Recently I spoke at the VBH (InterVarsity) meeting here in Nitra. It was a great time to connect with the students and just pastor them. They had invited me to teach, but it was more like a brain-picking session. I was given 5 very general questions with very little context. The only connection between all the questions was essentially - how do we best serve each other? The great thing about this session is that all the questions were honest and they students really wanted to live out the teachings of Jesus.Below are the questions & outlines of the answers... however, the Holy Spirit provided many more “on the spot” answers during the evening.
1. How do you organize a big group?
Acts 2:41-47; 5:12
- H.S. empowered and obedient to.
- Devoted to right things in a balanced way
- Helped one another
- Large group + smaller groups (more intimate)
Remember, if it's God's work He will take care of growth problems.
2. How to feed mixed groups of newer and mature believers?
Acts 2:42 - use this as your model gathering
2 Tim 3:16-17 - simply teach the Word.
- Stick to the Word, believe it, live by it.
- Study & teach expositional and inductively (O,I,A)
- Direct people to find their answers in the Word
- Hype and "relevancy" will fade, God's Word remains!
- Be taught by the Holy Spirit (John 14 & 1Cor 2)
3. How to spiritually council?
Spiritual counseling = Biblical counseling + H.S. discernment
4. Practical needs: when to help, when not?
James 1:27 - True religion is serving the oppressed
Jn 13:34-35 - Disciples love one another
Acts 2:44-45 - Starts in the gathering of Believers
Gal 6:2-5 - Carry burdens, learn to carry your own.
5. Outreach?
(This was asked in the context of their recent outreach - see my Nov blog ‘Merchant of Death”)
Now go from preaching the Gospel to making disciples.
