrong in our lives, not the opinions of others around us, however, we must realize that one of the greatest values of the Family of God and Small Groups is that we care for each other enough at times to not just ask “how are you doing”, but to ask “how are you doing?”!!
In other words, we move from a surface conversation starter to really caring whether or not the person is in a struggle, and providing a supportive shoulder or listening ear for them to lean on or be heard.
When it comes to accountability, we so often equate the word with “somebody’s done something wrong, and they’re going to have to pay”, however, I believe the Word of God implores us to love one another to the point that we are willing to lovingly and tenderly help a brother or sister who has failed.
The Bible says this: Galatians 6:1 - Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
It’s amazing how at times we can feel that everyone else around us is in the wrong, but we fail to take a look at our own lives, and how words and actions we did don’t really matter that much.
Tony Campolo gives the following illustration from a few years back when the “ring around the collar” commercial was popular:
Wives feel resentment when it is assumed that they are responsible for everything that goes wrong around the house. This is epitomized in the television ad in which the husband is upset because there’s a "ring around the collar." The wife breaks into tears because her detergent has not removed the dirt from her husband’s shirt. The ring around the collar is seen as telltale evidence of her failure. The ad never asks the obvious question--Why didn’t he wash his neck?
Accountability to another is the only way to safeguard against poor judgment, unconscious motivations, and self-deception.
Archibald D. Hart in Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 2.
Small group ministry is a tremendously valuable ministry in helping people grow in God in the area of Discipleship, and also is a great place to provide a safe environment for people to get to know God, and is highly effective in Evangelism and Outreach, and as we have seen lastly today, it is also a great place for Accountability.
Next week, we are going to look at some of the real practical and relational aspects of Small Group Ministry in the areas of Loneliness, enhancing Pastoral Care, Providing Service Opportunities, and also a place where healthy Relationships are developed.
Small Group Ministry should be based on:
1 Cor. 12:25-27
so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
[27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
