Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
It all started as a Jesus movement that started in communities. Everything that they did and believed was centered on Jesus as Lord and Messiah. Their life was not centered on public activity so much as it was centered on small groups meeting in homes. The book of Acts is filled with references to people meeting in homes, upper rooms, and behind locked doors. The first church was a community of charity in which all people shared what they had so no one was in need. They were also an inclusive community.
God didn’t design you to do life on your own. Scripture is filled with exhortations to engage in community with fellow believers. Galatians 6:2 says, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Psalm 133:1-3 says, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”
Think for a moment about the people God has given you. Think about your friends and family. Think about those around you at church you feel close to. What would your life be like if you had no one to share it with. The truth is we need each other: the support, the encouragement, the help along the way. The Christian life is not easy and there are so many hills and valleys along the way. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”
God gives us community as a way to become more like Him. There’s something powerful about believers joining together, making each other accountable, and being a sort of witness of one another’s lives. We need people checking in on us, asking the hard questions, and challenging us to really live out our faith. If you are not a member of a small group, please consider joining one this semester. It gives people confidence in the model scripture, in Jesus’s constantly calling people together and inviting them into a relationship with Him and with each other.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you have someone or a group of people that you can be authentic, be yourself with, without any facades or false fronts?
- Small groups are about doing life together. A place where you can grow closer to God, closer to others, and closer to your purpose. Agree or disagree?