Have you ever been in charge of doing something that seemed overwhelming? It just seemed like there was too much to do for one person. One thing that we often learn at an early age is individualism. The message of “don’t depend on anyone else” is reinforced into our minds over and over again. I honestly believe that is one of the most damaging and at times demonic messages we tell ourselves and teach our children. The state convention that Westlake Baptist is a part of, Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia, has a running theme of “not alone.” It is a great reminder for us that as Christians we are never alone. God is with us and He has given us a church family as well as a state and national convention to belong. When we work together for the glory of God, we accomplish more together than we ever could individually. Where do we learn this? There are many places in the Bible, but the book of Nehemiah shows it to us very clearly.
Nehemiah had been called by God to go back to Jerusalem, and God was going to use Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the city walls around Jerusalem. It was a monumental task. However, we see in the book of Nehemiah that it was done in record time. That doesn’t mean it was always easy. There was intense opposition at times to what they were doing. But from Nehemiah, we can see three essential elements for our own personal spiritual growth as well as the building up of God’s kingdom. The big key to them is that none of them can be done in isolation. These three ingredients not only helped Israel build the wall, but they will help you grow in your walk with God and will aid in the building up of His kingdom. These three key ingredients form the basis for why every Christian should be a part of a discipleship group. What are these ingredients?
- Unity. After Nehemiah had arrived in Jerusalem, and spent three days there; he went and shared with others what God had laid on his heart. We read in Nehemiah 2:18 that he told the others how he knew this was from God, and how they could trust that it was from God. God had truly blessed Nehemiah in putting him in a position of influence in the kingdom, giving him a leave of absence from his service to the king of Persia, and having the king of Persia provide what they would need to build the wall. The people’s response to Nehemiah was “Let us rise up and build.” The Bible is full of passages on the need for unity. The “we” has to be more important than the “me.” As Amos 3:3 reminds us, “Can two walk together unless they agree?” Within a discipleship group there is unity in your relationship with Jesus, and a desire to grow in that relationship.
- Accountability. Accountability is something that we often give lip service to, but seldom do we truly want it in our lives. Why? Because it can be painful. However, the Bible states the case the accountability is necessary for a Christian. Without accountability, we will give into temptation time and time again, and we will never reach the spiritual maturity that God desires for us. There are many texts that show us this and give us the benefits of accountability. One text is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 we read, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For it they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Then there is Galatians 6:2 where we are told to “bear and share one another’s burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ.” Finally, we can see in James 5:16, “Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual prayers of a righteous man avails much.” There is strength in numbers, and we can help each other learn to resist the temptations that come at us. However, if there is no one watching over our souls and our lives, we are “prone to wander and leave the God we love” as the hymn says. In Nehemiah, there was built in accountability, because as we read in Nehemiah 3, each person was responsible for building the portion of the wall that was directly in front of their house. Therefore, it would be easy to see if someone wasn’t doing what they were supposed to be doing. The same is true in a discipleship group. In a small setting, it is easier to be open and honest with each other. After all, even if you attend a church that has only 100 people in it, how well do you know those 100 people? How well do they know you? Even in a Bible study of 10-12 people, there isn’t the depth of accountability that is needed for us. However, in a small group of 3-5, there can be intimacy and accountability that will help each member of that group thrive spiritually.
- Protection. In Nehemiah 4:17 we read, “Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other hand held a weapon.” Each person had two tools in their hand. Each tool had a specific use, but both of them served the same purpose. With the trowel, they worked on building the wall, which would protect them when it was finished. Until the wall was a finished, they each needed a weapon in their hand in case of an attack. When it comes to our discipleship groups, we use the trowel of love and encouragement to build one another up. With the sword we as the writer of Hebrews says, “provoke one another to love and good works” (Heb. 10:24). Sometimes, we like to put it on cruise control, but our members of our discipleship group can lovingly poke us to keep us moving along. The other way the sword can be used in your discipleship group is to help each other cut out the sins in our lives
We need each other if we are going to be who God has called us to be. If we are going to reach the nations with the Gospel, we must be intentional about having unity, accountability, and protecting the Gospel and one another. It’s time to rise up and build God’s kingdom!
By His grace and for His glory
Pastor Justin