In part 3a, I discussed that it is imperative for men to hear the over-arching heartbeat of God throughout the Scriptures and put feet to the values and principles of what the Father wants. The heartbeat that I’m presenting here on Vision Glorious is that God wants to dwell with His people. He wants to be the exclusive God of His people and provide the acceptable Way to approach Him and to know Him. The Father wants to indwell His covenant people, to be God to them and write His laws on their re-founded hearts. God wants His people to live-out His promises and reveal His glory in and through all of the spheres of creation — bringing Him to have FIRST PLACE in everything. And, according to the Scriptures and the patterns presented therein — this is not possible apart from God’s people functioning in Holy Spirit-founded and led community.

The Biblical Promise

While reading through Abraham’s encounter with God, a powerful phrase stood out to me in the promises of God for His people through Abraham.¹ That phrase is when God declares to Abraham, "…and I will be God to you…"

The Lord proved that promise again and again. In Exodus 17 we find the people of Israel complaining and putting God to the test. In other words, they were trying His patience — greatly & dangerously. Their cry was basically, "You saved us from Egypt only to kill us in the desert." Our non-capricious Father not only resisted giving them what they really deserved, but He split-open the face of a rock-cliff and turned it into a water-park to bless them when they felt they were dying of thirst. As a community, God was God to them. And He continued to be God to them even when they were in rebellion to Him while walking through the desert for 40 years. Their shoes never wore out, they had shade by day, light by night, manna by morning, and tabernacle-access throughout.

This is just a start into the biblical material that reflects this heartbeat of God. Almost daily, I’m struck with a new verse where God is affirming this point. Tonight, I’m working on a message out of Revelation 3:18-22- the final part of the letter to the Church at Laodicea. Here in Christ’s exhortation to the people is the idea, "Repent & rid yourselves of this lukewarmness — because I love you² and I rebuke and discipline those whom I love. I will be God to you! I will come back for you and sup with you in perfect, unending, victorious shalom."

I hope to share more verses and thoughts with you in posts to come so that you’ll hear the heartbeat. When I closed our LifeTeam meeting the other night, I asked the members this question, "Where can you tangibly see God being (acting as) God to you in your life?"

A Western, Modern-Day Obstacle

What we’re up against is ourselves; literally, the addictions to self-gratification independent of others — including the way we consume our religion. Who needs ‘em? - when Christianity has been packaged so nicely as an individual journey. I, Alone, want to ‘experience God?’  This is impossible. God is a community-dwelling God and believers are automatically covenanted together and grafted into His family. To have a biblically patterned Church and Christian life, you will definitely become counter-cultural because the Church at its core is not a society of the individual but a unified whole. Author David Wells gives us an insight into the enormous barrier and counter-current to Bible-bred, Christ-centered community:

American culture has tended to resolve the tension (between individualism and conformity) by diverting the stream of individualism into private life and the stream of conformity into public life. Thus it is that in the public sphere Americans are uncomfortable with the unconventional and yearn for consensus, whereas in the private sphere they prize the personal vision, the strength and willingness to live by one’s own lights regardless of what others think and what the conventions dictate.

This combination of traits has created soil uncommonly fertile to worldliness and uncommonly inhospitable to the Church…the modern cultural context is like a pair of powerful pincers locked on the church, in some cases squeezing its identity as the people of God beyond recognition.³

This is one main reason why so many people can be "church-attenders" (public conformists) on the outside and live a "private, personal" life in total contradiction to everything taught on Sunday — and do it for years without anyone noticing. One common characteristic of so many of these people is that you’ll rarely ever see them discipling other people or reproducing themselves in the Kingdom. Where is God showing Himself to be God TO & THROUGH these professing Christians? How is God revealing Himself through the tapestry of His people in accountable relationships in your Church?

Wells continues:

"This adaptation to cultural norms and expectations is precisely the mechanism by which worldliness takes root. On the other side, the need to conform…makes it extremely difficult for the Church to preserve its distinctive identity, to be different… the Church has found it so hard to recognize worldliness and even harder to dislodge it. Indeed, without a powerful theological vision as its antithesis, these cultural currents are impossible to resist.⁴

I would call for the antithesis to be true Christian community that is recognizable as God’s own; where He presses down and through them. What cultural trend would come close to that? This is exactly where LifeTeams (small groups) become the inner-network to penetrate to this level of accountability AND build a bridge between the public and private walk — to the glory of God. It is right here where God shows Himself to be God to the Church — calling one-another into holiness⁵ and taking that power out to the fallen creation for His glory. 

1. I have honestly been meditating for months now on the principle that I’m about to write. It has captured hours of my private attention. I plead patience with readers and learners who are habituated to fast production of blog posts, but I’m not a machine — even though I’ve been called that on a number of occasions… although I do laugh at the Pastor Bauer nickname I’ve been given by friends here. [back]
2. by the way, this is phileos love here — affectionate, tender, and emotional. AND, it’s not me loving Him — but Him loving me. He has won my affection. [back]
3. Wells, David, God in the Wasteland, p. 56, 1994  [back]
4. ibid. p. 57, underline mine [back]
5. Author David Wells describes holiness as "vivid other-worldliness" which I find quite creative. [back]

As I type these different articles, I’d like to again repeat the emphasis on the why for small group ministry much more than the how. Many Churches large and small conduct various types of small group ministry but if you ask them why? the responses will generally sound like:

1. Other Churches are doing it — gotta’ keep up approach.
2. We want to grow our Church — magic beans approach.
3. The people wanted it — wind’s blowing that way approach.
4. We’re trying it out – test-driving a Ferrari but very disappointed it doesn’t come in four doors so we’re not sure we’re going to keep it approach.

But rarely will you be able to mine-out a biblical understanding or uncover a comprehensive¹ foundation for why this function of the Church is needed or practiced.

If you know why you’re conducting and facilitating small group ministry, you will have a great understanding of what is needed and what isn’t. The what always follows the why. Many guys don’t know what to do because they don’t know why they’re doing it already.

It is my firm belief that men need to capture the godly values that are fleshed-out through small group ministry before they ask for the tricks of the trade. What do small groups ultimately strive for? In other words, God has an over-arching heartbeat throughout the Scriptures that we need to tap into and listen to so that we might understand HIS VISION for community & utilize the tools of small group ministry TO KNOW AND TO REALIZE WHAT GOD WANTS. We’re not just throwing programs together here — we’re gaining the heartbeat of God for the Church and the Kingdom. We’re enabling people to come to the Tent of Meeting. It goes so much farther beyond holding a few meetings in homes.

Why does God want you to have small groups? Why does God want true community among His people so eagerly? Why do I need you and you me? Why did God create the family and the Church to function like one? Why will the world know that Jesus is sent from the Father by how we love one another?

1. when I use the word comprehensive, I mean it in a way that small group ministry is described as an intricate part of the biblical pattern for the whole Church. It’s usually a tack-on program; a surgically sewn-on third arm which is not only hideous and extremely uncomfortable, but also difficult to buy shirts for. [back]

The Love of Giving

Jesus turns our thinking and worldview upside-down when we start to study the Biblical principle of love.

The world has its perverted idea of love, but Christ-filled living calls for an altogether different practice.

Here’s the principle: What we cherish, we tightly hold on to. But in following the example of Christ’s love, we are to seek ways to give these precious things away that we may gain the glory of God (2 Corinthians 9:8-10). We grip our possessions and hoard our time. But Christ’s example of love calls for a paradigm shift in the thinking of our minds and the actions of our hands.

Look to Christ’s example, He freely gave away all that he had.  He gave His joy, the Spirit, love, keys of the kingdom, peace, His right as sole heir to the throne, down to His very life that He laid down for our sakes ( Matthew 20:28). There was not a single aspect of Christ that He did not hold onto for His own ( Philippians 2:7). His time was spent wholly for the kingdom. His love, and what possessions Jesus could have had, He forsook and placed personal gain along the wayside. All things took on a Kingdom perspective.

How Much Should We Give to Glorify God?

So the question for us to ask is, "How much of ourselves is for the Kingdom?" Usually the attitude is one of, “if I have extra time this week…or extra money”  — or extra of anything I can think of — then I will dedicate that to the Kingdom. Jesus shows us in Mark 12:43-44 that God’s love goes a step beyond when a poor widow out-gave the whole nation of Israel in one day. She receives honorable commendation from Jesus because God was glorified (revealed) through her love.

On the opposite side is the person who gives it all away. Yet, in this response, we can also find the danger of impure motivations for giving. It’s not love being practiced at all. Selfish motivations do not gain the glory of God but the glory of the individual who is giving.  Paul warns that we can give everything to the poor even to the point of sacrificing ourselves for others. Yet without love, it is baseless giving and defeating the purpose (1 Corinthians 13:3).

In order to live a Christ-centered, Christ-imitating, God-glorifying life, we must turn our society-based values on their heads. If we are to follow Christ’s example we are to live a life of true love (hesed²) characterized by our genuine openness to share God’s blessings with others.

Are God’s blessings so that I may live in more comfort?

We have a hard time giving to the Kingdom — whether it be time or money or even a spouse or child. We must remember from Whom our blessings come and for what purpose. The Lord does not give in abundance to store up, but to have an abundance to give from so that His glory may be unlocked throughout the Earth. What we’re really giving away is our blessed Savior.

Could it not be that Ananias and Sapphira lost their lives by misrepresenting God’s love in His community? Was it really a matter of "what" they gave?³ Or were they struck down more because they pretended to give like God and love themselves? ( Acts 5:1-4)

1. Josh & Carmela Daugereau reside in Sacile, Italy with their two daughters and are active assistants in the ministry of the Serenissima Bible Church and Ministry Group [back]
2. Hesed is the Hebrew word for this kind of self-emptying giving that imitates the way that God gives. [back]
3. Think about it — "how much" they gave really did become a life or death issue. [back]

When you begin to ask specific why? questions, there will be a thirst that will come over your life that drives you to desire, to know,  and to obtain all of the promises the Lord has for His Church. This is a journey (a deep yearning of quality men and women) for "Complete Church."

It is here that I need to introduce a tension-point, or more accurately, a philosophical divide. The Western Church¹ is affixiated with business models, marketing, forms, and programs. Reduced to its naked equation, the magical and hollow formula is hot programs + best location + big money = "successful" results. 

The tension begins when I say that God’s heartbeat isn’t to fill those program-boxes — it’s to fill people.² The Lord wants to save His people from their sin and pour true shalom into their lives (2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 1:20). God’s desire is for Jesus to have preeminence in His Church ( Col. 1:17-19). The Father wants His children to grow to maturity and bear much fruit that will abide in Him to multiply again and again ( John 15:8). All of this and more is available to the believer because God’s heartbeat is to build Himself a dwelling place among His people ~ Ephesians 2:21-22.

Small groups have to start here. They are the small congregations of God. Small groups are Church because the same Christ indwells both large and small gatherings of His people. Again, this is because God wants to fill people that He has made acceptable to Himself. Therefore, the small group can provide the best setting for the life of Jesus Christ to be revealed through His Christ-ones. A main reason for this is because small groups are not task-oriented, but rather, Bible-believer oriented. They can accomplish many tasks, but more importantly, the small groups can help contour disciples to the heartbeat of God = total relationship (da’at Elohim — to know God and be known by Him).

In the next part, we’ll explore more of the Father’s heartbeat through biblical examples and promises. Until then - shalom among His people. 

1. and this is now spreading to many nations beyond the West (Europe and North America) as they "import" western Churchianity. [back]
2. Many men will agree with me here — in theory – but rarely in practice – because they’re so involved in holy turf-wars, orthodoxy tractor-pulls, and who’s-who dress-up conferences contests. Yes, I’m being nice here because I’d never actually want to talk about pride on a cozy blog like this. [back]

Often, when a writer or speaker approaches the subject of small groups they generate a fair amount of interest. Some guys are interested in small groups as if they were a novelty; the "all-new" approach. Other guys are caught in the mythological search for the quick-fix, magic-bullet program that will bring-in lots of people and make their Church "the place" where people want to stay. And there are some who have a genuine interest in knowing what small groups are all about because they sense deep in their spirits that "there’s gotta’ be something more out here to this community thing."¹

First Ask "Why?"

However, it’s at this point that I think most guys start to ask the wrong questions. The questions regularly start with "What are you doing… ?"  or  "How do you do this… ?"  These aren’t bad questions, but their timing is off. Instead of asking what or how, we need to first ask why?  The why questions will keep you thirsty after the core principles that will later bring healthy forms to fruition.

If you don’t ask why? on a regular basis, here is what will happen. You will begin to treat many of the rich promises throughout Scripture of what the Church can really be as cheap, try-on and cast-off programs. Instead of being guided by the Vision, you will hunger for gimmicks and begin to see people as numbers — numbers that build bigger buildings and bigger programs.²

Another important reason for the why? questions is that when the going gets tough and impatient people begin to criticize your biblical community-building efforts as not being fast enough, you need to know "the why" to what you’re doing or you’ll walk away from the Vision.

I spoke with a pastor from Florida once who said, "Boy, I’m sure glad to see small groups are working for you, we tried them out and they didn’t go anywhere after the first eight months — so we don’t do them anymore."  I felt really sad for this guy. He had jettisoned countless opportunities to develop strong servants of the Lord because he had reduced everything to a set little formula.

My Goal in the coming posts is to share with you some of the strongest answers to the why? questions that I have found over the last fifteen years of this journey. I can truly say that these reasons have exhilarated my Christian life and ministry in one of the hardest fields on the planet (Italia).

1. I might mention that this first post of the series is directed more toward pastors and small group leaders, but the principles that will follow will be more for everybody. [back]
2. I hear a number of guys using the punchy little phrase "nickels & noses" to speak of spiritual success referring to attendance and finances in or around their ministries. This, in my opinion, is a hollowed-out approach to people. Most likely in these cases, it will be hard to find authentic, accountable community-life around these ministries. Again, in my opinion, this is equal to sour grapes; you get the skin and the flesh - but the sweetness and rich flavor of the grape just doesn’t taste right because something’s missing. [back]

If you missed it, you can read the first Bon-Bon here. Without further delay, let’s make a bee-line to the nectar: 

"Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ. No Christian community is more or less than this… It means that in Jesus Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.

The Christian is the man who no longer seeks his salvation, his deliverance, his justification in himself but in Jesus Christ alone…He lives wholly by God’s Word pronounced upon him, whether that Word declares him guilty or innocent…

The Reformers expressed it this way: Our righteousness is an "alien righteousness," a righteousness that comes from outside of us. They were saying that the Christian is dependent on the Word of God spoken to him…

Help must come from the outside, and it has come and comes daily and anew in the Word of Jesus Christ…But God has put this Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of man…He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ…

And that also clarifies the goal of all Christian community: they meet one another as bringers of the message of salvation. As such, God permits them to meet together and gives them community. Their fellowship is founded solely upon Jesus Christ and this "alien righteousness." All we can say, therefore, is: the community of Christians springs solely from the Biblical and Reformation message of the justification of man through grace alone; this alone is the basis of the longing of Christians for one another.¹

1. Excerpts from Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community. Harper & Row Publishers Inc., 1954. pages 21-23

   [all bold emphases are added by Vision Glorious] [back]

The Great Commission drips with discipleship ( Matthew 28:18-20). Jesus was concerned with imparting knowledge of His Father to the people of His day. But He also knew that facts alone would not bring about Kingdom living or Darkness-rending righteousness. The Father’s children needed living examples; discipleship. As any parent recognizes, their children are their legacy. So it is with the Heavenly Father — His children are Heaven’s Legacy arising through the Earth. Who will be God’s ambassadors? Who will stand in the face of Islam and represent God’s existence to humanism and naturalism? Who will do mighty, spiritual works in the fields of secularism and send evil spiritual forces scattering? It will be The Father’s Kids. And the Father has directly welcomed all of us into this nurturing, caring, and training plan that He’s brought from Heaven to Earth. Discipleship must happen — for God’s sake!

1. We utilize one of the best plans available today for one-to-one culture called Discipling Another to Love Jesus [back]

Before I post part 2 of True Christian Community is Patterned in the Sacrificial System, I wanted to share this write-up from my good buddy and dear brother, Carlos Rodriguez. Carlos is from east central Los Angeles (he’s picky about that). Carlos re-dedicated his life to the Lord Jesus in our Church and his wife Marife (from the Philippines) was wonderfully saved early last year and baptized. In the following paragraphs, Carlos writes about what he has learned and experienced in the last twenty-two months. We’re all very proud of Carlos & Fe, and we boast in the Lord of what He has done through their lives.

Here’s Carlos emerging with his Church:

One of the most precious things my family and I have is our lifeteam (small group). Our lifeteam meets every Thursday night for worship and fellowship among families. Each and every member from the youngest to the oldest is part of our immediate spiritual family. The men are truly my brothers and the women are truly my sisters. There is more than just a bond and a weekly meeting between us because Christ is in the center of our relationships. We met each other through Christ and we sustain each other through Christ in our everyday lives. The church has a number of lifeteams throughout the body, but the spirit of a lifeteam is always present when the whole body is together. We learn how to be a family with our small group and it carries over to our large group body. Team members continously take care of each families need without any obligatory feelings - it is a desire to please my brother in Christ. The children are the repsonsibility of all and are treated with the love that each parent gives their own child. Our sick are taken care of and no family has to worry about everyday tasks while they are incapacitated because the families are there for each other. The other day most of the families were able to eat lunch together at the Spaghetti House and it felt like each of them have always been part of my family; there are no formalities. We also serve each through accountability and challenge ourselves in lifeteam with difficult questions and discussions that must be dealt with. Our lifeteam has also gone door to door spreading the Good News together.  We have three months left in Italy and my family’s heart grows sad when just the thought of leaving our team is brought up. Not just the lifeteam, but the community of lifeteams that Christ has built for us. The communion, sharing, and enjoyment has truly been a small Christian community. Our fear is not having the same type of community when we move to Nebraska this fall and we pray that we will find a Christian community that will become our true everyday family and not just a Sunday club.

1. and you thought you had another "developing story" on your hands [back]

Studying the rich topic of worship, I came across an incredible picture from the first five chapters of Leviticus (Entrances to Worship). Now, these passages on the surface don’t inspire enthusiasm among most believers. However, these chapters are the basis of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. And, when taken slowly and meticulously, treasures abound for life after 2000 AD. My purpose with this article is to show how Christian Community is a crowning highlight of worship if not the apex of God’s repeated longing to dwell among His people and be their God.

I’m building this article into three sections for easier reading. But, you should know that each of these sections build on each other to demonstrate the purpose I just mentioned. If you catch these principles, they will breathe life and joy into your small group meetings, discipleship meetings, and congregational meetings.

Let’s start with this Vision Value:

1. …and you thought it was your preaching bringing them in. [back]
2. The Burnt Offering was the sacrifice most frequently offered, the first offering on the altar making it the basis for all other offerings, and had to be totally consumed. [back]
3. Ross, Allen,  Holiness to the Lord, p. 95 [back]

We’re still steaming ahead here at VG. Roberto and I realized that we were coming across so many insights into the Italian culture, Romanism, & the Messiah from Nazareth that we wanted to write those out and share those in a different context — so as not to confuse the mission here at Vision Glorious.

We’re still digging into True Christian Community. We know it’s a huge topic. Honestly, I thought we would have shifted our writing topic by now and returned to TCC later. But the juices keep flowing and I don’t want to miss these valuable principles before moving on. So, stick with us and we’ll keep striving to open the treasure troves of what Christ desires to do in & through His Church.