Title: The Church Where No One Is Alone
Contents
A church where no one is alone
Acts 2:46-47
Who would you contact if you needed four friends to run to and be with you in a personal crisis? We chat, eat, and work together, but how many people think of us as friends and help out when we have an emergency or difficult situation? When God created man, it says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” (Genesis 1:26). The existence of God appears in the expression that we are. And in Genesis 2:18, it is said that it is not good for a man to be alone. So he made Eve to help him. The Bible says that two are better than one in any case (Ecclesiastes 4:9), because if you fall, you can support and lift him up.
What is a church? What kind of church does the Lord want? First of all, the church is not a building, but the body of Christ as the community of believers who have received Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:23). Therefore, the church is the community of Christ composed of the spiritual family, the saints. It is a living organism and an organism that fulfills its necessary roles and unique functions. Among these, small groups of individuals and small groups of individuals are each part of the body. Therefore, when individuals and small groups are healthy, the church can be healthy. What would be wrong if a person who was created not to be alone is alone in the body of Christ, the church? It is to forget the essential nature of the church and live. If we worship on Sunday, exchange formal greetings, and part, true fellowship cannot be established. Therefore, we need a place where we can fully understand and empathize with each other through sharing. I need a place where everyone knows me and has that one person to be with me. A small group meeting is always a go-to place, a place to ask for help. Where everyone knows my name.
Jesus did not make many disciples, but called twelve. Out of the 12 disciples, he set up three small groups of four each. The early church met in the temple and in each home. We made every effort to gather in the temple and had fellowship by breaking bread at home. Where worship and education took place in the temple, home care, community fellowship, and new believers were established. Small groups are therefore an important essence of the church as a spiritual family. Our Ilsan Changseong Church must be a church where no one is alone.
So what is a small group? A small group is a regular meeting of 3 to 12 people for the purpose of abundant life and growth in Christ. The center is always Jesus. The purpose is for growth, whether as an individual or a church. A small group is a face-to-face meeting. The biblical goal of small groups is to encourage biblical love, encourage fellowship and unity, and build up the body of Christ. And it is to develop spiritual gifts and take charge of the work of the Lord.
Why are small groups important? First, it is the will of God revealed in the Bible. The evidence of this is the existence of God, the community in the Garden of Eden, and the 12 disciples of Jesus and the early church gathered in their homes. Second, it enables spiritual growth. Small groups are where we grow together through mutual influence and service, and through mutual healing. Third, small groups are the best tool to achieve koinonia. The church is essentially a fellowship of love, not an institution. The New Testament uses the word each other more than 50 times. Fourth, small groups maximize the ministry of the church. Because small groups can disciple key leaders and build leaders through other leaders. Finally, small groups are the driving force for church growth. A small group of saints is an essence, not a choice. It becomes the best tool to evangelize unbelievers through small groups. I hope that our church can build together as a church that is pleasing to God through small groups.