Transcript: April 9th, 2008« Back

Small Groups Part 1

Various Texts

Jeff Noblit

I want to exhort the body about small group ministry, in order to stir you up to more faithfulness and zeal and commitment and enthusiasm about this glorious, biblical principle of serving and ministering in small groups. This is not the job of just a few people or an elect people. We believe and hold to the clear Bible doctrine of every member a minister. You did not join a spectator sport. You were converted and joined a local church. You signed up for the joys, the blessings, the encouragements, the duties and responsibilities of the family of God. At my house, everybody has jobs, and everybody needs to do their job. That's the way it is at your house, I'm sure. That's the way it is in God's house.
 
Has God just left us to the clever ingenuities of man to know how His church is to function? Absolutely not. He's given us wondrous principles that we can glean from and make application to our day and our time. Approximately twenty years ago we developed together a purpose statement for our church. We wanted it to be thoroughly biblical. It's not a cultural purpose statement. We took in none of the information from sociologists or psychologists. We did not study community demographics. We just said, "What does the Word of God say?" Can we in a brief statement overview the purpose of the church it reads as follows, "The purpose of the church is to glorify God by obediently making and equipping disciples of Christ both in the Shoals and throughout the world by the power of the Holy Spirit."

The next logical step after working out a purpose statement was to ask ourselves, "According to scripture, do we have practical outworkings to fulfill that purpose?" Searching the Word of God, we came up with three functions or practices. We call them strategies whereby we trust God to
bless and empower us to live out that thoroughly biblical
purpose statement. One of those strategies is small groups.

Small group ministry within the organization of the church is something that is very essential and important. It's the whole church body organized into small groups so that every member can be involved in evangelizing the lost, equipping the saved, and having fellowship to meet individual needs. Everybody is automatically assigned to a small group,
and that's one of the geniuses of this. Nobody gets left out. Often people when they visit here, hang out here, they're surprised that a church our size has such a high percentage of people who to some extent are active in ministry. And it's because we've worked hard through the years edifying, encouraging, training, expecting and holding each other accountable to ministry. You might say the hub of the wheel of ministry in the local church is the small group ministry. The hub of the wheel of God's work in our lives, in changing us and transforming us, is the preaching of the Word of God. But the
hub of the wheel of the lay people ministering is through small groups. It's not the only way you minister, but it's essential because in small groups everyone's involved in that overall work of evangelizing the lost, equipping the saved and providing fellowship to meet individual needs.

 The first phrase of our strategy statement for small groups is “the church organized” God made your body and your body is a living organism. In like manner, that metaphor is used for the church. We are a body. God means for both of those to be organized. Think about the intricate masterpiece of organization that is your physical body. Scientists have studied the central nervous system scientists understand some about it, but much they don't grasp. It's amazing how all the systems work and interlink and are reciprocal and interdependent. God uses structure and organization.

He created the universe in an organized fashion. The Bible says on day one He created day and night. On day two, He separated the upper waters from the lower waters. On day three, He made dry land. He made the seas, and He made plant life. On day four, He made the light holders. God makes light, then He makes the sun and the stars to hold the light. You wouldn't do it that way, but God did. On day five, He made the fish and the birds. On day six, He made the land animals, and then He made man. On day seven He rested. Genesis 1:31, “And God saw all that He made and behold it was very good. Not just what He made was good, but I think He's saying, "The way I made it is good, the
structure, the order, the organization I have put into it."
 
I'm convinced organizing the people of God for effective ministry is foundational and is clearly taught in both the Old and the New Testaments.

First of all, He organized them into twelve tribes. Then think about how He organized the temple. He had an outer court and an inner court. In the inner court he had the holy place. The innermost part is called the Holy of Holies. Certain people like women and Gentiles could only be in the outer court.  The priests could only go into the inner court. And only the High Pr1riest could go into the Holy of Holies one day a year on the Great Day of Atonement. Everything had order and organization to it.
 
Think about the offerings of the Old Testament. You had the tithe that you would bring. You would bring it regularly. Then they had grain offerings. They had first fruit offerings. They had sin offerings. There was an order and an organization to the offerings of the Old Testament. He organized the leadership of the congregation of the Old Testament. He had kings, and they were anointed to perform their role. He had prophets, and they were anointed to perform their role. And then He had priests, and they were anointed to perform their roles. God organized the congregation of the Old Testament.

Think about the organization of the New Testament. We have in Acts chapter 6, the church is beginning. Things are beginning to function. They soon realize in Acts chapter 6, "We're gonna have to organize and structure some of the ministries of the church," because in this case some of the widows were not being fed their necessary food. And they brought this to the preachers, and the preachers said, "It is not right for us or good for you, or us, or anyone for us to neglect studying and preparing to preach and preaching to serve tables. We're not above it. It's just that the role of preaching is too important. And so set aside some Spirit-filled men," and I'm convinced this is the first deacons, "and they will have the ministry of making sure these practical needs are met and the preachers will give ourselves to studying and to preaching." And so God begins as early as Acts chapter 6 to show structure and organization in the church.

We see the organization of church leadership in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 through 12. God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers. There's an organization and a purpose to the leadership in the New Testament church. The apostle Paul organized a group for training. Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 2, talks about getting faithful men. First Corinthians chapter 11 verse 34, Paul organizes a disorganized church. He tells them everything should be done properly and in an orderly fashion. First
Corinthians 14:40, "Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner." I am very well aware that there are really rigid, structured religious organizations that call themselves churches and they are totally dead. They've got it all structured. You do this at a certain time. You kneel at a certain time. You come forward at a certain time. You take the wine or the wafer at a certain time. And you say certain things at a certain time. The preacher or the priest does certain things at a certain time. It's all orderly, but it is totally godless. You can organize death.

Go down to the funeral home. It's a very orderly and organized system, but it's death. Death can be organized, but life must be organized. If I take the organs of your body and get them in disorder and get them out of sync with the other organs and there's no structure and purpose and organization to your central nervous system or your circulatory system or to any of the functions of your body, I can kill you quickly. You can organize death, but life must be organized. We want to understand that the living body of the local church must strive after the proper organizational structures laid out in scripture, and in equal passion strive after the life of God to blow on it and bless it and use it.

That covers the first phrase ,"the church organized", now the next phrase of our strategy statement, "into small groups.” For us that's Sunday School. When we speak to other churches, we don't tell them they have to have a Sunday morning Sunday School because a lot of places have never had adult Sunday Schools. But, I am convinced we see the biblical principle of small groups to the end that His people might effectively minister one to the other.

Exodus chapter 18. And let's go chronologically through the Scriptures and see the biblical principle of small groups. First of course, within the congregation of Israel, and then we'll go forward into the New Testament and into the New Testament church.

So let's begin in verse 13 of Exodus chapter 18. And it came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, in other words they came to him to inquire, for counsel, for advice, guidance, and the people stood about Moses from morning until evening. And now when Moses' father-in-law, that's Jethro, sawall that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you
alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?" Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to inquire of God. And when they have a dispute it comes to me. And I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statues of God and His laws." Verse 17, Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good."

Now that's the typical evangelical church today. There is not really an equipped disciple team that is overseeing smaller groups of people in the church. Typically there's one man. He may be charismatic. He may be a gifted teacher. Usually he's the pastor of the church. The great majority of the church, no matter the size, seem to all want to come to him when there's a need or a question, advice or need a dispute settled. Of course, like Moses, most pastors want to do the best they can, but I believe Jethro was anointed of God when he looked at his son-in-law Moses and said, "Moses, the thing you are doing," you could amplify it this way, "The way you are doing ministry is not good."
 
The first thing we see in verses 18 and 19 are the problems you'll have if you do not have good small group ministry. What are these problems? The first problem is it wears everyone out. Notice verse 18. Jethro, still speaking to Moses. "You will surely wear out." I can take you all over/the Southeast, particularly in Baptist churches and show you worn out pastors. Too much is brought to them. Too much is expected. They want to do the best they can. Emotionally and physically they can't hold up, even if it's a church of a hundred. If you're one person and a hundred people look to you for every need in your life because everything in your life is connected to the spiritual, is it not? If your child's struggling in school, it's got a spiritual dimension. If you've got a death in the family, it's got a spiritual dimension. Everything's spiritual. These men are worn out.
 
Here's what Satan does. He comes to them and says, "They'll never accept you not being there for them personally, so you better drop studying, you better drop praying as much, and you better drop preaching as faithfully the Word of G6d and just make sure you're personally available." The primary key ministry for God's blessing, the maturation of the church, the evangelization of souls is dropped off or neglected because he just can't get to all of it.

Well, not only is he saying, "Moses, you're gonna wear out," he says, "Both yourself and these people who are with you. It's not good for them either. Many of their needs are not going to be met. Many of them are going to need counseling and they're not going to get counseling. For the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it alone." Then look at what else happens in verse 19 and 20. Jethro's talking to Moses still, giving him counsel. He says, "Now listen to me. I'll give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and you bring the disputes before God. Then teach them the statutes and laws and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are doing." In other words, you proclaim God and God's truth to the people, Moses. A lot of churches are not being fed spiritually because Satan has convinced them that the greatest thing the pastor can do is be available personally.

What is the practical structure that Jethro is going to advise Moses to adopt? In verse 21, he says, "Furthermore, Moses, you shall select out of all the peoples able men." That's kind of like a church staff or a team of elders or even small group leaders. "Able men who fear God, men of truth who hate dishonest gain, and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands." That'd be like one church, that'd be like our church, "Of hundreds," that'd be like divisions. "Of fifties," that'd be like small group departments. "Of tens," that'd be like small groups. Then look at verse 25.
Moses chose able men out of all of Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. Now let's notice the purpose. He saw the problem that occurs if you don't have small groups. It wears you out and wears everyone out and the pastor does not get to his primary role of studying, praying, and preaching the truth of God. Then we saw the practical structure. Thousands, and then break the thousands down into hundreds. Hundreds down into fifties, and fifties down into tens, which is roughly what we have for small group ministry.
 
And then notice the purpose. Verse 22 verse 26, first of all, it mobilizes the membership to all be involved in ministry. Verse 22, "Let them judge the people at all times." In other words, "Everyday stuff all day every day will come to those leaders under you, Moses. They will manage those needs and those issues under you. Now they don't have to come to you, so
everybody's getting involved in ministry. Then he says in verse 22, the last phrase, "So it will be easier for you and they will bear the burden with you. So they're gonna bear more of the load. They're gonna all be involved in ministry.
 
Notice the second thing. Not only is it mobilize the membership for the work of the ministry, but it's easier on Moses, or in this case the parallel would be it's easier on the teaching pastor. In verse 22 he says, "So that it will be easier for you." It's been an incredible blessing to me as the years have gone by, and God just keeps maturing men and women who can have a shepherding gift and they shepherd and they love and they counsel. They carry out discipline. They do evangelism. They try to resolve conflicts. I have the great comfort and joy of knowing that needs and ministry are not being neglected because I as one person could not get to everyone. But God is doing it through all these other individuals. I joy in that. I glory in that truth.

 It'll bless the people. In the last part of verse 23, "And all these people also will go to their place in peace." They'll be blessed. They'll be ministered to. And they will be encouraged.

Let's go to the New Testament. First of all, Jesus, in Luke chapter 6, He prayed all night, went to a mountain and then called to Himself twelve men. He called aside twelve men, and that was Jesus'" small group. Now I know there are a lot of things here that are not in your small group. One  Jesus in incarnate form. He hasn't ever been in your small group in incarnate form. The other is these are God-called apostles. They have a unique ministry. But nevertheless organizing into a small group for effectiveness and ministry was a part of. Jesus' strategy.

Moving on to the first church, the early church. Acts chapter 2:41, Acts chapter 2:46, and Acts chapter 5:42. So then those who had"receive His word were" baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And day to day continuing with one mind in the temple, (that's the congregational meeting) and breaking bread from house to house (that's the Sunday School, or small group). They met as a big group, but they also broke down into smaller groups in houses. They were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart. And every day in the temple, and from house to house they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. So we see the early church takes off, and  immediately we see them breaking up into smaller units. Now one could argue
It’s because it was so big they couldn’t all fit in Solomon’s portico. That’s probably true. But I think the principle is more that that. It’s a part of God’s structure for faithful, effective ministry in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    
    We see the Gentile church in Second Timothy 2:2. As Paul travels he begins to exhort Timothy how to be the pastor, or the overseer, of these churches, and he says,” One of the things you must do, Timothy, is take the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and these entrust to faithful men, a sub-group, a small group, able to teach others also.” Now this was particularly leadership training, but nevertheless it is the principle of small group for the effectiveness of ministry. Now I think it is impossible for the church to obey scripture and to minister effectively without a well organized small group ministry.

    Now, I want to conclude with five thoughts about organizing into an elder overseen, church leader prescribed structure of small groups where you are placed in a small group to minister. In other words, we don’t just send out a questionnaire and say, “Pray for a week and get back with us about what small group you’re gonna meet in.” We’re like Moses and Jesus and Paul. They picked the people who would be in the group, or in the case of Moses in the groups.

    First, you minister in the local church under authority. You don’t just walk into a church and minister. You walk into a church because you are pledging loyalty, honor, obedience and submission to the God-called elders who oversee that congregation. You don’t join a football team and prescribe to the coach where you feel led to play and when you feel led to play. No, you join the team understanding, “ I will submit to this man’s oversight of this team.” That’s why the Bible prescribes in Hebrews 13:17 that you must obey your elders, and you must submit to your elders. Strong and clear terms. In First Thessalonians 5:13 the Bible prescribes you must hold your elders in high esteem and you must love them. So, you join a church based on biblical truth to say, “I will submit to those men over me as elders where ministry in the church. My God has ordained that He will use imperfect and often weak men to oversee His churches. I’m not gonna measure them up and see what they are in performance and in personality to see if they’re worthy of great. No, I honor my God who put them over me, so therefore I will hold them in high esteem, and I will love them as I submit to obey them.

    Number two, this is a part of doing things in a proper and orderly manner. Having an overseen, well structured small group ministry is a part of the whole church functioning in a proper and orderly manner, First Corinthians 14:40 again. If you said, “Well, you know, God’s just leading me to meet with these people. I’m not gonna mess with your small groups. Me and my group are gonna meet on Tuesday night. I’m just gonna meet where the Lord’s led me.” Well let me ask you something. If someone in your group begins to teach heresy, how will the elders know? How will the elders correct it? They’re commanded of God to guard sound doctrine. They’re even commanded of God to silence those who teach error because they’re upsetting whole families, the pastoral epistles command. So you are jerking yourself out from under God’s protection and care over you, and that’s not gonna work, that’s not proper and orderly. And as I said earlier it would be absolute chaos in the body of Christ if everyone said, “We’re just gonna pray and we’re just gonna wander around where God leads us and meet with who we’re supposed to meet with as God leads us. God’s ordained a  way for you to be led, and it’s called church elders. The proper way for you to minister according to God’s Word is small  groups. If you will go where the elders have asked you to go and serve and minister and work, every single person will be accounted for, loved, encouraged, ministered to , and held accountable. Everything can be done proper and in an orderly way.

    Number three, it eliminates the chronic problem of some being left out. You know, don’t we all tend to want to be with the same kind of people. I mean, there are just some people in the church that are fun to be around. They’re good teachers. They make it interesting. And they have such neat personalities. If you organize by person you would soon have two or three churches of two or three hundred people, hundreds of people who are not going to be ministered it will not work. It never has. Matter of fact, that’s a fertile environment for a faction within the church. “Oh, we’re of Apollo’s.” We’re just drawn to those kind of people, but inevitably it leaves many out and leaves many unministered to.

Number four, it certainly removes the spectator mentality. If you get in a group of four or five, eight, maybe twelve people in a small group, it’s much more likely that you will take a role of some kind.

First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 22 says this. “On the contrary, is it much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary?” Paul’s saying “Look at the analogy of the human body.” The human body has weaker members. They’re not real tough. They’re not real resilient. For example, in Paul’s analogy, your skin would be one of the tougher, stronger members of your body. You can take a little boy. I can put him out here in the yard, and he’ll tumble. He’ll roll. He’ll get scratched. He’ll get bruised. He’ll get cut. That skin will be just fine. It will heal up in three days, and he’ll be doing it again. But, if I pluck your eyeball out of your head and roll it around on the ground and stomp it and cut it up, it’s over. You’ll never see with that eyeball again. It’s a weaker member. It’s not as tough, but is it not essential to the body? That’s why we need to be in groups of five or eight or twelve because those weaker ones that might sit on the back pews and rub shoulders with nobody.

Number five, a well organized small group ministry is a pride crusher. You walk into the small group you’re assigned to and you look around the room and you’re filled with all that old pride we call insecurity. Then you get to looking a little bit more at that group and you think, ”I’ve got to serve, bond with fellowship, and love this bunch? I mean some of these people are big babies. And quite frankly, some of these people are just weird. Some of them are just sinners. They’re backslidden, and you know how holy I am. I don’t want to be around them. Welcome to the family of God. You need to be in that kind of group because you need to get over your stinking self and you need to crush your pride, and you need to serve and work and love and edify and encourage and rebuke and correct and love and have mercy for the body of Christ the way God puts it together and not just your group that fits you that you’re comfortable with.

Let’s rededicate our lives to see God get glory through His biblical principles of structuring the church for effective ministry that we call small group ministry.