What it means to be part of the cell

In Psalm 92:12-15: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age; they will stay fresh and green…” I begin to reflect on my cell leadership for the past 6 years and realised that in order to stay fresh, I would need to be rooted in my understanding of the purposes for which God has called me to serve Him.

This is because the Psalmist says that we have to be planted in the house of the LORD in order to flourish, bear fruit and stay fresh. For example, the cedar of Lebanon is an evergreen tree that can live for a thousand years and is a symbol of eternity, strength and endurance, because it is deeply rooted in fertile soil.

If we settle in fertile soil, like being planted in a cell, where the Word is deeply rooted in our lives, we can flourish, stay fresh and bear fruit. In order to do that, we need to pray that God will use us through the cells which make up His Body (the Church) to bless others in our community.

As a devoted Christian, we should never ask the question, "what’s in it for me, if I join the cell?" Rather, we should ask, "what can I do to serve others in need in the cell?" "For even Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many,” (Mark 10:45). Only then, we can look forward to cell meetings joyfully with a Christ-like character of serving others.

It is all about serving God, whenever we come to the cell. How do we serve God more effectively, if we are not planted in a cell? As Christians, we need to own the purposes of the cell and not just the cell programs. We need to own the presence of God and not just the presence of a leader. We need to own the people around us who are in need and not just the pastors or leaders. In other words, we need to have a sense of ownership as a royal priesthood of believers, to “serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.” (Ephesians 6:7).

In Acts 2:42-47, “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles…” The early Church had a great sense of ownership in everything they did, because they had the same passion for a shared vision. They simply devoted themselves for a greater cause and the Lord added daily to their number. There can be no unity in the cell without devotees. When we devote ourselves for a greater cause which is the extension of God's kingdom; unity and transformation of society will be there.

Let us have a sense of ownership of the cell by sharing the same passion for a transformed society, through strong and united cells that are planted in the house of the LORD that will flourish, stay fresh and bear much fruit for His kingdom.

We will certainly make a difference in transforming society by being a devotee for the Lord in impacting cells and owning the vision of building God's community and making known His glory!