Advancing the Kingdom Together
Week #5: New Groups are the Win
Good Question: These lessons have groups talking.
www.joshhunt.com

Big Idea: eventually growth will kill a small group. The only way to continue the advancement of the kingdom is for each group to grow and divide, grow and divide, grow and divide.

Acts 20:17 - 38 ⁽¹⁾

OPEN

• Let's each share our name and one sad good-bye you have had in your life.

ACCOUNTABILITY

• How are plans for our second monthly fellowship going? Who is planning the fellowships? Who is geared up to call every member? Every prospect? ⁽²⁾
• Last week we talked about trying to invite every visitor to this church who is a prospect to this class to a hospitality event. Who wants to sign up this week?

DIG

1. As you read this, look for what price Paul paid to follow Christ.
2. Locate Miletus and Ephesus on a map.
3. Verse 18. What would keep you from saying to a group of people that had known you well over a long period of time, "You know how I lived among you. . ."
4. Verse 20. If you were a preacher, what parts of the gospel might you be hesitant to preach?
5. Two kind of meetings are mentioned in verse 20. They remind us of worship and Sunday School. What are they? ⁽³⁾
6. Why are both small group and large group important?
7. What happens in a small group that can't happen in a large group?
8. How big can a small group and these things still happen effectively? ⁽⁴⁾
9. Verse 22. What did happen to Paul in Jerusalem? ⁽⁵⁾
10. What kind of adjectives could you think of to describe what Paul is feeling in verse 24?
11. Paul had a clear sense of the race God have given him. How clear is that for you? Do you have a sense of calling for your life? ⁽⁶⁾
12. Verse 29. What are some examples of forces that seek to destroy the church?
13. Ever seen a church die? What cause a church to die?
14. Verse 35. Have you discovered the truth of this verse? Tell us your story.
15. Verses 36 - 38. What made them so sad?
16. What is it about saying good bye that is so sad for us?
17. We have been talking about growing this group by having fellowships every month. If we grow the group, we will eventually not be a small group any more. As the saying goes, "Growth will kill a small group." The obvious solution is for some of us to say good-bye to one another. Have you ever been a group that limited its potential because the refused to do what Paul does here-say good bye?
18. One of the reasons we must grow and divide is because when people are not missed, they tend to miss. Anyone ever experiences this? Anyone ever been in a group that you felt like when you missed it didn't really matter; no one would notice? Tell us your story.
19. One of the benefits of starting new groups is that when we do, we just seem to have a hunger, an eagerness, a passion to get new people in. Anyone ever experienced this? Who can tell us a story about the passion and hunger of a new church or a new group?
20. Any of you ever visit a church or a group and you felt like they were not eager for you to be a part of the group? How did that feel?
21. What is the maximum size you think this group could get to and continue to grow?
22. Dividing is important, but it is important that we do it right. Who has seen in done wrong-where it did more harm than good? Tell us that story.
23. What are some ways to do it right? ⁽⁷⁾
24. Josh Hunt tells the story of someone who said to him about dividing, "We are not willing to do that." Is there anything disturbing to you about that statement? ⁽⁸⁾
25. Tell us about one time you walked through the door of Lordship, when you said to God, "I am willing to do anything."
26. Would you join me in a prayer of willingness? I want us to tell God we are absolutely, joyfully, eagerly willing to do anything God calls us to do. We know that sometimes it will be difficult, as it was for Paul and the Ephesian elders in this story. Sometimes we pay a price to follow Christ, as Paul did here. But, there is no question. We have made up our mind. We are willing to go anywhere, do anything, say anything, love anyone. We are willing. Would you join me in prayer?

1. From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. [18] When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. [19] I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. [20] You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. [21] I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

[22] "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. [23] I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. [24] However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

[25] "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. [26] Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. [27] For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. [28] Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. [29] I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. [30] Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. [31] So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

[32] "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. [33] I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. [34] You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. [35] In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

[36] When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. [37] They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. [38] What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. Acts 20:17-38 [NIV]

2. These accountability questions are increasingly difficult to formulate with precision. The point is to evaluate the last party, the plan for the next one.

3. Publically and from house to house.

4. Andy Stanley says if there is a back row, it is not a small group.

5. He was arrested and went as a prisoner to Rome.

6. I hope your sense of calling includes pastoring your small group and seeing it grow and divide, grow and divide, grow and divide. You have virtually unlimited potential for God if you buy into this principle.

7. The key thing is to give people choices and try to divide where there is already a division-where people naturally divide themselves anyway.

8. Those are words that no Christian ought to ever say about anything. Sooner or later God will bring us through the door of lordship where we say to God, "You are God; I am not. You are boss; I am the servant. You are the master; I am the slave. I am willing to go anywhere, do anything, say anything, love anyone. I am willing. I will never again say the words, 'I am not willing' about anything. I am most assuredly willing."