HOW DO HOME GROUPS FIT INTO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH?

Lighthouse Bible Church, as a covenant people, are committed to growing together. We gather to grow. Wherever we meet, that is a place to grow. A building can facilitate growth; but real growth happens as people worship together, hear and respond to God’s Word, interact with one another, and form meaningful relationships. That’s what we’re all about.

Real growth in the lives of believers at Lighthouse takes place in four environments: the Corporate Gathering, Smaller Groups, Individual Discipleship, and Private Communion with God.

This way of living originated with Jesus. He modeled for us how to live in these four environments.  Later the first church, led by the apostles, followed this pattern of Christ as well.  Look up the following verses to observe this biblical pattern for the Lord’s church.

Corporate Gathering – This is all the people of a local church gathering (Acts 5:42; 11:26) to learn, worship, share, and grow with authentic awe, grace, passion, and joy by means of:

•       Praying the Word – John 15:7, 14; 1 John 5:14; Acts 4:24–30; 1 Timothy 2:1
•       Reading the Word – 1 Timothy 4:13-15
•       Singing the Word – Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 15:3-4
•       Preaching the Word – Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 4:2
•       Obeying and symbolizing the Word through baptism – Matthew 28:19-20 – and the Lord’s Supper – Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:24-30
•       Giving to spread the Word – 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7

Smaller Groups – These are smaller groups of Christians within the church who meet to mutually enhance their relationship with God by:

•       Praying together – Acts 1:13-14, 24; 4:23-24; 12:5; 21:5; 2 Corinthians 1:11; James 5:16
•       Sharing life together – Acts 2:42, 46; 1 John 1:1-3; Romans 12:5; Romans 12:13
•       Discussing and applying the Word together – Acts 17:11; 20:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:18
•       Exhorting and edifying each other in love – Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 3:13

Individual Discipleship – This happens when a Christian intentionally impacts the life of another in the direction of Christlikeness by means of:

•       Developing a close, spiritual relationship with an individual; maintaining a prayer-partnership; and mentoring or being mentored to have a deeper, fuller relationship with Jesus. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Acts 16:2; 2 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 3:14
•       Sharing your story with those with whom you come in contact, particularly seekers who are in need of the Gospel.

Private Communion With God – This is the daily communion (Nehemiah 1:4; Psalm 5:3; 27:8; Mark 1:35; Philemon 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:3) a Christian has with his Lord through prayer and the Word which is expressed through:

•       Praising and worshiping God.
•       Petitioning Him for grace in his life and in the lives of others.
•       Confessing sins and failures.
•       Meditating on the Word.
•       Studying and pursuing the knowledge of God.

WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE IN A HOME GROUP?

Because We Need to Share Life Together

Home Groups give the people of the church the opportunity to obey Christ’s command to love one another. This love for one another compels us to share our material and spiritual lives with each other. – Romans 12:13; 1 Corinthians 12:25; Philemon 1:2; Galatians 2:9

The first church modeled this for us. Notice in the following verses how the believers met all together in the temple but also split into smaller groups from “house to house.” The believers within the church shared their material lives (their homes, their food, their possessions) and their spiritual lives (their prayers, their fellowship, their worship). – Acts 2:44

The concept of believers sharing their lives together is seen many times throughout the New Testament.  Here is a small sampling of the many “one anothering” passages.

       Restore one another – Matthew 18:15-19

       Mutually encourage one another – Romans 1:11-12

       Weep with one another – Romans 12:15

       Suffer with one another – 1 Corinthians 12:26

       Comfort one another – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

       Restore one another – Galatians 6:1-3

       Forgive each other – Ephesians 4:32

       Admonish and teach one another – Colossians 1:25-2:2

       Love one another – 2 Thessalonians 1:3

       Pray for one another – James 5:13-16

       Offer hospitality to one another – 1 Peter 4:9

       Have fellowship with one another – 1 John 1:7

Because We Need to Discuss and Apply the Word Together

Home Groups are not a replacement for the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. Rather, they exist to give a forum for believers to discuss and apply the Word together. So once a believer hears the Word preached in a large group setting, he should take that Word and interact with other believers in a smaller setting. Consider the following Biblical examples:

       After the Berean church heard the Word preached by Paul, they searched the Scriptures together. They listened to the Word taught but then went out and discussed the teaching together. – Acts 17:11

       Paul preaching publicly; but he also chose the more intimate setting of the home to gather with believers. – Acts 20:20

       The Colossian Christians were instructed to be Word-filled believers, and then to take the Word and minister to each other through teaching and admonishing. – Colossians 3:16

       The Thessalonian believers heard the Word read and expounded in their church, but the ministry of the Word did not stop there. They were instructed to take the Scriptures they heard and use them to comfort and build up other believers. – 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Because We Need to Exhort and Edify Each Other In Love

Believers in the church need each other. No believer can grow spiritually with a “go-it-alone” approach. Spiritual growth takes place within the context of believers exhorting and edifying one another. 

       Exhortation needs to take place daily. Exhortation is not a “one-and-done” action. Believers need this constant urging to keep fighting the spiritual war. – Hebrews 3:13

       Regular exhortation changes lives. Just look at Barnabas, the encourager. He exhorted believers in the church, and it changed their lives (i.e., they followed the Lord) and the lives of people in their Home (i.e., people were saved). – Acts 11:23

       Exhortation happens in relational settings. According to Hebrews 10:25, what is the urgency to regularly gather? To exhort! Therefore, we are not to forsake gathering together to do this.

       Edification causes spiritual growth. Believers in the church grow spiritually as they edify each other in love. Without these mutually beneficial relationships, the church suffers and individuals are thrown off course spiritually. – Ephesians 4:16

       Spiritually and generationally younger believers need relationships with more mature believers. The older should be building up the faith of the younger. The faithful must be passing on truth to other believers. – 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:4

Because We Need to Pray Together

The people of the church need to belong to a group of Christians within the church with whom they are praying. This group gathers to pray for each other and the other members of the church.

Consider the following reasons the first century church prayed together. They gathered:

       To pray for wisdom – Acts 1:13-14

       To pray for boldness to obey Christ – Acts 4:29

       To pray for another believer’s specific requests – Acts 12:5

       To pray for Gospel workers – 2 Corinthians 1:11

       To pray for spiritual strength – James 5:16

       To pray for political authorities and the church’s spiritual growth – 1 Timothy 2:1