From: jmrg9881@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jon Reid)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Cell Group Churches -- response to criticism
Date: 15 Sep 92 08:14:39 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

This is a response to a message on GEnie...
-----

Bruce, what bothers me is that you seem to have misinterpreted the whole
nature of the cell group church movement.  Part of the difficulty may
be that I have a certain picture in my head, of which I am perhaps
describing only certain parts.  It seems to me that you are then
taking those few parts, sticking them together, and interpreting them
according to your pre-judgements -- which is only natural.
 
So please, read carefully as I try to "flesh out" the picture a little
more, understanding that even then, the picture is necessarily
incomplete.  Paintings are simply flat representations of 3 dimensions.
How much "flatter" are a few words trying to represent a living entity.
 
 > In your characterization of the activities in your church, I see
 > only the activities of MEN being heralded. And the measure being
 > found in the RESULTS. I don't see JESUS CHRIST.
 
We had a leader's meeting last Wednesday, one of the last before
the small groups are actually launched.  There, our senior pastor
said, "I've been trying to communicate the vision to you, but I know
that sometimes these things are hard to get across.  Give me one
phrase on what _you_ think the vision of this whole thing is."  People
spoke up, and the phrases were written on a whiteboard:
 
 - Evangelize Champaign-Urbana
 - Win the lost
 - Transition to a Small Group church
 - Evangelize through serving
 - Strengthen the faithful
 - Discipling
 - Obey the Great Commission
 - Lift Jesus higher
 - *Do* the gospel
 
Looking over the list, our senior pastor smiled and said, "Looks like
you're getting it."  Don't you see Jesus Christ in this?  Falling
deeper and deeper in love with him and joining _with_ him in the work
that _he_ is doing is what this whole thing is about.  This is _his_
work, _his_ passion; he said that _he_ would build _his_ church.
 
We are almost painfully aware that what we are setting out to
accomplish is quite impossible to do on our own strength.  It has
driven us to our knees in prayer.  I am beginning to understand
something about the Korean Christians, who are so famous for praying:
They pray because they *have to*, because they want so much to reach
the lost and know that this is accomplished only by the Spirit of God.
 
As I have set my heart to "seek and save the lost", two things have
happened:  I have become more intimate with Jesus because I have a
better understanding of his heart, and I am praying more than I ever
have.  I have never had such consistent time in the morning with the
Lord, so much time, so early, so often.  Heck, I'm even getting up
early to be with him on Saturday and Sunday mornings -- something I
never before considered, much less did.  I do this because besides
just enjoying being with him, I am learning that unless we depend on
the Holy Spirit and receive our instructions from him, evangelism and
discipling will be empty and devoid of his power.
 
 > >> This is not naive idealism.  It it a new paradigm that has
 > >> been demonstrated to be feasible, to be real.  Cell group
 > >> churches are taking off around the world.
 >
 > It is not the KIND of "demonstration" that we are to look for !!!
 
Isn't it?  Let me clarify what I mean by "taking off".  I'm not
talking about numbers of masses of people logged in a membership
roster.  I am talking about people coming to saving faith in Christ
Jesus, being taught in the faith, and equipped to be ministers of his
gospel to yet other people.
 
 > 1 Cor 2:1-5   When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with
 > eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony
 > about God. FOR I RESOLVED TO KNOW NOTHING WHILE I WAS WITH YOU
 > EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. I came to you in weakness
 > and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching
 > were not with wise and persuasive words, but with A DEMONSTRATION
 > OF THE SPIRIT'S POWER, SO THAT YOUR FAITH MIGHT NOT REST ON MEN'S
 > WISDOM, but on God's power.
 >
 > The test of whether or not the "paradigm" is correct is in what
 > is proclaimed. Not in the results !!!
 
What is proclaimed has not changed.  The message is, has been, and
always will be, the same:  "That if you confess with your mouth,
'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9)
 
The new paradigm is not a new message of salvation.  Rather, it is a
new understanding of what it means to be a church, or if you prefer,
how we are to live _after_ we have been saved.
 
And the test of a paradigm *is* in the results.  "You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit -- fruit
that will last." (John 15:16)  People are being saved -- not merely
becoming church members, but truly surrendering their lives to the
Lordship of Christ Jesus.  Doesn't that stir your heart and make you
rejoice?
 
 > >> We're tired of "sitting and soaking" on Sunday mornings
 >
 > Jesus COMMENDED Mary for her "sitting and soaking", (Luke 10:42),
 > --- that very thing which you condemn. This is why I am
 > suspicious.
 
I'm afraid I was not clear; perhaps I should have said, *just*
sitting and soaking.  To sit at Jesus' feet and listen to his words
-- this (specifically, contrasting Mary and Martha) is one of the
first things we will be studying in our small groups.
 
What I'm tired of is people who return, Sunday after Sunday, listening
to Biblical teaching, without putting the teaching into practice.
"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by
action, is dead." (James 2:17)  I'm also tired of myself for
concentrating on my _own_ spiritual growth while ignoring the plight
of my neighbors who live in separation from God and, eventually, die
in separation from God.
 
 > "MY sheep WILL HEAR my Voice." "When <<<I>>> am lifted up, THEY
 > will be drawn to ME". "THEY will follow ME".
 
Amen.  That's what it's all about.
 
I hope that this clarifies things a little, not only for you, but
also for others who may not have expressed their reservations.  It is
difficult to express in writing what is, in its essence, a change of
lifestyle.  If you could come live with our church for a month, many
things would be much clearer.
-- 
Jon Reid    j-reid@uiuc.edu    GEnie: THE.REIDS
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."