Why You Should Not Join A Small Discipleship Group (DG):
Three lies that Satan wants you to believe!
Hebrews 10: 24 & 25 (NASB)
24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
A blatant lie, totally untrue, is easy to spot but an unchanging truth that is almost wrapped by a lie can escape us. The small discipleship groups (the ‘distributed’ church) have always played a vital role for members to grow as disciples of Christ. This is more so in today’s pandemic world where restrictions had been placed on the congregated church in terms of the number of members who can attend Sunday worship services. Yet, for reasons best known to individuals, there are still many members who are not being discipled in small groups. Perhaps, the evil one would have us believe in the following lies…
• Lie 1: I do not have time to attend small discipleship group meetings.
It is more correct to say that you do not have any more time than I have. Conversely, I do not have any less time than you have. Time is the fairest commodity. We all have 24 hours in a day. The issue is not the number of hours; it is how we prioritize our time for what matters most and eternally. I do understand the heavy demands of work and the vastitudes of life that we shoulder daily, but we can never be too busy for God. Incidentally, B.U.S.Y. is an acronym for ‘being under Satan’s yoke’. Ephesians 5: 15 – 17 say, “Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Satan does not want you to know God and His plan for your life. So, the evil one will distract you from God’s design for your life with the “lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life” (1 John 2: 16). So, beloved, behold the truth:
Truth 1: We need to understand what the will of the Lord is.
• Lie 2: It is enough to attend Sunday church worship services.
To mature in Christ, we need to dig deep into the Word of God. While we should not forsake our assembling together to worship God as one spiritual family on Sunday services, we also need to go beyond just listening to sermons for our Word intake. We need a systematic inductive Bible study discipline and yet, it is not Bible study per se but applying God’s Word in our lives to grow in the knowledge of Christ and in community. At some point, we need to develop from being a spiritual infant into a mature disciple, consuming solid food and not milk only. Hebrews 5: 13 & 14 say, “For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” As we encounter God in His Word, He speaks to us. As we respond obediently, we mature spiritually and are being transformed more and more into Christlikeness. So, beloved, behold the truth:
Truth 2: We need to have our senses trained to discern good and evil.
• Lie 3: I do not lose anything by not participating in a small DG.
‘No man is an island’ is a quotation from the English Christian poet John Donne (1572-1631). This proverbial expression showcases the idea that human beings do badly when isolated from others and therefore, need to be part of a community in order to thrive. The biblical understanding of Christian living is also communal. In the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, He told them to pray in this way: “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name…” (Matthew 6: 9). We, believers in Christ, all have God as our heavenly Father and hence, we are brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that we are all members of the one Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12: 27). Yes, there will be the occasional misunderstandings, tensions and even conflicts in the family but, ‘family’ is also where we belong and feel loved and supported. A Christ-centered family can lovingly reach out to others in need by doing good deeds. So, beloved, behold the truth:
Truth 3: We need to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.
If you are already in a small discipleship group, I pray that together, as companions-in-Christ, you will grow in your knowledge of Christ more clearly, love Jesus more dearly and follow Him more nearly. If you are not yet in a small DG, do not hesitate to join one! Last but not least, in the words of apostle Paul to the saints who are at Ephesus,
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1: 18 & 19a).
In Christ,
Dr Ho Boon Tiong
LCEC Chairperson