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Twos and Threes - The Heart of Group Life — Transcript

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0:06Well uh dear saints, we have been on
0:09this series uh of the vital groups and
0:13uh according to our record
0:18um
0:20well in this series there are I have uh
0:23I call it the lessons on on on uh not
0:27the vital groups but small groups.
0:29Excuse me.
0:31Um the lessons on the small groups um
0:34they are all together I believe
0:38uh nine maybe nine uh outlines or
0:42lessons
0:44and uh [clears throat]
0:47um but those of you who have been
0:50following this talk uh realize that um
0:56I have not stuck to uh the outlines uh
1:00nor even the sequence of these lessons
1:04uh in my talk but more um speaking in a
1:09in a more free way uh according to um
1:14the hinderbird.
1:16So right now really uh this series is
1:20kind of a little bit messed up or messy.
1:24uh even I don't know where we are of of
1:27course I I have some realization
1:31um for example
1:34um last time I was going to
1:38in I intended to cover lesson three
1:41uh I think so yes
1:45um which is on the living needed for a
1:51group life um And it is a very very good
1:56um lesson. I can I can tell you that it
2:00is based on brother Lee's
2:05uh speaking in Anaheim to
2:11uh the Chinese speaking saints
2:14when uh the Chinese speaking work had
2:19just begun. uh not long before that. I'm
2:23talking about in the early 1980s
2:29and um he was burdened for this group
2:32because that's what he was starting to
2:35do uh to recover this practice uh there
2:41in Taiwan. He had just gone back to
2:44Taiwan and that is was his first primary
2:49burden in the way of practice. So when
2:53he came back here uh he spoke on that
2:57and particularly to the Chinese speaking
2:59saints and by that time I was helping in
3:03that work. So I was there and uh almost
3:08of that series of messages I forgot
3:12every one of them except this one that
3:15is on the living needed for a for the
3:20small groups or in my words for the
3:23group life or the group
3:27um living.
3:30And uh so it is a very marvelous thing.
3:35It uh does not speak about how to do
3:39[clears throat] this or that in a small
3:41group. It talks mainly about we have to
3:45live a certain kind of life. Um to have
3:50the prevailing u uh effective effectual
3:57um um small groups. Um
4:02and uh that living simply is a living a
4:07life
4:08um filled with the spirit.
4:12um [clears throat]
4:13walking in the spirit. Um living by the
4:18spirit. Um a life of calling on the name
4:23of the Lord. A life of
4:26um singing, a life of praise,
4:31um a light life of thanksgiving,
4:35uh filled with the exercise of the
4:38spirit.
4:40um and joy
4:43um uh an uplifted life
4:48um
4:49uh I remember there's a famous spiritual
4:53book by this lady uh Mrs. I think
4:57Macdonald
4:59uh the book name is uh something like
5:03how to have a happy Christian life. It's
5:06a very spiritual book. Um
5:10but clearly we are talking about a vital
5:14life, a vital living of a believer.
5:18So when you are this way then when you
5:23uh join with others in a within the
5:26groups and you are in a group meeting
5:30spontaneously
5:31and he kept using this word you'll be a
5:34bubbling person you you just bubble you
5:38just bubble up and I I I cannot forget
5:41that that word brotherly use
5:45um you you are you are ex in an
5:49excitable state. Um um uh somewhere he
5:55said that
5:58man our spirit is the most excitable
6:01part of our whole being.
6:04uh filled with enthusiasm,
6:07filled with [snorts] uh life
6:11uh so living, so um so um uh vital
6:19um and then uh you will um speak forth
6:25whatever is uh in your heart uh you
6:29overflow. Bubble means to overflow.
6:33what you have within you um of the
6:37spirit of life uh and of course of the
6:41word of your enjoyment of Christ etc. Um
6:46he said that kind of meeting is not
6:49religious uh it is not programmed it is
6:52not um
6:55uh formal but just filled with the
7:00spirit that kind of meeting uh it's
7:03attractive
7:05uh and uh it exhibits Christ and what um
7:12and and so on. So um
7:17I came away just suddenly impressed that
7:21whatever practice in this case the small
7:24group practice
7:26um
7:28and later on some years later when he
7:31started the
7:33vital group training same thing same
7:37thing maybe
7:39spoken a little differently but in
7:42principle the same that is he said a
7:45vital group starts with uh one person
7:50one person
7:52uh who is just uh vital right and
7:58burdened
7:59for the increase of the church the
8:04increase of the Lord's recovery
8:08um [clears throat]
8:10through his uh this person's
8:13um confession of sins and dealing with
8:16the Lord
8:17um
8:19and [clears throat]
8:20uh uh becoming vitalized
8:24and he would go and vitalize another
8:26one, right? And then there will be two
8:30and there will be three something like
8:32that and so the principle was the same.
8:38Um yes, brother Lee uh at the same time
8:43was um have certain suggestions in
8:46fellowship there in Taiwan and here uh
8:50on the small group meetings as such
8:55um
8:56what content? [clears throat] Well, in
8:59these in my small group outlines
9:03uh lessons
9:05uh
9:08[clears throat]
9:09um
9:12am I correct uh Dustin? Uh uh the two
9:16backto back outlines on um on on that on
9:22the content. The content
9:25uh
9:27am I am I recalling properly? The
9:30content is what? Uh
9:33>> yeah, I think there's two on content.
9:35>> Yeah. Yeah. But what what what number is
9:38that? Uh let me see here. I have it
9:41right here with me. Um actually the
9:46content uh the content of the small
9:49group uh living
9:51>> three and four I think rather
9:52>> yeah that's right I'm correct three and
9:55four about uh perfecting one another
9:58through uh mutual teaching
10:02um and uh mutual exhortation
10:06uh very much uh um using Hebrews chapter
10:1010 of us not um abandoning our own
10:16meeting, our own meeting, meaning the
10:18small group meeting um and so on and
10:22then u uh
10:27some something like that and uh uh he
10:32even um uh suggest
10:36uh no I I think this should be I'm I got
10:40enough six and seven other on the
10:43contents of this Mark group meeting.
10:47Um
10:49um
10:51um again underscoring
10:54that this should be a kind of Christian
10:58meeting that is full of singing and
11:01speaking to one another. He always used
11:04Ephesians 5 uh filled in spirit speaking
11:08and you know to one another. Um and then
11:12Colossians 3 the sister verse being um
11:17inhabited by the word and also u uh
11:22singing
11:24u uh with grace and and so forth. So um
11:31the idea is that we are filled with the
11:34spirit. We are full of the word and when
11:38we come together we just practice in the
11:41group meeting uh to speak just to speak
11:45by faith. Uh of course he used 2
11:48Corinthians 4:13.
11:51I believe therefore I speak [snorts] uh
11:55by faith. um very much uh encouraging
12:00our uh speaking. And then uh the other
12:05uh lesson lesson seven on the contents
12:10uh he got into the matter of u uh that
12:13these content has to be the word of God.
12:18I have my small group meeting in my home
12:22for for the decades decades and can
12:27absolutely uh
12:30um testify to this. When um a meeting is
12:37without or short of the word that
12:40meeting is empty that meeting is even
12:43vain.
12:45um but uh how to use the word
12:49skillfully, appropriately and all of
12:52that is a matter of learning. So he
12:55suggested
12:56uh uh using the life study. This is way
12:59back way back using the life study
13:03messages uh because it is um so rich and
13:08so so ready. Um um uh and then later on
13:15he would uh for a period of time he
13:19started to prepare these uh truth
13:22lessons called it's still you can still
13:25buy that uh to use the truth lessons as
13:29content. Um the point being that um um
13:35that um um that there's an abundance of
13:39material
13:41uh for us. We have no no shortage at
13:44all. Um it really depends on the need.
13:50It depends on how we are skillful to use
13:53these things um these material to meet
13:57the need. Um but he always come back uh
14:02and then the
14:05he comes back to uh the point that um uh
14:10in any event our meeting should be uh
14:14liberated uh from u um formalities
14:20formality
14:22from um um religion
14:26uh from anything traditional know and uh
14:30and from death
14:32there's a dead meeting uh of uh of
14:36believers.
14:38Um
14:39uh it should be spontaneous.
14:42Um it should be led by the spirit. Um it
14:46should be free. It should give
14:49[clears throat] much opportunity to
14:50every saint. Um um to in a mutual way,
14:57caring for one another way. Um um you
15:03know uh how we can start with just you
15:08know caring for one another, shephering
15:11one another, praying for one another,
15:14and then we can get into something in
15:16the word. Um uh uh then there could be
15:21spont spontaneous prayer um uh and
15:26someone can share a testimony. No one
15:28should share too long of um just for a
15:32couple of minutes. It's almost like a
15:35prophesying meeting that he later on
15:39promoted but in a much more relaxed
15:42setting right in a in a home.
15:45Um [clears throat]
15:47he said there's no need for pastor or
15:50leader, no need, no sermons, no long
15:54sharings, but you do need some that can
15:57guide the meeting. Uh you know, like a
16:01rudder in a in a boat. Um and um um this
16:07includes really um uh um
16:13teaching one another. Uh exhorting one
16:16another, mutuality is is is uh is the
16:21key. You talk about playing basketball,
16:24you know, we pass the ball and you know,
16:27all would in a coordinate way. And we
16:30all know this uh brothers and uh sisters
16:35that when in any of our meetings not
16:38just in our group meeting when there is
16:40this kind of practice that meeting is
16:43living
16:45that meeting it's the mark um
16:48[clears throat] that meeting leave a
16:50would leave a a sweet taste um uh in in
16:56in in our mouth. And so um um so he
17:02charges um saints if we mean business we
17:06need to uh ourselves know the word. We
17:10need to be those who read the Bible. Am
17:12I right? Um um u uh
17:18um along with us living a u vital life.
17:25So, so I mean in a nutshell, uh that's
17:28it in a nutshell. Um
17:32uh I am very always very um careful uh
17:37in not telling people what to you, what
17:40books to use, what material to use
17:43because immediately it uh it restricts,
17:48it constrains
17:50um um and so different groups do
17:54different things. marvelous
17:57uh according to their situation.
18:00Some with a lot of new ones, right? Some
18:03are even always full of unbelievers,
18:07friends. So the gospel, the word of the
18:11gospel has to be there. Um
18:14um u some with new believers. So a lot
18:18of kind of a new believers fellowship is
18:22needed. Uh some others may be uh uh not
18:27that way though they can get into
18:30something more.
18:32Uh but on that uh uh note uh in these
18:38days I really really uh
18:43[snorts] um because of the burden to
18:46distribute the Bible the the recovery
18:48version um that uh this recovery version
18:54that we have which by the way is a um a
18:58um a brided version if you
19:02of the life studies. Yeah, the footnotes
19:05are mostly clean from the live studies.
19:09This morning I was reading uh Galatians
19:12uh chapter 3 and my goodness those
19:16footnotes are so long uh and so rich and
19:21almost all from the life gleaned from
19:26uh um curated uh you know from the live
19:30studies. They are just the the um you
19:35can say it's a crystallization not
19:36crystallization it's a condensation huh
19:39of of the lifesties
19:43this recovery version
19:45and uh um it would be quite easy uh to
19:51just u um either in a book by book way
19:56or chapter by chapter way or uh in a um
20:01subject topical way either way. Um in in
20:06our uh group time
20:10um um
20:14um no need to uh you know let's read uh
20:20[clears throat] page this to page this
20:22in a life study. Um um I'm not saying
20:25that's wrong but I am suggesting that we
20:29could um just have the recovery version
20:34and use a particular footnote
20:37uh you know when you I think in I don't
20:40know today included in the recovery
20:43version that we freely give to people
20:46whether there is a topical directory or
20:49not. We used to have that BFA topical
20:53direct. So let's say you want to touch
20:55the matter of the blood of Christ. It's
20:58there. All the salient footnotes are are
21:01there or you want to cover
21:05baptism. It's all there. Uh the best uh
21:09uh footnotes on on baptism which is a
21:14big and important subject especially for
21:17new believers. This is all there. Um I
21:21just came back from last week uh from uh
21:25Austin, Texas and um uh was there and of
21:29course um uh Professor Kent Diller, you
21:33you probably know that brother pro he's
21:36retired
21:38um but wonderfully uh the school allows
21:42him to teach a course uh um probably
21:47some kind of elective or something. And
21:50that course is uh he only used the
21:55recovery version and you have to get a
21:58recovery version to study that class.
22:03And um um and he talks about all kinds
22:07of things. Basically, it's a bi Bible
22:10study. And that class is so popular,
22:14it's noted by the university
22:16uh as a very uh um recommended uh class.
22:23And then uh he gave me uh just a just
22:28something he he worked on himself. Uh uh
22:32a kind of a topical some of the more um
22:37uh uh appropriate uh subjects or topics
22:42uh in that class for these college kids,
22:45right?
22:47um with with the the best footnotes that
22:51he found on on any particular topic. I
22:55mean, my goodness, I wish I can be such
22:58a professor. Um I think I can do it. Um
23:03um even though I don't have a PhD, um um
23:10I can say I have a PhD in in the Bible.
23:13I can say that to some some degree uh uh
23:18of uh of u um accuracy. Um um he did
23:26that and he was serious about it. You
23:28know, he's a scientist and um um um he
23:32he really gets into it. uh marvelous and
23:35and and so we we I don't mean we all
23:38have to be like him but uh the love for
23:42the word and and the the the the trust
23:46in this recovery version and very
23:49skillfully
23:50skillfully using the recovery version in
23:54his particular situation which is a
23:57class right uh he did his job and did it
24:01um an outstanding Hey. Um
24:06um so any anyway uh we cannot get away
24:09from the word and um um but how to
24:15acquire the skill to to do that. Um um I
24:21would uh here also add one thing about
24:24the group meetings and that is don't let
24:28it be long.
24:30You know, we in the recovery are used to
24:32length, okay? Everything is long and
24:37we're so used to it, we can sit in a
24:39meeting for two hours and not complain.
24:42Um um and um
24:47most people are not like that.
24:50Okay. Um and um new ones are not like
24:55that. So we need to have this kind of
24:59time not for a long time and get into
25:02complicated things and discourse these
25:05matters. There's another time for that.
25:07But for this kind of a time uh we don't
25:10need that. Um um but we can all say
25:15something rich. We can all say something
25:18with light. Uh we can all say something
25:21that bring forth life and truth in a
25:25simple way. Um in a clear way uh if we
25:31know the word, if we uh have the burden,
25:34if we prepare ourselves
25:37um that would just um um um feed uh that
25:43would uh nourish, that would enlighten.
25:46And brotherly even talk very much in the
25:49situation about using qua
25:53in a group setting
25:55and I also practice that and it works.
25:59Once you pose a question to the group
26:02everyone start considering and you know
26:04getting engaged
26:07and some would provide some
26:10foolish answer. That's okay. That's
26:13okay. They're young. they don't know
26:14what what they're talking. Uh but it
26:18gets everyone involved when you have
26:21this mutual Q&A.
26:24Um
26:25um so so uh uh right there are these uh
26:32three three uh outlines
26:36on on both the living and also the um
26:40the um content.
26:43Um but as you can see dear ones uh at
26:48the end of the day that there's no
26:51manual for small groups. Uh
26:56there's no instruction booklet.
26:59It comes back to how how living we are,
27:03how vital we are. Um how much we are
27:08full of the spirit and how much we are a
27:10bubbling person. uh and also uh that is
27:14Ephesians 5 and also how much we are a
27:18person that is uh uh uh in the word
27:23loves the word and inhabited by the
27:26word. Um and and out of that infilling
27:32of the spirit and out of that inhabiting
27:36uh of the word you overflow, right? you
27:40overflow
27:42um um with speaking uh um songs um um
27:50uh the scriptures
27:53um and and and so on. Um [clears throat]
27:57and and through by doing this we
27:59minister life, we um um
28:05um uh minister the truth. Um we uh feed
28:11people uh we enlighten people
28:16um and
28:19such is a a
28:22um good group meeting. So um uh
28:30um you know there it is. Now uh
28:36um I I just want to um uh really suggest
28:42that we learn to use the recovery
28:45version more.
28:47I do uh suggest that and particularly
28:50the
28:51you know just just use the uh the small
28:54re uh the new testament you know that
28:56that's where wherever
28:59this is it you know the big bible it's a
29:02little intimidating and not everyone has
29:04it but this one uh you can you can get
29:07one free right or a new one can and uh
29:12why not just just use this uh it's all
29:15there Um but but but you need to study
29:20that. Um
29:22um
29:25okay. Um there many aspects to the small
29:28groups and um um
29:32um that we have not particularly cover.
29:35Maybe I said something for example about
29:38the uh small group how small group
29:41should multiply. I think I cover said
29:45something about that that a small group
29:48should not be static. Do you know what I
29:50mean? There's no such thing as a forever
29:53small group.
29:56Okay. Even the church, the local church
29:59is not static. Uh people move in, people
30:02move out, conditions
30:06uh fluctuate and uh environment changes.
30:10uh [clears throat]
30:11don't have this idea of this static shot
30:17of a ideal church or an ideal group.
30:21Your group would be good today. Tomorrow
30:23it won't be so good. But that's not the
30:26end of the group. This is just life.
30:28This is how things. This is the group is
30:31something uh that is fluid. The group is
30:34something that is uh that changes. Even
30:38a family
30:40a family um not exactly but you know the
30:45condition changes and people grow people
30:47move out of the house and you know uh
30:51then the then there's a empty nesters
30:54then then this that so um um
31:00uh the practice uh
31:04uh not to um uh have this static
31:09beautiful group uh for 30 years the same
31:12people together that that will be I I
31:15don't think that will happen and if that
31:18happens I'm not I'm not so sure that
31:21that group has reached his goal
31:24um
31:26you know every year the group or even
31:29more than uh should evaluate new members
31:32would come some would move out some
31:35would start their new group multiply
31:39um and and um and I don't mean we play
31:43musical chairs and and do something in a
31:46according to a calendar but I mean in a
31:50very very it's an organic thing it's an
31:53organic thing um um and who will bear
31:58the main burden um u to coordinate
32:02um we should always raise up new ones to
32:06bear the burden in the group. Um you
32:10know um
32:13um and that the group should always
32:17fulfill two things.
32:20Um
32:22uh number one it is to bear fruit.
32:27Bear fruit. Uh a group that does not
32:30bear fruit is
32:32static. is a
32:36stagnated group.
32:38Uh it's a family without children. No,
32:42the group should uh should bear fruit.
32:46Um uh
32:49uh number two, the the group uh I I mean
32:53by by that I mean to save sinners. I
32:56mean to bring people on in the Lord and
33:00also even to bring people into the
33:02church life. Right. [snorts] And then um
33:07a group uh
33:10actually even before that I should say
33:12this a group should be a place that
33:15recovers people re uh restores people. I
33:19think I talk about that uh restoring the
33:22backsliden saints the um um um dormant
33:28ones. Um
33:31surely there are so many like uh uh
33:34group is a hospital right? Um
33:38[clears throat]
33:38um to um heal to uh uh uphold
33:45uh even it's a place for some to
33:50conileles
33:52to be recovered.
33:54How how sweet that is. Um and needless
33:58to say that the the group is a place
34:01where we uh feed the young
34:05uh shepherd the young and this is like
34:11a huge big part um um from new believers
34:16to even uh more grown believers that
34:20needs uh shephering and all these are
34:24done in a very mutual way.
34:28Um um [snorts] when we have this kind of
34:33group life in reality as I'm u I'm um
34:41um saying here brothers that's 80%.
34:45That's the 80%
34:47church life. You you can see that can
34:50you you go to the uh meet big meetings
34:54of the church um you can we can only do
34:58that much. It has its important
35:02purposes.
35:03Um [clears throat] but all the the
35:07really really the the bulk of the church
35:10life really take place in these smaller
35:13numbers. And of course, just to remind
35:16you, we're not just talking about the
35:19group meetings. We're talking about the
35:22group, the people, the the weekly life
35:27of a group like a family.
35:31So, um um
35:34um
35:40and and um to to just add this uh um I
35:46am more and more um convinced
35:50um that um
35:57of the importance of the twos and
35:59threes.
36:00Um
36:03um this notion of twos and threes really
36:07uh uh sprang from brother Lee's
36:11fellowship on the vital groups. But over
36:15time I have somewhat myself decided not
36:19to use that term vital group. It's not
36:22because it's wrong but it because it
36:25confuses the saints. The saints say what
36:28is a vital group? What is a small group?
36:31I have been in this small group. Is it a
36:34vital group? Do you have these kind of
36:36questions? Uh eventually
36:40um um uh sometimes it even divides u u
36:46and it confuses.
36:48So over time uh um u in my study and
36:54experience
36:55uh I find that um if you look at the
36:59church as an organic as an organism
37:03which is has a lot of complex structure
37:07to every organism
37:09um um
37:12um um
37:16um can be looked at this way and again I
37:19have shared this before you know the
37:22starting with one person
37:25everything with God always starts with
37:27one person really one person that is
37:31vital that is
37:34living
37:36um and then the next
37:40you know the next level if you will and
37:42I'm not talking about a organized
37:45hierarchy but life this complex
37:49organism. You do have hierarchies there
37:53in that sense in an organic sense not in
37:56a uh human manufactur sense. Um
38:04you then uh have two or three
38:08uh I call it companions.
38:12two or three companions. You know,
38:15a husband and wife
38:18is
38:20should be vital companions. Am I right?
38:23Um uh right there. Right there you have
38:27a automatic
38:29two twos right there. Um and that's uh
38:35that's wonderful. It should be that way.
38:38But for you know those who are single
38:40particularly you know students and and
38:43and single ones uh they do well to not
38:48live a isolated individual independent
38:53u existence in the church life. They
38:56should be they should have companions.
38:58So twos and threes in the brother's
39:00house in the sister's house in whatever
39:04uh this should be among the teenagers.
39:07It should be among our young people. It
39:10should be among the college and and and
39:12so on. Uh the twos and threes. That's
39:16your that's your support group.
39:19That's your pursuit group.
39:22Uh that's your vital group. Uh the twos
39:26and the threes. And I have said talked
39:28too much about that. [clears throat] Um
39:31uh according to Matthew 18
39:34um [clears throat]
39:36um
39:39both for our um two or three is for our
39:44uh uh survival for our um um pursuit of
39:50the Lord um u for our uh experience uh
39:56in being built up um And at the same
40:00time this two or three is for function,
40:05it's for labor. It's for work.
40:10Uh don't forget the in Matthew 25 the
40:14[clears throat] there are two
40:16uh parables related to the kingdom that
40:20depicts the two sides. One is the life
40:23side. The other is the what? The work
40:25side in the kingdom.
40:29uh that being um the uh um
40:34virgins, right? And then the uh slaves.
40:38And so uh our Christian life, our church
40:42life is always have these two sides. And
40:45the twos and threes covers both the life
40:49side um of two and three um coming
40:53together. Two and three uh pursuing
40:56together. Uh reading the life study
40:59together um studying the word together.
41:03Just pursuing the pursuing together.
41:09Um this is this is a necessity.
41:15Um um
41:18and um and uh but that's the other side,
41:21the twos and threes to what? to serve
41:23together, to um um work together, to um
41:31uh
41:33uh contact people together, to um uh
41:37preach the gospel, to to
41:40um [snorts]
41:41shepherd uh new ones together. Um
41:48and so the these twos and threes uh I
41:53would say in a proper small group in a
41:57proper small group there should be at
42:00least one of these two and three if not
42:02more.
42:08Um this way the small group is not just
42:12see you next Friday.
42:14Yeah. You bring salad, I bring mashed
42:18potato type thing.
42:22But it is a weekly uh and not weekly,
42:24it's a daily affair
42:26because these these two are taking care
42:29of those two new ones and these uh three
42:32are taking care of that one during the
42:35week. Uh and they they they they pray
42:40together on Zoom. Uh they uh you know
42:43what I'm saying? They they meet together
42:45in the coffee shop. They [clears throat]
42:47uh needless to say, the husband and
42:49wife, they're always coordinating to
42:52care for certain ones. Um
42:57um and and
43:01um so the the the small group seizes to
43:06be just a weekly meeting. That's not all
43:10the group living. hits every day, house
43:14to house, day by day.
43:17Now, um you you now see that in order
43:22for this to be carried out, uh in order
43:25for this not to become just a
43:28a kind of a
43:34common and and uh traditional and even a
43:39religious practice in the church, the
43:42people who are bearing the more burden
43:46uh in in in in this kind of group life.
43:49Uh how they really need to be living
43:52people, huh? Uh consecrated people,
43:57u um enthusiastic people,
44:01um and may I say aggressive people. Um
44:07um
44:08if not, a so-called small group will
44:12degenerate and become just a meeting.
44:15just a meeting and it doesn't grow. It
44:18doesn't care for people. It's just we
44:20just meet each other in somebody's home.
44:24Uh and that is not that does not uh
44:28reach God's goal.
44:31Um
44:34uh
44:36there there's there's a lot here, but uh
44:39I would just um say say this much. Um
44:47now brothers uh and and sisters uh with
44:51all this talk um so many talks on this
44:54matter [snorts]
44:56um I long to see some results.
45:01I and I have no visibility to that. I'm
45:04not with you. Um
45:08um I long to see the results. Um
45:13um
45:16um
45:18you know you know what comes to mind you
45:20know down here where I am is a very
45:23famous mega church um called the uh
45:27Saddleback mega church where where I my
45:31neck of the woods down in Lake Forest
45:33here
45:35and uh started by this very
45:39um faint name is Pastor Rick Warren. You
45:43heard Rick Warren, the purpose-driven
45:46uh series of books. Uh in
45:49[clears throat] the heyday, I mean, my
45:51goodness, he I think Jim he was uh even
45:56called the I don't know America's pastor
46:00kind of replacing
46:03what's his name um
46:06um
46:08>> Billy Graham. Billy Graham and he would
46:12do the invocation, he would be
46:15off the prayer, you know, at at some of
46:18the inauguration, huh, of of the
46:21presidents, etc.
46:23Um
46:25and but um tragedy struck uh his son
46:29died
46:30>> [snorts]
46:31>> uh I think through some accident uh some
46:34years back
46:36and and that was just kind of affected
46:40him deeply greatly [snorts] and um
46:45uh now I actually don't know what's
46:48really going on but little things I
46:51heard that he's just not the same man
46:56and [clears throat] uh and not
47:01carrying on things in the same way. And
47:04uh I even heard that that church that
47:08church is kind of not the same, you
47:12know. And um
47:16uh you know that church started with
47:18small groups.
47:22that church started with
47:24uh successful practice of small groups
47:27in their way and um I don't know um the
47:33their small groups used to even send
47:35missionaries in their in a group to
47:38Africa to different third world
47:41countries to preach the gospel.
47:44Um and um
47:49um
47:52but um
47:56um it's almost like sticker clo you know
47:59these things. Now here we are uh you
48:02know uh in the recovery. Um how should
48:06we go on brothers and sisters?
48:10Um
48:11we have to be always
48:15um uh in a state of being renewed
48:21and um not only personally but I would
48:25say even our church life, our practice
48:28of the church life uh renewed and not
48:32get stuck in a uh something old,
48:36something traditional,
48:39something really that is not effectual.
48:42Um
48:44um just to keep the status quo
48:48um [clears throat] the Lord you ask me
48:52how do we do it you know how do we pass
48:55practice the small group in our locality
48:57I cannot tell you because I don't know
49:00your locality
49:02I would be presumptuous to tell you what
49:04to do you know but if you are burdened
49:08that the leading brothers
49:11uh to lead the saints to help in this
49:15renewal process to have a new practice a
49:19renew practice of the small group and
49:22more elevated practice of the small
49:24group to meet the Lord's need today.
49:27[clears throat]
49:27You you have to study your situation.
49:32Um you cannot just leave it to uh cruise
49:36control. uh you have to labor, you have
49:40to study, you have to do things. I do
49:43not mean that you arrange everything,
49:45you control everything, you you you you
49:48make everything happen. I don't mean
49:50that. That is another um uh uh pitfall
49:55that is the leading brothers being too
49:57controlling uh and not giving the spirit
50:02the freedom the saints the liberty to
50:05follow the spirit to be led by the
50:07spirit to practice these things.
50:10But the the leading brothers should lead
50:15the saints. they should always be ready
50:18to support. Uh they should promote uh
50:21they should guide uh they should support
50:25and help. Um and uh and in in this
50:30matter I would say I have devoted quite
50:34a number of years to do that. uh to
50:38build up a group-based church life, the
50:43the 80% group based church life. But
50:46after some years, even what is built up
50:50needs to be renewed, needs to be
50:53refreshed, need to be uh evaluated,
50:57needs to be reconsidered.
51:00And so I ask the saints who are here
51:03today in this talk that if you are in a
51:07old group so to speak, I mean a group
51:11that have been in existence for some
51:13time and you're burdened for a renewal,
51:16you should consider this and fellowship
51:19amongst yourself about this.
51:22um in fellowship with the leading
51:25brothers about this um you know uh the
51:30age of the saints in that group, the
51:33composition of the saints in that group
51:36um the the the condition uh of that
51:42group uh as uh compared to what we are
51:47talking about now.
51:49um um
51:52and so on. Um
51:55the
51:58I I I think I have I have uh um um
52:04spoken enough.
52:07Um
52:09another point is the leadership.
52:12um we need leadership
52:15uh in anything right but it's the
52:19understanding of the leadership
52:22that is important. Uh most people when
52:25they think leadership they think it in a
52:28certain way of some leader leading us in
52:32what we do and so forth.
52:35Um um
52:38um
52:40um in in Christianity they coined the
52:43term servant leader. Have you heard of
52:45that servant leader? Um they now even
52:49use that in in in the corporate business
52:52um environment. But my point is um I
52:57like that word in that uh uh you don't
53:02uh lead up front, you lead from behind.
53:07Uh you don't lead from a top down way,
53:09you lead from a bottom up way. Um you
53:14don't lead in a overt
53:16common uh commanding way. you lead in a
53:22uh hidden
53:23um um uh
53:27um
53:28uh in an intrinsic way. So um so
53:34um
53:36there should be in small groups no
53:39pastor right u and and and that kind of
53:44a thing. um um
53:48but yet it is not um disorderly or
53:51chaotic or just kind of free for all.
53:55the spirit uh how to uh allow the spirit
53:59to have freedom in our midst. Yet at the
54:03same time at the same time um
54:07um [clears throat] there is some human
54:10guidance by those who are more mature,
54:13by those who are more um uh uh
54:17exercised,
54:19um um by those who have a little bit
54:22more capability. And that is that is
54:26proper. That is proper.
54:29Um, oh, I'm all over the place here in
54:33the uh on the back to the twos and
54:36threes. Um, um, brother Lee did speakh
54:42about the twos and threes in the way of
54:45the priesthood.
54:47He talked about two and three priests
54:52uh in in our practice. Uh now priests uh
54:58um are the serving ones. The priests are
55:00the ministers. The priests are the um um
55:05um
55:08uh those who lead the worship and so
55:09forth in the Old Testament. Today we're
55:12all priests
55:14um and we are a priesthood in the church
55:17life and so um
55:22um this priesthood uh and I noted that
55:26because it's so so special that um two
55:32or three priests he said two or three
55:35priests
55:37um would serve together. I I find that
55:40to be a very very lovely um um way of
55:45putting things
55:47and
55:48and and so we need we that's what we
55:53need today. If in every group there is
55:58uh such a two and three or
56:02um several of such two and three that
56:06group is wellmaintained. that group can
56:09go on. Um,
56:14all right. I I uh
56:17I told the brothers uh before the
56:20meeting, I said I don't intend to talk
56:22on the groups now. I spend the whole
56:23hour talking about the groups. Um
56:28um
56:29maybe this is good good for now. But but
56:33let me leave you still with this part of
56:35the fellowship, brothers. I'd like to
56:38see some results.
56:40I mean, we talk, we talk, we fellowship.
56:43You say, "Amen."
56:45And you even pray about this. But what's
56:48happening? Uh we've been on this for two
56:51years now. Um intermittently, this
56:54fellowship. Uh uh is your church life
56:59being uh being renewed where you are? Um
57:03with such a group living, group life or
57:08is it just kind of
57:11you know these are good talks and
57:13inspirational
57:15but not much is happening.
57:18[clears throat]
57:19Um I I hope you would
57:22um um
57:25especially with the leading brothers
57:27would really really take this very very
57:30seriously.
57:31Um it's work, it's labor but it's 80% of
57:35the church life
57:38if we build this up.
57:40Um
57:43um I am having this type of fellowship
57:46with you here uh with one church, a
57:49church in the Midwest.
57:51A church in the Midwest who are very
57:55burdened about this.

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