Empowered Discipleship: The Transformational Power of Small Groups

Devotional

Day 1: Active Discipleship in Action

True discipleship involves putting our faith into action, not just learning passively. The apostles were sent out in pairs by Jesus to heal and proclaim the gospel, demonstrating that discipleship is about active participation in God's mission. This model shows us that we are called to practice what we learn, moving from passive listeners to active doers of the Word. By engaging in active discipleship, we can experience the transformative power of living out our faith in tangible ways. [14:49]

Luke 9:1-2 (ESV): "And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal."

Reflection: Think of one way you can actively live out your faith today. Is there a specific action you can take to help someone in need or share the gospel with someone in your life?

Day 2: The Joy of Praying and Rejoicing Together

The seventy-two disciples sent out by Jesus returned with joy, celebrating the victories God had given them. This highlights the importance of praying and rejoicing together in our small groups. These groups provide a space for mutual support, where we can share our struggles and victories, and grow together in faith. By praying and rejoicing together, we can strengthen our bonds and encourage one another in our spiritual journeys. [24:19]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent victory or answered prayer in your life. How can you share this joy with your small group or a close friend today?

Day 3: Multiplying for Mission

The early church in Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas to spread the gospel, demonstrating the importance of being open-handed with our resources and people for the sake of the mission. Transformational groups should aim to multiply, creating new groups and sending out members to reach more people with the gospel. By embracing this mindset, we can expand our impact and fulfill the Great Commission more effectively. [32:45]

Acts 13:2-3 (ESV): "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off."

Reflection: Consider how you can contribute to the mission of your church. Is there a way you can support the multiplication of small groups or participate in outreach efforts?

Day 4: Building Christian Community and Relationships

Small groups provide essential Christian community and relationships. They are a place where we can support one another through life's challenges and joys, fostering deep connections that help us grow in our faith. These relationships are vital for our spiritual health and for the mission of the church. By investing in these relationships, we can create a strong foundation for our spiritual growth and collective mission. [31:16]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: Think about someone in your small group or church community who may need encouragement. How can you reach out to them today to offer support and build a stronger relationship?

Day 5: The Transformational Impact of Small Groups

Just as the Oxford Inklings and the Holy Club had a lasting impact on the world, our small groups can also have a transformational impact. By coming together with a common purpose and passion, we can support one another in our growth and mission, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond our immediate community. These groups can be a powerful force for change, both in our lives and in the world around us. [45:44]

Acts 2:46-47 (ESV): "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Reflection: Reflect on the impact your small group has had on your life. How can you contribute to making your group even more transformational for others?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we revisited Luke chapter 6, reflecting on the apostles and their ministry, and how their example can guide us in our own discipleship and mission. We explored the importance of small groups in the life of the church, drawing parallels between the apostles' community and our own need for transformational groups. These groups are not just for learning but for practicing our faith, praying together, rejoicing together, and multiplying for mission.

We began by looking at the twelve apostles, emphasizing how they practiced what they preached. Jesus sent them out in pairs, empowering them to heal and proclaim the gospel. This model shows us that discipleship involves active participation and mission, not just passive learning. We then moved to the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10, who were also sent out in pairs. Their experience highlights the importance of praying and rejoicing together, as they returned with joy, celebrating the victories God had given them.

We also examined the early church in Acts, particularly the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. Their story illustrates how transformational groups multiply for mission. The church in Antioch, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sent out their best leaders to spread the gospel, showing us the importance of being open-handed with our resources and people for the sake of the mission.

Throughout the sermon, we emphasized that small groups are essential for personal growth and for the church's mission. They provide a space for practicing our faith, supporting one another in prayer, and rejoicing in God's work. They also serve as a launching pad for mission, helping us to multiply our efforts and reach more people with the gospel. As we launch new small groups, we are encouraged to find or start a group that excites us and helps us grow in our faith, knowing that these groups can have a lasting impact on our lives and the world.

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Key Takeaways

1. two disciples sent out by Jesus returned with joy, celebrating the victories God had given them. This highlights the importance of praying and rejoicing together in our small groups. These groups provide a space for mutual support, where we can share our struggles and victories, and grow together in faith. [24:19]
3. Multiply for Mission: The early church in Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas to spread the gospel, demonstrating the importance of being open-handed with our resources and people for the sake of the mission. Transformational groups should aim to multiply, creating new groups and sending out members to reach more people with the gospel.

4. Community and Relationships: Small groups provide essential Christian community and relationships. They are a place where we can support one another through life's challenges and joys, fostering deep connections that help us grow in our faith. These relationships are vital for our spiritual health and for the mission of the church.

5. Transformational Impact: Just as the Oxford Inklings and the Holy Club had a lasting impact on the world, our small groups can also have a transformational impact. By coming together with a common purpose and passion, we can support one another in our growth and mission, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond our immediate community.

### [24:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:17] - Introduction to Transformational Groups
[03:58] - Prayer and Introduction
[05:20] - The Power of Small Groups
[06:36] - The Oxford Inklings
[08:00] - C.S. Lewis and Christian Friendship
[09:19] - The Example of the Apostles
[10:37] - Moving from Rows to Circles
[12:00] - Practicing What We Preach
[13:24] - The Twelve Apostles Sent Out
[14:49] - The Importance of Active Discipleship
[16:08] - Jesus' Model of Sending
[18:48] - The Structure of the Apostles' Groups
[20:14] - The Need for Small Groups
[22:49] - Praying and Rejoicing Together
[24:19] - The Seventy-Two Disciples Sent Out
[25:43] - The Power of Mission
[27:05] - Supporting Each Other in Prayer
[28:31] - Personal Stories of Small Group Impact
[31:16] - The Importance of Christian Community
[32:45] - Multiplying for Mission
[34:01] - The Broader Apostolic Ministry
[35:18] - The Mentorship of Paul and Barnabas
[36:35] - The Church in Antioch
[37:51] - The Growth and Multiplication of Groups
[39:10] - Vision for Multiplication
[41:50] - Living on Mission
[43:07] - The Holy Club and Its Impact
[45:44] - The Transformational Impact of Small Groups
[47:13] - Jesus, the Ultimate Apostle

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What actions did Jesus take before choosing the twelve apostles in Luke 6:12-19?
How did the seventy-two disciples respond when they returned from their mission in Luke 10:17-20?
What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the sending out of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:1-4?
According to the sermon, what are the key functions of small groups in the church? [03:58]

Interpretation Questions

Why is it significant that Jesus spent the night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles? How does this model the importance of prayer in decision-making?
What does the joy of the seventy-two disciples upon their return tell us about the impact of participating in Jesus' mission? [24:19]
How does the example of the church in Antioch sending out Paul and Barnabas illustrate the concept of being open-handed with resources and people for the sake of the mission? [32:45]
In what ways do small groups help believers move from being passive listeners to active doers of the Word? [10:37]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you practiced what you preached. How did it impact your faith and the faith of those around you? How can you ensure you are actively participating in your faith this week? [14:49]
How can your small group incorporate more prayer and rejoicing together? Share a recent victory or struggle and how your group can support you in it. [24:19]
What resources or talents do you have that could be used to multiply the mission of your small group or church? How can you be more open-handed with these resources? [32:45]
Think about the relationships within your small group. How can you deepen these connections to foster a more supportive and transformational community? [31:16]
The sermon mentioned the lasting impact of groups like the Oxford Inklings and the Holy Club. What common purpose or passion can your small group rally around to create a lasting impact? [45:44]
Identify one specific way you can move from being a passive listener to an active doer of the Word this week. How can your small group help you in this endeavor? [10:37]
How can you contribute to the multiplication of your small group or church? Is there a new group or ministry you feel called to start or support? [39:10]

Sermon Clips

1. "The reality is, though none of us here are apostles with a capital A, and none of us are certainly apostles of the twelve, right, that is closed forever, there still is a sense where they become an example to us of what discipleship and discipling ministry should look like, and what the church should be about as we go on mission for Jesus. Because the New Testament looks a lot more like the twelve going on mission for Jesus than it does look like sitting in a synagogue week after week. Amen?" [02:33] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Something about sitting in a lecture and sitting in a class, right, and receiving information, but when you meet with people, off campus, in your dorms, in the apartments, in your homes, right, something happens when you move from those rows to sitting in circles. And Oxford is a Christian university, and so these were various Christian believers meeting in small groups. And would you believe that the impact of these small groups in Oxford are still having impact in our lives in Havertown today?" [05:20] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The apostles would not have been the apostles if they didn't learn to do what Jesus was teaching them. And Christian, you will not become more Christ-like in your life unless you take what you learn from the Bible, from your Bible reading, and put it into practice. And for that, you need beyond my preaching on Sunday mornings. You need other Christians who will sit down with you and coach you through prayer together." [20:14] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Transformational groups help one another practice their preaching. Secondly, transformational groups pray and rejoice together. Flip over to chapter 10. Flip over to chapter 10. This is unique to Luke's gospel, but I love this. We're going to look at the sending out of the 72. So Jesus commissions the 12, and you say, well, that's for the 12, but I'm not one of them. Well, chapter 10, all of a sudden, he does the same thing with a larger group, and he still breaks them into small groups." [22:49] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "If your Christianity is boring, can I challenge you to jump into a mission with Jesus? Because we're called to go with the gospel, and it's thrilling and supernatural when Jesus shows up. And they come back so excited by all the things that God is doing through them, the way that he's bringing deliverance and healing in Jesus's name. And Jesus at the end says, yeah, that's awesome, guys. I'm so happy for you. But the greatest thing you should be happy about is this, is that you're all going to heaven. Amen?" [25:43] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Transformational groups multiply for mission. You know, the language of the Holy Spirit is, the apostles is a tricky word. I hinted at it earlier, because in the New Testament, the 12 hold a unique place that will never be replicated. And yet, we looked at Judas last week, right? He betrayed Jesus. He committed suicide. You can go back and listen to that. So at the beginning of the book of Acts, they're looking to replace the 12th apostle, and they pray, and they cast lots, and they choose Matthias." [32:45] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "If we are doing ministry well, if the Holy Spirit is blessing what we're doing, we should see people growing through conversion. We're seeing people grow and getting saved at Manoa. Are you excited about that? Amen? At 14 baptisms a couple weeks ago. That's awesome. We had 10 baptisms preceding that. We had people making decisions. We had small groups getting bigger. I was on a call with one of our, a sister church of ours, the pastors. They said, how are things going at Manoa? I said, I mean, God is doing a crazy, amazing thing." [37:51] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Missionaries, because every Christian's a missionary, what does it look like to live for Jesus on mission here today? What does it look like to multiply for mission today? It starts with community. It starts with groups. It starts with relationships with Jesus at the center and as God blesses that, it starts with an open-handedness to say, now that I've received, I will go with the gospel." [41:50] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "These kind of groups shape us. These kind of groups fashion us. These kind of groups help us apply the gospel. And then these kind of groups give us the relational network to go with the gospel and pull others in. And that's what we want to see happen in your life. You might think, I'm never going to do anything great for Jesus. I'm just a writer. You might be the next C.S. Lewis. Find some more writers and get your ink out. Amen? Because Jesus can do amazing things in our lives through small groups." [45:44] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Jesus is the missionary. And as we wrap up this 12 apostles preaching series, this is a series on the apostles. I pray that as you go back and listen to them, you don't ultimately look at the small groups. You don't ultimately look at Peter or James or John or Andrew or Philip or both of you. But you look at the apostles. apostle to which these apostles look to. You look to Jesus, the author and the perfecter of your faith. Jesus is the apostle that came into this world. Jesus is the missionary that's come for you and for me. Jesus is the one who came to seek and to save the lost." [47:13] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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