Chosen Glory

Summary

In this teaching, I discuss the significance of Small Group community, in the Biblical context.

I highlight how the Bible emphasizes the importance of living life in a Small Group while regularly interacting with others who are like-minded.

I provide examples from Genesis through the Renewed Covenant / New Testament to illustrate the presence of Small Groups all throughout history.

I emphasizes that Small Group community is The Most High’s prescription for living life according to the Scriptures.

I encourage you to consider the benefits of being part of, and living life in, a Small Group.

Transcript with minor changes for readability

00:00 Introduction
I previously discussed the Biblical application of oikos. Today I’m going to address the Biblical idea of Elohim giving his people the instruction of living life in Small Group communities: We find them all through the Bible. In some ways this could be referred to as oikos part two because Small Groups are the way, the method, in which oikos is expressed.

The purpose of this teaching then is to provide an abbreviated introduction to Biblical Small Groups and how they differ from the religious institutions that most of us are familiar with. By “Small Groups” I’m not referring to groups that are simply a smaller version of larger groups. In other words, a Small Group oikos is very, very different than a large group pattern that has just been reduced to a smaller number of people.

Very basically by a Small Group, I’m referring to a Small Group of people who enjoy gathering together for the Sabbath, according to the Biblical instruction, and then living life together as a unit, in community, throughout the week.

06:08 The Paradigm of Unity
In America. Most of us are taught to be independent. And so structuring our lives in such a way that is dependent upon, and regularly interacting with others can be pretty challenging because we’re molded to be independent individuals according to the culture.

We all have our own smartphones, our own computers, PCs, and it seems like as soon as kids are 16 they have their own vehicle many cases. And so independence is bred into the culture.

Because of that the interaction and reliance upon each other, that the Scriptures prescribe, in day to day life can be pretty challenging. In this way, God’s ways become sort of a culture shock to someone unfamiliar with them.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that the Small Group, community oikos is The Most High’s prescription for living life that He set forth for us through the Scriptures.

So in the next 30 minutes or so, I’m going to provide a very basic, Biblical foundation for participating in a Small Group lifestyle. Of course this is to be held in contrast with impersonal religious institutions.

09:06 Examples from Genesis
So we begin our journey back in Genesis chapter one with the first man, woman, and their family.

In the book of Genesis, particularly chapters one through eleven, many are quick to point out that there are established Biblical principles for us that are intended to be carried forth throughout the Bible. It’s called the rule of first use in some cases. But it’s interesting because even though people often refer to that section of Scripture as laying a foundation for the rest of the Bible; not one time, not one time have I ever heard anyone point out that the creator of the universe did not create man in the midst of a religious system, a religious institution. Did man have instructions from the Most High about how to live? Of course he did. He was told to till the garden, to take care of the grounds, take care of your business. He was told to guard the garden: Guard your business.

Of course we had instructions. But it was not a religious institution. It was UNION with the Creator. Notice that there was no need to utilize a man made religious building or institution.

Rather what we see in Genesis one is that man himself was the temple that God dwelled in as they communed together. If man had any temple at all besides himself in which Elohim resided, I would have to say that it was the earth itself. When you consider the Scriptures as a whole, and the intimate relationship that the Creator has with all of His creation, you see that man was created to be in unity with the Creator and the rest of creation.

This is the paradigm in which we were originally created to live. And I believe that it is the paradigm in which Yeshua restored us back to. And I believe that this is the way in which we should live today: In unity with the creator and with those who the most high has chosen as His people.

Genesis 4:26 in the NET Bible says that at that time people begin to worship the eternal one.

You see we don’t see a lot of religious jargon here. All of that came about later as man began to stray away from that union that we had with the Creator.

Again, Genesis chapters one and two record how the first man and woman were the first Small Group. With their families, they were the first oikos. They were the first Small Group to fellowship with the Most High.

And then of course we’ve heard of Genesis 5:24 which says that Enoch walked with Elohim. Enoch walked with Elohim: Something that we can all do today. Again, Enoch wasn’t required to be in a designated religious system; a religious institution.

11:15 The Purpose of Relationships
Yeshua is our mediator. Still, the Scriptures are very clear that we have Apostles, Prophets, evangelist pastors, teachers, spiritual fathers, spiritual brothers and sisters, etcetera. But again, the purpose of these relationships with these people, these offices if you want to call it that, is one of a fellowship. These people are to help us come into union with the most high. And so they’re an incredibly valuable gift to the body of Messiah. But they are not required in order to have access to the Divine.

Oikos and Small Groups is about fulfilling the opportunity for righteous love.
They can and should help to facilitate our relationship with our Creator. But they’re not required as some religious institutions would say. And so again, the whole reason I’m saying all of this is because the most important instructions in all of the Bible is to love; Matthew 22:36-39.

This is what is the oikos is about: Small Groups are the expression, the container, that the Most High has created for oikos to manifest. Noah and his family were examples of this: They were with the eternal one in the ark. They were a “Small Group”.

Genesis 7:16 says that after they all entered the ark it was the Eternal One who closed the door behind them all. That’s a Small Group. We don’t think of it in those terms but it was: Noah, his family, and the Most High. This is not unlike what we should be experiencing today in the family of the Most High.

13:07 Small Groups in the Tanach (Old Testament)
All through the Tanach, what most people call the “Old Testament”, we see Small Groups of people living life together. Of course there was the tabernacle and the temples which seem as if they are exceptions to the “Small Group” motif. And I know that, because of our American culture we tend to correlate the temples of the Bible, and the tabernacle of the wilderness with the brick and mortar church buildings that are found on the corner. But that’s not the case.

They had their purposes. But can you imagine all of Israel’s millions upon millions of people meeting in them? Of course not.

Large families were not unusual in the days of the Bible. And sometimes those families would come together and join in unity and community: As a relatively Small Group: A few families coming together for various reasons for various purposes. We see it all through the Bible. One person joining with another or sometimes one person joining to a family.

In Ruth chapter 1 verse 16 Ruth said “Where you go I will go. Where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your Elohim my Elohim. They were becoming a Small Group oikos.

So remember that the Tanakh, the Old Testament is a historical record of our people Israel. Generally speaking, it is the record of how Israel interacted with each other and with Elohim God, our Heavenly Father. And again, all through the Tanach the records show that Israel chose other gods and because of their disloyalty they were subsequently dispersed: Lost and absorbed into the nations of the world.

17:57 Restoring BIBLICAL Israel (not the current political body in the Middle East)
But then the Master Yeshua entered history. And in Matthew 15:24 we read that the Messiah specifically came to restore Israel back into right relationship with the God of Israel.

“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Yeshua

The Bible refers to this relatively Small Group of people that Yeshua came to restore back to the Most High as the Remnant. The word remnant means “a small portion”. Biblically speaking, the remnant also carries with it the idea of being a survivor; as in “a small group of survivors”.

19:50 The Remnant of Israel
If you’re familiar with floor layers, or if you’ve ever bought a small piece of flooring at a floor covering store, you might know that they use the word remnant frequently when part of a piece of flooring covering is left over after a project is finished: That’s a remnant. And so that kind of gives you a vision and idea of what the Bible is referring to when it uses the word remnant.

And so why am I dwelling on this? Because Romans 9:27 says that Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel may be like the sands of the sea only the Remnant will be saved.

Even though there is a large population of Biblical Israel (not the existing political body) in the Middle East, and even though over the ages there has certainly been hundreds of millions, if not billions, counted as people of Israel, still only a remnant will be saved. The Bible is clear about that.

That’s what Apostle Paul is saying in Romans 9:27. And so again; what is a remnant in the Bible? A Small Group. And so in the Matthew 15:24, when Yeshua said that He came for the lost Sheep of Israel, it is clear that He didn’t purpose to save the entire world.

Of course He invites everyone into the fold, but He came specifically for a relatively Small Group: The Remnant.

Because of all of this it stands to reason that, in most cases, nowhere will there be a large concentration of God’s people. So if that is the case, who is attending these very large Christian churches that claim to follow the God of the Bible?

Every time I say say these kinds of things I have to clarify a couple things.

One is the Creator lovingly embraces all who come to Him regardless of their past, their circumstance, their genealogy, whatever country they align with at the moment, or color of skin. None of that matters to the Most High: Everyone is welcome. For more of that you can read Isaiah 56 and Acts 10:35.

The second thing that I always need to clarify is that when I say Israel, I am not referring to the political body in the Middle East that goes by that name. Rather I’m referring to the group of people that are referred to as Israel from Genesis to Revelation in the Scriptures. I use the term “Biblical Israel”. Biblical Israel and the political body in the Middle East are not the same.

So anyway, it’s within the context of Matthew 15:24, where Yeshua said that it was His mission to restore lost (Biblical) Israel, that we see Small Groups of God’s people, the Remnant, joining together as an oikos, a small community or sometimes even micro communities of like minded people to live life with Elohim (God) and each other. We see it all through the Scriptures.

And so it is within this process that we find Small Groups, the building blocks of the restoration of (Biblical) Israel, the Remnant.

25:59 Where the People of the Most High Go
With these things in mind, it only makes sense that the people of the Most High will be found in relatively small pockets all around the world. It doesn’t really make sense to me that they’re going to be in groups of tens of thousands in one place. I suppose there could be an exception. It’s not really my place to determine where Elohim sends His people: That’s up to Him. But if we’re starting out with a relatively small group, and if that small group is dispersed around the world; then I think that logic would dictate that, generally speaking, God’s people are going to be found in Small Groups.

Along with the Temples and the Tabernacle, you might also remember the synagogues in the Bible. But remember, synagogues are attached to the Jewish religion. The synagogues that come out of the Jewish religious system that Yeshua was constantly rebuking don’t really qualify.

28:26 A few Scriptures about Small Groups
I want to share with you just a few of a multitude of Scriptures from the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) now that speak specifically of Small Groups or Home Groups. The first is Acts 12:12.

When He, that is Peter, realized this, He went into the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is called Mark, where there were many people gathered in.

And then in Acts 16:40 when they, referring to Paul and Silas, had come out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the Brothers and then they left.

And then the last verse regarding Small Groups is 1 Corinthians 16:19.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. 

And then remember: In Matthew 15:24 we read that the Messiah specifically came to restore us (lost Israel) back into right relationship with the Father.

Also, Romans 9:27 says that Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. Though the number of the sons of Israel may be like the sand of the sea only the Remnant will be saved. Only the Remnant will be saved.

32:09 A matter of the Heart
So again, according to Matthew 15:24, Yeshua did not come to “save” EVERYONE. Again, He welcomes whoever comes into the fold, but He came for the Remnant: a relatively speaking, smallish group.

We’ve been involved with Small Group ministry for several years now. When we first began meeting in homes it was almost unheard of for a church to meet in a home. It was very very unusual. If you had a home group that was not associated with a brick and mortar building, you were pretty much considered the illegitimate bastard child of some mother church somewhere.

So having said all of this about Small Groups, I don’t believe that Elohim really cares about what size a particular group is; big or small. I know that might sound contrary based upon the purpose of this teaching. But the point I’m making is what he cares about relationships.

He cares about the facilitating of relationships so that His treasured people are cared for and so that He can be glorified. These are the important things. What matters is the substance of the group. Whether or not they love righteously according to Matthew 22. He cares about what the group stands for. The character of the individuals of the group. He cares about Elohim’s standing in the group, how they look upon Yeshua, how they reflect Him individually, and as a group as a whole.

You might be saying now “well that sounds works based”. Yes, I agree. It does. So if that offends you then I encourage you to take a look at the book of Revelation chapters two and three.

All of the things we have been discussing here matters. It all matters. Everything we have discussed here matters.

So again, we’re talking about the Remnant: A Small Group. Many are called, but few are chosen. And then after a person receives the call, after they are chosen by God, then it’s up to the individual to choose Him.

And so by the time its all said and done, as I see it, in most cases, I don’t think there will be any and if there are any, not very many largish groups of the Remnant in any particular geographic location.

37:14 Additional Benefits to Small Groups
Along with the Biblical reasons for Small Groups, there are numerous practical reasons for them as well: Among these are flexibility of schedule, they facilitate organic, fruitful relationships, and they allow participants to step into their ministry calling.

Are Small Groups perfect? Absolutely not. Anytime you have the human element involved in anything problems arise. Small Groups are not some sort of panacea. In fact, in some cases, without proper leadership Small Groups can be worse, much worse than larger groups.

There’s a lot to discuss regarding the mechanics of Small Groups that is beyond the scope of this teaching. For today, I’m just wanting to provide you with some Biblical support for Small Groups so that you don’t have to feel that you’re somehow second best; particularly next to someone who attends an institutional “church” of which I could build a strong argument against.

So I hope you can see here how Small Groups are not only Biblical; but along with being very Biblical, in today’s environment they are a very, very viable answer for God’s people as we enter into the days ahead that you have been called to.

39:39 Conclusion
So in conclusion: As a part of the Remnant, one of the Chosen of Israel, there’s no reason for you to feel substandard to religious institutions or those who participate in religious institutions: Particularly as they meet in largish commercial buildings or in some cases even stadiums. In fact, it’s my view that if you are fortunate enough, if you are blessed and able to fellowship with a small group of like-minded people who try to live according to true and authentic love as we see in Matthew 22:36-39, it’s my view that you can consider yourself blessed. And maybe you should pray for those who aren’t so blessed.

I pray this has been a blessing for you. There is so much more to say about the Biblical foundation of Small Groups. I would say that I’ve scratched the surface here but I haven’t even done that in this teaching. But with this I hope that you can begin to go forward with a clear conscience and a strong foundation in regards to why you are a part of a Biblical Small Group.

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