Cell Basics
by Joel Comiskey
Spring 2013
The blog theme for this month is discovering the “why” of cell ministry. Or put another way, what is the proper motivation for doing cell ministry. I was reminded a few day ago by a discerning reader of this blog that the over-arching motivation for doing anything in life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever (Westminster catechism). I freely admitted to this reader that he was right-on and even promised him that I would remind all of you that glorifying God needs to be our chief goal in life. This is one reason why I love John Piper’s book, Let the Nations be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions. Piper highlights that the supreme motivation for missions (or anything we do) is to glorify God, and I fully agree. There are, however, some key motivational “sub-points” for doing cell ministry that glorify God.
One of those motivations is faithful service to Jesus Christ that carries with it the hope of eternal reward. We need to remind cell members, leaders, supervisors, and pastors that when they faithfully minister to and for God, he will be pleased to reward their service. That is, in the act of faithfully serving Jesus, God is pleased and will reward the person’s effort. Hebrews 6:10-12 says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” God is not unjust. He will reward your faithful labor to him.
I’ve discovered that many leaders forget that God rewards “faithful labor.” They have fallen into the trap of believing that God only rewards “fruitful labor.” They erroneously believe that unless people are getting saved in the cell, new people are coming, or multiplication is happening quickly, they are failures. Leaders need to be reminded that God is looking for 100% effort under the control of his Spirit. He will bring the fruit. Our job is to be faithful. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” Notice how Paul connects heavenly rewards with faithful service in these verses. God will reward our faithful, diligent service.
Are you doing the best you can possibly do? If so, God is pleased, and you will be rewarded in heaven. Are you weary in cell ministry? I want to encourage you today to press on. Remember Paul’s encouragement, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
Joel