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Message Notes
What has God called us to do together as a body of believers?
- We are called to gather together.
“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” —Matthew 16:18
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” —Hebrews 10:24-25
And the writer says this as clearly as can be – do not neglect meeting together. Do not give up meeting together. As some are in the habit of doing
“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” —Hebrews 10:25
- We are called to grow together.
“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,” —Acts 2:46
What does the Bible teach us about growing together?
God Himself values doing life in a group.
The Trinity
The Disciples
- We were not created to do life alone.
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.’” —Genesis 2:18
Big Problems in Our Culture – Isolationism
“Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is the more attractive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. ‘For whom am I toiling,’ he asked, ‘and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?’ This too is meaningless– a miserable business! Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” —Ecclesiastes 4:7-12
- Spiritual growth is not an option; it’s a command.
“So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.” —Hebrews 6:1
- The early church and Jewish culture modeled the idea of growing together in groups.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” —Acts 2:42
“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,” —Acts 2:46
- In Jewish culture and the early church, STUDY was considered the highest form of worship.
- It was always assumed that the Body of Christ would grow together in groups.
How have we chosen to grow together at West Ridge Church?
Groups at West Ridge
- Healthy and Growing
- Fractured – You’ve tried to connect, but you couldn’t
- Disbanded – You’ve been in a group but it no longer meets
- Disillusioned – you’ve tried a group, but had either a bad experience or couldn’t find a fit.
- Brand new to the whole experience.
Here’s what we’ve learned about growing together in small groups.
- Groups are not always easy. (child care, people not showing up, EGRs, disunity, etc)
- Community is not about utopia…it’s actually pretty messy. (someone in the group is always struggling)
- Being in a group is an investment
- Life change happens in groups
- Scripture never says to stop trying to grow together.
Growing together is a key to living and a vital part of the church.