This is a very special day in the calendar of this church.
It's a day that we restart our small group ministry after a bit of a vacation during the summer.
!
As a consequence, because of the significance of this day, last week Pastor opened his scriptures as to the why we do small groups.
Even before the exact dates of his vacation were planned, he had planned last week the why we do small group,
and this week the how do we do small groups.
And as I was considering it and praying about it and what passage to ask you to turn to,
I considered what do we mean by small groups.
I remembered, I don't know why I thought of this, but I did,
one of the significant budgetary changes that we made for small groups was the issue of training.
It is our desire that every one of our small group leaders attend biblical counseling training,
and almost every one of them has done that.
And we want to continue to have that happening.
We've got a couple of, we have one couple that's going to be going three weekends here in the next month,
this leader this month actually,
and then we have already two couples that are planning to go over to Lafayette in Indiana next year.
You see, biblical counseling is simply one step that's used in helping a person grow spiritually.
It's one step in the process.
And Josh is up here because I asked him to come up here.
He's not just ready to remove me if I say something wrong.
Josh has a purpose here, okay?
And what I wanted to do was to give you a picture of what does it mean,
what is biblical counseling?
What is it all about?
What does it mean?
So Josh is going to be my illustration here.
And I've got my iPhone here.
I'm going to just kind of lay right here, okay?
And Josh starts out right over here, okay?
Josh starts out with salvation, all right?
He starts right here, and he looks an awful lot like Josh, okay?
The process, the program for Josh is for him to move across here until he gets over here.
I'm not going to go over there because I don't belong there either.
And he looks where he looks an awful lot like Jesus Christ, okay?
That's discipleship.
That's spiritual growth.
That's what's supposed to happen in every one of our lives.
Unfortunately, sometimes Josh gets started, okay?
And he's going along, but see, he's gotten distracted.
I've got to come along and say, Josh, it's okay.
It's okay.
Just keep moving.
Keep going, okay?
Sometimes that's what happens to us, right?
Sometimes, sometimes Josh gets started off, and he's growing spiritually.
He's getting to be more like what happened.
He got completely sidetracked.
He's not even progressing to look like Jesus Christ anymore.
He's stuck on the world.
What are you doing with my phone?
Okay?
And what I need to do is stop him getting to put down my phone and say,
come on, Josh, we've got to keep moving this way.
Sometimes the person gets started.
They're walking along.
They're looking more and more like Christ.
It's like they're almost at the end.
And it goes right back to the stuff that was distracting them before.
Thanks, Josh.
So I thought about biblical counseling, what biblical counseling is and what it's meant to be.
I thought of a passage that is what we want to be the center of our small groups.
Would you turn your Bibles to Colossians chapter 1?
I'm going to read verses 24 to 29, which is one long sentence.
Okay?
Apostle Paul liked long sentences.
And then we're going to focus on the last half of the sentence in verses 28 and 29.
Colossians chapter 1 and verses 24.
Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body.
That is, the church of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you,
to make the word of God fully known.
The mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his saints.
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Him we proclaim, warning everyone, teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
This morning, as I said, we're going to concentrate on what I believe constitutes the summary of ministry.
That's what we find in verses 28 and 29.
This is how we do small group.
I'm going to relate it in three ways.
First of all, the focus.
Second, the way they function.
And third, who is the true facilitator of small groups.
First one is our function.
I'm sorry, our focus.
Verse 29 says, him we proclaim.
Proclaim, here's the general term.
It's not restricted to formal preaching,
but rather it indicates all of communication.
Paul is saying here that all he talked about was Christ.
He was a one-topic person.
You know any one-topic people?
It's a person that no matter what question you ask them,
they always want to talk about the same thing.
It might be golf.
It might be football.
It might be cooking.
It might be anything.
They're focused on one thing,
and the only thing they talk about is that one thing.
Paul was one of those people.
But for Paul, it was Jesus.
Every time he talked to someone,
it didn't matter whether it was the highfalutin people
or the common people,
whether Paul was talking to King Agrippa,
the military commander,
a tradesperson like Lydia,
a common prison guard like in Philippi,
a soldier fastened to him in a Roman custody,
the philosophers of Athens,
or the religious leaders of Israel,
Paul had one topic, Jesus.
Whether we're considering Paul's messages in the book of Acts
or one of the many epistles,
one thing is sure,
you're going to get a full dose of Christ.
But, you know,
despite all of his education
and his training,
Paul doesn't give us a whole lot of ivory tower,
head-swelling information,
theory that doesn't have any practice to it.
Rather, you're going to get a rich theology
that presents the truth of Jesus Christ
and then applies it step by step
in the lives of people.
At the deepest level,
the apostle conceived of his message
not as a system,
not as a collection of rules and regulations,
but as a living and glorious person
who is the fulfillment of the deepest hopes of mankind
and the source of new life to his people.
You find teaching that centers on a person
and change lives.
So what is the connection there to our small groups?
Our small groups are not centered on social interaction,
pragmatic attempts to increase the Sunday evening attendance,
or meeting the felt needs of members,
but to glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
When we forget that,
when we ignore it,
or if we simply don't keep working at it,
making that the focus,
then we've lost the one thing that really matters.
And if you walk out of here today,
and you can only remember one thing that I said,
I would sure like it to be that.
So let me say it again a little bit more simply.
Our small groups are centered on glorifying
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Period.
So what does it mean to glorify Christ?
In Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17,
he begins with this concept of glorifying him.
And in that, he covers ideas such as attention to his word,
being sanctified,
being unified with other believers,
and having the love of Christ.
So if I would summarize,
it comes down to this.
Two of the best ways to glorify Christ
is to obey him and love others.
This really comes out throughout Scripture,
but especially here in the New Testament.
Remember when Jesus was asked to summarize the whole Testament.
Break down the law for us, Jesus,
and tell us what is the one most important thing.
And what was his answer?
Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
And love your neighbor as yourself.
How do I know that I love him
with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Jesus answered that one too.
He said, if you love me, keep my commandments.
So let me connect it for you,
very plainly,
to ensure that Jesus Christ
is the center of our small groups,
we all need to grow in obeying Christ
and loving one another.
That's what I was pointing out with Josh.
Josh needed to keep moving,
keep moving forward and growing
to be more like Christ.
And the purpose of small groups
is what I was doing,
where I came along beside him
and I said, no, don't pay attention to that thing.
Or pulling him back,
and Josh made it easy for me,
to show you that sometimes
we need to be pulled back.
Sometimes it's not enough
to just say,
well, you know,
you really ought to follow Jesus.
So let's next look at the way
our small groups function.
Colossians 1.28 says,
warning everyone,
teaching everyone,
with all wisdom
that we may present everyone
mature in Christ.
The first thing I want you to notice there,
and I tried to highlight it for you,
is that everyone appears three times.
It appears after each verb in this verse.
I think that's significant.
Spiritual growth in Christ's likeness
is not restricted to the few.
It's not only the pastors.
It's not only the deacons.
It's not only the biggies of the church.
It's not even only the adults.
It is everyone.
Everyone.
Not everyone is capable
of an advanced degree in mathematics.
Not everyone is capable
of running a sub-four-minute mile.
Not everyone is capable
of climbing the corporate ladder
to the place where you're CEO
of the multinational corporation.
But everyone, everyone
is able to come to the maturity
that Paul speaks about here.
Each and every one of us.
Not only are we able,
but we are expected.
Every single Christian
is capable of the maturity
that Paul talks about.
Two things.
Can I encourage you
on the small groups?
The first one is
small groups need to make sure
that everyone is involved,
everyone is growing,
everyone is serving.
What does that mean?
What means this?
That, of course,
the activities must be age-appropriate.
I've worked with twos and threes
off and on for years.
I understand that a two-year-old
cannot handle a 45-minute lecture.
Okay?
On the other hand,
a three-year-old,
a four-year-old, maybe,
four-year-old who has come to Jesus
can have a short Bible lesson
and can pray for other people
in a small group.
Small groups should not just be
two hours
where we send the kids off
and give mommy and daddy a break.
Small group ought to be for everybody.
Second thing.
It should not just be
one person teaching many,
but many teaching one another.
There is a leader
in the small group.
There should not be a lecturer
in the small group.
I have to fight this
as much as anybody.
I can obviously talk
without anybody else talking
for 45 minutes,
and it's okay.
Okay?
I understand some people can't.
I can do that,
but I should not do that.
I want to get people involved
because the way that
someone in my small group
like Kate
or the way that Jeff
or the way that Margie
says something
in my small group
may be just the way
that somebody else
needed to hear it
that I couldn't even
think of it that way.
We work together.
We teach each other.
So what are the things
that we should be doing
with everyone?
The first one it says
is warning.
Some translations
use the word admonishing.
Let me start out
with a definition for you,
and then I'm going
to explain it just a little bit.
Sorry, I'm getting
distracted here.
Okay.
It's this.
Biblical warning
or admonition
is the process
of applying the Scripture
to the issues
of our individual lives.
Biblical warning
or admonition
is the process
of applying the Scripture
to the individual issues
in people's lives.
It includes the idea
of setting someone's mind straight
with the idea
that it's not quite straight
right now.
It has to do with will
and emotions,
and it connotates warning.
It can relate
to non-Christians
with the thought being
that the apostle
sought to awaken
each one of them
to their need for Christ,
or it can focus
on warning of Christians
who might be tempted
to stray.
It could be simply
the person
who's distracted.
It could be the person
who's turned aside
and not growing anymore.
It could be the person
who was on his way
and backed up.
So let's see how this relates
to small groups.
Involvement in one another's lives
using Scripture.
Involvement in one another's lives
during Scripture.
Not long ago,
I had a very sad phone call,
and I'm just going to be up front with you.
I'm going to just lay it out.
The person called me,
and they said
that they had this challenge
that they were working on
and that they had already
asked all their friends.
The person was from this ministry.
They'd already asked
all their friends,
and their friends gave them
this advice.
And I listened to the advice,
and I was a little troubled.
So I said,
so could you tell me
what passage
one of them used with that?
And the person said,
oh, nobody used a verse with me.
My comment to them
was,
is that the advice you want?
My brothers and sisters,
that ought not to be.
The advice,
the counsel,
the direction
that we give
to one another
ought to be poured out,
ought to be dripping
with the Word of God.
And if it's not,
it's not good advice.
Second thing,
how do we make sure
this warning takes place?
The pastor mentioned
this one
in his training
for small group leaders,
and he asked me
to repeat it
for everybody.
And that was
making sure
that our prayer requests
are appropriate.
What do I mean by that?
We want to be involved
in one another's lives.
How can you be involved
in one another's lives
if you don't know
what's going on?
There needs to be
a level of transparency
or we can't be involved
in one another's lives.
On the other hand,
every one of you
has been in a situation
where you're in
some kind of a prayer group
or going to pray
for one another,
and one person
uses the prayer time
for manipulation.
I just want everyone
to pray for my wife
who's being very unsubmissive,
and she just really needs
to get right with God,
and so I'm just going to,
I just want you all
to pray for her.
Well, what did I just do?
She can't say anything now,
right?
Except I guess
I need to be submissive.
I beat her into submission
by using her
as a prayer example.
That's terrible.
My prayer requests
need to be appropriate,
not used to manipulate
other people,
not used as a means
of gossip.
Well, I really,
I don't want anybody
to gossip about this,
but I did want to share it
with you for prayer.
Well, if you shouldn't
be gossiping about it,
don't talk about it.
You can tell Jesus about it,
and that's enough.
Those are two ways
that that warning
is to come about.
Admonishing is to be
with all wisdom.
We're going to talk about this
in each one of the two sections,
but the warning
and warning everyone
and teaching everyone
are parallel phrases.
So both of them
are to be done with wisdom.
Wisdom refers to
the practical discernment,
understanding the biblical principles
for holy conduct.
The consistent pattern
of God-honoring ministry
is to link teaching
and admonishment
and bring them together
in the context
of the general doctrinal truths
of the word.
Doctrinal teaching
is invariably
followed by practical admonitions,
and that has to be the pattern
for all of ministry.
Next thing in it
is teaching everyone.
Refers to teaching,
and that refers to
imparting positive Christian truth.
The verb
and its corresponding nouns
of teacher and teaching
are often used
in the New Testament
to denote authoritative communication
of gospel truth,
like preaching.
At the same time,
this truth is reinforced
as believers
teach one another.
So teaching
is the positive sense
in which Scripture
is spoken
to increase
and improve
our understanding
of who Christ is
and what his ways are.
Teaching is to lay out
those two things
so that we grow
in our understanding
and our knowledge.
It does have
the aspect
of more information,
but it has
the aspect also
of that information
applied to our lives.
It's the responsibility
that's given to everyone.
I want you to look
at an illustration of that.
You're in the book
of Colossians.
You just need to turn
a page or two
to Colossians chapter 3
and verse 16.
Colossians chapter 3
verse 16.
Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
Teaching and admonishing
one another
in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with thanksgiving
or thankfulness
in your hearts
to God.
This verse is more about
let's do another song.
It points to everyone
as Paul says
because in this verse
the you,
let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
the you there is plural.
It's like y'all.
Okay?
It means everybody in here.
Not just one person.
Not just those people
who are teachers.
Not just those people
who are spiritual giants.
Not just those people
who are small group leaders.
It applies to everybody
at the church in Colossae.
So first of all
it applies to everyone.
Secondly,
it ties together
the idea
of in all wisdom
with the word of Christ
dwelling in you.
Those two things
go together.
So in both passages,
this one here
in Colossians chapter 3
and back in Colossians chapter 1,
both passages then,
with all wisdom
seems to express the way
that the admonishing
and teaching were done.
That says it's not
just about funny stories.
That it has at its core
and at its root
the word of God
and that's the thing
that is being used
to help one another
by admonishing and teaching.
As people need wisdom
to know how to live out
the true knowledge of God
so they need wisdom
to know how to teach
and admonish one another.
And this wisdom
comes only
from the word of God.
Third word there
is presenting.
The aim of Paul's
proclaiming and admonishing
and teaching
was to present everyone
perfect in Christ.
Present refers to
the bringing them
into God's presence
at the return of Christ.
The example that I used
with Josh
as I had him walking
from the point of salvation
to the point
of Christ-likeness
we recognize
that that actually
is vertical.
Right?
That the only time
any of us
is going to be
perfect in Christ
and look just like him
is when we see him
as he is.
Okay?
So that's going
to be vertical.
I tried to illustrate
it horizontally
because Josh
wasn't prepared
to fly.
Okay?
So I couldn't have him
moving up.
This issue
of progressing
growing to be
more like Christ
we recognize
that we're not there.
None of us are.
But said simply
the goal
of the ministry
of small group
is the maturity
of the saints
so that each one
of us hears
well done
good and faithful
servant
when we stand
before him
in the last day.
Shows up
in this passage
in Colossians
chapter 1
all the way back
in verse 22.
I didn't start
back there.
I started in 24.
But back in verse 22
it points to the fact
that it was Christ's aim
to present us
perfect before him.
Here in 28
it says
that it was Paul's aim
to present people
perfect before Christ.
I'm here to tell you
today that it's
your leadership's
goal
aim
function
for small groups
to present people
perfect in Christ.
And I pray it's yours.
The Greek word here
that's translated
mature
is kind of challenging
and so you see it
different
in different translations.
Some translations
use the word mature.
Some translations
use the word perfect.
perfect.
The idea of perfect
in the English
speaks of
absolute completeness.
Nothing missing
whatsoever.
Okay?
It's perfect.
Okay?
And that's not
the idea
of the word
in the Greek.
So consequently
some people
have translated it
mature
just kind of saying
well it's not
really perfect.
the trouble
with using
the word
mature
is that we
have the idea
that if we're
older
bigger
stronger
then we must
be mature
okay?
And it ain't
necessarily so.
And we don't
want to have
that idea
of relativeness.
I can have
a teenager
that's more
mature in
Christ
than
an older
person.
The question
is
are they
focused
solely on
Jesus Christ
and is that
the goal
and the highlight
of their life?
Because that's
the term.
One commentator
put it pretty well
I thought.
He said
it is the
complete
and undivided
way
in which
a person
with all
of their
positive
and negative
attributes
is oriented
towards God
or towards
Christ.
I thought
that was
pretty good.
I got an
even better
one for you.
Turn in
your Bibles
to Philippians
chapter 3
and verse
13 and
14
because I
think
Paul
under the
leading of
the Holy
Spirit
put it
even better.
Philippians
3
13 and
14
Brothers
I do not
consider
that I
have made
it my
own
but one
thing I
do
forgetting
what lies
behind
and straining
forward
to what
lies ahead
I press
on towards
the goal
for the
prize
of the
upward
call
of God
in Christ
Jesus.
Finally
let's think
about the
facilitator
of our
small group
ministry.
Colossians
chapter 1
verse 29
For this
I toil
struggling
with all
his energy
that he
powerfully
works
within me.
The
balance
of
Christian
living.
Paul
says
he gave
the effort
to serve
and honor
God
with all
of his
might.
Labor
refers
to working
to the
point
of
exhaustion.
Striving
is where
we get
the
English
word
to
agonize.
It refers
to the
effort
required
to
compete
in an
athletic
event.
Let's say it
explicitly
and simply
and then I'll
explain a little
bit more.
We're to put
the same
kind of
effort
into
this,
namely
growing in
our
Christlikeness.
We're to put
the same
kind of
effort
into
this
that we
put
into
a
career
accomplishment
or an
athletic
achievement.
Time for
a grandson
story.
Yesterday
I went
over,
we've been
driving over
pretty well
once or twice
a week
to see
our
grandsons
run
cross
country.
So yesterday
we drove
over to
Lafayette,
well actually
we drove
over Friday
night and
then we
came back
yesterday.
Both of
them did
their best
that they've
done this
year.
But that's
not what I
want you to
hear.
What I want
you to
hear is
this,
that one
of them
he did
just amazingly
good.
He's coming
to the end
and he
was really
sprinting to
the finish.
He got
done and
he said,
I thought
I was going
to puke
right there
at the
finish line
in front
of everybody.
And I
thought,
that's it.
That's it.
we ought
to feel
like we're
working so
hard to
get to the
finish line
that I'm
going to
puke right
there,
right in
front of
everybody.
I hope
you think
about that.
Being
Christ-like
should be the
most important
thing in your
life.
Being Christ-like
ought to be the
thing that drives
you.
It's the thing
that pushes
you, keeps
you going when
you're tired,
when you're
wore out.
And ministry,
guess what,
can wear you
out.
Paul doesn't
go about his
work half-heartedly
hoping that,
you know,
God's good and
I think I'm
going to take a
nap this
afternoon and
just, you
know, God
will take care
of the lesson.
God will take
care of my
small group,
I'm sure about
it.
He doesn't
expect God's
grace to fill in
the gaps that he's
too lazy to work
at himself.
Nor, however,
does he think
that it's all
up to him.
So unless he
burns himself
out with
restless,
anxious toil,
nothing is going
to be achieved.
Because he knows
that it's Christ,
it's God's desire
to bring Christians
to maturity.
And that while
God has called
him to have a
share in that,
it is God's
job to do it.
So he can work
hard.
You can work
hard without any
of the stressful
motivation of
either pride or
fear.
Pride that you
can do it all
or fear that you
can't.
He becomes,
Paul becomes an
example of the
kind of maturity
that he's trying
to develop in
these other
people.
Paul can work
himself to the
point of exhaustion.
Paul can work
himself, if I had
been writing this
yesterday, I wrote,
Paul can work
himself to the
point of puking
and know that it's
all of God and not
of him.
Let's look at a
similar passage,
1 Timothy chapter
4.
I just suddenly got
this feeling that
all the children
are going to
remember, the
only thing they're
going to remember
today is puking,
especially the
boys.
But anyway,
1 Timothy chapter
4.
1 Timothy chapter
4 verse 10.
For to this end we
toil and strive,
because we have
our hope set on
the living God,
who is the
savior of all
people, especially
to those who
believe.
Why should each
one of us work
at small group?
Because our hope
is set on the
living God, that's
why.
So what does it
call us to do?
It calls us to
serve rather than
show up.
to serve, it
means to serve
one another by
helping.
It may be in
hosting.
It may be in
setup.
It may be in
cleanup.
It may be in
childcare.
It may be in
preparing for the
meal.
It may be in
preparing your
heart and your
mind for the
lesson that the
small group is
going to look at.
And the reason
we do those
things, unlike
something that was
on Facebook this
week, or last
week, is
not because it's
good for us.
It is because we
want to glorify our
Lord Jesus Christ.
On the one side,
we don't forget that
the effect of
striving or work
with spiritual and
eternal results is
always being done by
God, even if it's
through you.
It is only his
energy, his power,
working through us
that can accomplish
anything of value
to the kingdom.
All our toil and
hard work is
absolutely useless
apart from God's
power in our
lives.
God gave Paul the
strength to work
hard at his
ministry.
And in fact, as
we know, he gave
his life for that.
He worked hard at
it.
And God can do the
same thing in each
one of us.
Galatians 2.2,
I'm sorry, 2.20,
sums it up.
These two components
of human and divine
action.
Paul says, I've been
crucified with Christ.
Christ.
It's no longer I who
live, but Christ
lives in me.
And the life which I
now live in the
flesh, I live by faith
in the Son of God
who loved me and
delivered himself up
for me.
So being centered on
Christ, making God's
word the means and
the foundation of
ministry.
Working to the
point where we're
tired, but trusting
that all accomplishments
come from the Lord.
This is how we do
small groups.
Come to think of
it, Colossians 1.28
and 29 looks an
awful lot like building
relationships that
build saints.
The theme idea that
we've used for, I
forget how long it's
been, eight years or
something like that.
And the question we
ask ourselves is, are
you involved or are
you a bystander?
Do you show up or do
you serve?
Are you a
participator or are
you simply an
observer?
The purposes of our
small groups are to
help each one of us
grow to be more like
Jesus Christ.
There may be someone
here this morning and
you say, well, I don't
even know Jesus Christ.
Well, this would be a
good day to change
that.
And then you can come
to a small group and
that small group will
help you grow to be a
little more like
Christ.
You may be here and
you're not really
involved in small
groups and in fact
you're not really
involved in growing.
Maybe going back to
the illustration with
Josh, maybe it's
because you just
keep looking at the
world and it has this
drawl.
Maybe you find you've
actually gotten off the
track and you're just
standing over there
involved with the
world.
Maybe you were on the
track.
Maybe you were
progressing and
something happened and
you just kind of turned
aside.
building relationships
that build saints.
That's the purpose of
our small groups.
Let's pray.
Our great God, our
Savior, all to be
like thee.
we need to be
changed.
There's not a single
one of us in this
auditorium that doesn't
need change.
There's not a single
one of us in the
auditorium that has
accomplished, that has
gotten there, that's
reached the goal.
And yet, Lord, we are
so quickly and so easily
distracted that it's
embarrassing.
Even when we're going
on the path, we're
more often just jogging
along.
Father, I pray that you
would bring conviction in
all of our hearts.
Lord, that we might be
drawn to the cross and
drawn to act more like
you, to want to be more
like you.
That our small groups
would grow in their
pointedness with one
another.
Not harshness, but
pointedness in the
scriptures.
That we would be more
transparent with one
another without ever
using our prayer time or
our small group time as
simply a gossip session.
Or manipulation time.
Father, help us to use our
small groups first and
foremost to bring glory to
your son, Jesus Christ.
First in his name we pray.
Amen.
that we have the
small groups that
have the
!
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