Chapter Two

Why Should I Get Involved?

God, Make Me an Instrument

Starting Off:	To Memorize: Jesus said: Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) This is a vital and exciting thing for the Study Group to know, to believe, to experience: Jesus is here in the midst of you! After quoting that Scripture, Anthony asks: Can't God be present to just one person? …Does there have to be a group of people hanging around for God to ‘show up'? The answer is, ‘of course not.' God is present even when nobody is there. However, Anthony tells us, Jesus is making an important promise: when two or three (or more) of us are together in His name, we have an opportunity to obey Christ's second great command: to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. As the Group shares their needs, we have our big chance to demonstrate the love of God. This is real love; not some mushy feeling; not some hormonal rush: it is allowing God to make us His “instruments” and live His life through us. It's making ourselves available to Him and to other people. And that's when we're most like Him, because God is love. Volunteering to become God's instrument sounds like a happy, innocent request, doesn't it? But, it can be risky because God may need to shape us up first. For one thing, He will require us to rethink the importance of the thing that concerns us most: ourselves. And then some of us may not be sure we're really equipped to be God's instruments. What if we're not wise enough or brave enough or spiritual enough? Well, God has promised divine help. Just remember this verse: God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him and then helping you do what He wants. (Philippians 2:13 TLB.) Imagine, God living within you, working within you. You can't get any closer to Him than that!
Reconnecting:	Think over your time since the first session. As you have asked God to show you that He exists, what events—large or small—have shown you that He is, and that He is at work in your life? Share them with the Group. Have you read the second chapter: God Make Me An Instrument and answered the questions in the Study Guide? Then it's time to…
Talk About This:	•  If you seriously pray this prayer, what do you think it might require of you? What priorities might it change? •  Can you recognize times in the past when God may already have used you as His instrument to meet someone else's need? How did they react? How did it make you feel? •  Can you recognize times in the past when God used other people to be instruments in your life—to help you when you were in need? How did you react? How does it make you feel now? Anthony says: Love has only one meaning—self-giving sacrifice. Doing something for someone else—even when we don't want to…it all comes down to giving yourself away. •  Philippians 2:13 says, God will “ work in you…helping you want to obey him and then helping you do what He wants.” How do you feel about that? Are you willing to ask for it ? Would that be a stretch for you right now, or does it sound like something exciting, even transcendent? •  As God wants to use you to help him alleviate suffering, how far would you go? Would you be willing to be involved in some righteous cause that might bring God's love and will to bear on our whole society? Can you think of any such causes? •  What could you do as a group that might make a redemptive impact on your community? •  After reading this chapter, can you name some of the wonderful personal advantages and blessings that you think you might receive from God because of your love and obedience? (Page37) Anthony says that asking God to make you an instrument is really the same thing as asking Him to give you a shortcut to complete fulfillment!
Action:	Pray for any needs in the group. Perhaps some will need the others to help them pray. Perhaps they need the Group to be God's active instruments in their lives right now. Of course, this is the time for everyone to pray, “God make me an instrument.” Pray this daily, too, and see what happens. Write down the results. Share them with the Group! Remember to look for the needs at home, among your own family. They need the love of God manifested through you, too. Start there.
Closing Prayer:	Lord, we come with a little fear and trembling, perhaps, but with excitement, too, and ask You to make us Your instruments of blessing! Take away from our hearts anything of selfishness that would keep us from helping people in need. Make us like Jesus who was the servant of all. We ask You, trust You, to work in us to accomplish all You give us to do; the transforming things that we could never do on our own. We love you, Lord, and we want to please You. We worship You by our obedience, knowing that obedience is worship given by the heart. Amen.
Assignment:	Read Chapter 3. Memorize the scripture. Be ready to share your notes and your answers to the Talk About This section. And be ready to share the answers to the special prayers you've been learning about and praying!