7 Reasons We Need Life Groups

Below is an excerpt from a sermon recently preached by Pastor John Piper. He could have preached the same points at Harvest and been in perfect rhythm with the heartbeat of our church. You can find the rest of the sermon here.

He has given pastors to the church “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). I believe in what I do. And I believe that it is not enough. Here are the seven reasons I gave the small group leaders.

1. The impulse avoid painful growth by disappearing safely into the crowd in corporate worship is very strong.
2. The tendency toward passivity in listening to a sermon is part of our human weakness.
3. Listeners in a big group can more easily evade redemptive crises. If tears well up in your eyes in a small group, wise friends will gently find out why. But in a large gathering, you can just walk away from it.
4. Listeners in a large group tend to neglect efforts of personal application. The sermon may touch a nerve of conviction, but without someone to press in, it can easily be avoided.
5. Opportunity for questions leading to growth is missing. Sermons are not dialogue. Nor should they be. But asking questions is a key to understanding and growth. Small groups are great occasions for this.
6. Accountability for follow-through on good resolves is missing. But if someone knows what you intended to do, the resolve is stronger.
7. Prayer support for a specific need or conviction or resolve goes wanting. O how many blessings we do not have because we are not surrounded by a band of friends who pray for us.

So please know that when this small-group ministry of our church is lifted up, I don’t think it’s an optional add-on to basic Christian living. I think it is normal, healthy, needed, New Testament Christianity. I pray that you will be part of one of these small groups or that you will get the training and start one. This is the main strategy through which our pastors and elders shepherd the flock at Bethlehem: Elders > small group leaders > members to one another.

We Are Not In a Position to Bargain

Will Metzger has written a tremendous "training manual on the message & methods of God-centered witnessing called Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People. I would commend this resource to anybody desiring to take their study of personal evangelism significantly deeper.

[Jesus] is a master (king) and a teacher (prophet). . . . Can you have only the Savior (sin-bearer) Christ in your heart? No, it is impossible to divide Christ. If he truly comes into your life, all of him enters. The overwhelming usage of the word Lord in the book of Acts shows us clearly how Christ was presented to nonbelievers. The phrase “accept Christ as your personal Savior” is not found. Rather, “God has made . . . Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36); “Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5); “Believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31).

These apostles were not preaching salvation by “making Christ Lord of your life” in a good-works fashion. He is already Lord; therefore, our evangelistic call must be to come to him as to the feet of a monarch, in submission to his person and authority. We cannot come to a king with one hand behind our backs, standing upright, signifying secret reservations and unwillingness to give over control of our lives. We are not in a position to bargain. We must bow with both hands outstretched and open. . . .

This is the picture of the true penitent’s attitude of heart (not that we are able to render perfect obedience). Because we are not whole people we can not give a holistic response. Yet God receives the part for the whole, the seed as evidence the flower will bloom. In the mercy of God, it is later in our Christian lives that we are shown the implications of our initial submission to him as king. (p. 72)

Should Christians Say That Their Aim Is to Convert Others to Faith in Christ?

Here's a great article by John Piper on a topic that is very relevant to our current study on evangelism.

First of all, why am I asking this question? Three reasons:

1. Because in our delicate and dangerous setting of global religious pluralism, how we speak about our aims can get us kicked out of a country or worse.
2. Because we want to follow Paul’s pattern of honesty: "But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).
3. Because we need biblical clarity about our role in converting others to Christ, lest we shrink back from the aim of conversion for mistaken reasons.

Let’s begin with a definition...

Read the rest of the article.