Purpose Of Home Groups..pitfalls Of Home Groups...the Potential Of Home Groups

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.