THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY – PART III
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 # 3 today on the Value of Community.
We have looked at the Biblical Basis for Group Ministry and looked at the examples of Jesus and His Disciples, as well as The Early Church.
And last week we examined the Spiritual Basis for Group Ministry as a foundation for Discipleship, Evangelism and Outreach, as well as Accountability.
Today, we are going to take a look at:
THE RELATIONAL BASIS FOR GROUP MINISTRY
The growth and spiritual health of a church is based on relationships.
The first relationship that must be kept vibrant and growing in the life of any Christian is of course the relationship between God and man. The very reason Christ came into the world 2,000 years ago was to restore this relationship that had been broken because of the sin of Adam and Eve.
It is so easy to miss the greatest point ever made to mankind, and it is that God wants to have a relationship with us – PICTURE OF CHILD PLAYING WITH BOX AT CHRISTMAS -
The following verses bring out the fact that God desired then to have a relationship with mankind:
Genesis 3:8-9 - Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the da y, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"
These verses show God’s desire to have fellowship with us. They also show why we are afraid to have fellowship with him. Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard him approaching. God wanted to be with them, but because of their sin they were afraid to show themselves.
Sin had broken their close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours.
But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with him. God longs to be with us. He actively offers us his unconditional love. Our natural response is fear because we feel we can’t live up to his standards. But understanding that he loves us, regardless of our faults, can help remove that dread.
As we said, God ACTIVELY offers his unconditional love to us, and before we were even able to come to Him, He came to us! The theme for today’s Womens Ministries Day is “Living Life Intentionally” and one of the points that is made in their message theme is that “God Is Intentional”.
He created us for relationship with Him and to share in the eternal Kingdom of peace and righteousness that He is forming. Because of humanity’s rebellion against God, sin has broken that relationship, but God was very intentional in making a way for that bond to be restored!
Nothing He has done for us has been accidental, or as a secondary thought, or even plan B. When He sent His son, Jesus, into the world to live as the perfect man, die on the cross for our sins, and be raised from the dead to conquer death, God was saying in essence, I STILL want to have a relationship with you… and I MEAN IT!
I like the next statement that is made in that message, and it is that “God not only wants something FROM us, but FOR us!
John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
The “more abundant” life is a life of Godly relationships, starting first of all, of course with Christ Himself.
A right relationship with God will in turn lead to right relationships with people around us, especially our brothers and sisters in the Lord. When our lives are not right with God, we seek to distance ourselves not only from Him, but also from the very people who love and care for us.
When we find ourselves at distance, and at odds with our family members, we must realize there is no way we can be close to our Father.
I believe today that Group Ministry is first of all:
I. A REMEDY FOR LONELINESS
I realize that the majority of us that are here today may not recognize this as a need in our own lives. Most of us enjoy healthy relationships with our families, and have many friends around to just “be there” in times of need.
However, I also know that there may be some here that in fact experience the sting of loneliness from time to time, and may not even feel like it’s something you can admit because you wouldn’t want to let your guard down, and make people feel that somehow you aren’t up to the task of life.
Loneliness is not determined by how many, or how few people are around you, but I believe it is determined by the relationships you allow to develop with those people.
Albert Einstein said: It is strange to be known so universally and yet be so lonely.
Language has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone, and the word solitude to express the glory of being alone. Paul Johannes Oskar Tillich (1886-1965)
There is an old story told about a little girl who had been passed from one orphanage to another. She was very shy and felt rather unattractive. The other children would not play with her and her teachers considered her to be a problem child.
In this particular orphanage there was a rule that all outside correspondence had to be screened by the staff. One day the director of the orphanage happened to see the little girl carrying a letter toward the wall that surrounded the institution. She climbed a tree near the wall and hung the envelope on a branch that could be reached from the other side.
The director went outside the gates, took down the letter, and opened it. It simply read, "From Susan. To whomever finds this letter, I love you."
Perhaps you can identify with the loneliness felt by the little girl in this familiar story. If so, you are not alone. In fact, this story resonates with so many people, that singer/sing writer, Mac Davis wrote a popular song about this story, called "Whoever Finds This I Love You."
According to Los Angeles psychiatrist, Dr. Leonard Zunin, despite the fact that the average American meets as many people in one year as their ancestors met in a life time 100 years ago, loneliness is the main problem facing Americans today. Everyone needs friendships.
Many of the greatest tragedies of the past few generations have been people who seemed to have “it all” in the eyes of the world in the areas of fame, finances, and friendships ended up on the wrong end of a gun, or with drug overdoses while looking for a way to fill that “hole” in their heart that can only be filled with a relationship first with the Lord, then with other people who will lead them to greater emotional and spiritual health.
SHOW SLIDE OF FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED EARLY
We often think that it’s only weak people who struggle with feelings of loneliness, but as we read the word of God, we realize that even the strongest of prophets felt alone at times.
Let’s take a very brief look at Elijah in 1 Kings 19:10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
Elijah thought he was the only person left who was still true to God. He had seen both the king’s court and the priesthood become corrupt. After experiencing great victory at Mount Carmel, he had to run for his life. Lonely and discouraged, he forgot that others had remained faithful during the nation’s wickedness.
When you are tempted to think that you are the only one remaining faithful to a task, don’t stop to feel sorry for yourself. Self-pity will dilute the good you are doing. Be assured that even if you don’t know who they are, others are faithfully obeying God and fulfilling their duties.
Elijah felt alone, and we also know that as we discussed a week or two ago, when Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, he was looking for the support of his “small group” the disciples, as He asked them to go with Him to pray, and then was disappointed when He came out and saw them all sleeping while He was facing the biggest crisis point of His life.
Even Jesus on the cross felt the pangs of loneliness as he took the sins of mankind upon Him, and He felt with great clarity the separation that sin brings with God the Father. Jesus was NOT a sinner, but as our substitute, He bore all of our sins on the cross, and cried out to the Father,
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Jesus did not ask this question in surprise or despair. He was quoting the first line of Psalm 22. The whole psalm is a prophecy expressing the deep agony of the Messiah’s death for the world’s sin. Jesus knew that he would be temporarily separated from God the moment he took upon himself the sins of the world. This separation was what he had dreaded as he prayed in Gethsemane. The physical agony was horrible, but the spiritual alienation from God was the ultimate torture.
One of the most powerful reasons for gathering together in a group atmosphere besides getting to know God in a greater way through the studies, is the ability to connect with people in a way that is difficult if all you do is come to church on a weekly basis.
One of the truly great things about Womens Ministries is the opportunity to get together to fellowship, and this would, of course be one of the many groups I speak of today.
Not only is the Group environment a good Remedy for Loneliness, I believe today that it also:
II. PROVIDES SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Matthew 23:11-12 The greatest among you will be your servant. [12] For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
This might seem like an odd benefit to place in a message about Group Ministry, but I encourage you to keep an open mind while I share about it.
Our lives find ultimate meaning when we begin to realize that the world in fact does not really revolve around our needs, wants, wishes, and desires.
Just like individuals who find joy through serving others, groups also can find great joy when they make reaching out and helping others a part of what they are as a group. I believe that the greatest route to happiness is not to be a sponge that simply brings in, but to be a conduit for the love of God as He flows into us, and we allow Him to flow out of us in great and meaningful ways.
Well, it looks you’re getting more money in your paycheck soon, according to the recent news from the Government. (Read article here)
Quoting the article from Yahoo News - "The $400 credit for individuals is to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples are slated to get up to $800. Most workers are to see about a $13 per week increase in their take-home pay. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year."
Here’s the challenge! Why not use some, or all of your "stimulus" to stimulate random acts of kindness in our community? While others are hurting, those of us who are blessed to have a job can reach out, and bless others, out of our own free will, and not because we are being forced to do it via taxes! Research consistently shows that the Christian Community is always far more giving than any other group.
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Provoke
to incite or stimulate (a person, animal, etc.) to action. - dictionary.com
Why not pick up a Connection Card (Side 1 and Side 2), this Sunday at Church and begin to "stimulate" the love of Christ in our Community!
$13 a week probably doesn’t mean your "ship has come in", yet it can go a long way in being a blessing to others as the Lord prompts you!
As we continue to develop the Growth Groups in the future, one of the things that will make each group have a greater sense of purpose will be the adoption of ways to reach out and BE a blessing, and to put into practice some of the things that are taught and caught within the group environment.
In other words, we should not just GO to Church, but we should BE the Church!
As I’m sharing about this, I realize that if you have never been part of a group making a difference, then it really doesn’t make sense.
To be honest, one of the most enjoyable times of fellowship I have here in the church is when we get together on a Work day as a group to make a difference in our church building and grounds. The more people that show up to be a part of it, the more enjoyable it becomes!
In serving, there is often the difficulty that comes in getting started. In other words,taking the initiative. Someone needs to get the ball rolling!
You may have heard this story before, but John Maxwell tells it in his book “Talent Is Never Enough” on the fact that successful people are those who are motivated to make a difference, yet that motivation doesn’t always have to come from someone on the outside all the time.
There was a man in a small town who was known as a great fisherman. Every morning he went out on a lake in his small boat, and in a short time, he returned with his boat loaded with fish.
One day a stranger showed up in town and asked if he could accompany the man the next time he went out. The fisherman said, “Sure you can come. Meet me at the dock at five a.m.”
The next morning, the two men went far out into the lake made their way to a remote cove. As they traveled the stranger noticed that the fisherman didn’t have any poles or other equipment, just a rusty tackle box and a scoop net.
After the fisherman shut off the motor, he opened the tackle box and pulled out a stick of dynamite. He struck a match, lit it, and then tossed it into the water. After a deafening explosion, he grabbed his net and started scooping up fish.
With a hard look, the stranger reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge with the words “game warden” on it. “You’re under arrest,” he said evenly.
His words didn’t faze the fisherman. He simply reached into the tackle box again, lit another stick of dynamite, and held it while the fuse burned down. He then handed it to the game warden and said, “So, are you going to just sit there, or are you going to fish?”
Folks, we shouldn’t need a stick of dynamite to motivate us to do good works for people around us. This motivation should rise from deep within us as we realize the call of God to be a blessing to others, and this comes even easier within the group environment!
As these groups develop in the future, I would encourage each group to develop an area of service and opportunity to be a blessing!
Not only do we see Groups as a REMEDY FOR LONELINESS, and something that PROVIDES SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES, we also see today another important part that goes hand in hand with the Service Opportunities, and it is that Group Ministry:
III. ENHANCES PASTORAL CARE
One of the greatest benefits of Growth Group Ministry and the development of relationships is that we soon begin to develop a greater sense of caring and concern for the group members we meet with from week to week.
As a church grows in overall numbers, it is vitally important that we develop this kind of ministry so that members indeed will care for each other as the Bible tells us to do.
1 Cor. 12:25-26 [25] 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.
The church that will see it as their calling to reach out to the hurting member who may be in the hospital or nursing home is a church that will be filled with people of compassion and concern for the lost as well.
Somehow, we got away from the Biblical example of pastoral care, and began to think that since it’s the Pastor’s “job”, then it can’t be acceptable for others to be used in this area of pastoral care as well.
There was a problem in the early church that arose, and we see that the Disciples solved the problem as they delegated and encouraged their own to minister to the practical needs.
Acts 6:1-4 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. [2] So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. [3] Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them [4] and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
They were still doing their job as Disciples or Ministers in that they did their best to make sure the needs were taken care of in the church, but they realized that all the needs would not be met, especially the spiritual needs if all they were doing was distributing food. This way, the physical food was distributed, and the spiritual food could be as well.
The Bible also addresses this important area in Ephes. 4:11-13 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, [12] to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
The church becomes greater when God’s people care for God’s people! When the family of God truly begins to come together as the Family of God, then people are cared for, needs are met and lives are changed as a result of the love that is shown for one another.
Sometimes we throw the words “Family of God” around, yet we fail to realize the real meaning of being part of the Family of God.
Someone once said, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.
Well, that is also true in the things of God. God saves people that we might never give a second thought about, yet they become part of our family, and it is now up to us to accept “warts and all”.
The lifestyle of the Babemba tribe in South Africa was featured a number of years ago in a TV documentary on Apartheid. Within that community, antisocial or criminal behavior is rare. However, when it does occur, the Babemba have an interesting and beautifully creative way of dealing with it .
If a member of the tribe acts irresponsibly, he or she is placed at the center of the village. Work stops, and every man, woman and child in the village gathers around the accused in a large circle.
Then, one at a time, each individual, including the children, call out all the good things the person in the center of the ring has done previously. All the positive attributes and the kind acts are recited carefully and at length. No one is permitted to exaggerate or be facetious. It’s serious business!
The ceremony often lasts for several days and doesn’t stop until everyone is drained of every positive comment he or she can muster about the transgressor. Not one word of criticism concerning the accused’s irresponsible, antisocial deed is permitted. At the end, the tribal circle breaks up, a joyous celebration begins, and he or she is welcomed back into the community. Apparently this overwhelming, positive bombardment strengthens the self-esteem of the accused, and causes that person to resolve to live up to the expectations of the tribe. Proof of the success of this creative response to wrongdoing seems evident in the fact that these ceremonies are quite rare. One wonders if, perhaps, borrowing from this technique might be a good idea, at least in certain family situations in which a member has gone astray.
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another," (John 13:35).
The love we have for one another should go above and beyond the mistakes and faults we see, and even in correction, have the important ingredient of forgiveness and redemption.
We read it last week, but it needs to be read again:
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.
