By Tony V. Hammack
These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video. To listen to the audio (podcast), click here. To watch the video, click here.
The Church’s Passion
The Passion of the Church should be love for God and people.
Luke 10:27
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "
The Church’s Mission
The Mission of the church should be to raise up followers who are following Christ in you. A.K.A. disciples
1 Corinthians 11:1 (Amplified)
PATTERN YOURSELVES after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
Matthew 28:19 The Great Commission
Matthew 27:8-11
8"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11The greatest among you will be your servant.
The Holy Spirit as our Guide
John 16:13
13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
The subjectivity of hearing from the Holy Spirit has led some people into error. Sometimes people hear their own hearts, what they want to hear.
Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jesus referring to human teachers
Luke 6:40
40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
The Early Church met in Homes
Acts 5:42 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.
Acts 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
A small group is a great place to expose people to the Christ in you.
Another place where lots of discipleship happens is working together on something.
Why didn’t Jesus try and build what we would consider a modern day mega church?
Multiple Choice
A. It wasn’t God’s plan for his life.
B. It’s a faulty strategy.
C. It wouldn’t produce the correct results
D. All the above
He was making a spiritual deposit into the lives of men who he was entrusting to duplicate his ministry.
We know the early disciples were not sinless but we also know according to eyewitness accounts they were effective …
Acts 17:6
6But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,
Several translations say “turned the world upside down.”
Jesus was successful at transmitting his Spirit into the lives of the early disciples creating a multiplication effect. This is one way we bear fruit as believers today. Who is following Christ in you and who has followed and is now leading others to Christ.
Does anyone have spiritual grand children? If you do you possibly have captured the essence of Jesus’ small group ministry.
12 people wide 10 people deep will allow the church to reach 5 billion souls!
The population of
the entire Earth last night at 10:30 PM was
6,836,229,366
I. Small groups are, well small
That promotes conversation
1. Questions
2. Answers
3. Social Intimacy
You get to know people, you get a chance to develop the Christian community.
Small groups keep the church personal and relevant.
A. Small Groups Promote Conversation
Jesus disciples talked to Him and He talked to them. He spoke to them plainly
Matthew 13:10,11
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
1. The Disciples asked Jesus questions
Mark 9:28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?“
Luke 9:54
"Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?“
Luke 22:49 When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?"
2. Jesus answered their questions
Mark 9:29
29He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer.“
Luke 9:55
55But Jesus turned and rebuked them, And he said, "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.“
Matthew 26:52
"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
3. Social Intimacy
Koinonia –
Koinonia means to have in common partnership, to share, fellowship and contribute.
Koinonia translated Share
Hebrews 13:16
16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
1 Timothy 6:18 (KJV)
18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Koinonia translated Fellowship
1 Corinthians 1:9
9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
Acts 2:42
42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Galatians 2:9
9James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews.
Koinonia translated Contribution
Romans 15:26
26For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
2 Corinthians 9:13 (NASB)
13Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
You get to know people.
In small groups you, by listening to the leader and the other members of the group, get to know one another.
In Christian community you have an opportunity to share lives, needs, struggles, hopes, dreams, really every facet of life is on the table.
In Conclusion
We want to be as close to the New Testament pattern as we can.
Patterns are just that unless there are anointed people of character leading and a hunger for the Holy Spirit to minister to people.
If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here. Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KCCJ - 106.9 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.
Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124
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