Group Study Guide: "If the Church Ever Gets Out of the Building"

Icebreaker Question: When was the last time you had a spiritual conversation with someone outside of a church building? What made it memorable or challenging?

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Sermon Summary:

This sermon challenges us to move beyond a "parked automobile religion" where our faith is confined to the church building. Cliff Goodwin emphasizes five key outcomes that will happen when the church—God's people—actively engages the world beyond the walls of our meeting houses.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The Church is People, Not a Building - The Body of Saved People (1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 5:23), not a structure.
2. We Must Go, Not Just Wait - The Great Commission Commands Us to "Go" (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15).
3. God Still Opens Doors - Though the Miraculous Age Has Ended, God Providentially Creates Opportunities.
4. Obedience Brings Blessing - Those who Do the Work Will Be Blessed (James 1:25).
5. Ministry Happens Outside the Building - True Fellowship and Service Require Time Beyond Three Hours a Week.

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Discussion Questions:

Section 1: The World Will Better See Who We Are
Read Matthew 5:14-16

1. In what ways might the church today be "hiding its light under a bushel"? Can you think of specific examples?

2. Cliff mentions that many people misunderstand the church (thinking we handle snakes or don't believe the Old Testament). What misconceptions have you encountered about the Lord's church? How did you respond?

3. Does the "parked automobile religion" concept convict you personally? Why or why not?

4. What would it look like practically for your congregation to be more visible in your community?

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Section 2: We Will Be Doing What the Lord Told Us to Do
Read Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 6:46

5. Why do you think both accounts of the Great Commission begin with the word "go"? What does this emphasis tell us about God's expectations?

6. Discuss the "Field of Dreams mentality" ("if we build it, they will come"). Have you seen this attitude in congregations you've been part of? What are the dangers of this mindset?

7. Jesus asked, "Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say?" How does this question challenge you personally regarding evangelism?

8. What fears or obstacles keep you from initiating spiritual conversations with lost people?

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Section 3: We Will Find Open Doors of Opportunity
Read Acts 16:9-10, John 4:7-9, 39-42

9. Cliff pointed out that God still providentially opens doors of opportunity, even though the miraculous age has ended. Do you believe this? Give an example of how this might happen.

10. In John 4, Jesus stepped outside multiple comfort zones (speaking to a Samaritan, speaking to a woman). What comfort zones do you need to step outside of to reach lost people?

11. Discuss the challenge to pray each morning: "God, open doors of opportunity for me today." Would you be willing to take this challenge? What concerns or hopes do you have about it?

12. Cliff says: "Don't pray that prayer if you're not going to act on those opportunities." Why is this warning necessary? What happens when we see opportunities but don't act?

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Section 4: We Will Be Blessed
Read James 1:25, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Romans 1:16

13. Do you believe James 1:25 as much as you believe John 3:16? Why is it sometimes easier to believe promises about salvation than promises about being blessed through service?

14. Paul says our "labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Why does the devil have success in making Christians doubt this truth?

15. The speaker gives two reasons our efforts won't be in vain:
    - Humanity still has the same sin sickness
    - We have the same powerful cure (the gospel)
    
    How does this perspective encourage you about evangelism in today's world?

16. Share a time when you experienced blessing or saw fruit from stepping out in faith to share the gospel or serve others.

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Section 5: We Will Be Better Ministers to Each Other
Read Galatians 5:13, 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

17. Cliff pointed out that we need more than "three or four hours a week in the church building" to truly know and serve one another. Do you agree? Why or why not?

18. How well do you know the struggles, joys, and daily lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ? What prevents deeper relationships?

19. What are practical ways your group or congregation could better "get out of the building" to serve one another?

20. Discuss this statement: "Living the Christian life is about so much more than just what is going on within these four walls." What does this look like in daily life?

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Practical Applications

Personal Commitments (Choose 1-2)
- Pray each morning this week: "God, open doors of opportunity for me today, and open my eyes to see them."
- Initiate one spiritual conversation with a lost person this week.
- Invite a brother or sister in Christ to your home or out for coffee to deepen your relationship.
- Visit a sick or struggling member outside of worship times.
- Identify one misconception about the church you can correct with someone you know.
- Study one passage this week about evangelism and write down what it commands you to do.

Group Commitments
- Plan a service project in your community within the next month.
- Organize a group evangelistic effort (door-knocking, community event, etc.)
- Start a prayer list of lost friends and family and commit to praying for them weekly.
- Schedule regular fellowship times outside of worship (meals, activities, etc.)
- If your congregation's "church sign is the only outreach," brainstorm alternatives.

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Reflection Questions for the Week

Monday-Tuesday: Where have I been hiding my light? What am I afraid of?

Wednesday-Thursday: What doors of opportunity has God placed before me that I haven't walked through?

Friday-Saturday: How can I better serve my brothers and sisters in Christ outside of the building?

Sunday: What will I do differently this week because of what I've learned?

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Memory Verse:

Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

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Closing Challenge:

Cliff asks: "If each one of us went back home with a renewed desire, a renewed interest, in getting out of the church building and getting to doing the work of the Lord, what would it do to the kingdom?"

Discuss: What would happen if everyone in this group took this message seriously? What would change in our congregation? In our community?

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Closing Prayer:

Pray specifically for:
- Courage to step outside our comfort zones
- Eyes to see open doors of opportunity
- Hearts willing to initiate conversations about Christ
- Deeper relationships with brothers and sisters
- A renewed commitment to "go" rather than just "wait"

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"The church has got to get out of the building in order for the world to better understand who we are."

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5-Day Devotional: The Church Beyond the Walls

Day 1: You Are the Light
Reading: Matthew 5:14-16

Devotional:
Jesus declares that we are the light of the world—not the building, not the programs, but you. A candle placed under a bushel serves no purpose; it must be positioned where its light can illuminate the darkness. Too often, we confine our Christianity to Sunday attendance, hoping our parked cars will somehow be evidence of our faith. But God calls us to radiate His truth in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. The world remains in darkness not because the light is insufficient, but because we've hidden it within our comfortable walls. Today, ask yourself: Where am I keeping my light hidden? Who needs to see Christ's love through my actions and words? Let your light shine authentically, not just on Sunday, but every day.

Day 2: Go Into All the World
Reading: Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15

Devotional:
The Great Commission begins with a verb of movement: "Go." Jesus didn't say, "Build beautiful buildings and wait for people to come." He commanded us to move, to initiate, to take the gospel to those who don't even know they're lost. We've adopted a "Field of Dreams" mentality—if we build it, they will come—but Scripture teaches the opposite. Most lost people don't realize their spiritual condition; they won't seek what they don't know they need. God has placed the responsibility squarely on our shoulders to be preemptive, to step outside our comfort zones. The command is clear: go, teach, preach. Today, consider who in your life needs to hear the gospel. Don't wait for them to come to you—go to them with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.

Day 3: Doors of Opportunity
Reading: Acts 16:6-15; John 4:1-42

Devotional:
God still opens doors of opportunity today, just as He did for Paul and the early church. When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman, He stepped outside cultural comfort zones and seized a divine appointment. The result? An entire village believed. God hasn't changed His methods of providentially arranging encounters; we've simply stopped looking for them. Here's a challenge: begin each morning asking God to open doors of opportunity and to open your eyes to recognize them. Don't rationalize away potential conversations by assuming people aren't interested. The woman at the well wasn't seeking Jesus, yet she became an evangelist to her community. When we step out in faith, we'll be amazed at how many people are hungry for truth. The same God who worked in Acts is working today—if we'll just get out of the building.

Day 4: Blessed in the Doing
Reading: James 1:22-25; 1 Corinthians 15:58

Devotional:
James declares that those who not only hear but also do God's Word will be blessed in their deeds. Paul assures us that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. Do you believe these promises? The gospel remains the power of God unto salvation because humanity still faces the same sin sickness it did two thousand years ago, and we possess the same powerful cure. When Christians in Corinth obeyed the gospel, they were transformed from idolaters, adulterers, and thieves into washed, justified, sanctified children of God. That same transformative power resides in the gospel you carry today. Every effort you make in Christ's name, every conversation initiated, every act of service rendered—none of it is wasted. God promises blessing and fruitfulness. Trust His Word enough to act on it.

Day 5: Serving One Another
Reading: Galatians 5:13-15; 1 Corinthians 12:25-27

Devotional:
The Christian life extends far beyond three or four hours weekly in a church building. While faithful attendance is essential, genuine Christian community requires us to intertwine our lives with fellow Christians. Paul instructs us to serve one another in love, to care for each member, to suffer together and to rejoice together. This depth of relationship cannot develop through Sunday morning handshakes alone. We must get out of the building—visiting homes, hospitals, sharing meals, walking through life's valleys together. The body of Christ functions properly only when members actively serve one another beyond scheduled services. Consider your relationships within your church family. Are they superficial or substantial? Who needs your presence this week? What brother or sister could use encouragement, a meal, or simply your time? True fellowship happens when we leave our comfort zones and enter each other's lives with genuine love and concern.