Keion Henderson - Why the Group Grows

Hey everyone, Welcome to the «The Lighthouse Church of Houston» YouTube channel. We are very pleased to invite you to watch this uplifting and motivational sermon «Why the group grows» by Pastor Keion Henderson of The Lighthouse Church.

Growing Stronger by Growing Smaller (Pr Wendy Chiang-Cheong). Text: Acts 17:1-15. Big Idea: Being in a small group community is God’s idea to grow us. A small group leads to growth by creating more opportunities to come to know God, to practice the teachings of Jesus, and to grow spiritually.

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God, we thank You today, this Palm Sunday. God, this represents the day of Your journey and how You went all of those miles to make sure that we could see a miracle. We thank You for the precious gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and we thank You that Your power did not remain in the tomb; You rose on Sunday morning with all power. For that, we say thank You, and it is proof positive that You 've been so good to us. Speak to our hearts now, God, as we go into the Word of God, and speak in every home, every city, every state, every country. We pray, God, that Your Holy Spirit would rest, rule, and abide with each and every one of us, and all of the people who love the Lord say, «Amen .»

Thank you so much for allowing us yet again into your homes. We appreciate you and your family spending time with us during these quarantine moments. We felt that we would be out of it by now, but it looks like we have several more weeks to go. However, here is our commitment to you: within the boundaries of safety and caution, we will continue to bring the Word of God to you. And believe me, we’ve taken every precaution. For those of you who are wondering, every door in the building is open, so we’re not making contact with handles or with one another. We are doing what we can to ensure that we bring the Word of God to you in a moment of solace that can help you continue to make it through these times of isolation. I know it’s frustrating, and I know it’s not what you would want, but it’s what we have, and so we thank God for this moment.

I want to go to the book of John, chapter 18, for our lesson, as it aligns perfectly with the season. I’m going to read one verse, and I want you to stay with me. Today is Sunday, and I want you to come back Tuesday because I’m going to finish this word then. So, listen today, and then return on Tuesday as we discuss this. We 're going to use the same verse on both occasions. Here 's what the Bible says in the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 18, verse 3 — let me say that again for clarity: John 18, verse 3. Here 's what the Word of the Lord says: «Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.» I want to read that again. This is when Jesus Christ is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, and this is what happens: Judas comes with a group of men from the office of the chief priests and the Pharisees. He brought those men, and they had lanterns, torches, and weapons. I want to talk about those three items on Tuesday, but today I want to focus on the men who came.

So, if you’re going to be with us for these two series over the next two days, today we’re going to discuss the group of men that came. On Tuesday, we’re going to talk about the lanterns, torches, and weapons. If I were to name this sermon, I want you to get this in your spirit: this is a thought or concept that the Lord has given me. Many of you are moving to different levels in life, whether it’s starting businesses, beginning families, or trying to figure out what’s next for you. Perhaps you’ve noticed that there is great opposition rising up against you; you are more fearful than ever before, experiencing more anxiety than you ever have, feeling more confusion than usual, and lacking clarity in areas where you once had it. You 're unsure of yourself, and all of these things are happening simultaneously. It is as Grandmama used to say: «If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.» You have this groundswell of opposition coming against you, and that’s what happened to Jesus.

If I were preaching this sermon in a regular setting and giving it a title, I want you to think about this: I want to talk to you about why the group grows. Consider why the group grows in light of the circumstances surrounding you and the growing groundswell of opposition. Have you ever asked yourself, «Why so much now? Why so much at this stage of my life? Why so much at this moment?» I want to show you, and it will be a very quick word, precise and to the point. I don’t have three points; I have one point, and I want to demonstrate why you’re going through what you are going through and how you are supposed to look at those experiences to see that God has an agenda with what He is allowing the enemy to bring into your life.

Now, listen to this: Jesus performed so many miracles that the Bible notes that if they were to be recorded, the world could not contain the books. That is amazing!