Strategy Statement #2: Small Groups

We should we all to. We must continue to do even more and even better at walking out true biblical local church life there such a great in dire need for that. There's lots of stuff happening in churches. There's lots of exciting things going on but very often. It's about 3 miles wadded in half and HD it is not going to last. When churches build their ministry.

Don't ask the last exciting fun thing is not going to last. What I say to them call me at your 39 them how it's going now. How far did that stuff carried you we got a sure word from God and we need to stay with it so we need to continue on into even a better job of modeling biblically healthy local church life and biblically healthy local church life for you.

The congregation is centered in small group ministries. That's kind of the hub of the wheel for your ministry to God in and through your local church and if you'll keep being faithful if you keep walking it out and you'll still do more and better of your ministry God's assigned you then when I go to Idaho I go to Kansas I go to Brazil to meet with pastor from several Portuguese speaking countries or wherever.

I will not be a hollow sound. I will not be a tear of the tear in the Bible looks good but there's no real substance.

I'll be able to bring a message of four decades of substance but only if you as the body of grace like continue to bind the vision we want to live it here so we can have impact their we want to prove to the world.

God's word, aided by God's power will build God's church. You only Jeff knob let you don't need anything else. If God gives you a man of God you got the word of God, you stand on the word of God in your doctrine is sound your methods or self-interested enables God will bless that that's what's dire is a great great great great need for that that message around the world. So make sure your pastor goes out, not hollow, but with substance Romans 1619. The apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome. I love this verse. Report of your obedience is reached.

All report of the next cool, clever, wonderful, exciting, insightful thing to draw a crowd is reached. All no report of your obedience church at Rome.

That's what I want our testimony to be, I want people to say those people just follow the Scriptures and I have joy there sweet sided because God's word is sufficient report of your obedience is reached. All another key verse John 1335 were Jesus said all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

These are the hallmark statement to the world that you know me is the way you love each other, don't make this a sentimentality kind of love will make this a silly emotional, love you and I live in a culture today that's lost her principles because not everything is based on sentiment and emotion were were functioning in this country like a bunch of silly junior high school girls soda functioning on principle and old law like we already with the love we have is a love that's based on Scripture. For example, is this love this devotion on the how do other believers supposed to be expressed in just any way I feel this however I feel that's the way I do it will of course not, is to be expressed.

According to the way the Scripture dictate is this love I feel for the brethren to be extended when and where and how long I decide a course not, you don't even join God's church, he added you to his church into Your life and not biblically healthy local church and pull yourself out there and love when it feels good when it doesn't feel good when exciting and when it's not exciting when you're seemingly in an important place or you're not an important place.

Love is a devotion. Love is a commitment to follow the Scriptures and how we as a congregation care for encouraged disciple reprove review holdup show mercy to love one another.

So I'm going to dive into our small group strategy statement out over the mat hit on this pretty willing to go to wonderful shop and he helped us greatly, but I hope my expectation to you this morning will build on that one too long ago I stayed at a hotel. Well, it wasn't long ago. I'm I'll be 60 in February. Your old that's the problem you're getting awful if I'm 60-year-old probably three us decades ago I was in a hotel and it was a new kind of hotel and its stock was just soaring and I talked to what I think is like a regional God who happened to be in the foyer of the hotel one morning and ask him about this new approach to doing motels and he said well if you've noticed up until this point, the majority of big hotel chains all have restaurants and many of them have also bars, and as time went on we found that lots of money and lots of energy, lots of our overall personnel and financial resources end up on the restaurant and on the bar in our rooms would be in decline. Our rooms would go down in quality, so we decided why don't we find out what travelers really want and put most of our eggs in that basket so you'll notice we do not have a restaurant. We do not have a bar would do a little breakfast thing in the morning and that's about it. We put all of our energies and our resources and our efforts now in the in the hotel room and it's going like crazy then you have Hampton Inn and you could just go down the list of that's what they do. They don't have restaurants your big four and five star hotels and cities to do. Of course, but these but I restaurants I almost never have a bar but they do the few things that really matter to the traveler and that's what the churches got to do approaching 3 1/2 decades ago as God was storing my heart about pastoral ministry, I thought. We've got to find what the Bible says are the few main things we must do well if we will do those few things why all the other things will take care of themselves in one of those key things that I said we've got to do this well is every member ministry in small groups. So I wrote this strategy statement.

I don't know how many years ago, 35, 30, and I don't know, and we been functioning by ever since is not our only strategy statement, but it is a primary foundational one for us. And here it is the church organized into small groups so that we can evangelize the lost equip the saved and provide fellowship to meet individual needs and what about temptations of the years is to collaborate and make it longer, but always come back and say no, everything is is a component of those main things right there organizing ourselves as a local church into small enough units where true body life biblical body life can take place in that body life is underlined that under those three expressions evangelizing, equipping and meeting these, but let's back up and let's break this thing down a phrase the time I. The church organized now is not wasn't too long ago that there was a strong movement in churches that if you really wanted to follow the spirit you got a get away from structure and order that what you had to do was just coming to church and say where the spirit led you and while there was some truth to that. They were woefully out of balance. We can see everything about our God is structured and orderly. Our God is a God of organization.

He created the universe in an organized way on day one he created day and night owned a creek truth he separated the waters the upper waters from the lower heavens on day three.

He made dryland season plant life on day four, he made the light holders on day five.

He made fish and birds on day six, he made land animals and man and then he said, Genesis 131 and God saw all that he made and behold it was very good. God said, I like what I made and I like the way I made it. I like structure in order.

Everything God does have structure and order. Think about the Old Testament God calls Abraham to father a great nation and through a series of events they become millions of people, and God was. He knew he organizes them he organizes them in the 12 tribes.

The center of their worship was the tabernacle and the temple and everything about it is orderly.

There's the place for the shewbread. There's a place for the brazen altar.

There's a price for that the water a labor there's a place for the inner court in the outer court in the holy place of the holy folding is structured and ordered is a God of organization. Think about the offerings they were organized a grain offering a sin offering us up a guilt offering.

And on and on and on. You can go if the he gave in order to how much is to be a child was the beginning place and on and on we could go you organize the leadership of Israel Kings have these responsibilities priest have these responsibilities. Prophets have these responsibilities, God is a God of order we come over to the New Testament chronologically speaking God's mood.

People are getting save the church in Jerusalem is a growing and growing and we get to acts chapter 6. We have some the widow ladies in the church were not being administered their daily food. Serious problem pastors got together and organized deacons and he said these deacons are going to take care of this ministry and want to take care of the ministry of the word and orderly organized way to function.

Ephesians 411 and 12. God gives apostles, prophets, and pastor teachers and orderly way to structure his work leadership in the New Testament. Second Timothy 22 talks about the orderly way. The apostle Paul would get men together and train them for leadership in the church. First Corinthians 1134 Paul himself is organizing a disorderly church. That's one of the nicest things you could say about the church of Kari.

He said I'm literally going to come back again and I'm going to put things in order.

What remains that is, and even the raptures organized the dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive and remain will join them and will meet the Lord in the air.

Our God is a God of order and organization.

Paul told the Corinthian church at first printings 1440. Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner when you priest as long as I have the one people, you tend to use the same illustrations again and some of them are corny, but I like them. Remember the illustration of the little boy sitting in the church service that this was kind of a small rural church and in Baptist Church is always a plaque would be on the wall behind like the piano and organ little boy sitting with his mom.

He sees a plaque behind the piano. He said mom what is that on the wall.

She said that's a plaque.

He said what kind of plank. She said it's an honor of those who died in the service. He said when service lay observers or the premium service. It's corny, but I like it don't you like.

I like so churches are so dead sometimes, so there was a movement some time ago that said, no structure, no longer follow the spirit is willing to continue. You can organize death that's for sure. You go to the funeral home. It's one most organized places in town.

You can organize death. But here's one of them tell you, you must organize life. Take your human body structure.

What intricate organization the nervous system, the respiratory system the digestive system.

Everything structured and orderly. Because if something gets out of whack whole body dies, God's ordained order and structure for his people. Let's go phrase for the church organized. Now let's go into small groups of II now.

Of all the ways we organize of all the structures. One thing we must have one great foundation stone with it, see it throughout Scripture is God's people coming as one congregation and then subdividing into smaller groups so they can live out effective ministry one to another in God will be glorified. Go to most the code of Moses. He's not here. Go to Exodus 18 would you do that. Exodus 18 very quickly.

This is such a powerful and good most of you remember this release. Many of you do. Exodus chapter 18 verse 13. It came about. The next day that Moses sent to judge the people and the people stood about Moses from morning until evening that here Moses is the pastor of the people. If you will, and everybody comes to Moses for every need and then we have look at verse 14. Now, when Moses father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, what is this thing that you are doing for the people you why do you alone see this judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening and most of his father because the people come to inquire me of God or 16 when they have disputed comes to me and I judge between a man and his neighbor to make known the statutes of God and his laws were 17 Moses follows attempt. The thing you're doing is not good, you'll have an easy organize structure to effectively minister to all these people and this is bad. Verse 18. Why is it bad verse 18. You will surely wear out genitals is Moses you need to be around a long time to lead and pastor. These people if you keep doing it.

You're gonna wear out not to wear them out pieces both yourself and these people who are with you. The task is too heavy for you cannot do it, so should the people are going to grow weary because not a film minister to others not enough. If you go around and you're gonna wear out to.

This is not the way God wants this done. Verse 21.

Look at verse 21. Furthermore, you select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth. Those who hate dishonest gain. You shall place these over them as leaders of thousands and hundreds of 50s, and attends all right.

Let's break the whole country down. Jethro tells Moses get a larger group. Maybe that's like our congregation and break that down into smaller divisions and break that down into even smaller. What we would call small group that's the way our small group for structured divisional areas break down into smaller groups and elders and church staff oversee each division folks are you listening to me you can't do that and make it work well without lots and lots and lots of hard work, you would be easier to have just our brother to have a church primarily built on an exciting event once a week on Sunday but that's not what a churches is not just the event. It's a body of changed people who love and care for each other and needs to be a structure to enable that to happen. That's why the Bible annexes 18 gives us this picture of small groups. He continues on and says and they're going to judge the people at all times. Every major dispute will be brought to you but net net, but all the rest of them will stay out there. They will be taken care of by them.

Verse 24 Moses listen to his father-in-law and did all that he had said Ellis go chronologically on the Old Testament and New Testament. What's one of the very first things Jesus did in his earthly ministry he chose 12 men, that they might be with him his own small group unique one time thing.

Jesus is in on the erythema, but nevertheless in Jesus earthly ministry. Local congregations are not established yet that happened I started happening at Pentecost in the book of acts, but yet the principal were going to be effective.

We need to have an organization of small groups now become chronologically the day of Pentecost is come we could acts chapter 2 verses 4146 and and 542 so than those who had received his word were baptized and never added that day about 3000 souls notices in day today continued continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, that small groups they were all in the temple. This combination worship. Then I wrote down house to house. That small group's they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart and every day in the temple congregation and from house to house small groups. They can't ride on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ, we go forward to the Gentile church. Second Timothy 22 Paul tells Timothy in the local church there at Ephesus. Timothy make some small groups and this is the best way to train future leaders for God's were it's impossible for a church to obey Scripture and to be ministering effectively without a well organized way all run small group.

I promise you, brother David Young is tenacious in his commitment to see that small groups run well. In fact, he gets real aggravated for things not going just right. But once a month. I had to take them off. Only bridges I don't jump in yet still BRI but that's what we need because this is vital to being the church are the school the next phrase, church organizers are God's got a structure in order always has been always will be into smaller groups. Number three now Roman three to evangelize the lost.

The early church when they got to get there small groups. They viewed that as an opportunity to say who else can come in here and join us. Open enrollment. We called in bed. This sly for decades, you can enroll in our small group and not be a church member yet, but you me a part of our Bible study come to our cook abscond our fellowship. Why because we want to share with you the things of Christ. So it evangelism is a primary purpose of why we have small groups X5 42 again and every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ, that evangelism we know from acts chapter 5 scores of unbelievers were coming to these meetings and they were hearing the gospel in God we keep saving more and more of them.

Can I ask you something for everyone. If you listen you pass this morning wins the last time someone who is enrolled in your small group came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Then we until God gives you one Friday until God gives you want see God's eye God. We cannot go through a small group here when you use us to define one man and reaching for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

All one woman is lost and reach her for the gospel.

We need to start back up again at Grace like church. If your view of the doctrines of sovereign grace does not include trying to reach all people with the gospel and urging off repeatedly say you have converted the doctrine of sovereign grace was the main purposes for small groups is to build relationship with loss folks and get them involved in helping us reach the lost Romans 12 six through 10 gives us a demonstrative list of's of spiritual gifts, not not not a exhaustive list, but a demonstration of different gifts and you have these different gifts in your small group present when he talks about prophecy.

He talks about the teaching he talks about service there there on the screen giving leading mercy.

You see, every body with the way God enabled you to listen can be a part of your small group teams effort to reach somebody with the gospel.

Think about how much a person with the gift of mercy can love and care and encourage a lady who comes your small group is not saved yet are man who comes in your small group is not saved yet person with get to mercy so vital in that they may not be always comfortable sharing the gospel. But I can care and show compassion and on and on giving and leading exhorted course teaching is teaching the gospel service the way you can serve these people how powerful that is listen. That way every single class member gets in on evangelism in every single church member is a part of reaching the lost wives to give us the structures. Yes, it is primarily the preaching of the word God has ordained for the conversion of the soul, but if they come to small groups. It's highly likely the consent of the preaching the word affect almost always they will not following all the combat wool full cell fish fleshly error that's been around forever and that is that your spiritual gift is given to you to bless you.

I've taught the people before about if they might be a congregation where they believe in the signs and wonders and miracle gifts and sometimes they'll speak in a tongue, sometimes obese laying on the floor and etc. etc. not all the time but sometimes you lassos folks. Why do you believe it was such a blessing you needed in such a blessing. While that's not error completely. It's out of balance and that is from this perspective, your small gift is primarily not for your your brother spiritual gifts is primarily not for you it's for your church family through you. Did you hear me God gifted you for the good of your church not to bless you. That's all Paul right of the crank and say what's up this tongue stalking at certain people. It is confusing. People in a number of other things they were perverting you know why they were perverting it. They were thinking about themselves and not the good of the body of Christ first Corinthians 12 seven but each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good is for the common good is for others in the church. You had to get the service for others yet to get the teaching for others to give the gift of mercy for others is not what you can effectively do that and make sure the whole congregation is cared for… A small group structure to make sure nobody can fall through the cracks man told me years ago been our church forever. He said you know what if you fall to the cracks of grace like church because you walk around to head down looking for the fall through. I appreciate that I know the illustration referred for when my girls were smaller.

We really enjoyed watching the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team played coach Pat Summit was the coach ugly one the greatest coaches of any sport of all time, tough as nails but men her girls loved her was hard to get that balance.

I remember watching the game and she had this little feisty point guard who is really good, but the other team had another feisty little garden was about as good and she was putting it all Pat Summit some point guard and wrapping her up a little bit and on one occasion she knocked little Tennessee point guard down in the Tennessee point guard jumped up and went toward her, was screaming towards you got a technical file. I mean the moment that referee call technical file Pat Summit blasted off the bench.

She, seven, eight, 10 feet on the floor she's pointing her finger at that little point guard and she says that appointment you can hear it over the television. It's not about you is what she said I've never forgotten.

I never got over that you're going after that girl and get a technical file and hurting your whole team because you're thinking about you this thing about you it's about the team that's why God saved you. That's why God's given you special gifts he's given you a special gift mix is given. Nobody else you have gifts in your small groups. Nobody else has exactly like you.

And it's not about you it's about the good of the body. The good of your small I know I'm preaching to the choir. We been standing all these things for over three decades, but sometimes you need a refresher as a team, a every church member through small groups can be part of reaching the lost. I'll never forget talking to a lady in some years ago and I think we had seven ladies in this woman's small group who was baptized in that church year seven ladies and I asked her.

I said tell me just practically how this worked, that we all know the sovereignty of God in the gospel saves. We understand that but it's amazing what Jerry Falwell used to say back when he was around your follow said, you know, the more doors I knock on the more elect.

I find you get that yes God to save his elect of the more you reach out. The more you witness the more who come to Christ. I asked this lady said tell me what you did and she listed these things.

She said we would always take food to their household if they had any kind of a need we would keep their children so she and her husband to have a date night or if there was something at church she could go one of our ladies would keep her children so she could come when Wrigley sin card and letter to say were praying for you. We love you were so glad you're visiting our small group. We would counsel with her about problems she had in the home with the child. Or maybe with her husband. We would share our testimony of our conversion whenever it was an appropriate time and the door was opened that we certainly visited her own church visitation.

We make sure her children were brought to church events for children and we just did those things, and one by one those ladies came to faith in Christ. The team effort to evangelize the lost through small groups I want to challenge you draw a line in the sand guys because mean you gotta lead the way you can be the example and you get you a prospect list in your class. It didn't matter if it's a seven-year-old grandchild and then at your age.

Get your men to think about whose loss that you know and let's go before God, and let's keep hounding God in prayer until for his own glory. We see some of these men get say God just seems to respond when his people are burden for so let's revive that it grace like church IV church organized into small groups to evangelize the loss and to equip the saved it's it's that place where Christians I use the word equipped, not because I like it better than others.

You could say disciple you could say mentor you could say train it's all the same idea. We remind ourselves that Jesus equip believers in his small group he chose 12. The Bible says that he might be with them and then that he might send them out to preach notice being with them is the priority in the small grouping with them train then equip them for ministry in your small group every year there men and women in their and your goal should be through this small group year. They don't know it yet and I'm not about telling yet because a scare to death, but their future leader with a need to be in here doing the work with this. First, this is their equipping and later they will be serving a leading take some time but that's a great way to do it. The first church, the apostles use their small groups to equip believers. Acts 242 through 46. Again, they met in Solomon's portico and house to house in small groups and there they were edifying building up equipping one another.

The apostle Paul as the gospel spread through the Gentile regions would organize people into smaller groups, but they might be disciple things I studied while I was gone was the Calvinist Methodist of 18th-century England in the Calvinist Methodist were all members of the Anglican church and I want to leave the Anglican church was it was a state Church of England using do that but I can church was dad but it was spiritually bankrupt but new people are lost, so they preach the gospel to these Anglicans and they would be getting say is I got say they couldn't formally take them out of the state church they should have, but they didn't but they form what they called societies instead of local churches and I would have strict guidance for who could get into the success idea to show that you're truly born again very Baptist it concept badness of the day were already doing it. By the way, every time a study church history. I can always find badness who are already doing it right. Did you hear me I don't know why Whitfield and Wesley. These guys get all the attention they were great men and I thank God for them, but their faithful badness guys who had the whole package.

While these guys were just figured it out let's a side note, Whitfield, and Wesley.

They split up later on, but there the getting these people say they form the societies and guess what they did. They broke the societies down into small groups so they could disciple equip care for and build up one another, but that's what we do because that was lacking in the Anglican church because in the Anglican church. The Church of England of the day. All they did was sprinkle, use a baby shelf you back on a pew and hope you stay around and they knew that was wrong. Later on John Wesley did start churches out of his groups, Whitfield didn't organize his Whitfield had the more sound doctrine, but he didn't organize one away so much. I like say about this but the glaring deficiency of the Methodist movement in 18th century England, Whitfield Wesley others, was it did not come out a sound local church. They were just itineraries.

They were not coming out of a church that was already living it out with McGraw's life. That's what was missing and by the grace of God.

That's what we have worsening churches planted and started around the world, but it's as an extension of an established local church which is the New Testament model. So anyway they were organizing these people into small groups. We find it in Jesus ministry defined as the apostles begin in acts chapter 2 we find it as the gospel went to the Gentile regions and Gentile churches are established in 11 primary aspect. I want you to getting your mind for your small group is the word modeling. Listen to me. You can't formally disciple more men that I discipled it. Most of those I formally discipled are no longer with us, but the men I just modeled it before. Most of them are still with us that all think your little formal discipleship trainings will get the job done is not it's good. The main thing is that as you do small group ministry at your caring for one another as you correct somebody who's in sin as you hold up somebody as you pray for the lost.

You know what you're doing your modeling in front of another church member may be a newer believer.

Maybe someone hit grown up to that point and from watching your small group and Esther biblically modeling how it's done.

Then after while they're ready to leave one them so modeling is so important you ever thought about it.

Jesus, to establish the most important institution in the history of mankind.

The church did almost fit well and he did very little formal training but a lot of lifestyle modeling. He taught as he did it. He did it and talk and that's what's backward to the church that you don't have any experts. We got out there teaching church stuff today have never done it in the church.

I'm in the woods are full of America and I like these guys and they do teach good stuff in there wonderfully gifted teachers and greatly gifted theologians in their very solid in their doctrine, but the one thing they have an honest tester dwelling pastor long, so it's hard for them to modeling illustrate it many times before but if you going to get surgery and the doctor comes in its pretty serious ear surgery and the surgeon continues to dock. I know you will operate in the morning. I can ask your questions suggested heavily. These have you performed the Sidwell had done one never done surgery. He's an old I'm tell you what I've read, the best books I know all the concepts and I'm a wonderful ticket. I got all the medical societies and teach on it. I will sit will find some pills.

Not as sharp as you but scuttle about 3000 people in done this and bring him in here also but it's lived it out and that's what Jesus did. He lived it out and as these disciples were with them as he went alone preaching the gospel, discipling rebuking sin all the ministries he did. They were like a little lock recorders with the record mechanism on learning by his modeling.

When you pray guys in your small group somebody is learning to pray when you share the gospel and you got somebody with you somebody's learning how to share the faith. When you talk about how you love your wife and sacrifice for your somebody, your class is learning how to love their wife across the church and on and on and on we could go modeling UK modeling. Here are you doing here is missing to be yelled at you but I get you in small groups and you don't and the word of God, and you study the want to got any care for each other. You may assert each other.

Modeling can happen. And that's Jesus primary way of equipping disciples number four's the last one and provide fellowship to meet individual needs.

When you get on the class you open the word of God, the Spirit of God begins to work and there begins to be bonding in their this is different than a fleshly bonding are secular concept of Bonnie because it's bonding to listen to me around the truth of the word enabled by the power of the spirit we don't bond around were all ballplayers were not Bondurant were all on the football team.

That's it. That's an okay bonding that this is radically superior to that and more importance. This is a bonding based on the truth of Scripture and the spirits change this and so there's a bonding that happens and then from that bonding transparency begins to occur. Men begin to open up a little bit to get being begin to share say men because the ladies are you way ahead of them in here. Men begin to be more transparent about whether struggle is where their weakness is and then the brother can pray for him and help him hold them accountable bonding and then transparency and then meeting needs bonding makes us more open transparency and then were free to meet one of us needs years ago there was a person in the small group that a senior adult level small group and the other people in the small group could tell they were kind, distressed, and they begin to talk a little about it had all enfolded actually but the person told the small group. My spouse is adamantly against me typing.

They don't attack and I'm deeply convicted that that's biblical and all to be doing and I'm just struggling and the others in that small group gathered around loved encourage ministered and prayed for that person in the small that kind of bonding and ministry can happen anywhere but in small rooms if the church is it organized to do that that's lost not to call my couples classes to some of your hiding out in their not saying it's the end I'm just saying some of you need to graduate because men can bond and care for men in marvelous wonderful ways that will never happen if the ladies are present and ladies can bond hold each of accountable minister to each other in ways that will never happen if the guys are present so it's not a biblical to be enough couple small group but we never see the kind of spiritual biblical discipling couples classes we see in the men's and women's classes. Both are good. Just don't hide out in one this. Remember in your small group is your providing this fellowship. This bonding this transparency to try to meet one of those needs. Remember there's many in your class that will need help to repent of sin. And that's a ministry. The small group to lovingly come alongside a brother and call their attention to us in our compromise and help them through and by the white once again, always, always, always with utmost confidentiality you never talk about their send others only to them. The only time the sin is made public is when somebody is in brazen hardened rebellion.

It has to be brought for the church. Ultimately that's the only every, every, every, every precaution must be Nate made to correct a brother or sister in private, which is what Matthew teaches us. Matthew 18 so need help to repent of sin. Small groups is the place like it happened because once you been in there and there's some bonding it's in transparency you receive that that you know those brothers care about you, but if it's just my Dick church elder that comes knocking on your door than they had been around you that haven't been in hours, a Bible study with you etc. etc. it's not the same. The intimacy of the small group makes it effective something help in overcoming sin. Some know they been in send somebody by the way I see anybody in here that is not a repent of sin, but anybody here that's 30 sending you for John Wesley because he taught that you thought you could get the sinless perfection know were all repent truths, but sometimes is a unique stronghold in a unique struggling many brothers to help us in only a small group, you have the possibility of a man or women opening up enough to say, here's whether struggle is happening in utter confidentiality come alongside them and encourage them and love them and help them with their overcoming sin's on the hip repent of sins only helped overcome sin something help with the physical crisis and have seen this throughout the years that you take up offerings and in and do things. Maybe it's a sack of groceries or whatever it might be. And if it's a big enough financial burden. The whole church gets behind it was our benevolence fund. Some need help in time of bereavement and sorrow, and what a wonderful and beautiful picture. It is to the world when not, they hired carer, not the hired minister. Does the caring but the body – the caring. We all do it together for each other.

I bet you hundred at least hundreds of times I've heard from the community men. The way your people care for each other. All me will know you are my disciples by the love you have one for another, but only small groups enables that to actually happen. That's why God gives it to us. Well, in conclusion at the end of the day. How do you keep the people motivated and active in small group ministry because limits and things that you can do every bit of the machine I put together in the flesh and be successful outwardly. You can do the whole machine. The whole thing.

We've laid out here are the stars drawing people and giving people active. We can be completely a fleshly thing this look at us become good were doing it. Wickedness, the church is about about us showing often bragged about our system that will were to be doing.

How can we keep our folks motivated inactive and small group ministry with there's one absolutely are absolute key principal motivation that I've been laboring for years to get into your bone marrow and that is the glory of God. God is seen God is shown forth when his people out of real love for him in real love for each other that he put in us for each other really live out this caring for one another that glorifies God and that motivates me. I continue as a pastor, man, have we not been through some stuff as a church have not been for something to the pastor. There's no way there's no way there's no way out or stayed the course with 39 years except one motivation I believe this brings glory to my God somebody keep on going.

Cannot say something to you. I know Kansas.

The Portuguese speaking world all over again Europe through the Barry Kings ministries all the plants we have all them are on the line. All of them have asked us come alongside and help us Baltimore saying keep on keeping on. We need hope baseball passes. Not only that derogatory does mean they're young like this got me with tomorrow he's come to the true church conference. He's got a walk in the door. Here's what he said he could. Is this real sign is a real pain knows what I'm about. He watches me listens to me. He's watching you decide yes this real is one motel you don't quit compost, then you've got to do.

You got to understand it is not the way it was when I was in high school Wednesday night football practice are Coca-Cola since it would get out early because we got church always did not respect church anymore. I'm not gonna tell about our folks. You know the some good brothers in our athletic bundle, but generally is a culture they don't respect church anymore and you young families, but some hard decisions about limiting your involvement in secular things because there's not time for this. If you do all of that.

That's not evil, just Satan knows how to get you he just dumb so you this guilt trip that if your kids don't all this to all you papist out all they're not will be popular then I will have everything I had no one have more than I have Luke that's a lie from hail yes it's good and right for us to be active in the world that's proper, but you've got to have the wisdom to know when to say well that's enough time now when I go any further because God has saved us.

God is changed me for God's give me a biblical church… Having them be part of this because the glory of God is on the line and the good impact of our minutes around the world is just stirred me is is that during my break. I was emailing and calling and talking to these pastors and these mission points and I just realized the fresh is like God said to me brother Jeff, if your folks don't really live it, then you're a hypocrite at the end of the day you got to grab hold of this makes much of God.

This is the way he's designed to be glorified and I'm going to get in on it as we are effective in small groups evangelizing equipping meeting dates. It shows the love of God, it shows the wisdom of God because he designed it to work this way it shows the power to God because he changed us and gave us does that desire about his power to really care for each of this way I be honest if I was converted I would care for most of you. You and been my company God changed me to be honest again. I love you I love everything about you because you love my Christ, I love your Christ. That's the power of God.

It shows the power go, just that the love of God, the power that shows the faithfulness of God that he's developed a way that for at least four decades we been at it right it for decades. It works, and his sheep are cared for in his church is strengthened and built up shows the faithfulness of God. It shows the goodness of God. It's a provision that God's given us the small group ministry to bless and encourage us and to save others. It shows the holiness of God because in small groups. We help each other with sanctification and as we faithfully live out small group ministries. We are vessels through which God shows the world his unequaled glories and attribute its the glory of God is everything. I don't know, don't only that the glory of God is when Jesus comes in. Everything's done centerpiece of the universe will be the glory of God.

Muscle given on it early given on it now the glory of God is everything God is most glorified in his church.

That's the least designed it to work. These glorified in your work and your school in a thousand different ways. When you honor him primarily. He's glorified in his chair glory. God is everything is most glorified in his church and for the church to glorify him. It needs to be truly biblically spiritually healthy and spiritually biblically healthy church must have effective continual small group ministry. This is not an easy work. It's not always fun. It's not always encouraging but it is essential. Don't quit if you coast and get back on the team the very least you show up, be sweet, loving, and encouraging. You might stumble and actually doing some I told brother David. I text him last us a but they don't give you a number out you did. You remember the number on the go column.

If you don't know it 87's the number I got a call from Europe. The ministry leader in Europe said I been telling our European brothers that not all American churches are shallow and carnal and just big numbers but no real substance of mama really trying to be solid and healthy so you send me your numbers only open number six of our numbers don't reflect that.

We got 3000 enrolled in 700 and attendance. That's that's not unusual, but that's,, and in all the numbers get back to small groups. I found out something I found out that we have averaged 87% of our membership in small groups every week. 87% of our church membership is active in small Republic cannot tell you something. Compared to other churches beside that's phone nominally large. That's unbelievably large. Don't pat yourself on the back is like the folks of the cancer ward thinking they're doing good is a look at the folks in the funeral home. They're all dead this because were better than some don't mean were doing that great non-thankful for that. But here's my challenge this make that 90 system state. I am only black 80 to 87. The name sounds good. 87. This make that 90 is just a few of you would just a little little little more for your small groups us next year we can might not make that a December like 90 and then the ball that all down and what role about this just a little more effectiveness. A little more ministry a little more love little more living out what God called us to do in small groups and a little more glory expressed about our God to the world's biggest and 85. David and I both go to Newbridge. I also David you got hold us all accountable going for nine loan for 90 this get it to where 90% of our memberships in small groups. Well, you still love me. So what happens when I get away from six weeks. Just think, next week, God would and will be back in first Timothy chapter 3 RI