Measuring Our Spiritual Growth

TITLE: MEASURING OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH
SCRIPTURE: 2 Peter 1:5-9
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: 13 April 2013

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins." (2 Peter 1:5-9)

You have been going to Church these years. You have been attending Bible studies. You have also been serving in different ways for the Kingdom. Does that mean that you have been growing spiritually? What does it mean then to grow? How do we measure spiritual growth? This week, I want to take some time to ponder upon how we measure ourselves and to provide some tips on how to get a snapshot of where we are, and what we can do henceforth.

 A) The Four-Dimensional Spiritual Measurements

During my varsity days, I remember two popular methods of ensuring we maintain a balance of various spiritual disciplines. The first is P.O.S.B, which I learn from the Christian Fellowship. It's a nice acronym to remember what the basic spiritual exercises we need to do. We need to pray regularly. Even better, to adopt a prayerful life. This makes our relationship with God a dynamic one. In prayer, we can share anything with God. In Outreach, we need to go forth and share the gospel with all, especially non-believers. This enables us to be witnesses as salt and light to the world. In Social, we remember that we are called to form communities of faith, coming together to encourage, to exhort, and to experience the joys of koinonia. We need to read the Bible regularly so that we can let the Word of God guide all of our lives. If we keep all four disciplines well, we are on the way to a healthy spiritual life.

The second model is also a four dimensional picture, which some churches have adopted. That is the 4Ws model: Worship, Welcome, Word, and Works. Although the words are different, it basically highlights the dual-horizontal and dual-vertical aspects of Christian living. Vertically speaking, worship and word is about our upper relationship with God through praying, reading the Bible, and worshiping together. Welcome is about the way we invite friends to walk with us, and works is about our living out of the goodness of God in our daily lives, sharing the gospel in words and in works.

So, if one is using the POSB model, when you ask them how is their spiritual life, they will give you a rough estimate of where they are right now. One example will be that of John, who tells me:

"My spiritual life? Well, I read the Bible regularly, I pray as much as I can, and I reach out whenever I can. Socially I think I am strong. Bible and Prayer, I will put myself as average. What is perhaps lacking is my Outreach. That's where I am spiritually."

When using the 4Ws, one can summarize the spiritual position likewise. If one can live with all four W-cylinders firing away, one will comfortably say they are healthy.

B) Not Enough

Such models have helped me in the past and they are still popularly used in many Christian circles. Unfortunately, I find them more and more inadequate as the years go by. For P=Prayer, how much praying is a good level of praying? One can pray through the motions and still not feel close to God. For O=Outreach, do we measure in terms of quantity or quality? One can reach out a lot and produce no fruit. For S=Social, how much fellowship do we need and is there really a way to estimate it? For B=Bible, do we use the amount of Bible knowledge we have as a yardstick? One can know lots of Bible, and still be immature. The above models are useful, but they are most elementary. They are easy to remember, but they are not enough.

Let me give three reasons. Firstly, the models themselves are mainly focusing on works. Essentially, it tells us that if WE do not do it, we are not growing. It comes from an expectation to do these stuff in order to get something. The underlying assumption is that if we pray so much, outreach so much, read the Bible so much, and socialize so much, naturally we will grow. Where then is the grace of God? Is it not true that our whole spiritual life is a gift for us to cherish and to enjoy? What if we are unable to spend time cultivating these good works? Does that mean we are not growing? Are we then saying that if we DO NOT do all of these works, we have ourselves to blame? Then where is God's role in empowering and energizing us to live humbly, fruitfully, faithfully, and gratefully?

Secondly, the models only represent a small part of the Bible. The four aspects of each model will receive the same criticisms leveled at the four spiritual laws of evangelism. Are they not a pick-n-choose kind of a spiritual yardstick? Remember, that whether we use the 4Ws or POSB, they are only representing a small part of the Bible. We have the whole Bible that we have not really applied. Just like reading a summary of the Bible versus reading the Bible itself. The summary only gives you the gist of a certain belief or argument. The actual Bible provides the texts, the contexts, and the whole syntax of the faith. If we still try to adopt the two models even after 20 years of belief, then we are doing ourselves a disfavour. A wrong yardstick can render us measuring ourselves inadequately, just like trying to measure our own height with a primitive stick that only has the feet and the meters, but does not have the finer inches or centimeters in between. The better our measuring yardstick, the more accurate will be our measurement of our own spiritual growth.

Thirdly, and more seriously, the disciplines are reflective of an increasingly individualistic mindset. On the one hand, it raises the bar for personal accountability and action. On the other hand, where is the community aspect? Where is the link of one's spiritual life to the rest of the community? If a community is not well spiritually, can an individual in the community dare say his own spiritual life is well? I don't think so. A proper understanding of Christian faith is that the individual and the community is intricately linked to each other. If one hurts, the whole body hurts. If one rejoices, the whole body rejoices. If one fails to grow, the whole body fails to grow. This is an important aspect of the Trinitarian model.

On these three counts, the models lose their effectiveness as spiritual yardsticks.

C) A Better Spiritual Measurement

There are several models that can be developed from different parts of the Bible. One model is the fruit of the Spirit model in Galatians 5. Another model is the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. We can also use the combination of the Ten Commandments and the exhortation from Paul to live a life of love according to 1 Corinthians 13. There are a lot more. Let me describe one according to 2 Peter 1:5-9.

Firstly, the Christian life essentially begins at faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. In faith through grace, we are made new and given a new leash of life. Such faith is a gift of God, that we can be empowered to "make every effort" as well as to "add" to to "supplement" our faith the various spiritual attributes of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and godliness. Secondly, there is a movement from individual to community. Are our spiritual disciplines leading us more inward looking? Then we are not growing. If our disciplines are moving toward becoming more like Christ to one another, we are growing. Just like Jesus who reaches out to ordinary folks in order to touch them.  All of these attributes basically provide the foundations of a bigger idea: brotherly kindness. Thirdly, we read about the overall purpose of it all: Love. For me, when I read this passage, there are basically three parts. The beginning is faith. The end is love. Everything else is in the middle leading forward from individual faith to community living. When we are called to faith in Christ, our Christian disciplines must lead us somewhere, and more importantly to Someone. It is never to be an end in itself.

Fourthly, we grow by continuously growing. Peter adds:

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:8)

Note that we ought to understand the word "knowledge" not in terms of knowing more about God, but knowing God more intimately. As my Professor, Dr J.I. Packer has said, "Knowledge about God is not the same as knowledge of God. We can have a systematic theology of God memorized, and still not grow in our knowledge of God." True knowledge of God is not mere head knowledge. True knowledge means a holistic understanding of theory and practice, head and heart, words and works. When we grow more into Christ, our lives in Christ become Christlike for Christ. Our knowledge in God leads to our living out of this knowledge in God, in increasing measure. Continuously growing is a healthy sign.

D) Putting it in Concrete Terms

How then do we measure our spiritual growth according to 2 Peter 1:5-9? Maybe the following questions can give us a fair indication.

• Is our spirituality based self-motivation or upon faith in God's Word? 
• Is our spiritual growth based on what we do, rather than a response to what God has done?
• Is our spiritual growth measured primarily in individual terms, or growing in community AND individual terms?
• Have we grown in brotherly kindness and love?
• Have we given up trying to find ways to learn, to grow, and to love?
• Are we content with doing good works, or are we only satisfied when we see Christ, know Christ, and to live like Christ?

Perhaps, what we need most is not how well we have done, but what kind of spiritual measurements we are using.

THOUGHT: "It is not the number of books you read, nor the variety of sermons you hear, nor the amount of religious conversation in which you mix, but it is the frequency and earnestness with which you meditate on these things till the truth in them becomes your own and part of your being, that ensures your growth." (Frederick W. Robertson)

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization.

The Essence of Small Group Health

TITLE: THE ESSENCE OF SMALL GROUP HEALTH
SCRIPTURE: John 13:33-35
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: 6 April 2013

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

We all like to say that we want to be more Christlike. It is an easy thing to say. Living it is not. Likewise, it is easy to say we like to honour Christ, but we find it hard to honour people, especially those who seem to be so selfish, self-centered, or downright self-infatuated. Even Mahatma Gandhi has famously said:

"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." (Mahatma Gandhi)

Not to add the fact that the new atheist movement, led by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others, are pouring the fuel of sarcasm into the fire of anti-Christian sentiments. In fact, their very existence is an antithetical statement against anything Christianity. Negative sentiments about Christianity are not only nothing new, it is growing. In the West, Christianity is going through a very rough patch right now. In many quarters, the moment a person calls himself a "Christian," the response can be really nasty. John Burke puts it really apt in this:

"If you ask people on the street for one word to describe Christianity today, what would they say?' I've asked this question while speaking to Christians and Church leaders all over North America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Australia, and I find it very troubling that we all know the answers: 'judgmental,' 'narrow-minded,' 'arrogant,' 'hypocritical,' 'bigoted.'" (John Burke, Mud and the Masterpiece, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2013, p11)

Troubling indeed. I wonder. If Christians are loving, will not the world be more accepting of them? If Christians are more loving to one another, surely, the Church will grow? If Christians share more of their love, should there not be a decrease in negative sentiments, but a growing positive acceptance?

Before we start to be defensive about it all, maybe, we need to take a pause and to look into the mirror first.  This is something that all people need to do, not just Christians. That said, as ambassadors of the gospel, it is vital that disciples of Christ regularly examine themselves in the light of God's Word, and not fall prey under the microscope of worldly expectations.

This week, I like to pose the question: What is the essence of small group health? What does it take to be more loving in our communities of Christ? I like to hone in on one word: Giving.

A) Giving of Our Time

Just before John records the famous commandment of love, we read in John 13 about Jesus who is aware about his hour having come for him to leave the world. Instead of going through a laundry list of touring round the world in 80 minutes, or to fulfill last dying wishes, he spends time eating and meeting with his disciples. John even records, "... he loved them to the end."

In the movie "The Bucket List," two terminally ill men make a road trip to try to fulfill their dying wishes, where they try to make their remaining days count. It is the list of things they want to accomplish before they kick the bucket and die. They go round the world, drive fast cars, skydive, visit exotic places, and soon, they begin to work on things of the heart, like relationships and love in the family. Key to their last days is how the two men spend time with each other and make time for their loved ones.

Time is a tough commodity to give up nowadays. People are too busy with their own stuff to even bother about giving it away. That is why the words "Wasting time" tends to be said when nothing seems to get done. In small groups, when we go for meetings, sometimes when we do not feel like we have gained anything, we get upset, and even use the words "wasting time" to describe the entire meeting. I prefer to see it otherwise. For in going to small group meetings, it is not about doing things, but doing things TOGETHER that matters. It is not about being there, but being there for one another that matters more. It is the giving of our time that is our way of saying: "Our time is more important than my own time."

POINT: Jesus gives of his time, even in his dying hours. Shall we not give time for one another in our living days?

B) Giving of Our Money

Money can be a touchy issue. Sometimes, a dispute over how much to give or how the money is spent can create tensions and even split groups.  Money is a key factor in Judas's betrayal of Jesus. Judas is the treasurer for the group, and so when Jesus asks him to do quickly what Judas had planned to do, the disciples thought that Jesus was asking him to buy things for the festival or to give something to the poor. Little do they know that Judas had something sinister in mind.

Against this backdrop of money and ill-gotten gains, we read about way money can tempt us. It tempts Judas to even want to betray Jesus. Remember that Judas was the same one who were among those who criticized the woman who broke the alabaster jar in order to anoint Jesus with fragrant oil.

I know that of many groups that exist simply because of generous people in the group. They offer their houses for meeting places. They prepare lavish dishes for people. They put out their best for the group. When it comes to giving, it is not the quantity that matters, but the quality of what they give. In fact, the quality and quantity comes out of this one fact: A Big Heart.

The woman with the alabaster jar and the expensive perfume has Jesus praising her saying: "Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."

In small groups, the bigger the hearts of people, the greater the willingness to give of one's money and resources, both in quantity as well as quality.

POINT: Healthy Christian Communities will have a healthy level of giving, both quantity and quality.

C) Giving of Our Service

Jesus washes his disciples' feet. On Easter, the new Pope Francis is pictured washing the feet of non-Christians, even kissing them. It has generated lots of applause and approval, that the new pope is going to be more acceptable than the previous one.

Washing the feet of people is a powerful demonstration of recognizing that we are called to be servants of God. A servant of God is not one who expects things to be done for him or her. A servant of God is one who puts upon himself or herself to do things for others.

We live in a culture where we expect to be served. Whether we are waiting at the bank tellers or queueing up to buy tickets from the manned counter, we expect service to be done quick and fair. For those of us with domestic servants, we expect to be served our meals on time and to our tastes. We expect our houses to be cleaned properly. We expect the to serve us according to our expectations.

In Christian communities, it is easy to bring such expectations and apply them to other members of the group. Why not apply that expectations on the self first?

POINT: Healthy Christian Communities expect more from the self to give through service, than to expect others to serve you. Jesus washes the disciples' feet. So should we through the giving of our service to them.

D) Giving of Our Lives

Jesus has said that greater love has no man, than one who is willing to lay down his life for his friends. If that is so, what about dying for our enemies? Jesus has demonstrated exactly that by dying for the sake of the whole world. When we give of our lives, we give of ourselves.

Bronnie Ware recently published a book about the five top regrets of the dying. Note that nearly all of them have to do with relationships. The first is about living a life true to self. If we are not living to bless others, we are certainly not being true to our calling. The second is about regretting working too hard. Why? It is because most of the time, working too hard means accumulating accomplishments for self. Third, courage to express one's feelings is about honesty. Relationships need that. In Christian communities, we are called to do something more: Speak the truth in love.

Four, staying in touch with friends is vital. Finally, true happiness lies not in taking stuff for self, but in giving of our lives to others.

POINT: If Christ has given us his all, why can't we begin our giving with what we have?

E) Summary

My readers. Are you a part of a small group or a Christian community? Do you feel like you want to begin a positive change for the group? Do you want to be the loving community that Christ has called us to build? Give of your time. Give of your money and resources. Give of your service. Give of your life. For in giving, we shall receive even more. The crux of the matter is this. The more we give, the more we realize that the Lord will be pleased.

The essence of healthy small groups is in this one word: Giving.

THOUGHT: "The most obvious lesson in Christ's teaching is that there is no happiness in having or getting anything, but only in giving." (Henry Drummond)


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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries. Note that views expressed are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization.

FIVE MYTHS IN BIBLE STUDY

TITLE: FIVE MYTHS IN BIBLE STUDY
Written by: Dr Conrade Yap
Date: 1 June 2012

(Picture credit: jamestownumc.org)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

I have been leading Bible study groups for a long time. For the most part, it has been enjoyable. Yet, at times, I feel that there are certain situations in which I need to make a judgment call to bring the discussion back to basics. In Part Three of the Four-Part series on Bible Study, I like to highly five common myths in Bible study groups. It appears in different flavours. They are listed as is, and not in any particular order.

#1 - “I do not gain anything out of the Bible Study.”

This is one of the most common complaints. Sometimes, it is due to the inadequacy of the leader or facilitator of the group. When the leader does not prepare sufficiently, does not reflect on the Bible passage itself, it makes the whole discussion rather haphazard. As the saying goes, “If one fails to plan, one plans to fail.”

On the other hand, if group members come with an attitude of “What’s in it for me?” it places unhealthy expectations on the leader. While it is good to have powerful sharing or sensational stories during the Bible study, such things may distract members from the true purpose of coming together: Study the Bible. The word to Timothy is clear: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned ….”

Note the words “continue in what you have learned.” The trouble with most people is that they are constantly asking for something new. The Been-There-Done-That perspective makes a mockery of the Word of God as well. The Word is basically telling and retelling the old, old, story: God and His dealings with man.

SUGGESTION: Come with an attitude of asking God, “What are you trying to teach or remind me today?”


#2 - “It is ok to come only when I have time”

This is perhaps one of the main peeves I have with Bible study groups. Some people treat Bible studies as a lower priority. Whether it is office work or family time, they can usually choose to skip Bible studies even though such Bible sessions have been planned and scheduled months in advance. I remember telling and retelling some group members about the meeting dates and times. Some of them are plain forgetful. Others simply approach Bible study time as an “optional” event in their calendar. Their attitude is:

• “I will come if I have the time. After all, other people are more knowledgeable than me.”
• “I really have an important business meeting. ”
• “I have not spent enough time with my children. Can I skip the meeting tonight?”

My answer is this. I am busy too. What makes your time with your family more important than my time with my family? What makes your business a bigger deal than my own business? Why in the first place can a sudden family or work reason, take priority over a scheduled event? Remember, your absence can directly or indirectly discourage the group.

Don’t get me wrong. I can understand family emergencies. I can also understand a tough business climate. If the interruptions occur once in a while, that is fine. However, if it happens over and over again, the problem may not be due to the family or work situation. The problem lies squarely with the person's sense of priority.

Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is clearly about “have become convinced of.” We come to Bible studies not because of our own personal conveniences. We plan to come based on our convictions in the Word, that God speaks through us as a group. We come to listen to the Word, eager to hear God’s reminder to us.

SUGGESTION: Make attendance a priority. Learn how to minimize family interruptions or work related meetings by communicating to family and colleagues a week in advance. For example, tell your boss on Monday that you have a Bible study on Friday.


#3 - “Why study more when I can go help the poor or save the sick?”

Another common accusation on Bible studies is that we can do something more useful outside. Such people will bring out statistics of how much the poor is suffering, or how bad the social situations are in our neighbourhoods. Having said that, I notice that many people who bring these things up, instead of doing something about it, tend to do nothing about it.

I reflect on Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, “because you know those from whom you learned it,” and I remember about the need to gather, to encourage and to share our lives. Timothy has been an active ministry worker. He has been working and learning from people more experienced than him. The attitude of coming to Bible Studies is not to be solely seen from the perspective of “What are we going to do about it?” It also requires a perspective of sharing "What we have done about it," what we have learned, and to reiterate the lessons we have benefitted from people around us.

Yes, it is important to talk about the mission of social help and salvation. However, Bible study is not strictly about these. It is about coming together to share the truth that we have experienced over the weeks. It is gathering our testimonies together to encourage one another. It is to meet together and realize, “Hey! We are not alone in this struggle to live Christianly in a tough world.”

SUGGESTION: We come together not only to learn about what to do next, but to share about what God has done in us, or through us.


#4 - “There is no such thing as right or wrong.”

Sometimes, I hear people chiming in this mantra, “There is no right or wrong.” Frankly, if there is no such thing as right or wrong, then why are we studying anything? Is the Bible “right or wrong?” Is Jesus right or wrong? Is our belief right or wrong? My point is this. While we cannot be arrogant about saying that we are right and others are wrong, or vice versa, the important thing is that truth is always right, never wrong. Take for example the gray situations of life, like the hot topic of homosexuality. The classic answer to whether homosexuality is right or wrong is this: “It depends.”

Paul reminds Timothy about his early training, “and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures.” Did Timothy begin by questioning whether the Holy Scriptures are right or wrong? No. He does not question it. He seeks to know it. Questioning it basically puts ourselves the reader ABOVE the Word of God. Knowing it puts ourselves UNDER the Word of God.

Our quest for meaning is driven from the desire to seek truth. My problem with the argument of no-such-thing-as-right-or-wrong is that they diminishes the importance of seeking out the truth. The battle we face is a battle for truth. In a group environment, we can all contribute our ideas, knowing that in every situation, the fight is not about right/wrong, but about truth. Error contains half-truths and half-wrongs. Truth on the other hand, is always right.

SUGGESTION: Remember that “No such thing as right or wrong thinking” can begin a discussion, but it can never become the conclusion of the discussion. Truth is the goal, not right/wrong. Truth is always right. We cannot guarantee knowing all truth in just one meeting. We continue to meet and discuss because we seek truth always.


#5 - “Everyone has a right to their own opinion”

Often used to cool tempers down, this statement is closely tied to the other phrase, “Let’s agree to disagree.” Inexperienced Bible study leaders tend to adopt this ultimatum. I question this because there is no need to issue ultimatums. Complex topics cannot be concluded within a span of one and a half hours. Who gives us the authority to make conclusions about our opinions?

The purpose of coming together is to learn to engage one another as constructively as possible. Whether we agree or not, we need to be open to one another, remembering that our point of view is only one part of the bigger story.

Like the story of the four blind man and the elephant. The first blind man touches the trunk and says that the elephant is a long hose. The second man touches the ears and says that the elephant is like a carpet. The third man touches the leg and insists that the elephant is like a tree trunk. The fourth man strokes the tusk and says that the elephant has a stony feel of ivory. Who then is correct?

When we come together, we seek truth and at the same time remember that truth can be revealed to us through the eyes of other people. Most importantly, truth is based on the Word of God. Paul advises Timothy, that the Word of God is that “which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

When we come to the Scriptures like a success manual, we concentrate on verses that talk about success. If we treat the Bible as a book of comfort and encouragement, we gravitate toward verses that talk about comfort and encouragement. The purpose of reading the Bible is to know God and to make God known. Paul reminds Timothy that the Scriptures can make him wise (mental disposition), for salvation (assurance), through faith (application), in Christ Jesus (foundation).

When we read the Word of God, it is not about spelling out our interpretations. It is about being vulnerable to the Holy Spirit speaking the Word into our hearts.

SUGGESTION: Do not talk about your rights of opinions before God. Talk about God, with God, and to know God.

In conclusion, we need to adopt a spirit of humility and openness to God each time we come together for Bible study. People who says that there is nothing new in the Bible has already closed their hearts to learning. Those who claim they gain nothing out of Bible study have already missed out the meaning of Christian fellowship. One more thing. Personally, I will call a Bible study session good if it leaves participants with more questions than answers. That is why I agree very much with William Sloan Coffin.

“It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.” - William Sloane Coffin

Avoid the five myths of Bible studies. Cultivate a desire to meet God and to know God, as you come together. 

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Meeting One Another's Needs?

TITLE: MEETING ONE ANOTHER'S NEEDS?
SCRIPTURE: Acts 4:34
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 12 May 2012

"There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales." (Acts 4:34)

This is the concluding part of a 4-part series on Small Groups Ministry in the Church. The key point in this article is that meeting needs of members is not the primary responsibility of small groups. Meeting needs is very much secondary.

A) No Needy Among Them

Tucked in a corner of the book of Acts is this amazing little verse that says, "There were no needy persons among them." No needy people? You've got to be kidding!  In every Church I go to, every community I get involved with, the needs often exceed the supply. Some complain that the pastor hardly visits or calls on them. Others say that they feel neglected even on Sundays. Still, there are those who comment that the pastoral care in their community is grossly lacking. When they need some attention, the pastor is either unavailable or too busy.

My friends in the pastoral ministry regularly tell me that they needed a break, or a time away just to recuperate from an exhausting period of meeting the needs of their members and congregations. It is interesting that the very people who try to help parishioners rest in the Lord, themselves are often the recipients of their very own advice: The need to rest in God alone.

Meeting needs involve sharing and caring

B) Is It the Colony Instinct?

The book of Acts presents us with an interesting observation. Mind you, the early disciples in Acts are not rich people materially. They are often poor, and come from the lower ranks in society. Without a large personal bank account, or an enormous inheritance, they give whatever they have. If necessary, they sell their possessions to give to all who have need. Like worker bees individually collecting nectar from flowers, they return to the common hive to contribute to the food collection for the entire bee community. If anyone of us dares to look down on the collected nectar of each tiny bee, just take a look at the honeycomb.

I always believe that as a group, we meet one another's needs at different points of time. Not everyone of us is up or down all at the same time. There will always be some who is bubbly at some time. Others may be downcast at other times. In a group, there is a good chance that there will always be a mixture of the needy and the helper. Sometimes, we are needy. Other times we are able to help others. Together, we develop a caring and sharing community that ministers to one another at different points of time.

C) Weakness in the Small Group Model

In the book of Acts, meeting needs is not the primary responsibility of the pastor or leaders of the church. The responsibility lies in the entire community who essentially "were one in heart and mind." Dr Robert W. Kellemen points out a shrewd observation on the weakness of the small group model. While many churches use small groups to provide a care-and-share method, most people in the church (up to 50%) are not in small groups. Moreover, while the small group model works better than a mere dependence on the pastoral team, the small group system fizzles out over time due to fatigue or lack of training of small group leaders. He makes this observation.

"Unfortunately, many churches provide little equipping  in small-group leadership - especially  in the personal ministry of the Word of speaking the truth in love." (Robert Kellemen, Equipping Counselors for Your Church, Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2011, 41)

Kellemen proposes something better than mere care-and-share small group networks. He recommends "equipping." This is the key role in any leadership.

D) Equipping is the Key for Growing Small Groups

How did the early Church in Acts learn to meet each other's needs so well? Cursory reading may well suggest that the people basically sell all their property and distribute all to anyone in need. That is quite correct. After all, the act of sharing and giving is an act of trust. When one gives away something, one trusts God to provide in other ways.

However, I see something more crucial in the act of meeting one another's needs. Before Acts 4:34, there is Acts 4:31.

"After they prayed, the place where there were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:31)

Bingo! Meeting another's needs is not simply a physical or emotional exercise. It originates from something very spiritual. More specifically, it originates from the Word of God, inspired by the work of the Holy Spirit. It is from the inspiration of the Spirit and spurred the early Church to preach and practice the Word of God boldly. In other words, meeting needs is not the primary role of any group. Meeting needs is a subset of something bigger: Bold proclamation of the Word.

This is where the equipping of the saints is highly crucial. Remember Jesus' reply to the tempter in Matthew 4:4? Responding to the temptation of turning stones into bread, Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

E) The True Source of Meeting Needs

It is easy to be distracted by the needs around us (bread) that we forget the true source of help (Word). It is also tempting to try to touch every single life we meet with our modern church models, even small groups, substituting our primary responsibility (to proclaim God) with our secondary duties (meeting needs). Worse, while trying to meet needs as a primary focus, we end up trying to play the role of God. Can a blind lead the blind? Can the weary bring true rest to the needy? Are leaders really super-counselors that they have less needs than others?

No! If meeting needs is the key focus of any leader in the church, it is only a matter of time before that leader burns out. The key focus of a leader is to equip. There is no substitution for the Word of God. Kellemen adds,

"Our trainees need to feed on God's Word. They need to develop the conviction that the deepest questions of the human soul are God-questions, and that we find our deepest answers in God's Word." (Kellemen, Equipping Counselors, 207)

Let me repeat. Meeting the needs of members are secondary purposes of any small group.  That is the responsibility of the movement of the Holy Spirit. The primary responsibility is the Word of God. Our role is to equip one another in the Word, to disciple one another to become more like Christ. In prayer, in coming together, in sharing, we must always have the Word of God in our midst. Otherwise, we can easily become another statistic in the unending numbers of needy ones. As we fix our eyes on God, through the Word of God, our awareness of our neediness becomes strangely dim, in the light of God's glory and grace.


THOUGHT: Plant a word in the mind, and you will reap an act. Plant the act and you will reap a habit. Plant a habit and you will reap a character. Plant a character and you will reap a nature. Plant a nature and you will reap a destiny. (unknown)


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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

Four Kinds of Small Group Participants

TITLE: FOUR KINDS OF SMALL GROUP PARTICIPANTS
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:1
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 3 Apr 2012

"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2)

[This is Part 3 of a series on Small Group Ministry]

This week, an opinion poll suggests that "Canadians want everything for nothing." The statement is based on half the number of people surveyed who will vote against any politician who hikes taxes. While they are quick to demand for all things, from social welfare to personal benefits, they are extremely reticent, even vocal against paying for them. Paul Kershaw, a professor at the University of British Columbia observes that there are more people with an "anti-tax" sentiment who "want something for nothing." (Source: News1130.com, May 2nd, 2012)

Scary. If the report is true, that we are seeing a new generation of people who want everything, but unwilling to give anything, we are in trouble. In economic theory, the:re is what is called a "multiplier effect," where a stimulus leads to a knock-on effect that will generate a life of its own. Governments often provide the initial investment. A simple example goes like this. The Government issues a billion dollar contract to a big corporation to build a highway. This big corporation goes on to engage hundreds of other subcontractors and workers, who in turn benefit other entities like restaurants, hotels, transportation, logistics, school, and other miscellaneous sectors. In other words, one giant stimulus gets multiplied many fold. While there are other practical limits to such a theory, the idea is basically this: Giving stimulates economic activity or giving, taking, and sharing.

What if in our small groups in church, we see more of such people who give nothing but expect everything? There will be no multiplier effect. Worse, it becomes a shrinking effect when everybody takes and nobody gives. Continuing our series on small groups, this week, I like to suggest that there are at least four kinds of people in any small group environment. On the healthy end of the spectrum is a group called "healthy lambs" and "skinny goats" that nourish the whole community. On the unhealthy end, the appearance of "lamp-poles" and "leeches" suck away the life of the group. My main point in this article is that we should all strive to become the healthy kind, the healthy lamb. Let me first begin with the worst kind of participant, what I call the LEECH. Eeek!

SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP

TITLE: SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:13-14
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 27 Apr 2012

"Some however, made fun of them and said, 'They have too much wine.' Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd." (Acts 2:14)

This is Part 2 of a series of 4 articles dedicated to small groups ministry. For the next three weeks, I will write about small groups with regards to leadership, to meeting inner membership needs, and to reaching out and outreach as a group.

A) Leaders are So Hard to Find

I have been involved with small groups ministry for a long time. Since my Inter-Varsity days, where I first came to the faith, I have been active as a participant, as an organizer, as a leader, and increasingly as a trainer and equipper. Everywhere I go, there is a recurring need: Leaders.

Leaders are so hard to find. Good leaders are even more difficult to get. This is why one of the most important activities in the Church is training and development. Back in my undergraduate days when I first became a Christian, I was filled with enthusiasm to be with fellow believers, to learn from my seniors, and to grow in Christ. I read. I pray. I memorize Scripture. When it comes to the Annual Leadership Conference organized by my fellowship, I would just say to myself that those are for the more experienced, the more capable, and the more mature people. I had no sense of calling. I had no idea what leadership actually means or requires. I preferred to simply grow my own faith, and be content with my small circle of brothers and sisters in Christ. Living together in the hostel can be fun. People would come by my room each day, thanks to my proximity to my neighbours who were extremely active in the Christian Fellowship. They had many more years of experience as a Christian than me. I was barely two years old in Christ. One evening, the chairman of the Fellowship came by. I was visiting my neighbours. He was confirming the attendance list for the annual leadership training event with my esteemed neighbours. I happened to be visiting and chatting away with them. The chairman said that he had one last spot on the Christian leadership training course. Whether it is by coincidence or by divine calling, he saw me and offered me the opportunity to take that last spot.

I was bowled over. Me? I'm such a young believer.

My neighbours egged me on. The chairman looked at me with an inviting eye. I was floored. Resistance then is futile. Thus began my introduction to leadership. Simply put, I was there at the right time, at the right place, and at the right moment. I did not know why I accepted the opportunity then. What I do know is that I am glad I accepted the invitation. It opened my eyes to the new world of being a leader for Christ. It encouraged me to grow in ways that I would never have dreamed possible.

B) Sweet Spot of Leadership

Leadership Discernment: G.O.A.L

One of the ways in which discernment needs to do is to locate what Max Lucado calls the "sweet spot." I like to call it the G.O.A.L. Comprising three concentric circles, spiritual discernment is to find the spot where three things intersect: Gloryfying God; Opportunity to Serve, and Availability of our Strengths, toward Leading for God. I call it the way to discern our calling.

Three questions are to be asked in discerning God's call for leadership.

1. G: How does it glorify God?
2. O: What are the opportunities and needs in my community?
3. A: What are my available strengths?

The central point of intersection is a great spot for us to discern our calling to leadership.

B) G = Glorifying God

When the early Church experienced ridicule from people who said that they were drunk from wine, Peter stood up to lead the disciples. Instead of cowing away in fear like what he did to Jesus when he denied Christ thrice, Peter became a fearless witness for God. He seeks to glorify God with his leadership.

In small group environments, sometimes it is easy to get caught up in trying to make small groups an end in themselves. Call it a "Holy Huddle" or an exclusive "Holy Club." These groups exist only for themselves. I have known of groups which continue to remain in the similar size for decades. They are mainly content in serving one another. Leaders need to learn to see beyond the obvious membership needs. As a Shepherd, he/she needs to keep in mind how the group glorifies God. One of the things I regularly do in my group is to worship as a group. Playing musical instruments is not a requirement for leadership though it can surely enrich the worship experience. One reason why I like to encourage singing as a group is because it unites all of us to sing as one body. In singing, we remind one another the reason we gather. Songs like "As we gather" or "Bind us Together" remind us of our common bond in Christ and the reason we gather. The key is to let the worship guide our thoughts and to allow the Spirit of God to set the mood for the meeting. If there is no one who can play the music, use an MP3 player, or a Youtube video. Sing Acapella. Read Scripture. Leaders must be worshipers themselves. Worshipers will worship regardless of music, instruments or available facilities. The moment the prospective leader shuns away from worship, he has disqualified himself from leadership.

C) O=Opportunities

The Early Church waited for the Holy Spirit to come, and when the Spirit fills their hearts, they are empowered to serve and the share the gospel. Acts 2 shows us that the people were gathered together as one body when the Spirit arrives. Being Church is essentially coming together as a people of God in the Name of Christ. When people come together, they open themselves to learn to recognize needs within the group as well as outside the group.

The next question to ask is about the opportunities and needs around us. It is tragic to see groups disperse when the leader fails to turn up for the meeting. When I lead groups, I make attendance a priority. The one person expected to be present at ALL meetings is the leader. As I look back at my years in leading small groups, I notice one thing: No one else beats my attendance record. Another thing is, I find coming to small group gatherings a joy rather than a chore.

The needs of any group are many. Probe deeper and one will easily find all kinds of challenges. They can range from issues with spouses to discipline matters with children. While people can sometimes choose to come on the basis of how interesting the topic of study is, when the relationships are there, people will come. In other words, for those without good relationships with the other group members, often come to the meetings on the basis of how interesting the study is or how convenient the meeting times and locations are. Those with good relationships will come regardless of the logistics or the study.

Leaders are to maintain a conscious balance for both content of the meetings as well as the relationships among the group. The most important opportunity available for leaders is prayer. Leaders must be prayerful people for their group members. If a prospective leader shuns from prayer, he has disqualified himself from leading small groups.

D) A=Availability

Peter has a gift of leadership. As the spokesman of the group, he stood up with the Eleven to address the  crowd. He made himself available to be used by God, on behalf of the group, to share with the hearers outside the group. Peter could have said that he is busy trying to unite his small group of new believers. He could have spent time to analyze what had happened when the Spirit fell on them. He could have avoided the ridicule of the people by just closing the door in the upper room. Instead, he made himself available to speak for the group, and for God.

In our modern world, "busy" is our common name. It is a cultural symbol of importance. It becomes a convenient excuse for anything we try to avoid. "Busy" is a catch-all reason not to go for any small group meetings. When one is unwilling, any reason is good enough, including busyness. If a prospective leader is not willing to make sacrifices, to make him or herself available for the greater cause, he/she has disqualified him/herself from leadership.

E) Leaders are Called

Leading small groups is not necessarily difficult. Taking up the mantle of leadership can be quite an easy feat. The challenge is to grow in leadership. Entering is easy. Sustaining is hard. Good leaders are growing leaders themselves. They need to. I take encouragement from the life of Peter. Having been a disciple of Jesus for three years, his number of years as a believer is perhaps about 4 years by Acts 2. Some Churches tend to choose only from people who have more than 10 years as a believer. No. I know of some who have been Christians for many years but remain spiritual babies. On the other hand, there are young Christians who are giants in faith.

My former professor at Regent College has this to say about leadership and calling.

"Inherent in God's call is something fierce and unmanageable. He summons, but he will not be summoned. He does the calling; we do the answering. . . . . . At times we try to tame the call by equating a staff position in a church or religious organization with the call itself. But the call always transcends the things we do to earn money, even if those things are done in the church. Our vocation in Christ is one thing; our occupations, quite another." (Darrell W. Johnson, "The Call to Ministry," in Leadership Handbook of Management and Administration, Baker Books, 2007, 43)

I thought about my early years as a Christian. In my heart, I asked about how best to glorify God (G). The opportunity to be trained as a leader was offered to me: (O). Inside my heart I was nervous but keen to take the step of faith. I made myself available (A). That began my growth as a leader.

What about you? Is God calling you to avail yourselves to be a leader? Are you willing to step up to serve? Are you willing to carve out time to pray for your group members? Are you prepared to give up personal comfort for the sake of community benefit? If the answer to any of these is yes, follow the Spirit's prompting.

THOUGHT: "We often say we have no priest, but that is not so. The fact is that we are all priests, or potential priests. In the same way, we may think we have no leaders, but that is not so either. We are all leaders, or potential leaders. Just as we are all required to be prepared to minister through the spoken word, we are all required to be prepared to receive a leading, or a prompting which may call us and others in directions we had not dreamt of." (Margaret Heathfield, a Quaker)

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.

On Small Groups

TITLE: ON SMALL GROUPS
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:42-47
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 20 Apr 2012

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."(Acts 2:42-47)

I will be graduating next month from my doctoral program. That means, after May 11th, you can officially call me (Dr), though I will feel weird about it all. I want to pay tribute to my small group in Singapore. Many of them have been supporting me in different ways for the many years since I left for Vancouver. Thus, for the next four weeks, beginning with this article, I will be writing on small group matters. This week, I will be reflecting on small groups as a necessary part of any Church. Growing Churches will have vibrant small groups. Growing groups have people who are convicted by the Holy Spirit about one's sin, counseled by one another, and live in community that shares not just material needs, but spiritual needs.

A) Growing Churches (Acts Style vs Modern Style)

I have read Acts 2 umpteen times, never bored, always amazed. Amazed at how united the members of the early Church are. Amazed at how diligent they meet on a daily basis. Amazed at the same things that they do and yet they do not seem to be bored by the routine.  Most of all, I am amazed that the Lord added to their numbers on a daily basis. In a context of a Western Church that seems to be shrinking year after year, this passage of Scripture appears out of this world! The Church in Acts shares everything they have. The modern Church takes when it is possible. The Acts Church comes together daily enthusiastically. The modern Church gathers on a weekly basis, depending on one's work schedule.The Acts Church gave fully of what they have. The modern Church gives a little of what they have. The Acts Church enjoys the favor of all the people. Many in the modern Church expect favor from people.

In a nutshell, the modern Church is a far cry from the early Church. I confess I may have been a little harsh on the modern Church. My point is that I am more amazed at how the Church in Acts behave. I am simply giving credit where credit is due. The Acts Church is amazing! It does something that modern Church seminars, inspirational talks, or leadership conferences cannot replicate. Growth. We have seen how the world's largest Church has grown beyond a million members. South Korea's David Cho Yonggi's Church has been growing tremendously. We have also seen the great success stories of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, as well as Rick Warren's Saddleback Church. There are also stories of the unofficial church in China, North Korea, and elsewhere in Africa that are growing by leaps and bounds.  A sizable amount of growth comes from the prosperity gospel camp.

B) A Growing Church Has Vibrant Small Groups

Go to most growing churches and you can easily hear leaders talking up the impact of small groups and how people's lives have been changed. Most churches have them. Traditional churches need them. Megachurches thrive on them. One of the biggest impacts have come about through the popular concept of 'cell groups.'

Groups are essential to any Church. It is essential for community building. A healthy Church is not one that has a big building packed every Sunday. A healthy Church is one that has every member in a small group. In other words, a healthy Church is not an efficiently run organization, but a living organism. An organization can strategize, plan, and implement programs to attract people. An organism will be attractive in itself. After all, if a person is cared for, and is able to care for others, everything else is secondary. That includes programs, type of study materials, or the logistics of meeting times and places. If a person has a reason to come, he/she will find every means to make it to the meeting. If the person does not want to come, any excuse is possible.

C) A Program Is Only An Introduction

I once interviewed a pastor at a large Church about his Church strategy for growth. "Programs!" he said. His reasoning was that the programs are needed to meet the different needs of the people. Thus, there are programs for different ethnic groups, various age groups, and all kinds of interest groups. The basic conviction is that, with the right program mix, the people will keep coming, and keep bringing friends. I am not too sure if that works. I know of several people from that same church. Apparently, they are not very involved in the Church at all. "Attend Church service only" is the regular answer. The pastors do not know them. They do not know others. Others do not even know they exist. My problem with this approach is that programs may draw people in, but they do not necessarily build relationships. We build relationships with people meeting people where they are, not programs catering to people's tastes.

My point is, programs come and go. People live and love. Programs only lead us to the meeting place, but the rest is up to the people. Programs are temporal. People are not. If that is the case, why focus on programs when we ought to focus on people?

Now, let me be clear. I am not against programs. I simply want to maintain that programs are only introductions or invitations. The growing and the relating is up to God using us, and us obeying the Spirit's leading.

D) Small Groups are Necessary

John Wesley has often been credited with the invention of small groups. Douglas Hunt calls Wesley the "pioneer of small-group evangelism." Tim Stafford acknowledges the small group as one of Wesley's "most enduring legacies." It has also been widely recorded that John Wesley's famous "Holy Club" marks one of the earliest versions of Wesleyan style small groups. Here is one tip that Wesley has given the Christian world. D Michael Henderson has even called John Wesley's Class Meetings as the "Model for Making Disciples." John Wesley writes about the beginning of a small group.

"In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or ten persons came to me in London, who appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for redemption. They desired (as did two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with them in prayer, and advise them how to flee from the wrath to come; which they say continually hanging over their heads; that we might have more time for this great work, I appointed a day when they might all come together; which from thenceforward, they did every week, namely, on Thursday, in the evening. To these, and as many more as desired to join with them (for their number increased daily) I gave those advices, from time to time, which I judged most needful for them; and we always concluded our meeting with prayer suited to their several necessities." (John Wesley, in his Preface to the Rules of the Societies)

Like the Acts Church, I am amazed at John Wesley's strict no-holds-barred purpose of conviction, counsel, and communion. Firstly, there is a conviction to tackle sin head on. Secondly, there is counsel via opportunities to pray and come together to meet on a regular basis. While it is a little different from the Acts Church which meets regularly, Wesley's model follows the rules of consistency (every week) rather than a literal copy of Acts (every day). Thirdly, there is a communion element, whether people's needs are addressed via prayer.

Be amazed by the quantity of people being added in the Acts Church. Be amazed by the desire of people to meet to confess sins and grow in Christ during Wesley's times. Can you be amazed by opportunities in your Church to grow small groups? You do not need many. Just begin with two or three persons and launch a small group. Do all the sowing that you can. Do all the watering that you can. Do all the care and cultivation that you can. Then sit back. Pray. Relax, and watch the Holy Spirit makes it grow.

THOUGHT: "The heart of this revolutionary system was a cell group of six to eight people which Wesley named 'the class meeting.' They met weekly to give an account of their personal spiritual growth, according to the rules and following the procedures which Wesley had carefully crafted. The class meeting proved to be such an effective tool for radical personal change that it can be acknowledged as the pivotal medium which enabled the message to be internalized. The Methodist movement helped shape England's moral and spiritual destiny, and its impact continues to be felt around the world, . . . . . but the key element was the class meeting." (D. Michael Henderson, A Model for Making Disciples, Evangel Publishing, 1997, p11-12)

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Copyright by SabbathWalk. This devotional is sent to you free of charge. If you feel blessed or ministered to by SabbathWalk weekly devotionals, feel free to forward to friends, or to invite them to subscribe online at http://blog.sabbathwalk.org . You can also send me an email at cyap@sabbathwalk.org for comments or enquiries.