How Thinking Small Leads to BIG Results
August 28/29, 2004
Don Jaques
MAIN IDEA:
God has designed us to live in community with others and we can only fulfill his designs when we commit to small group ministry in our lives.
OBJECTIVES:
• People who are not involved in a small group will be motivated to join one.
• People who are involved will be re-energized to invite new people and multiply their group for the sake of the Kingdom.
INTRO:
Song…
WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME
G D
Making your way in the world today
G D
takes everything you’ve got
G D
Taking a break from all your worries
G D
sure would help a lot
F E Am D
Wouldn’t you like to get away?
D G
Sometimes you wanna go
G A C D
Where everybody knows your name
G A C D
And they’re always glad you came
Bm C
You wanna be where you can see
Bm C
That troubles are all the same
Bm C D G
You wanna be where everybody knows your name
You remember this song, don’t you? It was of course, the theme show for “Cheers” – a fictional bar in Boston where the regulars developed relationships with each other that gave them strength in the hard times of their lives.
I think one of the reasons this show lasted so long and is so popular in reruns is the simple idea of it’s theme song. Sometimes you just wanna go where everybody knows your name and everybody is glad you came.
Let me tell you something – here at Christ the King we think this need that people have to know others and be loved and accepted for who they are is one of our basic needs as a human being. It’s one of those things that people in our culture – especially in a Navy town – are starving and thirsting for. I believe that all of us, to some degree or another, has a need for community with others – and that need for community has been created by God in each of us.
The reality is this: God wants us to live in community with other people – and especially with other believers. He knows that when we live just on our own, without interaction with others on a meaningful level, that something in us just slowly shrivels up. And he has given us a blueprint to discover the type of community that each of us longs for.
A few years ago I did a thorough search of the New Testament to find exactly what it had to say about what God’s church (his people) are supposed to be doing.
My search led me to about 50 important passages about what the church is all about, which fell into 5 broad categories: EVANGELISM, DISCIPLESHIP, SERVICE, WORSHIP, and FELLOWSHIP.
The most common one? FELLOWSHIP – which comes from the Greek word “koinonia” meaning “sharing in common”. In other words, fellowship is the building of relationships with other Christians.
In fact as you look at the 50-some scriptures about the nature of the church, you find 21 “one another commands” in the NT which instruct disciples of Jesus how they are to relate with other disciples. The overarching command is to LOVE one another, which is found in
John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
But that LOVE is shown through the other 20, which include…
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.
In today’s busy culture – how can we possibly live out these commands? The best way I know is by investing time in relationships with a small group of people who are dedicated to living out these commands!
Love is spelled TIME. We will never grow to love people that we don’t know. Most of us will never be motivated to serve another person, or forgive them, or submit to them or encourage them if we don’t know them! Let’s face it – the large group setting of a worship service is great for experiencing God’s presence and hearing the word of God taught – but it is very difficult to really get to know other people in a large group setting.
Another limitation of the large group setting is that there is ZERO ACCOUNTABILITY for putting into action the things you hear being taught.
That’s why our “Plan A” at CTK is to challenge every person who attends here to “think small”. That is – to make small group ministry a priority in their lives.
This is not just because “the Bible says so”, but because when we do so, when we “think small”, it will produce BIG results in our lives and for the Kingdom of God.
So, what are these BIG results?
Before I answer that question, let me put it out there to you – over half of you attend a small group. Why do you do it? What keeps you coming back? Why do you think someone ought to “think small”?
Here are just a few good reasons to get involved in a small group if you never have:
• Small Groups provide a place to develop new friendships with other disciples.
• Small Groups provide a safe place to find answers to your spiritual questions.
• Small Groups provide a place for you to be used by God to help meet others’ needs.
• Small Groups provide a place for you to have your needs met by people who care.
• Small Groups provide a place for you to be involved in the great commission through group multiplication.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A SMALL GROUP?
• Meet and greet 10-15 minutes
• Bible discussion 30-45 minutes
• Prayer and sharing of needs 15-30 minutes
• Snacks and conversation 10-15 minutes
There are all types of groups for all kinds of people, too. We’ve got groups for men, groups for women, groups for people working on recovery, groups for people who are dealing with the pain of divorce, groups for high schoolers and middle schoolers, and groups that are open to all different types of people.
HOW GET INVOLVED IN A SMALL GROUP?
• Today we’re going to make it easy. Let me bring up the leaders of our groups and let them introduce themselves and share what they are studying and when they meet.
CONCLUSION:
At CTK church our stated mission is to change the spiritual landscape of our community. This is a huge dream – but one that becomes incredibly possible when each person in our church begins to take seriously the commands of the New Testament about loving each other. For when we get involved in the lives of other believers – and really begin to love each other like the Bible instructs us to – the natural result is growth.
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
When the world sees Christians demonstrating the type of love that Jesus demonstrated to the first disciples – the result is always the same – people want to be a part of that! The Lord will add to our number daily those who will be saved.
The only question is – will you invest the time necessary to develop these types of relationships?
ILLUS: Helping friends move. They had called lots of people but there he was doing it all on his own. Talk about no fun! And it’s next to impossible! By the time I arrived to help there was 2 others there, and the 4 of us got lots done in a couple of short hours.
What’s the point? When we move we can do it on our own, but the results will be frustration and possibly injury. When we have help it can be fun!
We we want to move from one place spiritually to another – we will find on our own it can be frustrating and slow, but when we do it with others – not only will our progress speed up, but we’ll have a lot more fun doing it.
PRAY
Introduce small group leaders.
