Key text: acts 2
Some of the topics I want to cover this morning: Purpose of Cells, the potential of cells, and the pitfalls of cells
Biblical basis for cells
In Genesis, God established a model of the context in which we ought to live. And that model was the family. Adam and Eve, along with their children became this family.
Cell groups are intended to be a type of family. Unfortunately, Some Christians do not have any relatives in the church, and they can somehow feel isolated. Some don't have any relatives nearby at all. But if they become a part of a cell group, they become part of a family setting, of a smaller community within the larger community and enjoy the benefits of the love and support commonly found within a family setting.
This was one of the things that made us stay at Emmanuel Church. It was small and intimate. There were about 6 people at the time. We felt loved and accepted. And a relationship grew. Over time, We became more than people going to the same church. We became friends. We became partners labouring in the kingdom together.
Going back to the bible, we see that all of Israel belonged to God, but that the nation of Israel was made up of 12 tribes. Initially Israel was not a nation. It was just a family. It was that family that eventually grew into a nation. But without the family unit that was relatively minute, the larger family of Israel would never have come into being. And even though the nation grew, the families and tribes kept their distinction and prominence in Israel.
In fact this is the underlying message in the story of Noah and his family. God was going to destroy the whole earth because of its sin, of idolatry, sexual perversion and violence and he was going to begin again, not with a man, but with a family. Noah and his family were called into the Ark.
That's the point behind God telling Moses at one point, that he wanted to get rid of Israel because of their stubbornness and rebellion, because of their stiff-neckedness and their idolatry. He told Moses that he wanted to start all over again...with Moses, and this included his wife and offspring!
It's not that God did not want a large number of people following Him. It's just that God wanted a family unit that loved each other, and that loved him, and from which everything else would spring.
This picture becomes ever so clear when Jesus comes on the scene. He had a heart for the multitudes, the bible says he came into the world to save the entire world. He is not willing that any should perish....
He thus reached out to the masses, and fed the multitudes. But he only chose 12 men in which he invested his life. Those 12 men became his true family.
And why did he choose a small group, as opposed to a larger group. There are other factors, but we must not miss the underlying message once again. There's something absolutely dynamic about a smaller group within the context of the larger crowds. And, still, even within this smaller group, there were the 3, Peter, James and John.
This small group dynamic is further developed by the Holy Spirit in the early church. Acts records that about 3000 people got converted on the day of Pentecost. And even though the believers did meet collectively, in the temple courts .....Acts 2:46 says: And they, continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart…
It was obviously not the 3 thousand moving from house to house, but the apostles and other leaders who were sharing the word of God and encouraging small home group fellowship meetings! And this was the strength of the early church.
Acts 5:42 says: Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. This is repetition of the fact highlighted in 2:46. When the Holy Spirit repeats something in scripture, we should take special note. It is usually something He wants us to urgently implement.
From an historical point of view, post Pentecost, the church grew spiritually weaker and weaker as it moved away form this model. As it moved more and more towards a formalised structure of bigger and bigger buildings! Where they relied on Sunday Sermons to sustain them through the week.
And then it got to the place, where only the (Catholic) priests could read the scriptures. And everyone had to come to a building to hear the Word of the Lord. Because that type of system is a breeding ground for ignorance and dependency upon the clergy. And that's how they held on to their power.
Now there's nothing wrong with believers getting together on a large scale...it has its benefits, and the early church had these types of gatherings too, but these type of meetings were held to complement the smaller gatherings. They were used to celebrate their unity and to worship corporately. But they were never used to the detriment of these smaller groups.
Many of the churches Paul writes to were groups of believers who met in someone's home, usually someone with a larger home. The designs were generally different then to what we have in the UK, as you can imagine. Most homes had an upper floor, or open courtyard, that were used for such times of worship and celebration.
Paul writes that when we get together, everyone should contribute something: one ought to bring a psalm, another a hymn, an exhortation, a tongue, an interpretation, etc. ...all for the edification and building up of the body. That was spoken in the context of a smaller house group, not a mass of 3000 people!
So I believe, that the Holy Spirit wants us to get back to restoring and revitalising those small house groups. So that we are not just building the church numerically but also spiritually.
So let's look at the value of small groups: I will use an acrostic C...E...L...L...to highlight the power and potential of cells
C... Firstly, cells are about Caring
One of the most important reasons for the Holy Spirit promoting smaller groups in scripture and even in more modern times, is so that the necessary care of believers can take place. Caring for one another is one of the Holy Spirits primary concerns. It is one of His top priorities. He wants us to lovingly care for one another. And Caring is always done better within the small group context. And we become channels through which he can operate.
It is difficult to adequately or effectively care for hurting, troubled souls in a Sunday service.
The Lord expects us to be our brothers keeper. We are told, for instance, to carry one another's burdens, and to love one another. We are told to be generous to all, especially to those in the household of faith.
But how do we care for our brother when we don't know what our brother's needs are? And how can you really get to know what his needs are unless you spend quality time with him? You can't!
In cells we care through prayer. And we care through giving a listening ear. And we care by being there!
There's a very challenging verse in the New Testament: it says that we must encourage one another daily...
How can we possibly do this? Only if each of us are taking responsibility to do this within the smaller groups. If we all make this commitment, we will have a stronger church. Guaranteed!
Some people are vocal about their needs and will express them publicly. Most people won't. They are a lot more likely to share their needs and concerns and doubts and burdens in a smaller group setting.
You can't say you love your brother until you are willing to put yourself in a position to hear and see what his real felt needs are. That's why Christ came into the world as a man, and lived and ate and suffered along with them.
Story of small boy and the geese, or the boy with the ants......
And so the writer to the Hebrews can confidently exclaim: we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with the feelings of our infirmities, but one who was tempted like us in every way, yet he was without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with great confidence, so that we can find mercy and obtain grace to help us in a time of need.
Instead of spending time with our brothers to ascertain what their needs are, most people sit aloof. Most of the time we arrogantly assume that we know what their needs are.
And I want to say this for the sake of aspiring preachers and teachers and ministers of the Word. For me, more importantly than delivering a good message, is the need to deliver a message that meets a need. Not just an obvious need, but a need that the Holy Spirit sees in your life.
Some practicals: do you spend time with cell members outside of cell? Do you visit or call to find out why any cell member wasn't in church, or why they weren't in cell? Do you make contact just to say something kind?
I was asking the Lord why the change...from preaching a series on grace to developing a series now on cells. And what I sensed the Lord saying to me really surprised me. It was a blessing at the same time. The Lord was saying do you see what happened to the prodigal son? He went back home! And do you see how the father welcomed him? Such love and grace! That's how I want your home groups to be!
That was what attracted us to Emmanuel Church. The small, intimate group we found. The love we felt and experienced. We later complemented this by a small group we started in our home.
But then that started growing. We had to move that to the church. And then the church started growing. We used to have great bible studies. And then I felt the Lord eventually leading Us To start home groups, when some older, more maturer believers came to the church. That was to encourage leadership growth, but also to encourage teaching, discipleship, fellowship and care for others.
E... Evangelism.
Another important component of cells is evangelism.
One of the primary reasons you and I are still on the earth is so that we can give to others what we have freely received: Gods gift of eternal life.
Jesus gave us the great commission in Matthew 28. He said GO and make disciples. We cannot make disciples without having a heart for evangelism. The passion that drives small groups is evangelism and church growth.
Proverbs 11:30 says he who wins souls is wise, and Daniel 12:3 says that those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Of course there's different ways of doing evangelism. It starts of by being an example of what Christ can do in our lives. It involves walking in love. It involves being kind. It involves standing up against injustices. It involves telling others what Jesus has done for you. It involves inviting people to church to hear the good news and for them to see that Christians are not too bad. And it involves leading people to Christ.
It also involves inviting people to your home group.
Cells should be a place where the Word of God is discussed, yes, but in a way that even non church goers can relate to in some way. Think of cells similarly to inviting neighbours to your home. Out of courtesy and good manners, you want them to feel fairly comfortable.
So cells is not a bible study exclusively for the benefit of believers. It is to get even non church goers to understand what the bible is saying. And they don't have to always agree with you, by the way. And you don't have to feel like you have to win every argument. In fact, avoid arguments. That's counterproductive and does not produce the desired result.
My point is: cells should be a place where your friends and neighbours feel comfortable enough to ask questions and to make contributions.
In South Korea, Paul Yongi Cho, or rather, David Yongi Cho, leads the worlds largest church in the world. He has multiple services on a Sunday, serving about 1 million people in total. They have planted numerous churches in other cities, and usually start a church by sending about 30 000 people to support an assigned pastor. But the growth explosion really happened when he heard God tell him to start cell groups. It is through these groups that the church has multiplied.
Visitors to the church should be followed up by the cell group. David Yongi Cho, in his somewhat humorous style, tells of a story of a couple who visited the church, but did not want to join the church. They felt it was not for them. They got regular visits from the cell leader and other cell members, but were highly annoyed. They would often pretend that they were not in when such visits occurred, but the cell leader knew they were in and would not leave until they opened. That couple eventually decided to leave the area. To their surprise, when they arrived in their new area, another cell leader was there who visited them, bringing cakes and welcoming them into the area. The previous cell leader had informed this cell leader of the couple that had moved. And they had cakes, and cards, knocking at their door. This couple decided then to join the church, saying there's nothing we can do to get away from you people. That man, if memory serves me correct later became an elder in the church. That's commitment. Something we all need. We all need to be committed to evangelism.
As someone famous once said: a great commitment to the great commission will build a great church.
And the church in South Korea has grown because the cell groups are committed to seeing people come to know Christ.
Of course, we can all make excuses as to why Our cells are not growing. I'm sure the early church must have had every reason to make excuses: the people had crucified their Lord, and were now hostile toward them too. They were not welcome in the synagogues, and they were shunned in the temple. Some lost their means of income, as employers loyal to the Sanhedrin and those to Rome, were reluctant to engage in any business that involved a follower of Jesus.
In fact Christians were flogged and threatened not to preach or teach anyone in the name of Jesus. Yet they remained faithful to Jesus' command. They had fire in their bellies. They had a love for the Lord. They were willing to suffer, yes even die, in order to obey his word.
Yes, they could have had very legitimate excuses why they should not and why they could not, but they did not. May we too forsake our excuses, stop blaming our culture and community, get down on our knees and ask the Lord what we can do to reach people for him. And then may we get up and do what we can!
By the way, When Peter is released from prison by an angel, where does he go? To a house group, a group of believers that were praying! It actually says in Acts 12 that the entire church was praying fervently for him, but Peter ended up going to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where a large number of people had gathered to pray.
L...living as disciples.
In China, the Christians who have made a stand not to be manipulated by the government to preach and teach what they dictate they should, have been mercilessly persecuted now for decades. In spite of the horrendous treatment from the authorities, including imprisonment and execution, the church has surprisingly still managed to grow in leaps and bounds. They say the current growth rate of the church in China is faster the population growth rate there.
And one of the main contributing factors to this astounding growth is the smaller group meetings.
One of the reasons the Christians have survived for so long, is because of the small groups that meet. The do not meet in this way primarily because they want to have small groups. They meet like this so as not to be too conspicuous. Of course they do organise larger gatherings that sometimes go undetected by the authorities.
But these smaller groups have allowed effective care of one another. Where they have worshipped together, sung together, shared the word of God with each other, and prayed for one another. Through these small groups others have come to know Christ too. Some through personal witness, others through prayer for healing, and so on.
And this highlights another important aspect relating to discipleship in the cells: when cells are functioning effectively, the gifts of the Holy Spirit start to operate more frequently, and people begin to recognise ministries within them they never knew were there!
You can't adequately disciple people on Sunday's. And you cannot adequately disciple people using courses. Real discipleship is a hands on experience, where you see others living out their faith in various circumstances. When you observe how maturer believers handle success and how they handle failure. And you emulate them. It's when the leaders gives you information and guides you through the process of application. Discipleship takes time, it takes patience, and it takes more than a Sunday meeting.
A lot of Christians in the western world have a lot of information. They can quote all the books of the bible, and they can quote the scriptures, yet they remain immature and ineffective in advancing the kingdom, primarily because they've been fed a Sunday sermon, and hopefully some devotional meal once a day, but they've never really been disciples, and shown how to live out the Christian life, on a day to day basis...at home. At school. At work.
They've been taught that being a mature Christian means knowing the word, and learning how to effectively share it with others. That was not Jesus strategy, that was not Paul's strategy either. Of course knowledge of the word is crucial. But Christianity is far more than knowledge of the Word. It's implementing it that's crucial.
Paul, for instance, tells the church to recall how he lived among them, and what an example he set for them, and how they ought to follow his example of life. He tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 to be an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
The writer to the Hebrews concludes his outstanding letter in Chapter 13, not just by quoting scripture, But by telling the believers to keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers. Remember those believers who are in prison. And those believers who are ill-treated.
He goes on in verse 4 to talk about the fact that our Christianity, our faith, must spill over into our marriages, and that there should be purity, and that we should honour our spouses.
In verse 5 he says we should avoid the love of money, and to be content with what we have.
V7 he says: remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
V20, 21 may the God of peace...equip you with everything good for doing his will...
The emphasis is not so much on what we were, but on what we are becoming. It's not about how much we have, but about who we are now. It's not about charisma, it's about character.
And it's in the context of small groups that we can develop character and enhance the plan of discipleship.
Many surveys have been conducted so as to ascertain how effective the Billy Graham crusades have been. And the results were shocking. Despite the hordes and hordes of people that responded to the alter calls, not many could be found years later still serving the Lord.
When asked what he would do differently as a result, billy Graham's answer was spine chilling. He said: I would take 12 people and disciple them. I would invest my life into 12 people. And encourage them to do the same!
Indeed, cells is an opportunity to make disciples and to develop people. As for me, it was in the context of a small group setting that I shared my first sermonette. It was there I sang my first song. It was there that I learnt to love the Word, and how to pray for others. And many Christians I know are where they are today because they were developed in that small group setting, even if it was in a so called church that was very small.
The groups I'm talking about go by different names—small groups, cell groups, care groups, discipleship, groups, grace groups, breakout groups, life groups, prayer groups. Whatever they are called, the basic idea is the same: a small gathering of people interested in spiritual growth.
L...leadership
With regards to leadership, 2 things are important about cells. They help to develop leaders, and they help to lead people forward into the purposes of God for the church.
Giving opportunities for people to take responsibility for certain aspects of the meeting is creating an opportunity for leadership development. Each cell group should ideally have a welcome team, who are usually the host person or couple. A worship leader. A discussion coordinator. A prayer team. At times this can be the whole group. The group also needs a envisioner, usually the cell leader. Someone who reminds the group of where we are going to as a church. Where we hope to end up as a cell group. And how we plan to get where we are going. This person should also remind people of important opportunities for commitment and growth, like prayer meetings. Like special events. Etc, etc. baptisms....
The Pitfalls of cells...
1. Focussing on Maintenance instead of maturity.
2. Becoming Gossip clubs instead of gospel hubs. Multiplication is the major goal of each cell group.
3. Separating people by causing division instead of uniting people around a common vision
4. Propagating Personal agendas instead of actualising pastoral prerogatives
5. Promoting Pet doctrines at the expense of prophetic direction
6. Becoming social centres instead of strategic signposts
7. Being competitive instead of co-operative and collaborative
8. Seeing cell groups as optional instead of foundational. Small-group ministry must be foundational to our church—not a nice add-on. God chose to develop the first disciples through house-to-house ministry and his purposes in small-group ministry remain the same today.
I've seen all off these pitfalls over the years, and yes, cells can be used by the enemy to bring about harm and hurt. But we can't focus on the negative. If we did, we'd miss out on all the positive things I've just said about cells.
So here's the challenge.
Can you join a group if you're not already in one.
Can you offer your home to start a group? Can you start a group At your work place. In your neighbourhood. At your school, or college. See me.
What I would like to see is the young people getting involved in cell dynamics and ultimately for the youth to be cell-based.
Let’s us make a commitment to this end. We will meet in the week to discuss this further. Make an appointment to be there.
