Cell Group Anyone?

The Cell Ministry
Pastor Gideon

Acts 2:42-47 The Fellowship of the Believers 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We weren't created to be alone!

• Almost every church, particular the mega-churches are looking for ways to encourage intimacy within the congregation, by making some type of small group or cell group available.

• Why do I need that? I can do that on my own!
• But the fact is this, "God did not create you to be alone.

It will transform your life!

• Pray for your needs
• Care for one another and to lift one another's burdens before the Lord
• Go with the confidence that someone is praying for you and that God is listening
• Connect with other believers and be part of a family, learn to love one another for better or for worst
• A safe place to get your questions answered. In weekly church service, this isn't possible.
• Involved with cell members from different backgrounds where your needs can probably be met
• Find answers that cannot be answered at church
• Prayer opportunities, where you can exercise prayer in a small group
• Share answered prayer, testimonies and sharing of hearts. It builds up your faith.
• Build up your ability to trust God to meet your needs. Ministering to the needs of another cell member.
• The power of praying in a group.
Acts 12:1-18. Miracles happened as a home group gathered to pray for Peter.
• A safe place to go when you are hurt or a place to share victories in your life. Healing abound in cell groups.
• This cell format is definitely supported in scripture.

This is what the Bible says

Everyday they met and broke bread and the Lord add to their numbers daily those who are saved.

• If we do not have the structure in place, how do we accommodate the newly saved? The cell groups are perfect for this. We cannot build a physical church building for growth so fast.

• In this passage we see evidence that nearly every purpose God intends for us can be met in the cell.

• Will we ever be hurt or disappointed by cell members? Most certainly we will because no one is perfect.

• Neither are you that's why we can learn to love and forgive in the cell.

I want to do more for God!

God's command is to preach the Gospel and to make disciples. You may be able to do that on your own, but your reach will be greater if you join a body of like-minded believers in accomplishing this task.

Why join a cell?

• Connect and fellowship with other believers
• Meet needs of individuals
• Equipped for evangelism
• Worship God

TOP Cell Ministry's Vision

• Every member of TOP to belong to a cell group

• To have at least 50% of members are ATTENDING CELL by 2012/2013

• We go by location. Unless you prefer elsewhere. Existing members need not relocate.

• We want to make sure you have member care.
Problems, funerals, sickness, house dedication etc the cell will help you. We hear tremendous testimonies in the cell. You don't get that in church.

• It will be the main structure of the church. Where information and most of the church activities will be implemented and disseminated. eg our Church Family Day - registration will be through the cell.

Find a cell nearest to you!

Benefits of Cell Group

Kenny Song at Home Cell
Koay Kheng Hin's residence

We had a free topic for this cell and Sis Esther was given the opportunity to share for the first time in the cell as part of her ICI course. She shared from the Book of Esther and did very well.

In rounding up, I took a little time to share how the cell has open up opportunities for leadership development where members get the opportunity to share exhortation, testimonies, become facilitators and handle the lesson notes and pray for the first time. Then I did a quick summary on the benefits of home cell covering 4 key areas.

Acts 2:46
“And they, continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart…”

Acts 5:42
“Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”

1. The Friendship Factor

a) In a Cell Group, you meet people that become lifelong friends
b) You are not alone in life's circumstances and you have support, like a family
c) You get to experience the diversity in the Body of Christ, build relationships with people of different walks of life and age groups

2. The Challenge Factor

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

a) In accountable relationships we are challenged to grow and learn
b) We are corrected and rebuked where necessary
c) We are encouraged to never give up when persecution comes our way

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, (25) not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

3. The Health Factor

a) Being involved in consistent, growing relationships that are based on Christ, generally improve our health in every way Spirit, Soul and Body.
b) We pray for each other every week or when an urgent need arises

James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

4. The Outreach Factor

a) All of the ministry of the church is done through the Cell Group

• Integrating New Believers
• Discipleship
• Assisting members for events like Weddings and Funerals
• Hospital Visitations

b) Information can be channeled and mobilized through the cell

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Encountering God

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

All of us have different ideas on what encountering God is. When I was saved, I expected a dramatic encounter when I made the sinner's prayer but there was nothing.

When we encounter the Lord, there are two categories.
A dramatic encounter A non dramatic encounter

Whichever it is, it is not important. More important is whether we have
A superficial encounter or A substantial encounter

If you are a Christian, you have already encountered the Lord. And that encounter is constant and continuous. It is just whether you are aware of it.

In that encounter, is it superficial or spiritually substantial encounter?

Superficial Encounter
1. You are focused on the experience.
Example during the holy laughter movement, some were so caught up with the experience that when the movement passed, they continued to focus on the pass experience and continue pursuing it
2. Experience the Lord and the focus turned to us
Example, you asked for something and when the Lord answers, the focused is on the blessing.
3. The point of contact became the point of focus.
The manifestation of the encounter is not important.
It is the fruit. If the person encounter the Lord, the fruit of the Holy Spirit must prove the work of the Holy Spirit.

Substantial Encounter
1. A greater intimacy with God
2. The encounter is heavenly focused
3. Transformed into the holiness of God

Isaiah 6:1-8 Isaiah’s Commission 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” 4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah 6 is a passage that have often been studied and preached. There are very significant theology here but we will not focus on that.

We will cover this passage verse by verse.

v1 Isaiah served under King Uzziah. When he died, it became a crisis in Isaiah's ministry. He is probably thinking about his ministry and what will happen when a new king comes, and he was troubled. In that time, Isaiah turned his eyes to heaven. John 12:41. He saw Jesus high on the throne.

We are Christians and we are a people who must believe in the reality of heaven, the supernatural. Isaiah saw that reality.

v5 my eyes have seen the King Almighty seated on a throne. He shifted his eyes from the earthly King to the King of kings.

When you are in a time of need, look upward and have a heavenly focus. In Him alone you have the solution and a meaningful life. Today's focus is on the material. Materialism is not about how much you have or don't have. It is an issue of attitude. It is about never having enough.

We are the masters over our possession. Not the other way around. We are ready to give them up cheerfully and willingly for heaven. Isaiah saw the glory of God, seated in heaven. Isaiah had a dramatic encounter. We may not have the same experience, but we have eyes of faith to see. Like when Thomas needed to see Jesus to believe, yet the Lord said blessed is he who have not seen yet believe. We are able to believe because we have the Holy Spirit to quicken the word of God so that we see with spiritual eyes.

v2 the seraphims in humility called out "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty"
If we only look at the natural we won't see the supernatural. Christianity is a transcendence faith that lifts us above the ordinary. When we come into the presence of God, the greatest sin is pride. We must come to Him and bow before His holiness.

v5 Isaiah saw all this and what was his reaction. When he come before the Lord, he saw the woe in him. The unworthiness in him before the Lord almighty. Unclean lips because a prophet must have clean lips and unclean lips shows an unclean heart.

v6 This was a heavenly vision. The seraph took the live coal and touched his lips. The altar was a picture of sacrifice and fire. The sacrifice the atonement and the fire the Holy Spirit. Isaiah had to confess and the Lord forgave him. In forgiveness it is not only declared holy but made holy.

Before we can be commissioned, there is a place we must first be ministered to. Isaiah here tell us that before we can minister, we must be ministered to by the Lord. This is an important principal or we may not end well. God will work in you before he works through you. You cannot impart what you don't have or it will be of the flesh and you will burn out.

v8 After all this, God asked, Whom shall I send. Isaiah said "Send me".
I have never had a dramatic encounter with God, but it is real. I know it's real and I know He is seated on the throne and He is Holy Holy Holy. I know by the testimony of His word and the conviction by His Holy Spirit.

We are a people who serve a Holy God. It must be centred on Jesus and we must walk in that holiness. I do not teach justification without sanctification. If not it is only half the gospel.

We are called to behold the face of Jesus and the glory of God will reflect on us and we will grow from holiness to holiness to be like Him. It is then that out hands will bear spiritual fruits.

If our face is looking at the world but our hands towards heaven, we are wanting God to conform to the world, but if our heads are lifted towards heaven and our hands are towards the world, we are reflecting His holiness.

Godliness is when you carry the overpowering power of God that is Christ centred.

Men and women of God, when you come into His holy presence, come to Him a worm before God. When you come out in the spiritual authority as an eagle in the world.

Are you going to be an eagle before God and a worm before man or a worm before God and an eagle before men? Your choice.

TOP's Mission Statement

Pastor Gideon

Luke 4:14-30
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum. ’”
24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed–only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

The verses before this passage was about the temptation of Jesus in the desert for 40 days and how he came out victorious.

v14 shows He came in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nazareth was his hometown. Here he often spoke in the synagogues.

He spoke from Isaiah and he stopped at "proclaim the year of the Lord's favour". He did not complete Isaiah's passage where it included judgement. That is because that was referring to the future.

Jesus was actually defining his ministry. And he did it in his hometown. He was outlining His purpose, His mission, His agenda.

But what He said made the people so angry, they wanted to kill Him.

His first reference was regarding the widow in Zarephath. Not the widows in Israel. Elijah asked the widow to feed him first even though it was the last meal the widow had. But God provided for the widow throughout the famine after that.

Next was regarding Elisha wanting a double portion of anointing. There were many in Israel with leprosy yet God did not heal them but Naman who was a Syrian.

The people got angry when they heard this, as they expected a messiah who came only for the Jews. But Jesus said the widows, the oppressed, the imprisoned and the blind were not only from the Jews. They saw Jesus through coloured lenses, they saw him as Joseph's son, a Jew who would come for their own.

But the good news is that God came for ALL OF US.

But we may be guilty ourselves of excluding certain people. That includes our country's majority. We may not be able to preach to them "but if they ask me, I'll tell them why I believe."

We are also guilty in type casting certain races, especially the Chinese. We call ourselves Chinese as "tong yan" meaning human. But other races are labelled "kui" or "kau" which is degrading. We cannot have this in the church.

Our mission statement is to reach out to ALL. The community people can really test our love. We had about 480 that came to the Big Party and more than 300 attended the service. We need to reach out to these as God has called TOP for this purpose. It's not easy but remember what Jesus did, His love had no boundaries, no limits.

How far can our love go? To the cross, to the cross, to the cross.

The Great Commandment

Melinda Song

The word great catches our attention. The Great Wall of China, the great Pyramids etc. or the greatest footballer, Pele and the greatest squash player, our very own Nicole David.

When they asked Jesus, which is the greatest commandment, it came with a motive to trap him.

Matthew 22:34-40
The Greatest Commandment
22: 34- 40pp – Mk 12: 28- 31
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Mark 12:28-34
The Greatest Commandment
12: 28- 34pp – Mt 22: 34- 40
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

There were constant debates during the time of Jesus. The passage above showed Jesus faced challenges from the the experts of the time.

v16 The Herodians posed questions to Jesus about paying taxes hoping to trap Jesus. Jesus answered them by showing the Roman coin

v28 The Sadducees, the influentials wanted to trap Jesus by questioning him about the woman who married seven times.

Jesus answered them via the scriptures and they were silenced.

The Pharisees, the separated ones expert in the law took Jesus to task. They sent a lawyer, a scribe to ask Jesus a difficult question.

Which is the greatest commandment? This was a question they themselves could not answer. If Jesus were to contradict Moses, he would be labelled a heretic.

Jesus answered by keeping to the law but emphasis was not on can or cannot but on love.

Mark 12:29
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Jesus said: Love the Lord your God. The "love" here is a verb not a noun. Love here is an action. Jesus demonstrated that love on the cross. Paul said it is this love that compels him.

If we love God, it needs to be shown through action. It is not just an expression of the word. Love is not just what we say. It's what we do.

The second lesson we can learn is that: If we get the love right, we will get the law right.

The first part of the 10 commandments is about loving God and the second part is on loving others. It hangs on love.

As Christians, it is not about what we can or cannot do, it is about what we want or don't want to do.

When you love someone, you will not stray. And our love to God is total. The verse says "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Our lives cannot be compartmentalised, it is total. Note the "all" that is being emphasised.

This love is with our mind too and not just emotional. It takes both to love God. It is with our all.

We need to live a God saturated, Christ centred, Spirit filled life.

A Few Good Men

David’s Mighty Men

by Pastor Gideon Lee

2 Samuel 23:8-17

8 These are the names of David’s mighty men:

Josheb- Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

9 Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered [at Pas Dammim] for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, 

10 but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

16 So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the Lord.

17 “Far be it from me, O Lord, to do this!” he said. “Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?” And David would not drink it. Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

David, though great did not achieve success on his own. He needed his 30 mighty men.

First was Josheb-Basshebeth, one of the three in the inner circle who struck down 800 on that day.

Then there was Eleazar, who stood his ground when his men fled and abandoned him. He fought and won till his sword froze on his hand.

Shammah, the third of the great men defended a field and the Lord granted them victory.

David was longing for a drink during the hot harvesting season, when the three men responded to his need by going into enemy territory and drawing water for David. He did not ask the men to get the water, nor commanded them. He was just thinking to himself but the men immediately went to get the water without his knowledge.

But David did something unexpected, he poured it onto the ground as an offering to the Lord. He knew how difficult it was to get the water. But he felt the water was brought with great risk of his men.

Lessons to Learn

1. They were loyal to David.

They were committed to his cause. They followed David without question.

2. They were close to David.

If we want to be mighty men of God, we need to be close to God. It has to be a lifestyle. How?

• pray always (pray without ceasing - in constant communication with God)
• worship (draws us close to God)
• listening to God (what does God says to you in His still small voice. Can only happen when you set aside quiet time)

3. They were committed.

They did what he wished for and not just what he commanded. They knew his heart. Are we committed to God? Or are we only committed when it suits us. Our giving, our time. Today God needs Christians who are committed. It's okay to be labelled a fanatic for God by unbelievers. Our commitment is visible.

4. They were courageous.

They were willing to do exploits in the face of danger. They brought water just for David, not for themselves. Christianity is not for wimps. God asked Joshua to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS. These mighty men possessed these qualities. Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of fear. To stand up for God takes courage. It is done humbly, never brash.

Our courage stems from the fact that the Lord our God is with us.

David was known as a man after God's heart. This is because everything God put in David's hand brought glory to the Lord. A cup in his hand was offered to God. It is an act of dedication where his life is poured out as an offering to God.

From Fear to Faith

Pastor Gideon

Matthew 14:23-33
After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In today's age, this passage of scripture may not make sense to many. It will attract cynics and critics who says no one can walk on water. But we all miss the point of this scripture.

The previous verses showed he fed 5,000 which was a great miracle. The disciples partnered with Jesus as they helped distribute the fish and bread.

Verse 22 says "immediately". This is a lesson we can learn. We have no time to bask in the work of God. All glory goes to God. Jesus needed rest and he went up to the mountains to pray. There is no better place of rest than the presence of God.

V27, when they were afraid Jesus immediately told them to take courage, do not be afraid. Peter's response was typical of him, act first think later. He just wanted to be with Jesus, not so much to walk on water.

We all have dreams and desires, but let it be God centred. Peter was the first to ask Jesus and he is the only other that walked on water. He dared to ask God for the impossible. We must dare to dream and we must dare to ask God to fulfill that dream as long as it is God centred.

Sis Melinda once shared: "Where there is no vision the people perish. Where there are no people the vision perish." This is so true.

What are our dreams for our church? That dream needs to have Jesus as the foundation. If we want to walk on water, we need to step up and step out. Peter had to step out of the boat, his comfort zone. We need to step up and step out and follow Him.

Henry Ford had a dream to make cars for everyone. But he made mistakes. His first car never had a reverse gear. His car was too big to leave the garage door. He made mistakes but we need to make mistakes falling forward. It is progress.

Church is made of believers, not doubters. We have to be a people of action. Let's dare to dream for TOP. It's not about the grass being greener on the other side of the fence. Let's work on getting OUR grass greener.

Moses and David was busy tending sheep when God called them. God love doers. They were faithful in what they do.

Peter may be bold, but that does not mean we are not being cautious. We will not do anything that risk our relationship with God.

As we step out, the thing that will stop us is fear. Jesus said "fear not". It's not no fear. Doubt is our enemy, fear our adversary.

If you want to walk on water, you must focus on Jesus. The moment we take our eyes off Jesus, we're going to sink. Jesus took hold of the sinking Peter and called him "you of little faith". In the process of our dreaming and venturing, let's fix our eyes on Jesus. Otherwise, we will accomplish nothing.

When God says "do it", let's not be afraid.

We have a dream for this church. We want a bigger place where people who come is fed, a vibrant youth and Sunday school. It will be a cutting edge church that reaches out to the community. The church of God must advance.

We may dare to dream, but let's not just dream. Let's do it.