Sunday August 30
Small Groups: God’s Idea First
Read Genesis 1:1, 2, 26; Hebrews 1:1, 2; and Ephesians 3:8, 9.
1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
3:9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
How do these verses reveal the unity of the Godhead?
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit participated in Creation together. They each had different tasks but worked together in an indivisible union. The Father was the Master Designer, the great architect. He carried out His plans through Jesus, as the active agent in Creation in unison with the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a powerful supernatural act is way beyond our comprehension. What we can comprehend, and clearly, too, is not only the reality of the created world and the cosmos but that God Himself had made it all (see Rom. 1:18-20).
Small groups were God’s idea first. Though one has to be careful when using analogies in regard to many of the mysterious aspects of God, let’s use one loosely and say that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit composed the first “small group” in salvation history. They participated together in the creation of the human race and then in its redemption after the Fall.
Compare John 10:17, 18 with Romans 8:11; and 1 Corinthians 15:15. How does the resurrection of Christ demonstrate the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the plan of salvation?
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united in a “small group” with the express purpose of redeeming the human race. “The plan of salvation had its place in the counsels of the Infinite from all eternity”. — Ellen G. White, Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 186. There is nothing more important to God then saving as many people as possible (1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Pet. 3:9). Small groups may have multiple purposes that we will study in this week’s lesson, but their overriding purpose is to focus on winning lost people to Jesus. That is, by working in small groups, we can help not only ourselves but others, as well. That is, the ultimate goal of our small groups should be soul-winning.
Christ sent out disciples who were not alone. They went out two by two. We are told why this is important. "The workers should go forth two by two, that they may pray and consult together. Never should they be sent out alone. The Lord Jesus Christ sent forth His disciples two and two into all the cities of Israel. He gave them the commission, “Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.” Evangelism, pg 520.
Dwell on the mystery of the unity of our God. It’s hard to grasp, isn’t it? Yet, we can still believe in, and trust, what we don’t fully understand, right? Why is this such an important principle for Christians to follow when it comes to faith?
The church of God ought to be seen as united. We ought to present a united front to the world. We ought to be preaching, writing, and teaching the same gospel. This is why Paul said "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Gal 1:9.