Small Group Life Blog

April 22, 2009

Hi [FIRSTNAME],

I admit that I’m a stickler for following the list of “Character Conversation Questions” as  the agenda for our LTG. I feel the questions are so important, we must ask them of each other weekly. You will, of course, modify them to fit your group. Let me know how your group works and does this.

Question #3 in our weekly Life Transformation Group is:

Have you prayed for each of our pre-Christian friends this week by name?

We have talked about taking out the trash, and leaving it at the cross and in Christ’s tomb. We have talked about receiving the freedom we have in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Now we turn to God’s mission.

“God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

Consider this a proof that God is Triune (three in one). Love happens between two or more, not one. Love is also overflowing. Love between a man and a woman naturally results in the birth of new human beings. So also with God, the love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit resulted in the creation of humans (and kitties and other animals).

In fact, God hardwired multiplication into Creation itself. His basic command to Adam and Eve was “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28). This was re-affirmed to Noah after the flood (Genesis 9:1).

Should it come as a surprise then, that Jesus gives this same command to His New Creation? (That is, the New Creation we have in Christ Jesus by His death and resurrection!)

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

Acts 1:8 “You will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

But the disciples of Jesus decided to stop a few miles from Jerusalem, preferring the holy huddle. So God sent a guy named Saul to start persecuting the church. This sent them running. And guess what happened? Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word (Acts 8:4).

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”

So, consider yourself sent. You have a mission. You have a purpose. The prime directive of a disciple of Jesus is to be fruitful and multiply. The world needs you. The world is in darkness. The world does not even know it needs Jesus. The world will not come to the church’s doors, looking for Jesus. So what does God do? He sends you!

Is now a good time to panic? I don’t know. I get a bit overwhelmed thinking of trying to reach a few billion people who don’t know Jesus. In fact, I’m pretty uncomfortable talking to people I don’t know. And now Jesus is asking me to tell them about God’s Rescue Mission which is found in no one else but Jesus (Acts 4:12)?

Cool. I’m all over it. Does sending out this blog to people to tell them to do it count? The point being, there are a few of you for whom talking to everyone about Jesus comes as a natural by-product of loving God and loving people. Then there’s the rest of us. So let’s keep this simple. Here’s what Jesus says:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2; see also, Matthew 9:38)

Now I can stop sweating quite so much. I can pray. I’m not great at it. But I can pray. (One guy recommends setting your alarm for 10:02 everyday to pray that the Lord of the Harvest send out workers into the field to bring in those ripe for Jesus, for Luke 10:2. I suppose you can do this at 9:38 instead for Matt. 9:38; or both. Or once a day. Or whenever.)

In the LTG pamphlet, I include 10 prayers, based on God’s Word. You’ll notice that I put this on the end of the pamphlet, back to back with the Character Conversation Questions. This is so you can cut this portion off and stick it in your Bible. Everyday before I read my Bible, I pray these ten prayers for specific friends who don’t know Jesus.

Next time, I’ll talk about who specifically to pray for.

My heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Romans 10:1

In Christ,
Pastor Steve

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