Have you ever been having dinner or just a random conversation with a friend, and they say something from God that resolves an issue you’ve had for a long time? Or answers a question you’ve had in your heart for a while? 

If your answer to this is “yes”, then you have benefited from the advantage of fellowship with brethren. This has always been God’s plan and structure for His children. 

Hence, today, we’re going to be looking at the importance of being in small groups and the role they play in building faith and community.

Acts 2:46-47 
‭New King James Version‬‬
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Earlier in Acts 2, the Apostles had an encounter where they were filled with the Holy Spirit; Peter preached, and 3,000 people were saved, but it didn’t end there. They started having meetings.
In verse 46, the Bible explains that they met in two places: The temple & Houses

Acts 5:42 
‭New King James Version‬‬
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

From this scripture, the discipleship of believers in an assembly is done in two folds: publicly in the temples, as seen in the Scriptures, which equate to the church services we attend on Sundays and midweek services, where every member of the church is present.

The second is house-to-house, meaning in smaller groups. House fellowships and cell group meetings are examples of those small meetings. They are smaller assemblies in different locations.

Jesus gave precedence for this also in Matthew 4:23 
‭New King James Version‬‬
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

Matthew 9:35
‭New King James Version‬‬
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

A synagogue is a Jewish house of worship, assembly, and study, acting as a central community hub for prayer and education. These texts show us that Jesus taught in formal meetings, which is the equivalent of a church service today.

In the same vein, Jesus not only taught in public places but also ministered privately to the hearts of individual men and women. Scripture is replete with instances where Jesus went to teach the word of God individually.

Luke 10:38-39 
‭New King James Version‬‬
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word.

In verse 39, Mary was seated at Jesus’ feet. But also, when the term “sit at someone’s feet” is used in scriptures, it usually connotes learning under someone or from someone.

We see an example phrase used by the Apostle Paul in Acts 22:3 
‭New King James Version‬‬
3 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.

Here, Apostle Paul says he was brought up “at the feet” of Gamaliel, and this means he was taught by Gamaliel. But beyond that, the Bible says he was brought up. This means he was discipled; he was trained in the things of the law by Gamaliel. Which means that Gamaliel was Paul’s teacher.

So when the Bible talks about Mary sitting at Jesus’s feet, it means there was a discipleship session happening in the house. It was a model of what we call a “house fellowship” today. The goal of small groups or cell groups in the church is discipleship and training.

There are two very important things you must take note of from all the Scriptures above:
Firstly, cell meetings, and by extension other meetings of small groups in the church, are important meetings where God can reach the hearts of men and stir them up tremendously.

The disciples did the same things they did in the temple in their houses. They broke bread, prayed and taught about Jesus as the Christ. Their meetings had an order: there was prayer, teaching of the Word, evangelism, and edification of the saints. Small meetings must not be different from what we experience on Sundays; they must be a replica of these meetings. In small meetings, your heart and faith can be strengthened as they would in a special church meeting. 

The second thing to learn from those scriptures highlighted above is community. The Bible says that they broke bread in the house-to-house meetings and ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Small meetings are more intimate and are a way to commune with each other. They are an easy way to share burdens with one another.

Because these groups are small, they are more personal and help with accountability while still retaining the sacredness and sanctity of the large church. They also help the church in reaching out to the hearts of men on a more intimate level. Discipleship can be easier and more intentional when there are fewer people being taught at a time.

If you’re in a location where there is no cell group, you can look to start one. Gather around a couple of believers who stay around you and fellowship with them as often as possible. 

Cell meetings and small groups are not optional. It was never one or the other; the Bible says they went to the temple to worship and also continued house to house. One doesn’t replace the other; you must be a member of a small group and of the whole church.

Commit to join a cell group or small group in your local church this month, you will experience joy, fellowship and community with other brethren. And, by all means, your devotion and walk with God would be better for it!

Prayer Point
Father, help me see that you’ve set these small meetings for my growth. As a result of being in a cell group, I am edified and strengthened. My faith is built up, and my relationship with other believers is strengthened. I am able to bear the burden of my siblings in Christ.