Assimilation - Part 9 Continued - Closed Groups

In my last post on assimilation, I briefly mentioned that the basic structure of closed groups is tracks. Closed groups are to equip us to accomplish the objectives of the church. A track would be specialized in nature for a particular objective. These tracks would align with spiritual giftedness. If you have skills and talents in an area, a track would help you understand how to use those skills and talents to minister to yet-to-be Christians and/or the body of Christ.

Here are some possible tracks. Hopefully this helps in understanding what I am trying to communicate.

1. Leadership Training - intentionally organized to train people for volunteer leadership positions in overseeing open group or closed groups, corporate worship, committees (teams as we at FCC like to call them) and so forth. Larry Szyman talked about Deacons in last weekends message.
2. Evangelism Training - intentionally organized to train open group leaders and participants in evangelism and to engage in ongoing evangelistic experiences.
3. Ministry Equipping - intentionally organized for a short period of time for the purpose of training people for a specific ministry experience or assignment. Example: training adults to serve as counselors on a youth mission trip.
4. Women's and Men's training - groups intentionally organized for men/women to discover how they are uniquely called and shaped by God. Training in how to apply our uniqueness to every aspect of their lives - personal, home, church, workplace, community and the world.
5. Special Interest - groups intentionally organized on interest of people such as marriage enrichment, parenting skills or prayer.
6. Special Needs - groups intentionally organized on the basis of specific affinity and personal needs such as divorce recovery, substance abuse recovery or health.

Closed Groups would lead Christ followers in pursuing Christ's reign in all of life. As well as train Christ followers to facilitate others in pursuit of Christ reign in their life.

A Gift?????????????

You probably all have seen this.

Newly elected leader of the U.S. Episcopal Church Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in an interview with CNN:

"I don't believe so. I believe that God creates us with different gifts. Each one of us comes into this world with a different collection of things that challenge us and things that give us joy and allow us to bless the world around us. Some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."

Homosexuality a "gift" from God. Romans 1:18-32 doesn't agree. I don't equate God's wrath with a gift from God.

God's Wrath Against Mankind

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts
were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:18-32)

Assimilation - Part 9 Closed Groups

Making better disciples is key. By better we are looking to move people along in there sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming more holy. You may have heard language like becoming more like Jesus when talking of sanctification. We desire that above all. Making better disciples also means that you would be trained in disciplines of Christian living. This training would occur in close groups.

A closed group simply means the group is comprised of believers only. The focus is training. The context is discipling and the intent is to continue assimilation. A closed group is composed of believers that covenant together to meet over a short period of time for the purpose of becoming equipped to accomplish the objectives of the church.

Discipleship is a lifelong journey of obedience to Christ that transforms a person's values and behavior which results in ministry in the person's home, church and the world. It is the process of teaching new citizens in the kingdom of God to love, trust and obey God and how to win and train others to do the same.

The basic structure for closed groups will primarily include several short-term tracks (6 -13 weeks in length) and one time events for training the body of Christ. In my next post I will discuss and give more definition to the tracks.

Assimilation - Part 8 Evangelism

Yesterday, I wrote the post that would have drawn a million hits. NOT! Actually, I did compose a similar post as this one but lost it before getting it published. I will try to recreate it.

You ever done "cold turkey" evangelism. Some may no it as "door to door" or "street evangelism." Basically it is when you have a memorized presentation of the gospel that you take to some complete stranger with the hope of God using the presentation to "save" them.

I am a trained Navigator so my presentation was is the bridge illustration. I still have a bible that is marked in a way to lead me through it. Although I would be rusty, I believe I could still take you through it. Using the canned talk many times in our door to door evangelism campaign. I can share that I witnessed zero actual converts with this method. Now that is not to say that God did not use the illustration to bring that person closer to himself and eventually some of those people became Christ followers. I believer some became Christ followers later in life. Jesus the Radical Pastor has a post on his experience with "street" evangelism here.

Evangelism is always something that makes me nervous. But, I am less nervous when doing it "cold turkey." I don't know the person and may never see them again. Typically the "target" was an area of social need. I was going to spend a few minutes usually not over an hour talking with a total stranger. I was not there to listen to their story. I only wanted to present the gospel.

This "cold turkey" evangelism is not the evangelism I believe is needed for assimilation. We need to be willing to listen to the persons story first before even thinking about sharing the gospel. We need to know where they are and I am not talking spiritually. We already know they need Jesus. I need to become part of his/her community or culture. I need to enter his/her world. After understanding that then I can look to sharing the gospel. While entering his/her world, I don't become part or integrated in his/her world.

If you have not thought of it on your own at this point, let me tell you that many will accuse you of being a sinner. You may be entering places where sin is prevalent. You will be guilt by association. Some from your own local church body will make these accusations. It will happen. It has happened from the very day that Jesus proclaimed that "the kingdom of God is near." (Matthew 4:17) You know that Jesus was accused in this way. Peter also see Acts 11. Peter was accused of eating with uncircumcised men (Gentiles).

Are you willing to advance God's kingdom in all the earth for His glory? We must enter their world. We cannot expect them to come to us no matter how attractional we think we or our church is. The church must move out of the four walls of the building. All the earth includes those that are very close in distance from the building.

Church Sign

I wish I would have had a camera with me yesterday. I passed a church sign that was worthy of taking a picture of. The sign read:

Congratulations Graduates!
Miracles still do happen.

I don't think I would be edified if I was a graduate.

Another Question to ask yourself.

What would your experience of church be like:

• If you no longer had a building?
• If you could no longer meet on Sundays?
• If you had no pastor or clearly identifiable leadership team?

Question to ask yourself

How do I intend to increase a life of decisive devotion toward my Redeemer – a passion that makes a difference in what I say, how I grow and what I show?

The Last Day

The verse for the day from Biblegateway.com is Revelations 21:2-4. Are you earnestly praying and looking forward to the last day? This is a day we should look forward to and a day that we should desire to come quickly. Pray for it to come. Focus on it coming. Meditate on that day. Be driven by the last day. Be motivated by the last day.

Christ is all! He is supreme! Upon the dawn of the last day, we will more fully understand and realize his supremacy.

God may the last day come quickly.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:2-4)