We Are Family: How Fellowship Groups Help Us Grow Together

At the Cross

Welcome (Hopson Boutot)

Good morning family! Hear the Word of the Lord...

Ephesians 2:13-19 —“...in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

At the cross Jesus did more then roll away the burden of your heart. He did more than devote His sacred head for sinners such as you and I. He also made you a part of a family.

Today we’re concluding our sermon series on our five identities by studying our identity as a family.

Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 4:11. PAGE 1161

While you’re turning, 2 quick announcements:

Before you get too excited, just know that one of my announcements has six sub-points

1) A word about PBC. We are Family.

Fellowship Groups

Six quick questions about FGs...

What?

Not a Bible study (although we’ll talk about the BIble)

Not an accountability group (although hopefully we’ll keep each other accountability)

Small groups meeting in homes to facilitate fellowship

Who?

You don’t have to be a member to join a FG, but if you are a member we encourage you to join

For families: we have 3 homes open to kids. Each group will facilitate their own childcare.

Where?

3 groups in Poquoson (1 is already full), 2 in Newport News, and 1 in Yorktown

When?

Groups begin meeting next week and will conclude before Thanksgiving

If you don't like your group, don't worry it'll be over soon!

1 group on Tuesday mornings, 5 on Wednesday nights.

How do I sign up?

Sign up online or at the blue flag

Why should I sign up?

For an answer to that question, stay awake during the sermon

That was announcement #1

2) TableTalk at 5:30 (“One Another”)

Jason Wells will be teaching us about the command in 1 Corinthians 12:25 that Christians “care for one another”

Now look in your Bibles at Ephesians 4:11 as Shelly Robertson comes to read for us.

Scripture Reading (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Prayer of Praise (God is Spirit), Shelly Robertson

Yes I Will

I Stand in Awe

Prayer of Confession (Rebellion), Adam Hess

Glorify Thy Name

PBC Catechism #35

Pastoral Prayer (John Rogers)

SERMON

Last year the evangelical world was abuzz with a podcast called The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. The podcast told the story of explosive growth in a church in Seattle called Mars Hill Church. What started as a home Bible study in 1996 exploded to 15 locations across 4 U.S. states. with over 15,000 members. It’s main preaching pastor grew to the #1 preacher on iTunes, with more than 260,000 sermon views online every week.

But the meteoric rise of Mars Hill would be sadly short-lived.

18 years after it’s launch, the church that became one one of the fastest-growing churches in the country shut it’s doors for good.

The story of Mars Hill Church is a story with many sad and shocking twists and turns. But it’s a parable about church growth.

It’s a painful reminder that not all church growth is created equal.

Turn to Ephesians 4

Around 60 AD, Paul wrote a letter to a group of churches he planted in the region of Ephesus during his three years there

In that letter, the Spirit prompted Paul to write to these churches about healthy growth

Ephesians 4:11-16—And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Not all church growth is created equal.

PBC: my desire for us is to experience healthy growth

Let’s consider the marks of healthy growth (what it looks like), the means to healthy growth (what God uses to accomplish healthy growth) and a method to healthy growth (how we’re going to use the means that God supplies)

1) The MARKS of Healthy Growth

Notice what isn’t here...

Number of baptisms

Number of people in the pews

Number of church plants

Size of the budget

Number of events, mission programs, ministries, etc.

All those things have their place, but none of them are key indicators of healthy growth

Four key marks of healthy growth...

A) Unified DIVERSITY

v. 11-13—And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God...

Notice first, there’s diversity. Some have titles, others don’t.

But there’s also unity—until we all attain to the unity of the faith

We want unity, not uniformity

B) Spiritual MATURITY

v. 13—...mature manhood...

What is manhood?

Ben Rector—Is it the things you've done, the places that you've been? Chasin' down some dream you'vе been imaginin'? Or is it makin' peace with who you are and whеre you stand? I'm tryin' to find what makes a man.

Today we have plenty of boys who can shave

One of the marks of a man in Paul’s culture was the ability to reproduce and care for your offspring.

Christian: are you reproducing? Are you making disciples? If not, you may look mature but you’re not mature.

C) Theological STABILITY

v. 14—so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

Many Christians are being tossed to and fro...

Sex, gender, marriage, sanctity of life, justice, etc.

Healthy growth leads to theological stability

D) Relational DEPENDENCY

v. 16—from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Christian: you can’t grow healthy by yourself!!!

We are family!!!!

If that’s what healthy growth looks like, what does God use to accomplish it?

2) The MEANS to Healthy Growth

Have you ever heard the phrase, “the end justifies the means?” The end is the desired goal or outcome. The means are the resources that you use to achieve the outcome.

If your end goal was weight loss, what means would you employ? The two most tried and true means would be diet and exercise.

If our goal is healthy growth, what means do we employ?

That’s actually the wrong question. Because healthy growth isn’t the work of men and women. It’s the work of Jesus.

4:15-16—Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Healthy growth comes from Christ!

Matthew 16:18—“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.”

Better question: what means does Jesus use to grow His church?

Who cares?!? Jesus is going to do whatever He wants!!!

Physical growth ultimately comes from God, but we shouldn’t say “I don’t need to feed my baby because growth comes from God!” God uses normal means like nutritious food to help us grow.

What means does Jesus use to grow His church?

The NT teaches there are two primary means...

A) God’s Word

As He’s preparing to die, Jesus prays to the Father and He says something incredibly important about how God grows His church...

John 17:17—“Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth.”

Healthy growth comes through the Word of God!

Paul alludes to the same reality in our text...

4:11-12—[Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ

When Paul refers to the apostles and prophets, he’s not referring to an ongoing office in the life of the church, but the foundation upon which the church was built

Ephesians 2:19-20—So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.

Prophets = authors of OT

Apostles = authors of NT

When Paul refers to evangelists he’s referring to those who proclaim the Good News

1 Corinthians 15:1-4—Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL

Unbeliever: repent and believe!

Notice that the Gospel comes to us from the Scriptures!!!

When Paul refers to shepherds and teachers he’s referring to those who teach and preach God’s Word in the local church

Jesus intends for healthy growth to happen in His churches through the Scriptures.

This is why we… read Scripture, pray Scripture, sing Scripture, and preach Scripture!!!

B) God’s People

Notice the goal of shepherds and teachers is not to be the doers of Christian ministry, but “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”

If we keep reading, it becomes clear that this ministry happens in the context of relationships

4:13-16—until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Notice the corporate goal here:

Not that you individually may no longer be a child, but that we may no longer be children

Your job, Christian, is bigger than your personal holiness. It’s the holiness of your church family!

In the book The Trellis and the Vine, the authors argue that many Christians think of life in the church like Formula 1 motor racing. There’s really only one driver, and the rest of the people involved work in the background. They might work on the pitstop crew, help to finance the team, or find sponsors and organize logos to be painted on the cars. But the driver is the superstar and the focus, and the rest of the team work in the background. So the pastor is the “professional” and everyone else’s job is simply to support him.

But the Bible paints a very different picture. Instead of a pitstop crew, we’re more like players on a soccer team. In soccer there are leaders and captains and different positions, but everyone is a player. All of us work together to move the ball downfield. [1]

In his commentary on Ephesians Richard Coekin uses the same idea [2] …

SHOW CHURCH AS SOCCER TEAM IMAGE

We tend to think of ourselves as the spectators in the stands, watching the professional performers every time we go to church

But the biblical vision sees every member as a part of a team.

Pastors aren’t the professional performers, we’re like player-coaches who help train the congregation

The spotlights represent the Holy Spirit, using His Word to bring change in God’s people

The spectators are our friends, family, colleagues, and community

Your job, Christian, is not to merely watch ministry unfold in front of you, but to roll up your sleeves and get in the game!

Go back to those four marks of healthy growth (united diversity, spiritual maturity, theological stability, and relational dependency)… it’s all our job to help promote those virtues in our church!

Jamie Dunlop—"The Sunday morning sermon isn't the finish line for Word ministry, it's the starting line." [3]

If the means that Jesus uses to grow His church are God’s Word through God’s people, how do we structure our life together to help that happen?

3) A METHOD for Healthy Growth

What’s the difference between means and methods?

The means are the instruments or equipment used to accomplish something. The methods are the techniques or procedures used to accomplish that thing.

So your means to dig a hole could be a shovel or a post hole digger or an auger. Your methods would be how you use those tools.

If the tools Jesus uses to grow His church are God’s Word and God’s people, how do we use those tools?

Sunday Sermons are necessary, but not sufficient

We’re mostly listening to one person

We’re not speaking to one another

Sunday School can be helpful, but it still misses the mark

Still usually listening to one person

We’re only with a smaller subset of the congregation

Often split up based on age or gender

We need a method...

Where God’s people spend time together

Where we talk about God’s Word

Where there’s diversity (not split up by age, gender, life stage, etc.)

Where we’re not with the same group of people forever but we’re getting to know different people all over the church!

What if I told you to climb the wall behind me? Guaranteed there would be one or two strapping young men ready to prove that they could do it, but most of us would say this is so hard and seemingly impossible that we’re not even going to try.

But what if we filled that wall with climbing holds for you to grab onto, and strapped you up with a rope and harness . . . it might still be hard, but what seemed impossible would now seem like something that many of us could at least attempt

SHOW CLIMBING WALL IMAGE

That’s how we envision our Fellowship Groups functioning at PBC.

Unlike other small group models, we don’t split up based on age

Watching one of our teenagers, Sarah Evans, come out of her shell and form relationships with others in the church

Hearing stories about how Linda Forbes bonded with a young single lady half her age

Linda Johnson— “Due to experiences with rejection and trials, I hold back from involvement in order to avoid being hurt. The Fellowship Groups have enabled me to step out without the feeling of being judged. Arthur and I have stepped out of our comfort zones and met some amazing young adults that we would otherwise not have met.”

Unlike other small group models, we deliberately end our groups after a season

Getting to know Arthur Johnson’s humor

Watching my children bond with the Hammond kids

Learning Terry Windham’s love for 80’s music

Unlike other small group models, we’re not adding study requirements like a book/video study

We read the Scripture passage from the previous Sunday and press that truth into one another’s lives

Watching a group encourage Miguel and Cassie when they opened up about what they were going through

Hearing Holly and Aaron encourage one another through their struggles with doubt after similar spiritual upbringings

NOT saying the only way for this church to experience healthy growth is through a fellowship group. It’s A method, not THE method.

If you have another method for regularly getting involved in the lives of all sorts of people at PBC so you can speak the truth in love, praise God!!!

But if you don’t, consider how God might use these groups to help us (and you!) grow

Why should I join a Fellowship Group?

Can't point to chapter and verse saying you have to join a group like this, but let me give you some reasons why I think it would help you . . .

It's too easy to hide in a larger gathering

It's too easy to be passive during a sermon

There is little to no accountability during corporate worship

It's too easy to quickly move on from the sermon without small group engagement

We're prone to think we matter too little in corporate worship (my ideas/struggles/etc. aren't important)

We're prone to think we matter too much in corporate worship (forgetting your responsibility to love and serve the whole body)

There's little opportunity to ask questions and interact during corporate worship

There's little opportunity to pray for specific, personal needs in corporate worship

To God Be the Glory

Benediction (Eph. 6:23-24)