Promoting the Gospel Through Community Bible Studies I. Introduction A. Matthew 28:18-20 1. The Lord Jesus has commanded us to go and make disciples 2. We are expected to go out into the world and make disciples by baptizing and teaching B. John 1:35-51 1. There are times, as Andrew did with Simon Peter and Philip did with Nathanael, that it is sufficient to encourage a person you know well to “come and see” about the Lord Jesus 2. You still must “go” to them, but the majority of the work of conversion is done by encountering the Lord Jesus in the proclamation of and instruction in the Word 3. Such is the authority for inviting people to an assembly of the saints or to a Bible study! C. Acts 19:8-10 1. Paul preached Jesus in the synagogue in Ephesus for three months 2. When maligned he began meeting with Christians in the hall (Greek schola) of Tyrannus, did so for two years, and from there the Gospel sounded forth into all Asia 3. Tyrannus’ hall was a school; Paul most likely rented it or was given the ability to use it in the middle of the day when school was not in session, and in that location taught the Gospel of Christ D. We can see, from Scripture, that we are to go and teach, and such instruction can (and should!) be done in public spaces, rented facilities, etc.! E. To this end let us explore promotion of the Gospel through community Bible studies II. Community Bible Studies A. A community Bible study is a Bible study designed to provide an opportunity to welcome members of the community into an agreed upon safe space to learn more about the Bible and Christianity through Bible study B. “Community” can mean different things depending on the environment 1. Largest scale: a specific metropolitan area or rural region 2. Medium scale: a collection of urban neighborhoods, a suburban region 3. Smaller scale: a specific neighborhood, a specific suburb, a specific rural village, town, or township, a college campus C. The Need for “An Agreed Upon Safe Space” 1. Most Christians recognize the importance and value of Bible study based on Acts 2:42, 2 Timothy 2:15, etc. 2. Most Christians also understand that people need to come to a knowledge of the truth to be saved, and that Bible study is one means by which to do so (John 8:32, Romans 10:17) 3. Yet it may seem strange to many Christians as to why such a Bible study would need to be in an agreed upon safe space: after all, what’s wrong with the assembly Bible studies? 4. In reality there is nothing wrong with assembly Bible studies (1 Corinthians 14:23-26); if people prove willing to visit the assembly, visit the assembly Bible study, begin participating in said assembly Bible study and come to a knowledge of the truth so as to be saved, excellent! 5. But what about people who may not yet feel comfortable visiting the assembly and its Bible studies? a. Some people have a lot of baggage in terms of church and do not feel comfortable meeting there b. Many others already have church affiliations but are interested in opportunities to study the Scriptures c. Many may not be aware of the building or the studies the church offers there d. Some may just prefer to study together in a group in a public place 6. Consider the perspective of an outsider a. We Christians believe we have good intentions and want to be of service b. An outsider may not automatically know or assume that! c. The church building is “our” space; “we” know one another; they do not d. Thus it is daunting for many to visit a church building for various reasons: out of comfort zone, concerns about what is expected of them, how they will be treated, etc. e. On top of this many feel as if church buildings, especially “sanctuaries,” are sacred space and do not feel comfortable speaking in that environment 7. In an open, public, community space, however, an outsider can feel more safe and relaxed a. Other people around and can witness what is going on b. They could leave at any time; they may not but at least have the comfort of the option c. The environment does not feel as daunting 8. Thus there is value in establishing an agreed upon safe place D. The Need for Community 1. Some may wonder why it ought to be a community study; after all, is not our goal to have one-on-one studies with people? 2. It is always great to establish one-on-one studies with people, but in any situation, before such a study will begin, some sort of relationship must be established to gain trust! a. A few people, based on cold calls, may prove willing to start a one-on-one study b. Such people represent the vast minority! c. Especially in terms of community outreach it is best to provide a venue where people can learn about Scripture together; if a particular individual seems interested in further study a one-on-one study can be suggested 3. Again, we must consider the views of others: we may think a one-on-one study is expected and natural, but to many others it seems more exacting and demanding than even attending an assembly! 4. A one-on-one study demands a lot of scrutiny of the individual; when trust has been established such scrutiny is easier to tolerate 5. A community Bible study provides an opportunity to come and study with others, and for many, that is less daunting 6. Community studies reflect God’s purposes for us as well (John 17:20-23) a. Coming together to study Scripture as a group glorifies our Triune God b. They provide an opportunity to learn together c. We may learn about the substance of Scripture in such venues or different ways of encouraging or approaching group study 7. Community Bible studies also easily justify their existence a. People can sniff out that you may be trying to “sell” something with one-on-one studies b. But coming together to learn more about Scripture at a coffee shop makes sense to a lot of people c. It may facilitate a bit more of an open door and expression of interest than one might otherwise obtain E. Such studies should be done at times convenient for people in the community 1. Weeknight evenings present good opportunities 2. Some people do have availability during the day as well 3. An hour is a good length: enough substance to make it worthwhile, not so long as to discourage interest and participation F. Whatever is studied should have spiritual profit for those participating 1. We do well to remember Matthew 13:1-9, 1 Corinthians 3:5-6: we are to spread the seed of the Gospel, to teach the Word, and God will give the increase 2. Prospective participants must be able to feel that they can trust the Biblical knowledge and the strength of interpretation of the group 3. We may think it intuitive to have all such studies begin with the plan of salvation, church distinctives, etc.; we have to earn the trust of participants before we delve into such subjects unless we just want to argue! 4. Gospels are good subject matter; other NT books as well 5. Topical studies can be profitable at times but one must exercise caution 6. Eschatological studies require a lot of ground rules and the establishment of trust before explored in any depth! G. It is useful to have opportunities for participants to ask any questions they may have on spiritual topics 1. A great way to build trust is to be open and willing to handle questions; many preachers, pastors, priests, religious organizations, etc. are not 2. One must exercise caution and not allow any individual to dominate the study with their questions (a great opportunity for getting a one-on-one study!), but even to offer the opportunity to ask questions will go a long way to show how serious we are about encouraging better understanding not only of Scripture but how it applies to modern life 3. Such question periods provide a barometer as well: the more comfortable and trusting people are in the study, the more likely questions will be asked 4. If there are questions, of course, one must be prepared to answer; if no answer comes to mind, better to confess as much and promise to return the next week with an answer (1 Peter 3:15; also increases the likelihood that the visitor will return!) H. Thus we can see the nature and value of community Bible studies III. Community Bible Study Promotion A. There are many ways to promote community Bible studies B. Christians can tell their family, friends, neighbors, associates, enemies, etc. about it C. In a sense the study is self-promoting: people in the venue can see the study going on and may learn about it that way D. Meetup.com 1. One of the more effective ways to promote a community Bible study is through Meetup 2. Meetup encourages face-to-face community; many of its members are interested in Bible study 3. Letting people know about Bible studies in the community via Meetup may well lead to community members visiting the study! E. Other online options include a website, Facebook page, Google+ page, Twitter feed 1. Many of these options allows for the distribution of material 2. They also provide a more established feel for those of the younger generations F. Handouts, flyers, etc. can be made up and distributed as well G. Table evangelism events could be hosted IV. Exhortation and Conclusion A. Community Bible Studies represent a great opportunity to proclaim and advance the Gospel in our community! 1. A safe place to come and learn more about the Bible and Christianity 2. May receive interest from people who otherwise may not show interest B. Yet community Bible studies can only truly be effective when well-staffed! 1. Groups tend to start out sluggishly before they gain critical mass 2. Starting out with a good core group of Christians can help alleviate that! 3. When the study features many “regular Christians” people often feel more comfortable C. Community Bible Studies go best when embraced, encouraged, and supported by the membership of a congregation 1. Some financial outlays are needed for some resources (Bibles, Meetup, etc.) 2. But the majority of support needed involves time and energy 3. You can sit in a coffee shop with an open Bible and study with others 4. It can become a great and encouraging experience in general, strengthening your faith as you participate in the study! D. Let us recognize the value in promoting the Gospel through community Bible studies and get to work doing so! E. Invitation/songbook Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus’ “Great Commission” to His disciples requires Christians to “go” to make disciples. Some may “come and see,” but Jesus’ emphasis is on us going out into the world to tell others about Him. Let us go out and take the Gospel to the people! 2: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20). In order to make disciples we must “baptize” and “teach” (Matthew 28:19-20). Thus Jesus exhorts Christians to “go and teach” people about Him and His teachings. It is not enough to invite people to come and hear; we must go out and teach! 3: But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:9-10). In Ephesus Paul rented or used the school hall of Tyrannus as a place in which he could preach and teach the Gospel to any who would listen. Through those efforts all in Asia heard the Word! We do well to find places where we can go and teach the Word of God in our communities! 4: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42). Christians recognize the value of continuing steadfastly in the Apostles’ teaching in Bible study. Bible study in the assembly is great and should be continued. Yet why not also study the Bible in coffee shops or other gathering areas and invite others to do so with us? May we seek opportunities to study the Scriptures with people in our communities!