Chapter 4: 12 Tips on How to Lead a Sermon-Based Small Group

If you’re not involved in a mid-week Bible study group, you should be. If your church is so large that it’s difficult to be involved in genuine Christian fellowship at the public gathering on Sunday, or if the Lord’s Day is so crowded with other ministry activities, then you need to find another way to accomplish this. Mid-week gatherings are the way to go.

Often the only way to facilitate body-life and community is to join a small group. Your small group should be made up of people from your church so that you’re all being impacted by the same biblical truths, and overseen by shepherds who all have the same basic biblical convictions. That doesn’t mean that you’ll agree on everything, but it does mean that you have the same foundational theological convictions and are all contending for the same faith. It makes no sense to be doing regular Bible studies with a Roman Catholic or a Mormon who preaches “a different gospel, which is really not another” (Gal 1:6–7), believing this constitutes Christian fellowship. It doesn’t.

Some study groups have an evangelistic purpose and that’s fine, but that’s not what I am describing here. I am referring to Christians meeting with Christians for mutual edification. I don’t wish to undermine the need for evangelistic pursuits and I encourage you to do all you can to expose the lost to the gospel by loving unbelievers and spending time with them just as Jesus did. But in order to do this effectively, you need to be sure you’re both hearing and acting on God’s Word yourself in the context of biblical fellowship. In fact, to the extent that you are living the gospel yourself, your gospel ministry will be invigorated and biblically enabled.

Regarding the necessity of being involved in small fellowship groups, C. J. Mahaney writes,

[God] will of course use teachers of the word through sermons, books, and tapes. But he will also use the regular guy in your small group—and there’s the rub. We can ignore teachers, close books, and turn off tapes. When we do pay attention, we can conveniently misapply teachings. But the people closest to us, if they’re doing their job in fellowship, are not likely to let us ignore God’s urgings so easily.[1]

Some mid-week small groups choose to focus on an area of study that’s different to the subject of the Sunday sermon. Many of these studies are helpful, aid Christian growth, and facilitate Christian fellowship, but they don’t maximize the impact of a church-wide focus that the Sunday sermon brings. Rather than allowing that corporate focus to come and go without significant effect, we should mold our mid-week small group ministry around the shared sermon experience. It’s better to have a singular spiritual focus that is actually being fleshed out in practical personal application, than to have multiple spiritual inputs that don’t have the opportunity to affect real change.

Pastor Larry Osborne of North Coast Church in northern San Diego County introduced the church to sermon-based small groups. He and his elders made the decision that this would be the main ministry focus which would be promoted to the entire church even at the expense of some other long-established ministries. As a result of their purposeful efforts, 80 percent of the average weekend adult attendance are involved in sermon-based small groups. Osborne soon noticed the following benefits: increased attentiveness during the sermon, increased note-taking during the sermon, spirited discussion after the sermon, single-minded church-wide focus, and Bible knowledge that extended beyond mere familiarity.[2]

At Faith Bible Church, we have several sermon-based study groups that meet on weekday evenings to discuss and apply the previous Sunday’s sermon. The effectiveness of these groups is proven. The people involved in these groups want to maximize the outcomes of the corporate sermon event. They’re not willing to let the experience come and go without reflection and prayer. They want to challenge one another to apply the truths of the preached passage. They want to pray for and encourage one another in the process. It’s been an effective way to build community and facilitate body-life.

Colin Marshall writes,

In a sermon, the whole congregation can be challenged to make application in certain areas. In small groups, however, each member can think through personal applications in more detail. Struggles in applying the Bible can be shared and there is time for prayer for each other. Small groups can provide a sense of accountability where members help each other act upon decisions to change.[3]

Of course, it’s important to not let these sermon-based study groups devolve into preacher-critiques. You’re not there to talk about the pastor or the pros and cons of his preaching style. Rather, you’re there to discuss God’s Word and its effect on your life.

I suggest the following tips for undertaking a sermon-based small group.[4]

First, plan ahead. Before meeting with your group, read your sermon notes and reflect on your personal points of application. Remember what questions you had and make mental notes of how you might contribute to your group’s discussion. Pray ahead of time, asking the Lord to make your study group the most profitable time of fellowship ever.

Second, agree to meet in comfortable surroundings that promote easy discussion. Sit in a circle rather than in a classroom format. Make sure each person can have eye-contact with everyone else. Start with tea and coffee. The informal atmosphere will break down the nervous feelings that those who are not accustomed to such settings invariably experience. Do everything you can to make people feel comfortable and at ease. As the group gets to know each other more intimately, this will happen naturally.

Third, encourage everyone to be prompt. Time is as valuable to many people as money. If the group runs late (because of a late start), these people will feel as robbed as if you had picked their pockets. So, unless you have a mutual agreement, begin and end on time.

Fourth, ensure the group size doesn’t grow beyond a number that makes personal interaction impossible. If people feel like there was no opportunity to contribute due to too many overly talkative people they’ll become frustrated and eventually leave. If there are too many silent moments created by the fact that there were not enough people present, the introverts will become quite uncomfortable and they’ll eventually leave too. Larry Osborne believes “the ideal size for a group of married couples is usually twelve to fourteen people. For singles, eight to twelve can be ideal. That’s because a group of six couples has a radically different dynamic than one with a dozen singles.”[5] Each group will be different, so you’ll need to evaluate from time to time to ensure discussions are going well and intimacy is actually happening.

Fifth, start the discussion by re-reading the sermon passage. This will orient the ensuing conversation around the text. Keep your Bibles open throughout the meeting so that your focus always returns back to the text whenever there is a transition in thought.

Sixth, involve everyone. Group learning works best if everyone participates more or less equally. If you’re a natural talker, pause before you enter the conversation. Maybe you could ask others what they think. If you’re a natural listener, try to contribute more to the discussion. Introverts are typically satisfied to go home having been ministered to, but need to learn that they also have much to contribute to the lives of others. No one person should dominate the session, so be careful to measure your contribution after each meeting and adjust next time if necessary.

Seventh, make sure the church leaders appoint or affirm a leader for your group. The leader must be apt to teach but mustn’t see his role as the sole teacher in this particular setting. Instead, he’s to facilitate group learning. The leader should help group members to make their own discoveries. If you’re the leader, ask the folk:

·      What personally challenged you in the sermon?

·      What are areas of agreement or disagreement?

·      What questions did the sermon leave unanswered?

·      What new thoughts about God or the gospel were impactful?

·      What areas of change do you/we need to implement now?

·      What hindrances to personal change do you foresee?

·      How can we pray for one another in these things?

Everyone needs to understand that there are no silly questions. Each person should feel secure to share, and the leader will need to work toward this kind of openness in the group.

Eighth, there’s a lot to accomplish, so the leader (and the group) will need to pace the discussion to get through as much as possible. The areas of discussion should include observations of the Bible passage, interpretation, church-wide implications, personal application, specific changes that each person will make in their thinking and/or actions, and prayer for one another. Theology and Bible interpretation are important, but do not get so bogged down in these early discussions that you run out of time later. Remember the whole point of the small group is to ‘get personal’ about Christian living.

It’s far better to have people leave the meeting wishing it’d been longer, than to have them leave wishing it’d been shorter. If people believe there was so much more ground to cover in the meeting but feel that it wasn’t achieved, then their fellowship will continue in personal relationships throughout the week. This is a good thing. The study group has achieved its purpose—namely, to promote spiritual partnership beyond mere attendance.

Ninth, finish the sermon-based discussion by offering at least one prayer request each. The request can be about anything, but it’s best if it has originated from the discussion itself. Then pray for one another.

Tenth, the last five minutes of the meeting should be used to preview the next Sunday sermon. Read the upcoming passage and encourage people to attend Sunday services so they can be ready to contribute at the next small group meeting. Make sure you end on time so that those who have arranged for babysitters can get home to relieve the sitter as planned. If others want to stay longer and the host agrees, offer more refreshments and encourage further interaction.

Eleventh, commit to take breaks over the summer period and for other public holidays. This helps people to plan for other activities and not feel guilty that they are abandoning the group. It also helps them to see what it’s like to remove regular weekly fellowship from the sermon experience. They’ll come back excited to re-engage with the family of God because they now understand its value for themselves and for others.

Lastly, how do you know if your sermon-based small group is serving its purpose? The measure of its success is faithful attendance—but only in part. The goal is certainly not to have people pass a group quiz at the end of each sermon series. Similarly, motivating greater evangelistic effort, committing to deeper theological studies, shepherding the flock, and developing future leaders are excellent results, but these are not the primary goals of small fellowship groups. Instead we need to measure the quality of Christian relationships. Are the group members loving one another? Are they serving one another? Are they both giving and receiving significant spiritual input to and from those around them? Larry Osborne says, “I look for stories of mortgages and rents being paid, meals provided, hospital visits, holidays and vacations spent together, encouragement, and tough confrontations. All in all, the same stuff I’d look for in a healthy extended family.”[6] We hope to see the kind of fellowship that existed in Acts 2 where both spiritual and physical needs were being met by loving church members. Osborne adds, “The best way to see the most people grow deeper in their walk with God is . . . by having lots of folks tightly velcroed to other Christians and the Scriptures for the long haul.”[7] Sermon-based study groups are one of the best ways to maximize both.

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[1] C. J. Mahaney, Why Small Groups? Together toward Maturity (Gaithersburg, MD: Sovereign Grace Ministries, 1996), 21.

[2] Larry W. Osborne, Sticky Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 2008), 60–63.

[3] Colin Marshall, Growth Groups: A Training Course in How to Lead Small Groups (Kingsford, N.S.W.: Matthias Media, 1995), 21.

[4] These suggestions are derived in part from John MacArthur, Jr., The Body Dynamic (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1996), 135–36.

[5] Larry Osborne, Sticky Church, 77.

[6] Ibid., 106.

[7] Ibid.

Chapter 3: Community Activity After Every Sermon

It’s possible that God’s presence is not felt in a local church. Why is that? Keith Drury offers one answer: “The people have, as a group, quit responding to His Word. They may attend to see if others respond, and they might even pray that someone else will come and respond; but they no longer respond to preaching themselves. As a body, they do nothing upon hearing God’s Word.”[1] Friends, let’s not make that mistake. Together, let’s do everything we can to maximize our sermon-listening. The following suggestions will enhance your community sermon-listening after the sermon is done.

Our first commitment is that we should never rush off after the church service is finished. Plan after-church-events so that you still have time to hang around after the sermon to fellowship and enjoy the church family. It’s okay if lunch is delayed thirty minutes—your family will survive the hunger pains. Spiritual interaction is far more important, especially while the Word of God is still fresh on your minds. So consider this time an integral part of your public worship experience.

Ask people about the sermon. Tell them how you were challenged and what you plan to do as a result of the preached message from God. You may be able to pray for someone before you leave or ask someone to pray for you. Jonathan Leeman says, “The Word should reverberate back and forth, from mouth to mouth and heart to heart.”[2] Remember James’s warning: “If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was” (Jas 1:23–24). We can’t afford to walk away from that intense exposure to the Word of God—namely, the sermon—our spiritual mirror—and fail to make the appropriate adjustments to our thinking and behavior. So do it immediately and involve others in the process.

Joel Beeke provides an appropriate warning: “Do not engage in frivolous, worldly conversation after a sermon. Shallow talk about politics, people, sports, or news events is Satan’s way of sending his vultures to pluck away the good seed of the Word.”[3] Instead, discuss how the Bible passage should shape the church. Pray together for the work of God's Spirit to shape both you as an individual and the church as a body of Christians together.

In the same way, Christopher Ash writes

Why not make an effort to say something about how you hope to respond to the Bible truths in the sermon? (“I was really challenged to . . . Were you?” or, “I was really encouraged by . . . How about you?” or, “It was so helpful to be reminded of . . . Don’t you think?”). Or perhaps there is still something in the Bible passage that really puzzles you; how about asking someone: “Can you help me understand what . . . means?”[4]

These encouragements are simply practical ways in which you can live out the “one anothers” of the New Testament in response to the sermon.

Not only should we share with one another in the congregation, but we must also respond to our pastor. Paul said, “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches” (Gal 6:6). Your pastor worked hard to prepare and preach a sermon that will both accurately explain the Scriptures and faithfully prompt you to action. You should thank him. But don’t thank him with the typical “great sermon, pastor” comment. After a while these kinds of sentiments only pay lip service to your pastor. Instead, give him some detail that explains why the sermon was good. How were you challenged specifically? What do you intend to do as a result of the message? These are the kinds of things that will really encourage your preacher because then he gets to share in the fruit of his ministry.

Maybe your pastor didn’t answer all your questions about the passage or its application. That’s okay. The Bible is so deep that it’s almost impossible to cover every aspect of a particular passage in one sitting. Let’s be realistic concerning what our pastor can achieve in forty-five minutes. Instead of complaining, take the opportunity to discuss with one another your questions. Let these discussions form the basis of your fellowship. You should also approach your pastor to ask him your questions. He’ll be encouraged by your interaction over the text of Scripture.

Once you’ve departed the church service, you should try to continue this interaction over the sermon. Instead of using digital media to avoid church attendance, use social media to enhance it. Use Facebook and other online mediums to engage in theological and implicational discussions after the sermon. Highlight your prayer requests in a personal e-mail. Get people talking about sermon application. You can do this online and in your own home. Alexander Strauch comments personally: “To me,” he says, “hospitality is a fitting conclusion to worship. In fact, it is a needed continuation of our short time together as God’s family. It is also an opportune time to meet new people, encourage the weak, minister to the needy, and care for the new babies in Christ.”[5]

Post-sermon fellowship is the best time to take advantage of the people in the church who can invest into your life. Joel Beeke advises, “Ask older, more experienced Christians for advice. Talk to people who are spiritually mature about how to live as a Christian.”[6] In addition, find those Christians who are newer in their spiritual journey than you are and get them started on spiritual discussion that will continue the biblical nourishment that was started in the sermon.

Why not purpose to make a phone call during the week to follow up with a person whom you know was listening to the same sermon as you? The following is a list of text-related questions. You could consider these before you make the call and allow them to guide your discussion:[7]
1.              What examples can we follow?

2.              What commands should we obey?

3.              What errors must we avoid?

4.              What sins must we forsake?

5.              What promise can we claim?

6.              What new thoughts about God should we employ?

7.              What biblical principles should we live by?

These are wonderful discussion questions that should become part of the fabric of our fellowship culture. Remember, we’re trying to do things differently than we have in the past. We’re developing honesty and transparency in our relationships. We’re in devoted partnerships with teammates who are working together to accomplish eternal goals.

Sometimes the impact of such community-wide transformation is such that an entire congregation recognizes a culture of sin that has previously been allowed to exist without correction. When this kind of church-wide revival takes place and is led by the shepherds of the church, corporate confession is needed. In Nehemiah 8 and 9 the nation of Israel opened the Book of the Law for the first time in many years. Ezra the scribe read the Law and explained it for an entire week while the people listened. On the twenty-fourth day of the month “the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dirt upon them. And the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers” (Neh 9:1–2). Such public confession of sin is a wonderful expression of God’s grace to a community. Your church elders may lead the congregation in times of public confession like this. When that happens, follow their lead and listen to their counsel. Sometimes an entire church can slip into a culture of blatant idolatry, immorality, or even stray away from preaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes there is a general acceptance of so-called “respectable sins”[8] such as gossip, spiritual pride, ungodliness, anxiety, selfishness, jealousy, and judgmentalism. When a church recognizes that these sins have become a part of its culture, determines to confess them publicly, and resolves to make necessary changes, testimonies are restored, families reunified, churches revitalized, cities transformed, and nations revived. May God open our eyes to see the need for the corporate confession of sin if it exists.

Another way to continue the impact of listening to sermons together is to be involved in a personal discipleship relationship. You could meet with a personal mentor once a week over coffee or in one another’s homes to reflect on the sermon and make plans for personal application. There are wonderful benefits of one-on-one discipleship—benefits to which you should avail yourself. Find a person in the church who can invest himself or herself into you and someone else into whom you can invest yourself. But realize this: No one discipler is the perfect mentor, and no one mentor has a corner on all necessary spiritual inputs.

The best kind of discipleship in the church is not one-on-one, but many-on-many. It’s a more balanced approach to community living. It better describes fellowship. It promotes balanced discernment. And it’s the context in which fellowship can rightly take place. So pursue one-on-one discipleship but not to the neglect of meeting in small groups around God’s Word. If you have to choose between the two options, then choose the small group setting.

Sermon-based small groups can greatly enhance the effect of the Sunday sermon experience. Next week, we’ll see how this kind of ministry involvement can maximize the preaching and fellowship combination that began with the Sunday sermon.

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[1] Keith W. Drury, There Is No I in Church: Moving Beyond Individual Spirituality to Experience God’s Power in the Church (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006), 65.

[2] Jonathan Leeman, Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2011), 101.

[3] Joel Beeke, The Family at Church: Listening to Sermons and Attending Prayer Meetings (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2008), 27.

[4] Christopher Ash, Listen Up!: A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons (New Maiden, Surrey, England: The Good Book Company, 2009), 14.

[5] Alexander Strauch, The Hospitality Commands: Building Loving Christian Community: Building Bridges to Friends and Neighbors (Littleton, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1993), 50.

[6] Joel Beeke, The Family at Church, 32.

[7] John MacArthur, “A Study Method for Expository Preaching,” in John MacArthur, Jr. and The Master’s Seminary Faculty, Rediscovering Expository Preaching (Dallas, TX: Word Publishing, 1992), 217–8.

[8] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate (Colorado Springs, CO: Navpress, 2007).

Chapter 2: Community Activity During Every Sermon

One well-known online sermon library reports an average of fifty thousand sermon-downloads every day.[1] And that’s just one of many online sermon libraries. If you love to listen to preaching, you may be one of the thousands of Christians who’ve committed to listen to recorded sermons throughout the week, or whenever you have a spare moment. Maybe you redeem your travel or exercise time by donning your iPod or inserting the next sermon CD into your car stereo. That’s wonderful! Don’t stop. I commend you for your desire to hear God’s Word preached as often as possible.

But consider this: You may have become so accustomed to listening to sermons alone that even when you attend church you are still listening alone. There may be people sitting in the pews all around you, but you’re still listening alone. That’s one of the results of our individualistic society. We’ve forgotten how to listen to a sermon in community. Consider the following ideas to recapture community sermon-listening as a weekly exercise and to let the shared sermon experience be the focus of your Christian fellowship.

Arrive at church at least ten minutes early and encourage someone before the service begins. Get yourself situated so that you’ll not be a distraction to yourself or others. Look at the people around you and pray for them silently, asking God to enhance the spiritual impact of the worship service upon their lives. See yourself as a part of a family of Christian brothers and sisters who all have the same goals in life—to become more like Christ. Sunday morning is a weekly reunion of your spiritual family and is another stride in this community project called “sanctification.” See yourself as a vital part of this process. Take a minute to thank God for the church that surrounds you.

As the sermon gets started, be aware of the fact that you’re listening with others. You’re watching others listen. They’re watching you listen. Encourage them by being attentive. Nod in agreement with your pastor, smile at him and others, and take good notes. Do whatever you can to demonstrate focused listening that will in turn encourage others to do the same. Try not to distract them but lead them to listen just as you are.

When it’s time to participate in the offering, see it as an act of worship and know that your sacrificial contribution to the church is one of the ways you share in the sermon experience. Your financial support is what allows your pastor to prepare the sermons that your soul needs in order to continue growing alongside all your brothers and sisters. Your gift ensures that biblical preaching can go on in the church. Don’t treat this fiscal participation lightly as it’s directly linked to the sermon event itself.

Embrace the idea that the people sitting beside you are your spiritual teammates—people whom you want to serve after the sermon is done, and people who will seek to serve you. So plan for this during the sermon. Be thinking about what discussions can take place after the final “Amen.” Jot down any questions you might be able to ask a friend that would assist them in their spiritual walk. Remember Hebrews 10:24: “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” and plan ahead so that you can be deliberate in your efforts to do this.

Christopher Ash explains how listening in community helps him:

When we listen together, you know what message I’ve heard, and I know what message you’ve heard. I’ve heard it. You know I’ve heard it. I know that you know I’ve heard it! And you expect me to respond to the message, just as I hope you will. And so we encourage one another and stir up one another to do what the Bible says. By being with you, I make it easier for myself to respond the way I know I ought to respond. I can listen to a very challenging Bible passage preached on a recording, and if I ignore it no one knows. But if I pay no attention to the sermon I heard with you sitting beside me, you will know; and I would hate you to know I wasn’t listening![2]

This kind of accountability may seem threatening but know that truly loving Christian friends only want the best for you and vice versa. It’s this kind of close relationship that promotes progress in the gospel for them and for you. You need me and I need you in the sermon event. Embrace this axiom as a new commitment to sermon-listening.

There are a number of things that can make community sermon-listening difficult or frustrating. Parents with babies or young children will resonate with this. What do you do when you have young children in church with you? How do you encourage them to participate in the sermon?

I have good friends who have worked hard to teach their children how to sit still and not be a distraction to others. Their training is accomplished at home so that when the family arrives at church they’re not starting from scratch. It takes constant, disciplined effort over the long haul to teach children how to sit for an hour to read or draw without fidgeting or talking loudly. Others have taught their children to take notes in the sermon from a very young age. It starts with drawing pictures of words heard in the message. The child’s choice of word might not always be the best, but it helps them to get into the practice of listening during the sermon. Later, as the child’s vocabulary and understanding develop, the quality of the note-taking improves. Joel Beeke trained his children to take notes from the age of seven. Having returned to their home on Sunday evening, they would read through those notes as a family and talk their way through the Sunday sermons. Beeke explains, “Sometimes the discussions help our children even more than the sermons themselves,” and he exhorts, “Even when conversations do not produce the desired results, continue to attempt this review of [Sunday] sermons. It is better to fall short than not to attempt at all.”[3]

Iain Murray writes, “It was Lloyd-Jones’s conviction that churches make a great mistake when they do not expect children to be present during a sermon.”[4] From before the age of five, infants were present throughout the service at Westminster Chapel. If we’re going to encourage community sermon-listening, it could be that we need to listen to Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s call to include all age groups in the sermon event. Some will argue that no child should be expected to sit through an entire sermon, and yet “we have every reason to believe that children benefitted under the powerful preaching of the New Testament times.”[5] Iain Murray describes one situation in which Lloyd-Jones was ill and was not able to preach: “A girl of twelve wrote to him on behalf of herself and her brother to say she hoped he would soon be back.”[6] Oh that our children could express a similar excitement for the preaching of God’s Word! Are there ways your new community sermon-listening focus can be used to include your children?

Just as you might supplement your church sermon experience with other recorded sermons during the week, you might consider supplementing your child’s exposure to Christian truth by availing them of children’s Sunday school and/or youth oriented ministries. But don’t minimize the importance of involving them in the corporate worship service where the family of God is growing together and stimulating one another in the process. Think about encouragements and questions you could use to engage your children in the Sunday sermon before, during, and after the event.

When the sermon is done, then the real work of community begins. Next week, I’ll discuss post-sermon fellowship activities. Keep reading and make a list of how you can become a better sermon-listening teammate.

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[1] Grace to You, a ministry which distributes the sermons of John MacArthur, saw almost 18 million sermons downloaded from the GTY website in 2012. This figure was confirmed in an e-mail from Executive Director, Phil Johnson.

[2] Christopher Ash, Listen Up!: A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons (New Maiden, Surrey, England: The Good Book Company, 2009), 13–14.

[3] Joel R. Beeke, The Family at Church: Listening to Sermons and Attending Prayer Meetings (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2008), 26.

[4] Iain H. Murray, Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2008), 35.

[5] Ibid., 36.

[6] Ibid.

Chapter 1: Community Activity Before Every Sermon

In this consumerist church era it’s tempting to think of church as something we only do on Sunday, but this is far from the truth. The church is an entity to which we belong all week long. As a church, the sermon experience is the high point of our weekly public worship activity. It’s something we anticipate together, experience together, and reflect on together. Let’s consider our corporate worship activities before every sermon.

There are a number of community-oriented preparations to make as we anticipate the sermon together. The first is the confession of sin.  It takes a community of Christians to “confess your sins to one another” (Jas 5:16). “Our relationships with other Christians must be right if our worship is to be acceptable to God.”[1] Matthew 5:23–24 says, “If therefore you are presenting your offering on the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.” If your weekly interactions with friends and family are anything like mine, you’re busy in personal relationships all week long. It’s highly likely that you have sinned against someone during that time. I long for that day when I will no longer sin against my wife or treat her in an unloving way. Until that day comes, I regularly have some selfish attitude or action to confess to her. Of course this should be dealt with on a daily basis (Eph 4:26–27), but God has also established a weekly cycle in which we get to reevaluate ourselves and consider any other sins that must be confessed. We need to avoid the hypocrisy-cycle in which we attend church each week without giving due attention to our broken and hurting relationships. This goes for all relationships, not just within your family. If you have sinned against someone during the week, it is essential that you seek out that person, confess your sin, ask for their forgiveness, and make restitution if needed.

Make it a practice to confess sin as soon as it’s brought to your attention, but also spend some time on Saturday to reflect on your week and ask the Lord to point out to you any outstanding sins that require personal confession. If there’s a need to visit someone or make a call, do that before Sunday morning. Then, you’ll be ready to listen to the sermon with a clear conscience and a pure heart. Then, God’s voice will be heard.

There’s much to pray for in preparation for the Sunday sermon. You can pray individually for these things, but imagine the impact of a church gathering in small groups to pray in anticipation of God speaking through His messenger—your pastor.

Note these second person plural imperatives: “Brethren, pray for us” (1 Thess 5:25), and, “Brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you” (2 Thess 3:1). These commands were directed to a community of believers in Thessalonica who were to respond to the request in corporate prayer.

Mike Fabarez has compiled the following list of sermon-related prayer items that remind us of specific concerns to bring before our Lord in corporate prayer:[2]

·      Pray for the Crafting of the Sermon:

o   That the message your pastor is preparing to preach would be an evident part of his own life

o   For the protection of your pastor’s sermon preparation time

o   That your pastor will be given grace and illumination to rightly divide God’s word

o   That the words your pastor chooses to frame the outline would be effective and powerful tools for the Holy Spirit to employ

o   That your pastor would have insight into the needs of the congregation as he prepares the sermon

·      Pray for the Delivery of the Sermon:

o   That people will attend the preaching event

o   That the congregation would arrive in the right frame of mind

o   That God would guard against preaching distractions

o   For clarity and power in the pastor’s vocabulary

o   That God will give understanding to all who hear this week’s sermon

o   For the most effective and fruitful sermon your pastor has ever preached

·      Pray for the Response to the Sermon:

o   That all, including yourself, will put the sermon into practice

o   That the sermon will not be compartmentalized

o   That the application of the sermon would be contagious

o   That the sermon itself will be repeatedly delivered

These are wonderful reminders of how to pray for the Sunday sermon event. Imagine what would happen if the entire church was praying in this way. Our hearts would be full of anticipation for what the Lord is going to accomplish in that moment when divine truth impacts the souls of people.

Consider also the impact if your mid-week study group were to read Sunday’s sermon Bible passage together before Sunday. You should ask your pastor to publish the upcoming sermon passage on the church website or in the church bulletin a week ahead of time. It doesn’t matter when in the week your group meets—maybe it’s an early morning meeting before you all head off to work or school—maybe it’s an evening home-based small group. You probably meet for ninety minutes or so to read the Bible together, discuss various theological topics or areas of personal devotion, pray for each other, and encourage one another in the faith. Why not take five minutes at the end of your meeting to read the upcoming Sunday sermon passage, share brief questions about the text, pray for your pastor and for the church as mentioned already? Try it out! This is a wonderful way to prepare for Sunday in a group setting that increases both your anticipation and accountability as you move toward the sermon event together.

There may be other people in the church that are missing out on the small mid-week study group context. For these people, you could help to increase their anticipation for Sunday’s sermon by calling them to express your excitement for the upcoming passage. You could send them a txt message or e-mail to encourage them to read ahead and pray just as you’ve been doing. Point out a specific verse that you look forward to hearing your pastor explain. Tell them what questions you have about the passage and its application to your life. Maybe you could post a brief Facebook or blog entry that lists the same items for prayer and dialogue. The more interaction a church enjoys over the Word of God the more genuine fellowship is facilitated. You could have a family over for dinner, invite someone to coffee, or catch someone on Skype or Facetime, all with the deliberate intention of fostering a keen anticipation and prayer focus on what God is going to do in each of your lives in the Sunday sermon.

Try it out right away. Your own appreciation for the sermon will increase and the preaching of God’s Word will be even more effective in your life come Sunday morning.

Remember, this is just the beginning of the process. Many of these same activities must be continued throughout the sermon itself.  For that, come back again next week . . .

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[1] Wayne A. Mack and David Swavely, Life in the Father’s House: A Member’s Guide to the Local Church, 2nd ed. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006), 126.

[2] Michael Fabarez, Praying for Sunday: You, Your Pastor, and the Next Sermon (Laguna Hills, CA, Michael Fabarez, 2008), 11–16.

SECTION FIVE: Sermon-Listening and Body-Life Practices in the Church

Sermons bring conviction. Community builds commitment. Need em both.[1]

It’s one thing to identify corporate listening principles from Scripture, as we have over the past few weeks. It’s another thing altogether to make appropriation of those principles. That’s where my next series of blog posts come into play. In them, I will discuss practical ways to listen to and respond to sermons more effectively as a corporate body of believers.

In 2012, George Hincapie—an American professional cyclist—set a record for competing in seventeen Tours de France. During his long career, Hincapie was instrumental in helping other riders win the Tour on nine occasions. In seventeen Tours de France—that is a total of approximately 340 days of racing—“Big George” wore the yellow jersey himself for only one day and yet he became one of the most well-known and beloved cyclists in the peloton. He embodied the title domestique (French for ‘servant’), being a rider who would utterly sacrifice himself in order to support his teammates and help them accomplish their goals. For this fan-favorite, it was all about helping others achieve their potential. In a television interview at the end of his Tour de France career, Hincapie said, “To win the Tour de France you have to be a freak of nature. There’s only a couple people who have the ability to win the Tour de France and I didn’t have that ability but I did have the ability to help those people win. I knew that and I chose to focus on that.” Regarding his cycling legacy, Hincapie made this incredible statement: “I just want to be remembered as one of the best teammates ever.”[2]

We should have that same mindset in the church. We can help our fellow Christians do all they can to emulate Christ, to be effective witnesses, to be servants of the most high God. We can dedicate ourselves to church-wide teamwork before, during, and after the Sunday sermon. Ask yourself: “How can I be the best spiritual teammate I can be?” The first step is to be a part of the team.

I hope you’re convinced you need to be devoted to a church. “An unwillingness to join a local church is tantamount to saying we are not interested in divine accountability in our lives.”[3] So in order to avail yourself of God’s plan for community sanctification in the church, make sure you’re a part of a faithful church that both preaches and lives the truths of the gospel.

On choosing a church, Joshua Harris writes, “What’s important is to look for a church that is seeking not only to believe rightly, but also to live rightly. It’s possible for a church to be doctrinally sound but have a culture of total apathy when it comes to applying the truth of God’s Word in everyday life.”[4] For example, the people in the Ephesian church became known for their robust doctrinal stance—a desirable attribute. However, that church also had a failing love for Christ (Rev 2:1–7). The church members defended gospel-truth in the face of false teachers but they allowed their love for God to wane. This dire situation was so bad that the Lord told the Ephesian church, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Rev 2:5). This was a stern warning—one we do well to heed ourselves. Our commitment to guard sound doctrine must be matched by our love for God. Our doctrinal convictions must be matched by our obedient walk. Remember James’s instruction: “Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (Jas 1:22). “That means that the church will seek to build a culture and community of both hearing and obeying God’s Word.”[5] You’ll see this culture fleshed out in the founding documents of a church, published on their website and on their bulletin, remembered each week from the pulpit, and encouraged in all its ministries.

Once you’ve selected a solid, Bible-teaching, Bible-practicing church, then devote yourself to consistent attendance. Of course, there may be times when you don’t feel like sitting through another sermon with the same frustrating people, but on those days you need to remind yourself just how necessary it is to be there again. J. I. Packer writes, “We should not think of our fellowship with other Christians as a spiritual luxury, an optional addition to the exercises of private devotions.”[6] Rather, our interactions with brothers and sisters in the Lord are the vital cog in the wheel of spiritual growth and maturation. We are domestiques devoted to ensuring the success of our teammates. In fulfilling this role, we also position ourselves well for our own spiritual development.

Now, selecting and attending a church don’t in themselves constitute devotion to Christian fellowship, so my next series of blog posts will outline the activities that must be engaged once you’re involved. These practical aspects of community-living are what turn mere attendance into genuine partnership.

Catch you next week . . .

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[1] “Lecrae@Lecrae” http://twitter.com/lecrae/statuses/229935523437895681 (accessed: July 30, 2012).

[2] Steephill TV, “George Hincapie: Want to Be Remembered as One of the Best Teammates (2012/tour-de-france),” http://www.steephill.tv/players/720/nbcsports/?title=George+Hincapie:+%27Want +to+be+remembered+as+one+of+the+best+teammates%27&dashboard=tour-de-france&id=48275750&yr =2012 (accessed: July 23, 2012).

[3] Wayne A. Mack and David Swavely, Life in the Father’s House: A Member’s Guide to the Local Church, 2nd ed. (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006), 51.

[4] Joshua Harris, Stop Dating the Church (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2004), 91.

[5] Ibid.

[6] J. I. Packer, God's Words: Studies of Key Bible Themes (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1981), 193.

Chapter 7: Community Sermon-Testing

Genuine fellowship fosters accountability in the church. And accountability is an important aspect of preserving both the practical righteousness (Matt 18:15–17) and the doctrinal purity of the church. Regarding the latter, we sermon-listeners have a responsibility to be involved in community sermon-testing. The Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). In other words, we are charged with the task of checking the content of any man’s teaching to confirm its biblicity.  In 1 John 4:1, the word “Beloved” is plural and the two imperatives, “do not believe” and “test,” are both second person plural commands. The point being that the entire church has the responsibility to evaluate the preaching. This is a corporate responsibility.

We often trust that our pastor has done his study and his teaching can be trusted. And if you’re in an evangelical, Bible-teaching church which places a high priority on expository preaching derived from literal, contextual, grammatical exegesis, then you can trust your pastor has the same conviction as you do. But that doesn’t remove our sermon-listening responsibility when it comes to testing the spirits. As a community of Christians concerned about sound doctrine, we’re to respond to sermons like the faithful Bereans of Acts 17:11, examining the Scriptures to ensure the teaching is correct.

It’s not sufficient to be passive in the sermon event, because a faithful pulpit is as much dependent upon a faithful congregation as it is dependent upon a faithful pastor.

So we’re responsible to conduct community-wide discernment, but be careful to not let this process stray into demanding that your preferences also be taught. Some Christians become overly pedantic on every little side issue that they can’t seem to get along with anyone. This isn’t testing for biblical accuracy in the essentials—it’s expecting preferential agreement in the non-essentials.

Tim Challies counsels us wisely:

Christian fellowship is an integral part of the Christian life and one that we are not free to ignore. And yet many people who emphasize discernment find themselves increasingly unhappy in their local churches and may soon find themselves hiding away, either participating only grudgingly or attempting to replace church with sermons on CD or downloaded from the Internet. But discernment does not give us license to ignore Christian fellowship and to separate ourselves from other believers. A discerning person will know and affirm the value of the local church, of accountability, and of Christian fellowship. He will heed the words of Hebrews 10:24–25.[1]

How then do we know what is important and what isn’t? Which truths do we vigorously defend?  Which areas of disagreement do we choose to just live with? When should we leave a church? When should we stay? Al Mohler suggests that when it comes to upholding doctrinal truth, it’s necessary to acknowledge three levels of agreement and/or disagreement.[2] For instance, first-level doctrines are those that are fundamental and essential to the Christian faith. These include doctrines such as the full deity and humanity of Christ, the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of atonement, and essentials such as justification by faith alone. Where such doctrines are compromised, the Christian faith fails. If community sermon-testing is practiced and there are enough people in the church who agree that the pastor has compromised in these essential doctrines then you will be able to replace your pastor. Of course, this process will need to be led wisely by the elders of the church. But, if after conducting fair evaluation, you believe your pastor and elders are in heretical agreement in these first-level doctrines, you must leave the church. Sheep can’t live in the same pen as wolves, else they’re devoured.

Second-level doctrines are those that are essential to church life and necessary for the ordering of the local church, but in themselves, do not define the gospel. That is to say, one may hold to a different doctrine at this level and still be fully accepted as a believing Christian. Nevertheless, such doctrines are directly related to how the church is organized and its ministry is fulfilled. Doctrines at this level include those such as believer’s baptism versus infant baptism. Those in either camp can acknowledge each other as genuine Christians, even though these differences have such immediate practical implications that it would be difficult to function together in a single church. In such cases, if you’re an elder or ministry leader you may be able to have some influence in bringing about necessary discussions and eventually see change toward biblical understanding, but this needs to be done with great patience and wisdom. If there’s no chance of change, then it may be best to attend a different church more in line with your own biblically-defined conviction, if one exists in your area.

Third-level doctrines are those that may lead to fruitful theological discussion and debate, but don’t threaten the fellowship of Christians within a congregation. For example, Christians who agree on an entire range of theological issues and doctrines may disagree over the timing and sequence of events related to Christ’s return. Yet such debates, while still deeply important because of their biblical nature and connection to the gospel, don’t constitute a ground for separation among believing Christians. When it comes to defending doctrine at this third-level, our argumentation can be robust and full of conviction, but we should never create division over such issues. Genuine love for one another and the desire for Christian fellowship should be able to handle this kind of diversity.

Wisdom is required to determine which category of doctrinal agreement and/or disagreement your particular concerns fall into. This is why you don’t want to undertake the discussion alone. Allow the community-testing aspect of Christian fellowship to assist you. Ultimately, you’ll need to rest on your own convictions after studying Scripture, but make sure you test your understanding in the public arena before you make a serious move.

Summary

Sermons are meant to be heard in the context of a gathering of believers. That’s where there is mutual accountability and genuine Christian fellowship. We need to make it a priority to be there to hear the Word of God, and encourage others to be there with us so that we can hear the Word together. Left to our own devices we might not want to hear the Word of God corporately. It takes humility to acknowledge we’re still learning, still imperfect, still confessing sin, still needing help, still learning to love others and to love God. We must pray for a deep love for our fellow Christians and a Spirit-given desire to sit together under God’s Word.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve covered some of the biblical mandates concerning sermon-listening and fellowship. In the weeks to come, we’ll discuss practical ways in which to carry out these commitments. Keep reading. This is where the rubber actually hits the road.

Questions for Group Discussion

1.     Find some New Testament commands in your Bible and determine whether they’re singular or plural imperatives. Use Bible software to do this. Discuss the implications of your findings.

2.     Look around the room and tell each person why they’re needed in the church. Reflect on each other’s spiritual gifts and ministry strengths. And when someone expresses their appreciation for your spiritual gifts, respond by telling them how you are (or, plan to be) involved in the church.

3.     Discuss which “one another” commands you struggle to apply in your own life. Pray for one another in this regard.

4.     Read Acts 2:42-47 and discuss the elements of fellowship in which you can grow.

5.     Do you love to hear preaching? Discuss your commitment to listen to Bible-centered sermons in church.

6.     Do you listen to sermons ready to be trained? Do you see yourself as a student of God’s Word? Is your approach academic or practical? Discuss how you might be better positioned to take advantage of the equipping ministry of your pastor.

7.     As a group, how do you encourage your pastor to preach sound doctrine? Discuss how community sermon-testing can be carried out to either support your faithful pastor or confront an unfaithful one.

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[1] Tim Challies, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2007), 150.

[2] The three levels of doctrinal agreement and/or disagreement are offered by Albert R. Mohler, He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2008), 109–11.