Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from “The Adult Sabbath School Guide” is titled “An Exciting Way to Get Involved”. And so our weekly lesson delves into small group formation and methodology. For those of us who desire to have our neighbors know the love of God as revealed in Scripture, this is a most effective method. But “if the small group becomes self-serving and little more than a discussion group, it will fail in its purpose and lose the vital reason for its existence” (Quarterly for Thursday, September 3). And so the question hovers, “what is its purpose”?
In each day’s lesson, the quarterly gives us much to chew-on. That small groups are “God’s idea first” (Sunday’s lesson); that it is advocated in “Scripture” (Monday’s and Wednesday’s lesson); that is “organized for service” (Tuesday’s lesson… here is a reason for its purpose); and its “dynamics” (Thursday’s lesson). In Thursday’s lesson the purpose for small groups is more completely defined. Let’s take a look.
Here is a brief list of the reasons for small groups as given in Thursday’s lesson… as quoted”
· “A vehicle God uses to grow His church”
· “They are ‘safe havens’ for people to express their problems and discuss mutual concerns”
· “They provide opportunities for spiritual growth in the context of caring relationships”
· Meeting in homes may be “move comfortable” for “many non-Christians”
· “Pray about mutual concerns”
· “Share in warm fellowship”
· “Study the Word of God”
· “Be equipped for service”
· “Help protect each other against false teachers”
· “Participate together in outreach activities”
· “Uniting individual gifts in service”
· “Focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit for outreach”
· “Focus on witness and service”
· “Lead people to Jesus”
· “Nurture faith in Jesus”
· “Equip (people) to witness for Jesus”
A great list, is it not? Small groups are God’s methods of bringing us together in love.
Large churches can make us feel as if we are participating in God’s great outreach and love for humanity by simply being in the congregation each week. Our weekly Sabbath worship services are so important. However, it must never replace the real Christian privilege of loving our “neighbor” every day of every week. Of being aware and being involved (as appropriate) with each individual God places in our path every day. Small groups encourage us, even compel us, to see others as they are. And to be intimately involved in their lives. To be up close… and to be “real”. Small groups give us something intimate to do… tis’ true. But the subliminal reason is to bring us close to each other.
History from the very beginning until today has been strewn with the human wreckage of segregating humans into groups and not seeing them as individuals. Sadly, each of us do this every day. And the groups all have labels. We are “Democrats”, “Republicans” or “Independents”. We are “Mainers” or “Wyomingites” or (you name it). We root for the "Broncos” or the “Patriots”; for “LeBron” or “Jordan”; for “us” versus “them”. We segregate ourselves and others in order to have identity and value. Yet our true identity and value comes from our God alone. God, who calls us to individually see each other, regard each other, to become involved with each other… and to love each other. Hence the call for small groups. If we cannot love each other up-close and personal, then we likely do not love at all. As John so pointedly states, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20). Small groups lead us to really “see” each other. They are not an ingenious new evangelistic method for “us” to convert “them”. It’s a vehicle to bring individuals close together and to love each other.
God is so good. He knows that if we who follow Him will come into intimate contact with others, we will be moved to love them and do good for them. Let each one be involved in this ministry. It is for our own good, as we seek to do others good. We are blessed as we seek to bless others. It is how God created it all. And how He created us. To love.
With brotherly love,
Jim