Gather the People: Reaching, Teaching, Multiplying for Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: Gather the people — a direct divine command.

God calls the whole household — men, women, children, and the stranger — to be gathered so they may hear, learn to fear the Lord, and carefully observe his ways. This is not a suggestion but a mandate that shapes every gathering, every invite, and every plan to reach a community for Christ. Make the call personal: decide whom you will intentionally invite and prepare space in your heart and life for them. [38:36]

Assemble the people—men, women and children, as well as the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 31:12, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your circle (a man, woman, child, or stranger) have you not yet invited to hear God's Word? What specific invite will you make this week to gather them where they can hear and learn?

Day 2: Reach and teach — the church's lifelong mission.

The Great Commission is both urgent and orderly: go first to reach the lost, then teach them to obey all Jesus commanded, including baptism and discipleship. The mission is not primarily programs or buildings but relationships that lead to spiritual formation and obedience. Begin with one person and one step of teaching that helps them follow Jesus in practical ways. [44:05]

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: Who is one person you can begin to reach this month, and what first simple step of discipleship (scripture, baptism, meeting in a home) will you commit to lead them toward?

Day 3: Regular gathering and house-to-house discipleship.

The early church modeled both large gatherings and home-to-home teaching so the gospel would be proclaimed and lived out in community every day. Worship together with expectancy and invest in smaller, regular rhythms — a group, a neighborhood meal, a home Bible study — that bring people into life-change. Decide which gathering you will prioritize and whom you will bring into that rhythm this season. [43:49]

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42, ESV)

Reflection: Which regular gathering (Sunday worship, a small group, or a home visit) will you prioritize this month, and who will you invite to join you there so they can hear and be discipled?

Day 4: Kingdom requires power, not mere words.

The gospel is not a program of talk but a work of God’s power that transforms lives, marriages, and addictions when the Spirit moves. Ask God to bring power into your meetings and into your own witness, trusting him to do what mere speech cannot accomplish. Submit a concrete area of your life to the Spirit and ask for evidence of his power this week. [42:56]

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. (1 Corinthians 4:20, ESV)

Reflection: In what area are you leaning on words or plans rather than the Spirit’s power? Name one behavior you will stop and one prayerful action you will take this week to rely on God’s power.

Day 5: Multiplication happens when vessels are prepared.

Growth follows when people prepare vessels — availability, invitation, space — and then trust God to multiply what seems small, like a jar of oil. Be willing to gather whatever you have, ask your neighbors for vessels (time, homes, friends), and watch God fill them beyond expectation. Identify the small thing you will offer and whom you will invite to help carry it forward. [50:17]

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” She said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when the vessels are full, set aside the full ones.” So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured oil into all those vessels. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped. (2 Kings 4:1–7, ESV)

Reflection: What small “vessel” (your time, home, workplace relationships) will you offer this month, and which three people will you ask to join you in inviting others to hear the gospel?

Sermon Summary

I called us to the simple, relentless heartbeat of God: gather the people. From Deuteronomy 31:12, we heard the why—so men, women, children, and even the stranger among us may hear, learn, fear the Lord, and carefully obey. Jesus came to seek and save the lost; that has always been the Father’s heart. Methods can change, but the mission and message never do. We are Word-and-Spirit people; the Spirit who authored the Word never contradicts it. So we gather the people, and we do it with anticipation, organization, motivation, and room for multiplication.

We don’t gather to host services but to reach whole communities. Our model is Acts: large gatherings and house-to-house, reach then teach. We dream big because God is big, and we plan wisely because stewardship is love in action. Making room is both practical and spiritual—more vessels for the oil, more services, more campuses, and more space in our hearts for people not like us. A healthy church is multi-generational and multi-ethnic, united in Jesus who is greater than anything that could divide us.

We also told the truth about why many churches stall: complacency, criticism, conflict, and cliques can drain joy and quench power. The joy of the Lord is our strength; enthusiasm, optimism, and genuine love are not fluff—these are spiritual conditions where the seed springs to life. Think Death Valley’s “super bloom”: dormant is not dead. With the right conditions, God brings hidden seeds to life.

Numbers matter because people matter. Every digit is a name, a story, a soul. Friends reach friends, and a simple invitation—especially with a meal or coffee—opens doors. Write down the names of the “least likely,” pray, and go. I shared Woody’s story—nine marriages, nine trips to prison—until grace met him at a gas station Bible study. God not only restored him, He rewrote his story, and through him, many were saved. That’s why we gather the people: to see lives changed, communities transformed, and the world impacted—for Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Gather the people is a command God’s instruction isn’t a suggestion; it’s the loving urgency of heaven. When we obey, we create space for hearing, learning, holy awe, and wholehearted obedience. Word and Spirit converge as we reach before we teach, and God supplies power where we supply obedience. [38:05]
2. Reach before you teach; make room Acts gives a two-lane approach: large gatherings and house-to-house discipleship. Teaching empty seats is not faithfulness; it’s delay. Multiply vessels—services, campuses, leaders, and love—so the oil doesn’t stop flowing. Mission is never about convenience; it’s about people Jesus died to rescue. [50:43]
3. Joyful expectancy fuels real growth Spiritual health is marked by joy, not stoicism; the joy of the Lord strengthens what discipline alone cannot. Enthusiasm and optimism are not naivety; they are faith’s posture in a living God. A community charged with love, joy, and hope becomes the kind of soil where dormant seeds finally bloom. [59:35]
4. Every number is a name Counting matters because change matters—marriages restored, addictions broken, souls saved. The Father’s heart for the one turns crowds into assignments and invitations into lifelines. Ask, invite, and accompany—most people will come if we simply go with them and share a meal. [56:16]
5. God can rewrite any story No one is beyond reach; grace runs into the darkest places and builds testimonies that outlive us. Woody’s transformation didn’t sanitize his past; it redeemed it and multiplied courage for others to come to Christ. Write down unlikely names, pray with persistence, and watch God author surprising new chapters. [70:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[36:56] - Christmas invites and expectancy
[37:18] - Smithfield grand opening celebration
[38:05] - Deuteronomy 31:12: Gather the people
[41:26] - Power over talk: the church’s crisis
[43:49] - Temple and house-to-house rhythm
[45:48] - Dreaming big and praying bigger
[47:32] - Serving by gifts, not guilt
[50:43] - Vessels, oil, and making room
[51:21] - Not hosting services—reaching cities
[52:15] - The Father’s heart for the lost
[54:26] - Multi-generational, multi-ethnic unity
[64:17] - Death Valley super bloom hope
[66:31] - Woody at the gas station
[72:12] - From religion to relationship: response

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Deuteronomy 31:12
"Assemble the people—men, women and children, as well as the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law."

Observation questions (look closely at the verse and the ideas raised)

Who exactly does the command name to be gathered in Deuteronomy 31:12, and what does that inclusion (men, women, children, foreigners) say about the scope of the gathering? [38:58]
What four purposes does the verse give for assembling the people (listen, learn, fear the LORD, carefully observe), and how are those four actions different from one another? [38:58]
What two-fold rhythm from the New Testament (large gatherings + house-to-house) is described as the biblical model for reaching and discipling a city? How would you describe each lane’s primary goal? [43:49]
What is the “vessels and oil” principle drawn from 2 Kings 4, and how was it used to explain why a church multiplies services, campuses, and leaders? [50:43]

Interpretation questions (think about meaning and implication)

If "gather the people" is a command, what does that imply about priorities (programming, budgets, time) for a local church? [40:21]
How should the sequence "reach before you teach" shape decisions about where to invest energy and resources (advertising, hospitality, neighborhood outreach, small groups)? [44:17]
What does saying "the joy of the Lord is our strength" imply about the relationship between spiritual health and evangelistic effectiveness? What might it mean in practice for corporate life? [01:00:02]
How should the emphasis on numbers as names (every digit is a person with a story) affect the way leaders set goals and measure health in the church? [58:59]

Application questions (personal and practical — take one or two to commit to this week)

Make a list of five people you consider the "most unlikely" in your circle to be reached for the gospel. Which one will you pray for daily this week and which one will you invite to a meal, coffee, or church event in the next 7 days? [01:06:31]
What is one concrete change you can make so your group or household creates more space (literal or relational) for an outsider—extra chairs at the table, a weekend house gathering, or offering a ride to church? Commit to the first step and the date you’ll do it. [56:16]
Identify one small, practical way you can help multiply “vessels” where you are (serve on a team, mentor one person, host a neighborhood group, recruit one new volunteer). What is your first action this week? [50:43]
Examine your own heart for any signs of complacency, chronic criticism, or a comfort-driven clique. What is one honest change you can make to move toward openness and outward love? Name it and commit to one accountability step. [01:02:00]
What practical habit will you adopt to cultivate more joy, enthusiasm, and optimism in your Christian life and in your group (worship times, testimonies, gratitude lists, shared celebration)? When will you start? [01:00:02]
If the household-to-household rhythm is biblical, what is one step your group can take to begin or deepen a neighborhood or workplace outreach (a monthly meal, a study in a coffee shop, a workplace lunch invite)? Who will take responsibility to start it and when? [43:49]

Use these questions to guide 60–90 minutes of honest discussion: read the verse aloud, give space for quieter members to share, and finish by naming one concrete commitment each person will take this week.

Sermon Clips

And then, visitation. And I know we don't do visitation like we used to because communities are closed. But no soliciting. But I'm just telling you, the number one way that people still come to our church is a friend invited them. And that's what I'm asking you to do with these Christmas invite cards. In fact, here's what I would tell you. That friends reach friends. And friends don't let friends go to hell. I want you to know that 15% of those you invite will come. 15%. But 80% will come if you invite them to go to dinner or have dessert or have coffee after the service. 80%. [00:55:45] (40 seconds) #InviteAndDineWorks

Here it is. Assimilation. Listen, we don't want to just win them, dunk them, and drop them. We want people to know God. And we want them to find community. To get in a group of other believers and grow in your faith. I'm just telling you, if you want to change your life, you've got to change your friends. If you want to change your life, you change your friends. You get around other Christians who have a heart for God. They love God. And they want to grow like you want to grow in your faith. [00:56:40] (26 seconds) #DoLifeTogether

And what you see is this. They all messed up. They all made mistakes. But they all received mercy. And you know what? He not only restored them, he rewrote their story. And that's what he wants to do in your life. He wants to rewrite your story. Hear me. Don't let your scars define you. You let Jesus' scars define you. He died for you. [00:57:39] (24 seconds) #RewriteYourStory

It's about the number of lives changed. It's about the number of marriages saved. It's about the number of addicts who are set free. I'm telling you, it's about more people going to heaven and less people going to hell. And churches that say numbers don't count usually don't have numbers to count. Did you know there's a book in the Old Testament called Numbers? Did you know Jesus fed 5,000? How do we know? Somebody counted. You go back and look in the Old Testament. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful. Multiply. [00:58:46] (30 seconds) #MultiplyLives

You know, there's this Jesus only group. They had a sign out front, said Jesus only. A windstorm came, blew off some letters. It said us only. There are a lot of churches that way, just us four and no more. I want you to know we got to have a spirit of joy. We got to have a spirit of enthusiasm. I want you to have a spirit of optimism every time you come, and I want you to have a spirit of love. You know, there's too much Christianity is just dead religion. Too many churches are just dead. [01:03:34] (30 seconds) #NotUsOnly

I think about a place called Death Valley. It's called that because nothing grows there. And yet, did you know something amazing happened in 2004? They got seven inches of rain. And it didn't happen immediately. But I want you to know, in the spring of 2005, they had the super bloom. That same Death Valley looked like this. And I want you to know, Jesus will work in your life when the conditions are right. You see, what they found out is that Death Valley wasn't dead. It was just dormant. [01:04:04] (33 seconds) #WaitForTheBloom

And I'm telling you, there are people who have been praying for you for a long time. It may have been your grandparents or your parents. There are those who have planted that seed. And I want you to know that God wants to bring it to life. And I'm asking you to come to Jesus. If you do, he will make your life better. But we don't come to Jesus because he makes our life better. We come to Jesus because he's better than life. And I'm telling you, he wants to give you life. [01:04:37] (26 seconds) #SeedsPlantedComeAlive

But here's what I want to leave you with. Religion is like this. I messed up, and my dad's going to kill me. But let me tell you what having a relationship with Jesus is like. I messed up, and I need to call my dad. You can move from having religion to having a personal relationship with the one who made you. [01:12:02] (27 seconds) #FromReligionToRelationship

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