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"…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that
you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
I Peter 2:2-3
Like a newborn baby soon after it’s birth starts seeking the mother’s
breast to feed, as a newborn Christian, you need to feed yourself with
the Word of God. Before understanding theology and doctrines; before
knowing how to crawl or walk; even before understanding the importance
of nutrition to your health, you need spiritual nutrition. It comes
from the Word. So start now. Do not wait even a single day. Take the
Bible and start your daily nourishment. Here are some suggestions to
help you get started.
LISTEN TO THE WORD
Do not miss the meetings of the church and, when you attend, pay attention
to the sermons and Bible classes. Always have pen and paper with you
to make notes. You may need to review them at home and get together
with someone to clear up any doubts. Be diligent in doing this. Be like
that newborn baby that sometimes acts as though it is dying of hunger!
And of course, you will never want to arrive at the church meetings
without your Bible.
READ THE WORD
Read all of the Bible in one year. There are printed plans where you
can record each chapter you’ve read. By reading three chapters
a day and five on Sundays, you will read the whole Bible in one year!
This will give you a general survey of the Bible. Since it is a reading
and not an intensive study, it may be helpful to use an “easy-to-read”
version of the Bible. For deeper studies use a more literal translation
like NKJV or NASB
STUDY THE WORD.
Pray, asking God for understanding. Let God's Holy Spirit speak to you
through His Word. Instead of studying what somebody else thinks about
some passage, read for yourself in the words that the Holy Spirit directed
to be written. Read directly from the Bible. This will be your own personal
study.
Follow a system of study. It’s not wise to open blindly to just
anywhere in the Bible and start studying without thinking about the
context. The diligent student is always building on what he has already
learned. So study a book, a chapter, or some Bible topic.
Take notes of your thoughts, questions, doubts and reflections during
your study. Keep a special notebook to do it in. All of us know that
a good thought, a special perception or a new understanding is easily
forgotten. Write down the results of your studies.
Think about the following questions and make notes of the answers in
your study notebook:
What does this word
mean? Analyze verse by verse. Define the
difficult words. Take
note of a reference to a parallel passage.
Make an outline of the
paragraph.
What don’t I understand?
Write your doubts and questions.
Many of your doubts will
become clear as you study other parts
of the Bible.
What is the summary of
this passage? Be brief.
Choose some verses to memorize. Without a doubt. Jesus did this. Make
a list of the memorized verses to review them frequently.
Meditate on what you’ve studied. This is a very important step.
Meditation is what will give depth to your study of the Word. It doesn’t
mean a method of meditation, like some eastern religions use (transcendental
meditation, for example), but simply that you reflect, think, apply
and analyze what you’ve learned in the Word.
MAKE A PERSONAL APPLICATION OF THE WORD.
Apply the lesson to yourself, asking about each passage:
Is there some example I can follow?
Is there something that I must avoid?
Is there a commandment that I should obey?
Is there a promise that would prove beneficial?
What does this passage teach about God or Jesus?
Is there some difficulty to be examined?
Is there something that I should pray about?
What will help me with my problems?
SHARE THE WORD
Choose somebody and share some significant with them, truths that you
are learning in your studies. This serves for their edification and
more. When you express to others what you’ve studied, then this
knowledge becomes your own personal property.
PRACTICE THE WORD
As James wrote, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22) The true knowledge of the Word
of God comes when you put into practice what it teaches. Be like the
wise man that built his house on the rock instead of on the sand. (Matthew
7:24-28)
A SUGGESTION
Choose a commandment, attribute or biblical principle each week to practice.
Write this in your study notebook and day by day, look for opportunities
to practice what the word is teaching you. This way the Word of God
becomes the Living Word in you.
MEMORIZE:
II Timothy 3:16, 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work.
Questions
1. As a newborn Christian are you feeding on God's word?
2. How does one learn what God desires of them?
Read their Bible
Study with other Christians
Search the Internet
All the above
A and B
3. A diligent student is always increasing his knowledge of God's word by determining if there are other scriptures about the subject being studied?
4. A good student must understand the meaning of words in their context in order to understand what God has stated in His message to them?
YOUR BODY IS NOW THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF
GOD
The newborn baby leaves his mother’s womb
to enter into a new world. This can be a big shock but
there is no turning back. He can never return to his
mother’s womb. The same thing happens to the new
Christian. The change of life is radical and there is
no return. In fact whoever thinks about going back
should know that for the ones who return to the old
life after having been born again in Christ, " the
latter end is worse for them than the beginning."
(II Peter 2:20-22). You need to understand the nature
of your new life in Christ in order for you to assume
your new identity. Who are you now that you’ve
been born of the water and of the Spirit?
"...therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new." (II Corinthians 5:17)
"Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should
walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4)
YOUR BODY WAS PURCHASED BY JESUS
CHRIST
12 All things are
lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All
things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought
under the power of any. 13 Foods for the stomach
and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy
both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual
immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the
body. 14 And God both raised up the Lord and will
also raise us up by His power. 15 Do you not know
that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I
then take the members of Christ and make them
members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you
not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one
body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall
become one flesh." 17 But he who is joined to the
Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual
immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside
the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins
against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that
your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is
in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own? 20 For you were bought at a price;
therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit, which are God's. (I Corinthians
6:12-20)
Your physical body now has a divine purpose -
vv12, 13. Think about this: the purpose of a suitcase
is to carry clothes and the purpose of a stove is to
cook food. So, what do you do with the suitcase and
stove? Sweeping the floor with the suitcase, or playing
games on the stove would not be the correct use for
these things. It is the same with your body now that it
belongs to the Lord and is to be used for His
purposes.
Your body is so important that, someday, God will raise
it from the dead - v14. All who have the Holy Spirit
living in them, have the guarantee that they will be
risen to the glory of God. The Bible says "you
were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the
guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, to the praise of His
glory" (Ephesians 1:13-14). You have a guarantee
from God that He will not leave your body in the grave,
but in the resurrection, you will receive a glorified
body, no longer subject to pain, sickness, loneliness
or sorrow. You will have a body suitable for the good
things of life: joy, happiness, immortality, peace and
eternal fellowship in Heaven with Jesus, God and all
His other sons.
Your body is a member of the Lord - v15. If you had the
power to control the legs, the arms, the eyes or the
hands of Jesus, what would you do with them? Would you
carry them to indecent places? Would you expose them to
pornography? Would you participate in filthy habits?
Would you commit immoral acts? Would you smoke? Would
you drink? Would you take drugs? Would you hurt these
members of His body? Would you kill them? Of course
not! Even so do not treat your body, which is a member
of Christ’s body, in this way.
Your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit of God -
v19. God’s sanctuary is a place for worship to
take place in a spirit of reverence and dedication.
Your body is not yours. – vv19-20. You are only a
caretaker (steward, administrator) of God’s
belongings and not the owner so always ask yourself:
"What does God want me to do with this body of
His?"
"I live in a house. It’s not a perfect
house. It has its good points and bad points but in
spite of everything, I like it. I’ve lived in it
for so long that I’ve grown accustomed to it.
Some time ago, the richest, purest, most generous,
kindest and most wonderful man in the world bought my
house. he paid a high price for it - more than it was
worth - so, evidently, he wanted it very much. He
bought it, but did not evict me from it. In fact, He
came to live in the house with me. I have to confess
that it is great to have him in the same house with me,
but I also have to confess that I had to make some
changes. Now, I feel the need to take better care of
the house, to keep it clean and to never do anything
that he disapproves of because he bought it - the house
belongs to him. It’s not mine anymore."
It’s obvious that this house is my body. Jesus
bought it and came to live in it with me, through the
Holy Spirit. Now I want to use it as He wishes because
He is the owner and I am the tenant. Now, before doing
anything, speaking any word, thinking any thought,
participating in any activity, I want to ask: "Is
this the right thing to do with the body that belongs
to Jesus?"
QUESTIONABLE USES OF GOD’S
TEMPLE
Sometimes it’s hard to decide if a certain
activity is prohibited or allowed. Even among religious
people, there are big differences of opinions about
certain things. For example: dancing, drinking
alcoholic beverages, smoking, watching TV,
participating in sports, playing cards, going to the
movies, going to the swimming pool, playing the
lottery, working in a bar, wearing a mini-skirt, voting
in the elections, being a politician, listening to
certain music, using drugs, getting married to an
unbeliever, being in the military, etc.
We don’t find specific rules about these things
in the Bible. It’s not always enough to just look
for a simple prohibition or permission in the Bible.
The Bible often teaches by principles instead of rules
and regulations. Here are some questions, then, that
you might ask yourself before taking part in some
activity:
Decide, first of all, that you are going to do
God’s will, before even knowing what His will is.
(Read John 7:17.) Ask yourself honestly: "What is
the desire of my heart? To please God or please
myself?" (See Matthew 6:33 and Romans 12:1,2.)
Does
the Bible have some clear instruction or teaching about
this activity?
Will
this activity force me to have some association that
could corrupt me by its influence? (I Corinthians
5:13)
Is this
activity unnecessarily harmful to my health? (Romans
12:1; I Corinthians 10:31)
Is this
activity going to hinder me in fulfilling my
responsibilities as a Christian? (II Corinthians
6:14-18)
Can
this activity damage my influence as a Christian before
others? (Romans 12:2; I Corinthians 8:7-13; 10:23-38;
II Corinthians 7:1; Titus 2:12)
Could
this activity cause my brother to stumble (to fall into
sin)? (Romans 14)
Do I
have doubts about this activity? If I do it, would I be
acting against my own conscience? (Romans
14:23)
What
would Jesus do in my place? (I Peter 2:21)
Questions
1. Being buried with Christ in baptism and walking a new life means one has did to their sinful past.
2. A Christians physical body belongs to Christ.
3. A Christian's body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit, therefore they are a servant of God not their own master.
4. Since the Holy Spirit lives within a Christian's body, one needs to
Take physical care of their body
Keep it clean of sinful practices
Do nothing as the Holy Spirit is spirit not physical
A and B
5. The New Covenant established by Christ is
A set of rules and regulations one must follow
An agreement to those who put their trust in Christ by obedience that their sins are forgiven and eternal life awaits.
YOU ARE STILL IN THE WORLD BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER OF THE
WORLD
CHRIST’S PRAYER FOR HIS
DISCIPLES
"I do not pray that You should take them out of the
world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.
They are not of the world, just as I am not of the
world." (John 17:15-16) When you received Christ as
Lord and Savior, you rejected the world ("world"
here refers to the bad things of this life: the illicit
desires, selfishness, works of the flesh, materialism,
etc.). Your loyalty is no longer to the world. It’s
even considered your enemy. Not only are you to love Christ
and His way, but you are also to stop loving the world.
Open your Bible and read I John 2:15-17 and see the
relationship between you, the Christian, and the world.
Think about the following truths:
The love of the world blocks man’s heart so that he
is not able to receive God’s love. Like water and
oil, the two do not mix. (v15)
None of the ways of the world comes from God. The illicit
desires, the pride, the egotism - these things come from
the world, from the evil one, and not from God. (v 16)
The world, with its desires, will be destroyed. He who
remains is the one who does God’s will. (v 17)
WE ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD
The Christian and the world are opposed to one another and
are mutually exclusive. The Christian has to be separated
from the world! But, how? Does it mean that you have to
stop studying and working, or that you have to run away to
a desert island, where none of the contamination of the
world could reach you? Of course not! The Christian is in
the world but he is not of the world. He is very different
from the people of the world and this difference is
reflected in his life. Anyone who observes your life,
seeing your behavior, should easily notice that you are now
a follower of Jesus Christ! Brethren, we are different!
Read Colossians 3:5-16. And notice the things that the
Christian does and does not practice. See how different it
is from the world’s way. The Christian does
not practice: fornication, uncleanness, passion,
evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
filthy language, lies. The Christian
Practices: tender mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another,
forgiving one another, love, peace and thankfulness.
NOW THAT YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN YOU CAN RESIST
TEMPTATION
The eternal purpose of God for us is to make us holy,
blameless and without reproach. (Read Colossians 1:21,22
and Ephesians 1:4; 5:25-27). Our situation is that we are
in the world but we don’t belong to the world. Even
though we are being sanctified (separated) to serve God (I
Corinthians 6:9-11) and live holy lives (Romans 6:11-12),
we are still subject to temptations. However, now that we
are Christians there is a big difference. We have
heaven’s help in the fight against sin! Let’s
note some things about temptation and the Christian.
The danger of temptation is the possibility of
apostasy (a falling away from God). Read Hebrews
3:1-19 and notice:
This
warning is sent to " holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling,."v 1
The
condition to receive the blessing is to remain firm until
the end. vv6,14
An example
of apostasy was Israel in the desert vv 7-11
The
warning: sin can deceive you and harden your heart and you
can end up losing your promised "rest." vv
12,13,19
A summary: "Let us therefore be
diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to
the same example of disobedience" (Hebrews 4:11) and
"He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above
reproach in His sight; if indeed you continue in the faith,
grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the
hope of the gospel which you heard" (Colossians
1:22,23).
HOW CAN WE REMAIN FIRM, RESISTING SATAN’S
TEMPTATIONS UNTIL THE END?
"Put on the whole armor of God". Ephesians
6:10-18.
"Add to your faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control,
perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love." II
Peter 1:5-11.
The Divine Assurance (I Corinthians 10:13). "God is
faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what
you are able".
Our Divine help (Romans 8:26,27). The Holy Spirit, who
lives inside you, helps you in your weakness, interceding
for you.
WHAT SHALL WE DO WHEN THE TEMPTER
COMES?
(Matthew 4:1-11). Remember that even in the life of Jesus
temptation was necessary. (Jesus was led by the Spirit into
the wilderness to be tempted. Or in Mark’s words, the
Spirit drove him.) He was perfected; that is, qualified to
be our sacrifice and High Priest (Hebrews 2:17,18; 4:15,16)
in the process. As in Jesus’ case, your faith has to
be tried also. Is there a risk in this? Yes, but he who
never enters the race, will never be a winner. God tests
our faith (I Peter 1:7; James 1:2-4,12,13) but He
doesn’t tempt us to sin. Jesus was taken by God to be
tested but He was not tempted by God.
Recognize that Satan is the tempter. He is the one who
wants to overthrow us. When he comes around saying things
like, "Do it, nobody will know"; "Do it, God
does not care if you do"; "Do it, God does not
know what you need"; "Do it, you will feel
good"; "Do it, you just live once so have some
fun while you can"; "Do it, God wants you to be
happy", remember that these thoughts come from someone
who is only trying to destroy you.
When the tempter comes to you, then say as Christ said,
"No, I will not do that, because it is written …
you will need to be able to do something else too. You'll
need:
To know
God’s Word.
To believe
in God’s Word.
To decide
to do God’s will in advance.
To remember
God’s word when the tempter comes around.
When the tempter came to Eve, she knew God's Word but she
did not believe it. In Ananias and Saphira's case, they
knew and believed but did not decide to obey Him. When
temptation came to David, he knew, believed and decided to
obey in advance but he did not remember at the moment of
the temptation. Jesus knew, believed, decided to obey in
advance and at the time of temptation He remembered it.
That's why he was able to resist Satan's attacks.
MEMORIZE: Ephesians 6:10-18
Questions
1. The word world in "you are not of the world" means acts fulfilling the illicit desires of man's nature.
2. A Christian's lifestyle is different as Christians do not practice fornication, evil desires, covetousness, anger, blasphemy, lies or filthy language.
3. Being tempted is a sin
4. Yielding to temptation hardens a Christian's heart which can lead to loosing eternal life with Christ.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden
is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30)
WHAT IS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?
The Christian life is a learning process (John 6:45 and
Matthew 28:18-20, Matthew 11:28-30) and a disciple is a
student. But in the New Testament it’s meaning is a
little bit different than today. In the days of Jesus there
were masters (teachers) and disciples (students) but they
did not sit in classrooms like we do today. The master
taught in practical ways. He walked with his students. He
showed them how to do things. That's why the word disciple
in the New Testament is often translated
"follower". It was the same with Jesus. And the
word disciple could very well be translated as
"apprentice". Imagine a master mechanic and his
apprentice. The "master", in this case, would
teach his apprentice how to use some tools, how to repair
some problems. The apprentice hears and observes the
teacher doing this. Afterwards he takes the tools and
imitates his master’s work. He is a disciple
(apprentice, learner, follower, student) of the teacher
(master mechanic). Disciple is the most used term for
followers of Jesus in the Gospels- 269 times.
· If we are the learners, who is the teacher? It is
Jesus Christ.
· What does Jesus teach us? He teaches us how to
live, how to be, to do and to teach. It is on the job
training about lifestyle and personal commitment.
· Where is His classroom? In every place.
· When does His class meet? All the time.
· What is His teaching method? Show and tell, model
and teach. (See Philippians 2:3-8 and II Corinthians
3:18.
· It is not the power of positive thinking or a
mechanical system of moral improvement.
· What is the goal of a disciple? To know Christ
John 17:3 and to be like him Romans 8:29.
· When can we say we have learned His lesson? When
we are practicing what He has taught us.
· When is a person considered a disciple? When he
enrolls in Jesus’ school or when he graduates? When
you became a Christian, you enrolled in the School of
Jesus!!! You will spend your whole life learning as Jesus
is being formed in you.
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
Remind yourself that there’s a price you have to pay
to be Jesus’ disciple. The enrollment price in
Jesus’ school is high! With the blessings come
responsibilities and for the Christian you must live worthy
of His call. Speaking about the life of the disciple, Jesus
said "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
(Luke 9:23). Notice four important points in this
verse:
"Deny himself" - The Christian
is a slave of Christ, and as such, has no will of his own
to fulfill but only his Lord’s will. We can’t
pursue the world’s desires nor give in to temptation.
Jesus, with the same weapons against sin that are available
to us, faced temptation and always overcame it. He is our
High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, because
He "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without
sin." (Hebrews 4:15).
"Take up his cross daily" - What
does the word "cross" mean in this passage? Is it
a medal that a person wears around their neck? Is it a
symbol of Christianity? Does it mean torture and suffering?
None of these give the correct meaning. The idea in the
first century, when Jesus spoke these words, was to die to
your old life, saying, like Paul "I have been
crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20)
"Follow me" - Here is the source
of our strength - Jesus is the key. He gives us strength to
bear the difficult things in life. He guides our way! He
gives us success over temptation (I Corinthians 10:13). We
must follow Him (John 14:6). Being a Christian
doesn’t mean to just stop sinning but, also, to put
Jesus and His word first in our life, following Him and
imitating Him in everything.
"Daily" - We made the decision
to deny ourselves and take up our cross for the first time
in the day that we embraced Christ as our Savior and Lord.
But that day is gone and today is another day! Every day we
need to make the decision to follow Jesus, again! When
Jesus said "daily", He was telling us that we
need to make this decision each day. Our faith has to be a
dynamic, living faith. We must daily renew our purpose of
becoming like Christ.
Also read: Luke 14:25-33; Romans 12:1,2; Mark 8:36.
THREE TRAITS OF A DISCIPLE
Jesus, in the gospel of John, mentioned three
characteristics of a disciple: Abide in His
Word (John 8:31). It’s more than simply
believing (See John 8:29-59). It involves knowledge of the
Word. We have to study Jesus’ words. It means to
practice what we have learned. Do you hold to the Word? How
often do you study the Bible? Daily?
Love one
another. (John 13:34-35). How should we love? Like
Christ loved us. (John 13:34 - He gave Himself for us). How
shall we be disciples? By helping one another, talking to
each other about spiritual subjects, studying the Bible
together and being sensitive to the necessities of one
another. Do you love your brothers in Christ? What are you
doing in practical ways to help them?
Bear much
fruit (John 15:8). What kind of fruit do we bear?
Children and families, fruit of the Spirit (Galatians
5:22), glory to God for having created us, bringing others
to Christ, etc. Why should we bear fruit? To glorify God.
To not be cut off (John 15:1-2). To save others. For
gratitude (Psalms 51:12-15). To fulfill our purpose in
life. How can we bear more fruit? By abiding in Jesus.
(John 15:5) When the branch is cut off the vine, it does
not bear any fruit. Are you producing much fruit?
JESUS IS OUR MODEL!
We know Him through the Bible. We see how He acted, talked
and treated people. We learn what is important to Him. We
see His attributes, such as His love, meekness, humility,
mercy, purity and righteousness. By meditating on Him and
admiring Him, we seek to become like Him. To the Christian,
He is our example in all things.
Questions
1. A disciple of Christ is obedient and committed to Him and His teachings.
2. What does Christ teach us?
How to live
Practice what He taught us
Positive thinking
A and C
3. A servant of Christ does the will of Christ not his own.
4. How often is a child of God to deny himself and do God's will?
It is not considered normal when a child is born but does not grow. If
he does not grow mentally, he is called retarded. If he does not grow
physically he is called a dwarf: But if you don’t develop your Christian
life, you’re going to die! See what God said about the necessity
of spiritual growth:
" … we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have
become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles
of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone
who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for
he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that
is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil." Hebrews 5:11-14
"As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby,." I Peter 2:2
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with
fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to
do for His good pleasure ..." Philippians 2:12,13
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL GROWTH?
Remember that we are talking about spiritual growth and not physical or
numerical growth. It means becoming more and more similar to Jesus Christ
(II Corinthians 3:18).
It involves learning to distinguish between good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14)
It means walking more and more by the Spirit and less and less by the
flesh. (Galatians 5:13-25)
It means possessing and increasing in the Christian graces in your life
- faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, love (II Peter 1:5-11). If these things exist in us and are
growing in us, we will be active, fruitful, firm, and we are not going
to stumble. We can understand spiritual growth as a change for the better
in our own character.
A note: Spiritual growth comes, not only when you practice such virtues,
but also when you err and reflect about your mistakes. Sometimes, suffering
because of your failures helps you grow. This is the value of the Lord’s
discipline (Hebrews 12:1-13).
THE SPIRITUAL GRACES OF 2 PETER 1: Faith - Read Romans 10:17 to see the source of faith.
It is in the Word that we learn that God always fulfills His promises
(Mark 10:29; Romans 8:28). He always keeps His word to us. Tragedies may
happen in life, but knowing that God is sustaining us increases our faith.
Living by faith increases faith. Can you remember some times in your life
when, trusting in the Lord, you faced some fear or struggle and overcome?
Virtue - means moral courage. It is the characteristic
that helps people to do what is right, even when it is very difficult
or when others are against it. An example of one who showed great moral
courage is Joseph. Read Genesis 39 and see virtue in action ... Can you
think of someone else who has shown great virtue (moral courage) in their
life.
Knowledge – of God and His will, of Christ and
His life. The lack of knowledge caused God’s people to be destroyed.
(Hosea 4:6). Since Jesus’ words will judge us, we need to know what
He taught (John 12:48-50). The way to obtain knowledge is by reading and
studying the Bible. (Psalm 1:1-3). Reading spiritual books and biblical
commentaries can also help. Make a practical plan to grow in knowledge
(refer back to lesson 1).
Self-control - We should have self-control over our bodies:
passions, appetites, moods, etc. ( I Corinthians 9:27). Self-control is
a fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22,23). Consider making a list of
the areas in your life where you need to have more self-control. Pray
constantly to God for growth in these areas.
Perseverance - means "steadfastness, persistence,
patience". It is the characteristic of a man that is unshakable in
his purpose and loyalty to the faith, not going astray even in the greatest
of trials and suffering. James 5:7-11 gives us a biblical example of perseverance.
See James 1:2-4 to learn how to develop perseverance. We will have problems
and temptations in our lives. However the one who remains firm until the
end (he who perseveres) will be saved. (Hebrews 3:6)
Can you think of people and situations in your life that motivated you
to persevere?
Godliness - this refers to personal devotion to God or
reverence.
is an example of godliness (piety) in the Bible. (Acts 10:2,7). Godliness
is always a valuable virtue to possess. I Timothy 4:8. Here are some suggestions
to help you to keep your mind on spiritual and holy things:
Listen to Christian songs
Have days of fasting and
prayer
Form a prayer group
Have home worship
Save a time daily to read,
pray and meditate on God’s Word.
Describe your practice
of personal devotion. Do you have a plan? Goals?
Brotherly Love - is love among brothers (fellow Christians).
One example: the churches that helped the Christians in Jerusalem during
the famine. II Corinthians 8:1-5. Another example: the prayers Christians
made for Peter, showing brotherly kindness. Acts 12:1-5. It can include
the practice of hospitality. Read Galatians 6:10 and try to think of a
brother or sister in Christ that needs your help? What can you do for
him/her? Is there a brother or sister in Christ that needs a friend? Get
closer to this person to possibly start a good friendship.
Love - Christian love is an action. It means to actively
desire and seek the good of others and always involves serving. If serving
means to supply the needs of others, and we recognize that the true needs
are not necessarily what the person wants, then we can understand that
to love is almost the same as to serve. Jesus came to serve. He loved
us. He saw our need for forgiveness and He died on the cross to obtain
it. In the same way, let us serve (love) one another. Many people only
come to understand God’s love when they have their own children.
The love of parents for their children helps us understand how God loves
us. Read I Corinthians 13 (all) I John 3:11-18 and I John 4:7-21 to gain
a greater awareness of what Christian love really is. Write down the name
of people or events in your own life that helped you to understand and
practice love.
Questions
1. Who decides what God's message, His teachings, means?
Priest
Rabbi
Preacher/evangelists
You - by personal study
2. Spiritual growth is
Learning to distinguish between good and evil
Possessing and increasing in faith, virtue, knowledge self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.
Practicing the Christian virtues
All the above
3. The source of faith comes from knowledge of God's word.
When a
baby is born, being a newborn, he starts to be fed and
to be cared for almost exclusively by his mother,
receiving much more than he contributes. But there
comes the time when he is going to assume his place in
the family. He starts eating at the table with the
others, building relationships, accepting
responsibilities and fulfilling duties. All this is
part of his development.
You also, as a new Christian, need to take your place
in the family of God. You surrendered your life to
Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and being buried
with Him in baptism. At that moment you entered into a
new relationship with the other followers of Jesus. You
became a part of the "church". The Christian
life is not lived in isolation but in company with the
other members of the church. This is God’s plan
for you.
THE CHURCH IS A VERY SPECIAL GROUP OF
PEOPLE
This group is very special because it consists of those
whom God called out of darkness into His wonderful
light (I Peter 2:9). They are a group of people saved
through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The
church is people separated by God for Himself. The
church (literally, the called out ones), have been
called:
Called
by God. Romans 8:28-3
Called
out of darkness. I Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13
Called
through the Gospel. II Thessalonians 2:14
Called
into fellowship in Christ I Corinthians 1:9
Called
to sanctification (being set apart). I Thessalonians
4:7
Called
to the Kingdom I Thessalonians 2:12; Galatians 1:6,
5:13; Colossians 3:15; Hebrews 9:15; I Peter 5:10)
NOTE: In the New Testament, the word "church"
refers either to an assembly of Christians in a certain
place (Romans 16:16; I Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1;
Philippians 1:1) or to the universal body of Christ
(composed of all the people in the world that are saved
in Christ - Matthew 16:18).
Somebody once said: "I am a Christian but I am not
a member of any church because I don’t see such a
commandment in the Bible." This person did not
study the Bible, because, if he had, he would
understand that the local church is highly emphasized
in the New Testament: " … not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of
some"(Hebrews 10:25).
The local church chooses missionaries and supports
them, maintains Bible schools, helps people that are in
need, promotes prayer meetings, worship, devotionals
and evangelism. It’s the local church that serves
as an instrument to accomplish God’s work here on
earth. There is and always will be a future for the
church of Jesus Christ because God’s work should
be and is going on. You are to take an active part in
this great work of God in the local church!
BIBLICAL TERMS FOR THE CHURCH
In the Bible we find no specific title given for the
church. Instead we find various descriptions that
illustrate some special aspect of this group of people
called the church – terms of either relationship
or function.
House (family) of God - I Timothy
3:15; Ephesians 1:3; Galatians 3:26, 27. God is the
Father, Jesus is the oldest brother and all of us are
brethren. The church is a family that God constituted
to be always with Him. We have fellowship with Him,
with His son Jesus and with one another as children of
God. The love, kindness, help and approval that we find
in the human family also have to exist in God’s
family and in an even more profound way. The Bible
exhorts us: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let
him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
psalms." (James 5:13) Be a faithful and loyal
brother on whom the church can count. Serve the other
brethren in love.
Kingdom of God (or of Christ) -
Revelation 1:5; Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13.
God’s kingdom is the kingdom of His Son to whom
He already gave all the authority and whom He appointed
"King of kings and Lord of lords" (Matthew
28:18 & Revelation 19:16). As God has always
reigned over all, now His Son reigns over all creation.
The most important part and the purpose of His reign is
the church. The church of Jesus is the group of people
that voluntarily subject themselves to King Jesus to
serve Him in this world.
Temple (dwelling place or sanctuary) of
God - I Peter 2:5; I Corinthians 3:16,17. We
are the spiritual house, the residence, the sanctuary
of God. We must maintain our personal holiness, worthy
of His presence. God dwells in the church (not in the
building, but in people). We live in God’s
presence and in His presence we pray, sing, praise,
worship and serve. Be a participant of this worship,
treating with respect and care His temple, the
church.
Flock of Christ - Acts 20:28. We
follow Jesus, our good and supreme Shepherd.
A chosen people, holy nation, royal priesthood,
people of God – (I Peter 2:9). We exist
to adore, honor and praise our Creator.
Church of Christ (or church of God) -
Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; Romans 16:16; I Corinthians
1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians
1:13; I Timothy 3:5,15. We are the exclusive property
of Christ and God. We belong to Him, not to others, not
even to ourselves.
Bride (wife) of Christ - Ephesians
5:23-32. The emphasis in this term is our faithfulness
and allegiance to the one we have pledged ourselves to
love and serve.
Church - We are the people of God and
have been called out of the world, out of the wrong
way. We were separated (sanctified) and we should be
different from the world. We should live holy
lives.
Body of Christ - Ephesians 5:23;
Colossians 1:18; I Corinthians 12:12-27 & Romans
12:4,5. The church is Christ’s instrument to
continue His mission in the world. We are His hands,
mouth, eyes, feet, heart. The church is a living
organism and all the parts are joined and mutually
dependent one of another. As the arm needs the hand,
the members of the body of Christ need one another. So
you should seek your function in the church. Exercise
the gifts that God has given you for the good of
Christ’s body, the church.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERS
Knowing our identity as a member of Christ’s
body, we recognize that we cannot be individualist or
selfish. We are part of something much bigger than
ourselves. There is nothing more important in our lives
than this. You are part of the most privileged group of
people in the world. It’s an honor to have the
opportunity to serve, work and participate in the
church of Jesus Christ.
Questions
1. The church Christ established is
The Temple o the Jew
Meeting place such as a building
People
People called out of darkness (sin) into Christ
2. Christians are
Members in the Body of Christ
Servants of God
People cleansed by the blood of Christ through obedience
All the above
3. The Bible specifies one name for Christ's church.
4. Christ's church is referred to as a Kingdom, Bride, Body.
The church of the Lord is His living spiritual body. Our mission comes
from Him, our head (Ephesians 1:21,22). The church is the body and He
is the head and so the church carries out His will. We are the church,
anointed by His Holy Spirit, born of His Father. We establish His church
and His peace in the whole world. The church continues His work here on
earth and although His work is varied, we can summarize it in three general
areas:
EVANGELISM
We are to preach the gospel, make disciples of all nations, be the light
of the world and salt of the earth, fight against the principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against
spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places and make manifest
the very character of God. When Jesus answered questions about His mission
here on earth, He said things like – “The Son of Man came
to seek and save the lost.” We, as His body, have been given the
job of carrying out this very same mission.
EDIFICATION
The church can be referred to as living stones or bricks. It is not just
a pile of loose bricks. God wants a construction of living stones. If
the bricks are not in place, if they are not cemented together, then they
are not a building. Evangelism brings in bricks but God wants them formed
into a building. (Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:6; I Peter 2:5) In the process
of things we may lose a lot of new bricks if we just throw them into a
pile or if we cement them in a very haphazard manner so that they soon
fall apart. We must work at making sure each one is cemented into the
place God gave him. This is called edification.
For some, the church is a place you go to observe others. The center of
attention is a person, probably the pastor or priest. If someone needs
help, who do they call? They call the leader. If someone has a problem
or doubts they call only the preacher. It wasn't this way in the primitive
church. The church is not an institution but rather a family. They met
in homes. Due to persecution, they often met in secret in small groups
so as not to call attention to themselves. An example was the church at
Thessalonica. Paul went there and established the church but only stayed
a very short time before he was cast out of the city. It was a new church,
suffered persecution and had problems with sin and doctrine. The missionaries
were gone and yet they survived. How? Read I Thessalonians 5:11-14 and
see how. Everything did not depend on the preachers, elders, etc. They
recognized that they were the building of God and their identity as Christians
could be seen in their involvement with each another. We must edify one
another and be involved with one another.
Still, some want to protect their private lives: "I want to be independent,
free to do as I want." But if you really want to be the best possible
Christian, then you should invite others into your personal life, tell
them to look for your faults, and help you to be better. In this way you
can grow even more.
These, then, are the goals of edification:
· II Peter 1:5-11 every member active, productive, firm, saved.
· Ephesians 4:16 every member in the place God assigned him, linked
to the others, working, cooperating, growing, edified in love.
· Colossians 1:28 all are to be presented perfect in Christ.
Let’s note some examples of opportunities that
God gives us to edify one another. Read each passage and write the mutual
obligation of Christian in the blank:
John 13:34-35 _____________________________________
Romans 14:19; 15:14 ________________________________
I Corinthians 12:25 __________________________________
Ephesians 4:2; 5:21 _________________________________
Galatians 6:2 ______________________________________
Colossians 3:12-14 _________________________________
I Thessalonians 4:18;
5:11-14 _________________________
Hebrews 3:12; 10:24,25
______________________________
James 5:16 ________________________________________
I Peter 4:9 _________________________________________
Meditate on these commandments of the Lord and your responsibility as
a follower of Jesus and as a member of His body, the church. This work
is not reserved only for the leadership but rather each member shares
in it. Love, edify, counsel, care for, support, carry burdens, conserve
the peace and unity, comfort, exhort, warn, confront, help, encourage,
motivate, confess, pray, take in, fellowship. Jesus called all of us to
do all of this for one another.
SERVICE
One way we serve the Lord is through serving other people. This service
is not a competition between us but rather a cooperation. We are to use
our gifts, working together (I Corinthians. 12:12-27). Jesus did not come
to be served but to serve and so His church must have the same vision.
The church exists to defend the oppressed, help the needy, and do good
works (Ephesians 2:10).
You are going to want to help or be helped by your brothers. This help
is sometimes spiritual (encouragement, edification, etc.) and sometimes
material. Giving and receiving, this mutual help will develop love and
friendship that unites us in the Christian family.
Consider the following verses:
Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good
to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Acts 6:1-6; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-27; Acts 11:19-26; 13:1-12; 6:1-7;
Ephesians 4:1-16; Colossians 3; 1-17
Questions
1. The mission of Christ's church is to
Build buildings in which to meet
Proclaim gospel of Christ
Encourage other Christians to remain faithful
Do good works
All the above
B, C and D
2. The church is an active body of saved people
3. The center of the assembled church is
the priest
the preacher
Christ
4. For the church to be legitimate it must assemble in a building such as a temple or sanctuary
5. During persecution it is acceptable to gather in secret and in small groups.
“Let us consider one
another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the
manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews
10:24-25).
One of the saddest things you will ever see is a
“Christian” who does not eagerly await the
opportunities when the whole church assembles together for
worship and edification. Some even consider it as only one
of their “Christian duties”. In truth, God did
command it because we need it so much and many have
sacrificed their very lives to protect our liberty to do
this very thing.
THE CHURCH ASSEMBLES FOR WORSHIP
We must understand clearly that there is no certain time or
place for a Christian to worship God. Jesus made this very
plain in John 4:19-26. We worship in our spirit (heart) at
any time in any place. Worship describes the expression of
our heart characterized by awe, veneration, and respect. It
always occurs individually, whether one is in an assembly
or not.
Group worship is just a "number of individuals
worshipping God together at the same time in the same
place. The actual worship occurs in the heart or spirit of
each one. All the others in an assembly may be worshipping
while one individual is not. Or an individual may be
worshipping while the others are not. The forms or acts
such as singing, offering, eating the Lords's Supper and
praying are not actually the true worship. They are just
means of expressing the sense of reverence that is in the
heart.
Normally, in church meetings God's Word is read, taught or
proclaimed. When the Scriptures are read or quoted we ought
to listen like it is God speaking to us through His Word
(if in fact, the one speaking is speaking God's words.
Listen with personal active participation: What does God
have to say to me? What does He want me to do? How can I
share this with others?
ARE YOU A WORSHIPPER OR A SPECTATOR ?
We are becoming a nation of spectators. TV has
revolutionized the world. Participants have become viewers.
Doers have become couch potatoes. Being creative and
industrious demands too much. Being just a spectator
demands very little. When you add to TV viewing, live
sports events, videos, movie theaters, you have our #1 past
time – spectating. The spectator mind set affects the
church and creates certain conflicts because the
overwhelming Biblical emphasis in Christianity is being a
participant and not just a spectator.
When it comes to the assembly of the church, some have a
hard time trying to change from being a spectator to a
participant. They get up from the game on TV and assemble
to worship in the church meeting. Some TV addicts , after
an hour or two of hype and pizzazz on TV, come to church
and expect to feel the same level of emotions. But think
about this: TV advertisers spend $1,000,000 on a 30 second
commercial. Programs dazzle you with the latest
sophistication in light and sound. On TV the visual
impression is changed about every 5 to 10 sec. Then you
come to a church meeting. Can you honestly say that the
word “boring” doesn't sometimes flash across
your mental screen?
But our problem doesn't lie in the church’s inability
to compete. The problem is the wrong notion that the church
is supposed to compete. Like it or not, many Christians are
comparing Christianity to spectator sports. If the worship
service or game is not exciting, that is; “doesn't
edify me”, they feel that time is being wasted in
boredom. It’s so easy to just chill out and change
the channel. Though some would never admit it, their mind
set is: “I’m a spectator. I don’t sing. I
don’t bring my Bible, read along, enter into the
discussion, take notes or listen carefully. I’m a
watcher and a listener. And this service had better be
good.” Thus the spectator expects to have his needs
(or desires) met without any concern about the needs of the
others present.
THE CHURCH ASSEMBLES FOR EDIFICATION
The most detailed description of the New Testament church
assembly is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and the
summary verse 26 says “Let all things be done for
edification.” Edification is what we do in order to
build each other up in the most holy faith. The way we do
it is mainly through words:
Through
words in prayer. I Timothy 2:1, Acts 4:23-31
Through
reading the word. I Timothy 4:13
Through
words of exhortation and rebuke. I Timothy 4:13, 5:20
Through
speaking. 1 Corinthians 14:3
Through
spiritual songs. Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19
Because we usually worship when we assemble, many call the
church meeting a “worship service”. Since we
assemble to edify one another the meeting can also be
called an “edification service”. There is one
very special activity God planned for Christians to do when
they assembled that should involve both worship and
edification. It is called “The Lord’s
Supper”.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal of great
importance for the church. It is a meal. That means that
its purpose is not to satisfy our physical hunger but
rather to remind us of important spiritual things by means
of material things. The elements, the acts, the words - all
the symbols involved help us according to what they
represent. The Lord’s Supper is not something
mystical or miraculous but is a memorial. "...do this
in memory of me " (Luke 22:19). The purpose of a
memorial is to remind us of people, events, truths,
relationships, commitments, etc.
The bread – reminds us of Christ’s body that
was sacrificed for us.
The fruit of the vine - reminds us of Christ’s blood
that was shed for the remission of our sins
Not only are the elements used in the Lord’s Supper
significant but our actions are also. Think about what we
do with the bread and the fruit of the vine. We don’t
just look at them. We don’t just admire them. We
don’t bow down before them. We eat the bread
and drink of the cup. Jesus took the bread gave it
to his disciples and said: “Eat it”. He
passed the cup and said: “Drink it”.
What is the significance of eating and drinking instead of
only gazing upon them? It speaks a message that Christ has
to be on the inside. It is a moment for individual,
personal participation. Each one says something like this
to the Lord, “Jesus, come into my heart and my
life.” It is not enough to just be in the room where
Jesus is present. He has to be in us. The Lord’s
Supper is one of those special moments when we say to God
“Come in!” Jesus said in John 6: 51, 54-56:
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven.
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life,
and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is
food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My
flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in
him.”
Questions
1. There is no specific time or place for Christians to worship.
2. In an assembly or group of Christians
All worship God because they are present in the group
Worship is from one's inner being, their heart, so it is individual who worships
3. When Christians come together all things are for strengthening those assembled.
4. One can sing, pray, partake of Lord's supper but not worship.
5. In the Lord's Supper the bread represents God, Jesus, from heaven in an earthly body while the fruit of the vine represents Jesus' blood of His atoning sacrifice that cleanses faithful obedient people from sin.
“…grow up in all things into Him who is the
head; Christ; from whom the whole
body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the
effective working by which every part does its
share, causes growth of the body for the
edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians
4:15,16).
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to
one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God ...” (1 Peter 4:10).
“For as we have many members in one body,
but all the membersdo not
have the same function, so we, being many, are
one body in Christ, and individually members of one
another. Having then gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us, let us use
them …” (Romans 12:4 – 6).
Now that you are a Christian it is important for you to
assume your place in the family of God. The quote from
Ephesians 4 clearly shows the importance of 100%
involvement of the members in the work of the church.
In fact, the church is organized by the Lord to do its
work
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH
Jesus is the head of the body, the church. He is not
just a figurehead, but rather is actively involved in
all the church's work. It is Jesus who guides,
organizes, oversees and shepherds the body in order for
us to be what He wants us to be and to do what He wants
us to do.
Jesus organizes the church by giving a gift(s)
(functions) to each and every member. These gifts
include elders, deacons, preachers and teachers but
they also include every single member in some way. No
one is unnecessary. None are unimportant. No one is
excluded or excused. Jesus works through the Holy
Spirit, distributing spiritual gifts to the members of
the body, for the work of the church.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS Spiritual gifts are functions
(ministries, assignments, works or services) that you,
as a member of Christ’s body, exercise. See
Romans 12:3-8. Spiritual gifts are not
talents. Even unbelievers have talents but
spiritual gifts are only given to Christians.
Spiritual gifts are not personality
traits (patient, impulsive, kind). The gift of
Peter and Paul was apostleship - they had the same gift
but had different personalities.
Note: The types of gifts under consideration in this
lesson are the permanent, non-miraculous gifts of
service and not the temporary, miraculous gifts
mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.
Each member of the church is important. Each one is
necessary. Perhaps you think "I am not a preacher
or teacher. The body does not need me." How would
the church be if everybody did the same thing? The Lord
does not call everybody to do the same thing that is,
not everybody has the same responsibility in the
church. The Holy Spirit gives to each member of
Christ’s body ministries according to the
body’s needs. The Lord, being the head, knows how
to coordinate the body. He gives to the body different
kinds of ministries to supply the needs of the whole
church.
WHO AM I IN THE BODY OF CHRIST?
This is the question each one of us needs to ask. How
can I know what my God given ministry is. The New
Testament does not give a concise list of steps for
determining one’s spiritual gift. The steps are
suggested below but they ought not be considered the
final word on the subject. Here are some steps to help
you answer this question for yourself. 1. Become A Christian: Gifts are given
by God to members of the body. 2. Place Yourself Entirely At God's
Disposal: This is an objective decision which
is implied by your decision to become a Christian. Say
to God as Isaiah did: "Here am I, send me."
Isaiah 6:8 3. Pray: You know that God has a
purpose for you in the body of Christ. So now you ask
Him to show you what it is, knowing that He will answer
for it is His will. Psalm 25:12 4. Review The Lists Of Gifts In The
N.T.: You need to start thinking about what
God calls a ministry. These lists should give you an
idea. See Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians
4:11,12; I Peter 4:10,11. Some Examples of Gifts
(Ministries) In The N.T. (not including temporary or
miraculous ones):
Service (I Peter 4:11; Romans
12:7)
Teacher (I Corinthians 12:28;
Romans 12:7; 2 Timothy 1:11)
Exhorter (Romans 12:8)
One who gives (Romans 12:8)
One who gives aid/helps (Romans
12:8; I Corinthians 12:28)
One who shows mercy (Romans
12:8)
Administrator (I Corinthians
12:28)
Shepherd, Pastor, Bishop (Acts
20:28; Ephesians 4:11; I Timothy 3:1,2; Titus
1:5,7)
Evangelist, Preacher, Minister
(I Corinthians 9:16,17; Ephesians 4:11, 2 Pet 2:5; I
Timothy 4:6; 2 Timothy 1:11)
Deacon (I Timothy 3:8)
And within all of these there are myriads of things to
be done in which you could serve the Lord. For
example:
Pre-marriage and/or marriage
counseling,
Organize activities for youth
group,
Sing at funerals,
Church secretary
Prepare Lord's Supper
Do a Church Bulletin
(Don't be limited by this list. We need to expand our
areas of service. Look around to see what needs to be
done that is not being done.)
5. Consider The Needs Of The Church:
Peter plainly tells us that we are to employ our gift
for one another as good stewards of God's varied grace
(I Peter 4:10). So we must look to the needs of the
church.
6. Look For Opportunities: Start a
journal of doors that God has opened for you. As time
goes on you may begin to see a direction that He is
leading you in.
7. Seek Guidance From Church
Leadership: Ephesians 4:11,12 says that these
gifts are given to the church for the equipping of the
saints. Make good use of these gifts of the
leadership.
8. Take The Initiative: You have
prayed to the Lord, reviewed the list of ministries in
the N.T., taken into account the needs of the church
that the Lord has brought to your attention and
possibly even put the desire in you to fulfill. You
have noted that God is always opening up doors of
opportunity in certain directions and you have talked
things over with the leadership in the church. Wait no
longer, take the initiative and get on with what the
Lord would have you to be doing.
Got the idea? Go through the steps given. Begin to
serve the Lord by employing your gift for one another
as good stewards of God's varied grace. May the Lord
bless you in everything good that you desire to
do.
Questions
1. Each member in the church has a function to perform.
2. Gifts (functions) of evangelizing, shepherding and preaching are more important than other functions.
3. The Holy Spirit gives each member ministries (activities) according to needs of Christ Body.
4. The New Testament provides a list of functions God requiers Christians to perform.
5. Before a function can be performed by a Christian it must be authorized by a church leader.
Living beings multiply themselves. The child that was
generated from the love of his parents grows and soon the
day arrives for him to repeat the process. God said to Adam
and Eve: "Be fruitful and multiply." We are here
today because of this blessing from God. In the spiritual
life the command is also "Be fruitful and
multiply." You were born and live with the purpose of
reproducing yourself spiritually. Disciples are to make
disciples.
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it
may bear more fruit." (John 15:2)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations
…." (Matthew 28:19).
"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who
hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit
and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty." (Matthew 13:23)
THE PRINCIPLE OF "MULTIPLICATION"
Can you imagine how the church would grow if each member
reproduced themselves 30, 60 or 100 times? It would be
fantastic! Even more interesting is seeing the results if
each disciple of Christ would make at least one new
disciple every year who would then, in turn, do the same
thing. See how the principle of multiplication works: If
you fold a sheet of 20 # paper (its thickness is 1/250) it
is going to double. By folding it 10 times it would be
about 2 inches thick. The interesting fact is that if you
could fold it 30 times it would be 34 miles high and by
folding it 60 times it would reach the astonishing height
of 36,392,724,262 miles. A 100 fold would be
astronomical! That's the principle of multiplication.
THE DREAM OF THE CHURCH:
We want to transform this whole society, from the smallest
to the largest. We want to make the wolf to live with the
lamb. We will see the leopard lying down with the goat. The
infant will play near the hole of the snake. "They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the
waters cover the sea" (Read Isaiah 11).
Have you ever imagined living in a world of headlines void
of murder,
robbery or violence? Movies and TV without pornography?
Streets without beggars? Commerce without exploitation?
Homes without confusion, fights or betrayals? Neighborhoods
without bars, drunkards, addicts? "You are
dreaming," somebody says. "The church is poor,
young and small. We aren't able." But, if we were
many, rich, powerful, with 1,000 years of experience, we
still would not be able. It will only be done through the
power of God. The difference between dream and reality is
God.
So how can our dream be realized? Not by force nor military
or political power. Our weapon is the gospel. We are a
people (church) dedicated to take this world out of
darkness into the wonderful light of Jesus Christ.
You, new Christian, need to have the vision of
multiplication. Like in the example of the paper, if each
Christian multiplied them self in number each year, even
during their lifetime there could be billions of disciples
of Christ on the earth. This view of multiplication should
challenge us in many things.
THE FRUIT OF THIS DREAM OF INCREASING IN NUMBER
First of all, this vision gives motivation and
enthusiasm.
Let’s do it! Let’s transform this world, our
society, bringing millions to salvation through the
knowledge of the Son of God. Let’s start it now!
Secondly, this vision shows us how wise is the plan of
Jesus to conquer the world.
"And the things that you have heard from me among many
witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also." (II Timothy 2:2)
"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who
will believe in Me through their word;" (John
17:20).
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age." Amen. ..." (Matthew
28:19-20).
This is Jesus’ plan: disciples making other
disciples, teaching these new disciples to do the same
thing.
The evangelism of your city will not be done through
somebody with a charismatic personality, with great
financial resources, with an army of Ph.D.’s in
theology. It does not depend on buildings, money, or well
developed hierarchy. It is done when you pass your faith
onto another person in your own personal way, simple and
sincere, instructing this person to go and do the same.
That’s how the kingdom of God will go from one end of
the earth to the other.
Thirdly, this vision of multiplication shows us the
necessity of being a disciple and making disciples. We do
not just baptize people. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus ordered his
disciples to baptize the people that became disciples. The
plan is that each individual is to follow Jesus. Yes, there
are leaders in the church - elders, evangelists, and
teachers. But Jesus’ plan is for each person to be
totally dedicated to following Him and being like Him. The
true meaning of baptism is "converted people";
people who died to self and sin, were buried in union with
Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. Baptism means
a new birth into a new life.
YOU CAN START RIGHT NOW!
Do your best and the Lord will help you to develop more and
more. Take advantage of all the opportunities; whether in
your family, with neighbors, friends or colleagues. In
personal conversations, public preaching, acts of charity,
according to the gifts and opportunities that God gives
you. Start now to practice this great vision of
multiplication. "Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinn ers. ..." (I Timothy 1:15). Remember: you
exist in this world as a Christian to fulfill exactly the
same purpose.
Quesstions
1. God left the proclaiming of Chris's message of reconciliation to those God put into His church.
2. The members of Christ church must be dedicated to taking the world out of darkness of sin into the wonderful light of Jesus Christ.
3. Evangelizing is to be done by someone with
A charismatic personality
Great financial resources
Highly trained theologians
Christ's Christian family
4. For evangelizing to be successful there must be
A church building
Lots of money
An organized hierarchy
All of the above
A proclaiming of the death, burial, resurrection of Christ
THE PRINCIPLE OF REPRODUCTION
Some explorers found corn seeds in a cave in Arizona These
seeds were left in the cave by Indians, centuries before.
Being well preserved, the seed was planted. What do you
think happened? Did it produce rice or wheat or potatoes?
Of course not! The corn seed produced corn.
Some people discovered the New Testament, written about
2,000 years ago. They opened, read, believed and obeyed the
things they found in the book. What happened? Was the
result: Catholics, Protestants or Spiritists? Of course
not? The word of God set in the minds and hearts of people
produced just Christians, members of the body of the Lord
Jesus Christ
Corn seed makes corn, wheat seed makes wheat, and Christ's
seed, the divine seed (the Word of God) makes Christians.
It produces the church of the New Testament and nothing
else.
The reproduction principle is the seed principle. To
reproduce true Christianity in its pureness and simplicity,
such as God revealed in the New Testament, it is necessary
to preach the same word that God preached in the New
Testament. Our goal is to always be reproducing what God
established in the beginning.
THE BIBLE IS GOD'S INSTRUCTION BOOK
God is like an artist who starts only with an idea inside
his mind. Contemplating and organizing, he makes some
drawings until some details of his vision are well formed
in his mind. Then he transfers the idea to the painting
canvas with brush and colors. He pays attention to the
smallest detail and when he is finally done, he takes a
look at the canvas, satisfied for creating exactly what he
wanted. As the picture is the artist’s masterpiece,
the Bible is God’s masterpiece. It reveals exactly
what God wanted to reveal and teaches perfectly what God
wanted to teach.
II Timothy 3:16, 17 says: "All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work." Also read Mark 13:31; John
12:48; I Corinthians 14:37; Matthew 7:24-27; Revelation
22:18,19 and see how the Bible is our guide. If you want to
know how to be saved, you have to look it up in the Bible.
If you want to know how to live the Christian life you have
to look it up in the Bible. If you want to know how the
church should be, you have to look it up in the Bible.
The principle of reproduction is based on the conviction
that the Bible is the Word of God and that it constitutes
the rule of faith and practice, completely sufficient for
all our necessities. It is not only God’s will
revealed, but is ALL of His will for mankind. It is
complete!
Some religious groups are based on the idea that
God’s will includes the Bible, tradition and
revelations of the last days. Others have the idea that the
first century church departed from the truth and it is
necessary to reform it. Some groups have the idea that
there does not exist any pattern but "Every one can do
as they wish" "If you think something is good,
then you can do it."
The principle of reproduction recognizes that God has
revealed His whole will to the church. This will is found
in the New Testament and we have no right to change what
God has established. We should follow Jesus’ example
in all things telling God: "...not my will, but Yours
be done". Luke 22:42
The key phrase is: "COME BACK TO THE BIBLE’, or
as somebody said: "Speak where the Bible speaks, and
be silent where the Bible is silent." We must always
go back to the Bible if we want to reproduce Christianity
exactly as Jesus intended in the beginning
TO REPRODUCE BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IS REASONABLE
Why should Christianity today be the same as it was in the
New Testament? God is the same. John 3:16 is just as true
today as it was when written. Jesus is the same. His blood
poured out on the cross has the same power to save the
sinner as in the day He died. The Holy Spirit is the same.
Man is the same. Life, death, hopelessness, necessities,
disappointments, temptations continue to describe men's
life. The enemy, Satan, is the same. It is reasonable,
then, for us to struggle to reproduce God’s plan,
instead of reviewing, reforming or looking for something
new to follow. (It is important for us to be able to
discern what details in The Word are part of God's plan and
what is only incidental. That may not always be easy or
obvious but surely it honors God for us to search for it.
It is also important to recognize how God made different
covenants with different groups of people. This applies
especially to the first or "Old Covenant" and the second or
"New Covenant ").
TO REPRODUCE BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IS POSSIBLE
With so much confusion around the religious world today,
some folks might think: "It is not possible to
reproduce primitive Christianity." Everybody has his
own denomination with his own belief and tradition. Is it
too late to change all that?
But think about this: anyone today is able to become a
Christian, accepting the same faith, practice and teaching
as the apostles and Christians of the first century. It is
not necessary to defend any doctrine that didn’t come
from the Bible, or to embrace any religious affiliation but
Jesus’ church. What is necessary is to have an open
mind and also an open Bible. In truth, it is possible to
reproduce Christ's church today.
THE CHURCH IS NOT A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION
For a church today to be the church that Jesus built, it
will not be a new religious denomination, but rather the
reproduction of God's original plan for the church.
Consider these facts:
Christ established His church exactly as He wished (Matthew
16:18-19 and Acts 2:42). The church of the N.T. was what
Jesus wanted. We should do what the apostles did as they
spread the gospel in every place: establish the church just
as Jesus intended.
The Lord did not want anybody changing what He built
(Ga1atians 1:6-9; Acts 20:29-31; I Timothy 4:1-2; II
Timothy 4:2-4).
The church of Christ today is not a new church but the
reproduction of the original church that was founded and
established by Christ on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) It
contains all the saved. This truth becomes evident when we
reason thusly: It is the gospel that saves. All the ones
who obey the gospel are added to the church (Acts 2:47)
Anyone who preaches the gospel (of the N.T.) is not
starting a new church, but adding people to the original
church.
NOTE: There is a three-fold goal in the desire to reproduce
New Testament Christianity: We want to reproduce the life
of Christ in ourselves. We want to reproduce the church as
Jesus designed it to be. We want to reproduce ourselves by
making other disciples of Christ.
Questions
1. The Gospel of Christ is the only thing that can produce a Christian.
2. The Bible is the inspired Word of God that contains
His will for man
3. The Scriptures are for
Teaching
Reproofing
Correcting
All the above
B and C
4. If you think something is good then you will please God by doing it.
5. An open mind, open Bible, and a good heart will reproduce Christ's Church.
Although "doulos" means "slave", when
we read of how Jesus used the word, especially in the
parables, we notice that He put a big emphasis on the
responsibilities of these servants. The Lord’s
servants did not become "robots" that acted
mechanically, without any of their own thought or
initiative. On the contrary, the servants that Jesus talked
about were trustworthy people with whom the Lord left the
care of His possessions when he traveled. This is our
position - servants of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are people
that God entrusts with His possessions. To have Jesus as
your Lord means that you are a steward (this subject is
called "stewardship" because we are
"stewards"), a man in charge, a manager of the
things that belongs to God. Notice some things that God has
entrusted to you.
MONEY
In truth, nothing belongs to us. Everything belongs to God,
but He charged us with taking care of what belongs to Him.
This includes our money (belongings, salary, etc.). Notice
the following biblical truths:
Psalms 24:1 "The earth is the Lord's, and all its
fullness,."
Haggai 2:8 "'The silver is Mine, and the gold is
Mine,' says the LORD of hosts."
Acts 4:32 "32 Now the multitude of those who believed
were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that
any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had
all things in common."
When you think about giving your money to the Lord,
remember the main principle. Before giving any thing to
God, first surrender yourself to Him.
· II Corinthians 8:5 "And not only as we had
hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then
to us by the will of God."
· Romans 12:1 "12:1 I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which
is your reasonable service."
God loves the one who gives cheerfully (II Corinthians
9:7). Imagine a husband who went on a trip and came back
with a present for his wife. He came home, threw the
present on the floor and said - "Take it, it’s
yours!" Would the wife like it? When your dear mother
comes to eat dinner at your house, are you going to give
her leftovers or will you give her the best? Even so, give
out of love for the Lord or else God will not be pleased
with your offering.
God Blesses He Who Gives Generously. Read II Chronicles
31:10, Malachi 3:10, and
II Corinthians 9:6. God pays 10,000% interest on the
investment (Matthew 19:27-29).
God removes blessings of the one who is not generous. Read
Malachi 3:8-9 and Acts 5:1-11.
It is more blessed to give than to receive Acts 20:35. Some
people are afraid to talk much about the collection because
they don’t want to abuse it. Some religions seem to
only be interested in getting people’s money. But,
let’s not steal a blessing from those who contribute.
He who receives without giving will not be as blessed as
the one who receives and gives.
How much should I give? Under Moses’ Law, the Jew
gave 10% - the tithe. Moses’ Law is not now in effect
(Galatians 3:24-25), but in the New Testament, the same
principle is applied. There is a ratio - he who has more,
gives more and who has less, gives less (I Corinthians
16:2). No percentage is specified but the question is: Has
God prospered you more or less than the Jew? There are
several ways to give: the church collection, practicing
charity in general, special offerings and more.
If you say that you would give much If you were rich, then
learn to give much while you are poor. Luke 16:10
TIME
Time is the only thing that God gives to all equally:
everybody has 24 hours a day.
What the Bible Says About The Use Of Time;
Psalms 90:12 - recognize that life is brief; live it with
wisdom.
John 9:4 - use the time you have, to do the Lord’s
work. There is coming a time when there will be no more
opportunity.
Ephesians 5:15-17 - walk prudently in wisdom, redeeming
(buying back, rescuing) the time. Be sensible, making good
use of your time to do God’s will.
Colossians 4:5 - Take advantage of the opportunities.
How To Fill Your Day
Reserve time to be in God’s presence - praise,
prayer, and study
Reserve time for your family - to talk, and to have fun
Reserve time for the church - to study, talk, and serve
Reserve time for yourself- sports, reading, and
education
Reserve time for others - especially the lost and those in
need
Reserve time to plan - make a review of the week
Reserve time to serve God - fulfill your ministry
If in a week we have: 168 hours minus 56 for sleep, minus
40 for work, minus 24 for meals and showers, that leaves
only 48 for these other activities.
Abuses Of
Time
Laziness and disorder - II Thessalonians 3:11
"The idle mind is the devil’s workshop" -
See I Timothy 5:13,14
A Christian Perspective: Romans 12:1,2 - All that we are
and everything that we possess (including time) belongs to
God and we should offer ourselves to Him as living
sacrifices. Thus, every activity now has a new meaning.
Everything we do with our time should be analyzed on this
basis. Every activity should have a purpose directed toward
God. Whether to sleep, to work, to have meals, to take a
shower, to clean the house, to practice sports, to
entertain, to eat, to talk. etc. It is all part of a
God-guided, balanced Christian life.
THE GOSPEL
Jesus went back to Heaven and the world still was not
evangelized. He left this in His disciples’ hands.
Acts 1:1 tells about what Jesus started. What He started is
for us to continue. And just as in the Parable of Talents
(Matthew 25:14-30), the Lord will come back and everybody
will have to give account of how they used what Jesus left
to them. We are stewards of the gospel. We are in charge of
sharing this gospel with the world.
Questions
1. A trustworthy servant takes care of his masters possessions
2. What possessions of man does he need to give to God
Money
Time
Self
All of the above
3. God loves those who cheerfully enjoy giving to Him.
4. God is more pleased with
The amount of money one gives
Giving out of duty or command
Any gift from the heart with the desire to please God
5. The greatest possession God has given man is the Gospel of Christ
THE PRINCIPLE OF REPRODUCTION
Some explorers found corn seeds in a cave in Arizona These
seeds were left in the cave by Indians, centuries before.
Being well preserved, the seed was planted. What do you
think happened? Did it produce rice or wheat or potatoes?
Of course not! The corn seed produced corn.
Some people discovered the New Testament, written about
2,000 years ago. They opened, read, believed and obeyed the
things they found in the book. What happened? Was the
result: Catholics, Protestants or Spiritists? Of course
not? The word of God set in the minds and hearts of people
produced just Christians, members of the body of the Lord
Jesus Christ
Corn seed makes corn, wheat seed makes wheat, and Christ's
seed, the divine seed (the Word of God) makes Christians.
It produces the church of the New Testament and nothing
else.
The reproduction principle is the seed principle. To
reproduce true Christianity in its pureness and simplicity,
such as God revealed in the New Testament, it is necessary
to preach the same word that God preached in the New
Testament. Our goal is to always be reproducing what God
established in the beginning.
THE BIBLE IS GOD'S INSTRUCTION BOOK
God is like an artist who starts only with an idea inside
his mind. Contemplating and organizing, he makes some
drawings until some details of his vision are well formed
in his mind. Then he transfers the idea to the painting
canvas with brush and colors. He pays attention to the
smallest detail and when he is finally done, he takes a
look at the canvas, satisfied for creating exactly what he
wanted. As the picture is the artist’s masterpiece,
the Bible is God’s masterpiece. It reveals exactly
what God wanted to reveal and teaches perfectly what God
wanted to teach.
II Timothy 3:16, 17 says: "All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work." Also read Mark 13:31; John
12:48; I Corinthians 14:37; Matthew 7:24-27; Revelation
22:18,19 and see how the Bible is our guide. If you want to
know how to be saved, you have to look it up in the Bible.
If you want to know how to live the Christian life you have
to look it up in the Bible. If you want to know how the
church should be, you have to look it up in the Bible.
The principle of reproduction is based on the conviction
that the Bible is the Word of God and that it constitutes
the rule of faith and practice, completely sufficient for
all our necessities. It is not only God’s will
revealed, but is ALL of His will for mankind. It is
complete!
Some religious groups are based on the idea that
God’s will includes the Bible, tradition and
revelations of the last days. Others have the idea that the
first century church departed from the truth and it is
necessary to reform it. Some groups have the idea that
there does not exist any pattern but "Every one can do
as they wish" "If you think something is good,
then you can do it."
The principle of reproduction recognizes that God has
revealed His whole will to the church. This will is found
in the New Testament and we have no right to change what
God has established. We should follow Jesus’ example
in all things telling God: "...not my will, but Yours
be done". Luke 22:42
The key phrase is: "COME BACK TO THE BIBLE’, or
as somebody said: "Speak where the Bible speaks, and
be silent where the Bible is silent." We must always
go back to the Bible if we want to reproduce Christianity
exactly as Jesus intended in the beginning
TO REPRODUCE BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IS REASONABLE
Why should Christianity today be the same as it was in the
New Testament? God is the same. John 3:16 is just as true
today as it was when written. Jesus is the same. His blood
poured out on the cross has the same power to save the
sinner as in the day He died. The Holy Spirit is the same.
Man is the same. Life, death, hopelessness, necessities,
disappointments, temptations continue to describe men's
life. The enemy, Satan, is the same. It is reasonable,
then, for us to struggle to reproduce God’s plan,
instead of reviewing, reforming or looking for something
new to follow. (It is important for us to be able to
discern what details in The Word are part of God's plan and
what is only incidental. That may not always be easy or
obvious but surely it honors God for us to search for it.
It is also important to recognize how God made different
covenants with different groups of people. This applies
especially to the first or "Old Covenant" and the second or
"New Covenant ").
TO REPRODUCE BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY IS POSSIBLE
With so much confusion around the religious world today,
some folks might think: "It is not possible to
reproduce primitive Christianity." Everybody has his
own denomination with his own belief and tradition. Is it
too late to change all that?
But think about this: anyone today is able to become a
Christian, accepting the same faith, practice and teaching
as the apostles and Christians of the first century. It is
not necessary to defend any doctrine that didn’t come
from the Bible, or to embrace any religious affiliation but
Jesus’ church. What is necessary is to have an open
mind and also an open Bible. In truth, it is possible to
reproduce Christ's church today.
THE CHURCH IS NOT A RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION
For a church today to be the church that Jesus built, it
will not be a new religious denomination, but rather the
reproduction of God's original plan for the church.
Consider these facts:
Christ established His church exactly as He wished (Matthew
16:18-19 and Acts 2:42). The church of the N.T. was what
Jesus wanted. We should do what the apostles did as they
spread the gospel in every place: establish the church just
as Jesus intended.
The Lord did not want anybody changing what He built
(Ga1atians 1:6-9; Acts 20:29-31; I Timothy 4:1-2; II
Timothy 4:2-4).
The church of Christ today is not a new church but the
reproduction of the original church that was founded and
established by Christ on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2) It
contains all the saved. This truth becomes evident when we
reason thusly: It is the gospel that saves. All the ones
who obey the gospel are added to the church (Acts 2:47)
Anyone who preaches the gospel (of the N.T.) is not
starting a new church, but adding people to the original
church.
NOTE: There is a three-fold goal in the desire to reproduce
New Testament Christianity: We want to reproduce the life
of Christ in ourselves. We want to reproduce the church as
Jesus designed it to be. We want to reproduce ourselves by
making other disciples of Christ.
Questions
1. The Gospel of Christ is the only thing that can produce a Christian.
2. The Bible is the inspired Word of God that contains
His will for man
3. The Scriptures are for
Teaching
Reproofing
Correcting
All the above
B and C
4. If you think something is good then you will please God by doing it.
5. An open mind, open Bible, and a good heart will reproduce Christ's Church.
The religious world is full of confusion but God is
not the author of it. Jesus Christ came to show the
way that leads to the Father and His way is that of
peace, unity and love. Confusion happens when
people lay aside the way of the Lord. Traditions,
divisions, denominations and human teachings can
hide the Lord’s way. Think about how some
say: "I am Catholic", or "I am
Baptist’, or "I am Pentecostal",
etc. Was it this way in the Bible? Of course not.
Then, why does it have to be like this now? Is God
happy with all this? Why not just be Christians,
using only Christ’s name and nothing
else?
This confusion and chaos discourages many people.
On the one hand, they see the deception, hypocrisy
and exploitation that happens in the name of
"religion". On the other hand, something
keeps them from throwing away their respect for God
and Christ. They feel that what some people call
religion is really a far cry from the greatness and
goodness of our Creator. To just such people, Jesus
offered this invitation: "Come to Me, all you
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for
I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find
rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28,29)
Thank God, Jesus is still calling everybody to come
to Him. No matter that the heavy burden may be a
religion distorted by men or just a confused life
without purpose, Jesus is calling all to Him. Be
advised, though! He does not call one to follow or
take part in a religious sect or denomination. He
calls the weary ones to Himself,
An important principle is to look for and do what
Jesus, His apostles and the first Christians were
and did (the good things they did and not he bad of
course). If we use them as examples, instead of the
men of today, we can find the original plan of God.
The book of "Acts" tells the story of the
beginning of Christianity. Read how things were in
the beginning:
“Now when they heard this, they were cut to
the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we
do?" Then Peter said to them, "Repent,
and let every one of you be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…
Then those who gladly received his word were
baptized; and that day about three thousand souls
were added to them." (Acts 2:37-41) This was
the first preaching of the Gospel after
Jesus’ death and resurrection. In Jerusalem,
thousands of Jews were assembled. Jesus, as He
promised, sent the Holy Spirit to start the
preaching of the gospel. And, as we read on, we
find that about three thousand people were saved.
Now, when the Bible said, "they were
added", somebody could ask: "To what
religious denomination were they added?" What
answer is given in the Bible?
In the same context, the Bible says: " And
they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread,
and in prayers… So continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, they ate their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor
with all the people. And the Lord added to the
church daily those who were being saved."
(Acts 2:42-47) Again, ask yourself who were these
people? To what denomination were they added?
Philip preached Jesus to the people in Samaria.
Many "believed in him and were baptized, both
men and women" (Acts 8:5-13). Also Philip
preached the gospel to an Ethiopian man. He
believed, was baptized and continued on his way
rejoicing (Acts 8:26-39) The same thing happened to
Paul (Acts 9:1-9 and 22:1-16), Lydia (Acts
16:11-15), the jailer (Acts 16:25-34) and many
other people in the New Testament. In all these
cases, what did these people become?
The answer is obvious. First of all, there were not
several churches at that time. In those days,
nobody became Catholic, Baptist, Mormon or any
other such thing. Denominations are human
inventions and divisions and are not part of
God’s plan to redeem (save) man. People that
heard, believed and obeyed the gospel became
Jesus’ followers (disciples) or Christians
and nothing more. We read in Acts 11:26, "...
The disciples were called Christians first in
Antioch." They wore the name of Jesus.
All these people just became Christians. To tell
the truth, they refused to use any other title that
did not give glory to their Savior. One time, some
brothers tried to do that. They were strongly
rebuked by Paul. Observe what happened when some
began to give their allegiance to men:
" Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same thing, and that there be no divisions among
you, but that you be perfectly joined together in
the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has
been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by
those of Chloe's household, that there are
contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of
you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am
of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or
"I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was
Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the
name of Paul?" (I Corinthians 1:10-13)
Think about the way that men today say: "I am
Lutheran", or "I am Calvinist”, or
"I am Mennonite", or "I am ... (you
choose the answer) Do you think that God is content
with this? Of course not! Why can we not just be
Christians, just using Christ’s name, nothing
else?
The church Christ established is not a religious
denomination (division). We don’t need to be
part of or promote any sect or religious
denomination. Christians can meet together to
worship God, for mutual edification, to work, etc.,
without becoming some sect or religious
denomination.
It is possible to abandon human names and
divisions, to just be Christians as God has planned
and as our brethren were in the apostles’
day. Everybody has the right to read, study and
practice Christianity as it is written in the New
Testament and not as some denomination determines.
People in Berea "searched the Scriptures daily
to find out whether these things were so."
(Acts 17:11). We can do the same thing. Compare
everything that is taught with the Scriptures. It
may look terribly difficult today with so many
established religions and denominations, but
let’s decide to respect Jesus’ request
on the night He was betrayed and arrested: "My
prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those
who will believe in Me through their message, that
all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in
Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so that
the world may believe that You have sent Me."
(John 17:20, 21) Let us be dedicated to obey Jesus
in this.
An important note: This is not just about calling
ourselves by a certain name but sincerely following
Christ in word and actions. If we wear the name of
Christ (Christian) we had better reflect the beauty
of Christ in our lives. What a shame it would be
for a "CHRISTian" to not be like
Christ!
Questions
1. Teachings and practices, traditions, following the first group of Christians in Jerusalem until now are just as important as the teachings of Christ and His apostles.
2. Peter told those who desire to know God's will to repent (change lifestyle to godliness) and be immersed (baptized) by Christ's authority into His death for the forgiveness of sins.
3. What happened to the 3,000 in Jerusalem who believed, repented and were baptized
Added to apostles and disciples by God
Received the Holy Spirit
Continued in apostles teachings
All the above
A and C
4. God adds those saved to Christ's body not to some religious organization.
5. Separation among the Christian body due to one's personal opinion and interpretation displeases God as He desires unity of all in Christ.
Well may this glowing heart rejoice, and tell its raptures
all abroad’
Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away. He
taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every
day"
Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Mother’s Day or
Father’s Day are important dates, but the day of the
most important event of your life was the one when you
received Christ and was born again into God’s family.
It’s good to remember this day and your decision for
Christ. It’s good to remember your salvation in
Christ because you will then want to share the good news of
salvation with others. You can help them to make the same
decision you made. Let us review the steps that led you to
be saved in Christ.
FIRST, WHAT HAPPENED?
Many people do not feel the need for a savior because they
do not feel lost. What happened with you? Maybe, you heard
a moving sermon; maybe a friend shared with you the truth;
maybe you read a tract. Whichever, in some way you
understood that "all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
As the prophet Isaiah had said, long ago: our sins have
hidden God's face from us so that He will not hear"
(Isaiah 59:2). "But what about my good works?"
you thought. Then you read "For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
(Ephesians 2:8,9). "But my sins are small" you
said and then you read: " For whoever shall keep the
whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of
all" (James 2:10). It was more than enough to convince
you, was it not? You understood the despair of being a
sinner! You needed a Savior!
WHO IS THIS SAVIOR?
Paul said: "For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
(Romans 6:23). You wanted to know more so you read on! What
a story! God in human form, in the person of Jesus, passed
through so many temptations but never sinned (I Peter
2:21-25)! He did so many signs and miracles to prove His
divinity (John 20:30-31). He died for you - a sacrifice to
God for all your sins (Hebrews 10:10-14)! Finally, He was
raised from the dead, proving that He was the Son of God
(Romans 1:4-5 & I Corinthians 15:1). What a wonderful
story! You now knew your Savior!
FAITH WAS BORN ...
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the
word of God" (Romans 10:17). You were needing a Savior
and you were sure you had found Him.
... AND IT GREW
You trusted in His words and made your decision. Jesus
said: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Mark
8:34). "Yes, I am going to follow my Lord for the rest
of my life". Jesus said: “repent for the
forgiveness of sins" (Luke 24:47). "Lord,
I’ve decided, I don’t want to sin
anymore." You were now ready to be united with
Christ.
FINALLY YOU FULFILLED IT!
You surrendered yourself to Christ and He saved you through
your faith. Jesus said: "Whoever believes and is
baptized will be saved ..." (Mark 16:16). "Lord,
I trust in you to save me. I will die to self to sin and to
this world and be united with you in baptism. That was the
defining moment of your life.
“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the
likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old
man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be
done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of
sin” (Romans 6:4-6).
Consider some of the great changes that God effected in
your life when you were baptized:
You were saved – Mark 16:16
You were born again – John 3:5
You died, were buried and resurrected with Christ –
Romans 6:4-6 and Colossians 2:12
You were clothed with Christ – Galatians 3:27
You became a new being – Romans 6:4
Christ washed your sins away. Was it at the beach? In the
swimming pool? In the river or in the baptistery? It
doesn't matter where it happened. What is important is that
Jesus, through His blood, washed you! Just like He washed
Paul’s sins away! Acts 22:16. "Arise and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of
the Lord." Just like He forgave the sins of the 3,000
on the day of Pentecost! "Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit ..." (Acts 2:38). "Then those who
gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about
three thousand souls were added to them .." (Acts
2:41). Then your new life started (Romans 6:4). "
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into
death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life!"
AND NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING?
You are walking in the light (I John 1:7). You wish to know
more and more (I Peter 2:2). You are nourishing yourself
with the Word and growing up in your faith (Hebrews
5:12-14). You are taking part in the fellowship with your
brothers in the faith (Hebrews 10:24-25). You are learning
how to share the gospel with your relatives and friends
(Matthew 28:19).
KEEP ON GROWING’
Questions
1. Sin hides God from man so that He will not hear man.
2. One who refuses to admit he is a sinner in need of forgiveness is lost and cannot be saved while in that condition.
3. Sin has no consequences.
4. Jesus is the only way to salvation, eternal life with God.
5. One who does not repent will not be lost.
6. Repentance is
A change of heart
A change of mind
A change in lifestyle
A change toward godliness
All the above
7. Whoever denies that Christ is God, Christ will deny them before the Father
8. Lack of belief that Christ is the Son of God hinders one from being baptized.
9. Baptism, immersion in water, is not a cleansing of dirt from the physical body but a cleansing of sin from one's soul, his inner being.
10. Being buried with Christ into His death results in a resurrection and a uniting with Christ.
11. Changes that occur when one is baptized into Christ death
You were saved
ou were born again
You died, were buried and resurrected with Christ
You were clothed with Christ
You became a new being
All the above
A and E
12. Salvation is conditional one must be faithful until his death to receive to crown of life, eternal life.
In Mark 16:15 Jesus commanded: "Go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature." We read
these words, we get up to obey them, we open our eyes to
see the world, and who do we see in front of us? Our own
family! Some people say that the most difficult place to
evangelize is in their own home. But why? It should be the
best, the easiest, most convenient place. Jesus was raised
in a family of unbelievers! At least His brothers were. But
they were converted. James and Jude delayed but they became
followers, too. Jesus conquered His own family!
Dear brother or sister in Christ, evangelize your family!
But you ask, "How?" Think about this: How
successful would Jesus be if He were part of your family?
What effect would He have in your family if He were you?
Thinking about your family, who would resist Jesus? So
there is the answer. To reach your family with the gospel,
you only need to do and be like Jesus. Let your family live
with Christ through you. More than this, nobody can do.
Everything Christ said about evangelism in the world is
applicable to our families. It’s just closer to home.
If you are not having an impact, maybe you need to
reexamine your own view of Christianity and the church.
DRAW CLOSER AND NOT FARTHER AWAY FROM YOUR
FAMILY.
The gospel should bring us closer to the world and not
remove us from it. The symbols of the church that Jesus
used emphasizing evangelism are salt, light and leaven, but
why these? What do these three have in common? The answer
is that each one penetrates! The salt penetrates and gives
a new taste. The light penetrates and gives new light. The
leaven penetrates and gives new power.
BE LEAVEN - Matthew 13:13
We cannot be leaven kept in a little package on the shelf
of the kitchen. Leaven has to make contact. It has to
penetrate the bread dough. Penetrating in the bread dough,
the leaven loses its identity but notice the result - a
delicious loaf of bread! Pass close to the bakery when they
are taking bread out of the oven. You will want to stop, go
in and buy some bread! This is like the Christian who
penetrates his own family with the presence of Jesus
Christ. BE SALT - Matthew 5:13
But what if the salt stays in the saltshaker? We can be
pure salt but if we never get out of the saltshaker and are
never put on the food, we will never give the taste of the
gospel to our families. Make mashed potatoes with no salt
and see how it has no taste. Now add some salt and mix it
in. Now those who taste it will say: "I like mashed
potatoes!" The members of your family, on seeing your
life, might exclaim: "I like the Christian
life!"
BE LIGHT - Matthew 5:14-16
Don’t put the light under a basket. That will do no
one any good. Light has to illuminate the place where you
live.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
How shall we proceed? How shall we reach them? How shall we
have an impact on our own family? We must be salt, leaven
and light! Note some practical examples:
Contact -
It is important to spend time together, to converse, to
share experiences. Sometimes parents of Christians
complain: "My son has no time for our family. I rarely
see him. He is always doing something with the people of
the church but has no time for us." Sometimes a
non-believing husband says the same. Be careful to not
allow this to happen in your family. Penetrate your own
family as salt, leaven and light would.
Temperament
Controlled By The Holy Spirit - You cannot be
involved in fights, arguments and confusion in your family.
When your parents fight, what should you do? Take part in
it? Choose sides? Of course not! Remember: "A soft
answer turns away wrath," The presence of the Holy
Spirit bears His fruit which is peace (Galatians 5:22). It
would be better to give good biblical advice and also to be
a good example.
Insist On
Christian Principles - Isaiah 55:89 says that God
calls us to a higher way. The mother of a Christian girl
insisted that she wear indecent clothes, but she refused.
There are disciples who leave the room because their family
insists on watching immoral programs. These Christian set
their principles higher. If you put Jesus in first place,
you will never lose. If you put Jesus in second place, you
will never win. Trying to please your family by practicing
sin will not win them to Christ.
Practice
Hospitality - Observe the example of Jesus in John
1:38-39. When Jesus had a house, He took Andrew and others
to spend some time with Him. This is important for
evangelism. It’s a way to make a contact. But
what’s the application in the family? It’s
simple - what is hospitality but opening your life, time,
house and things to share with others? It has specia1
application in the family. Look for special opportunities
to open your life, your room, your things, your clothes.
Share what you have. Some people are less hospitable with
their family than with strangers. "Don’t wear my
clothes." "Who was in my drawer?"
"Where is my pencil?’ "Who ate my chocolate
candy?" And that’s how the fight starts. It is
not becoming of a Christian to be that way.
If you are a father or mother, you can practice hospitality
by inviting people to your house. If you are a son or
daughter, you can invite people of the church to visit you
with your parent’s agreement. Always be considerate
of the members of your family.
Be
Accessible - Be disposed to serve when you meet
people who are suffering and in need. Jesus came into the
world to serve, i.e., to fulfill people’s needs. He
gave us the same mission. Observe the world (your family).
Notice when somebody suffers or hurts. Stay close to help,
give comfort and serve.
We are servants of the Lord, placed in houses of needy
people. Shall we serve or not? Should we be accessible and
open or should we build walls between us and the members of
our own family? Again, for you to reach your family with
the gospel, you simply need to do and be like Jesus. Let
your family live with Jesus through you. It’s not a
guarantee that your family will be converted, but more than
this, nobody can do.
SOME THINGS TO DO:
• Write down some good activities you can do with
members of your
family.
• Write down some important moments when you should
be with
your family.
• Who in your family is needing help?
• Write down some of your family’s bad habits
you should reject.
• Write down some things you have that you can share
with members
of your family.
Questions
1. The Gospel is restricted to certain classes of people.
2. Christians are the salt of the earth since they have the gospel. The gospel like salt is useless if it is kept in a container and never used.
3. Jesus is the light of the world so when Christians reflect Christ in their daily life Christ shines.
4. Lack of self-control with fits of anger creates division and distrust, but a soft answer turns away wrath
5. God expect His children to serve those in need not demand others serve them
Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are
the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Acts 8:37 … And he answered and said, "I believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
John 5:39 Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, for
in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they
which testify of Me."
A Christian wears the name of Christ because Christ is our
Lord, Teacher, Guide, Savior, Redeemer, Model, High Priest,
Hope, Sacrifice for sin and much, much more. The rock solid
foundation for our faith is the truth of Peter’s
confession. Jesus is real and the Bible is true. All that
needs to be known about Jesus is found in the Bible but all
of human history revolves around Him. Jesus is the central
character of the human drama. It is not surprising that the
history of the world is divided into two spans of time:
before Christ (B.C.) and after Christ (A.D.).
Even though it is in the Bible that Jesus is revealed,
there is considerable evidence outside the Bible confirming
that Jesus is a historical person, just as the Bible
presents him. These external writings collaborate what the
Bible tells about him. Notice some ancient historians who
mention Jesus:
THALLUS
Thallus, a Samaritan-born historian who lived and worked in
Rome about A.D. 52, quoted by Julius Africanus, a Christian
chronographer of the late second century. "Thallus, in
the third book of his histories, explains away this
darkness as an eclipse of the sun."1 Africanus stated his
objection to the report arguing that an eclipse of the sun
cannot occur during the full moon, as was the case when
Jesus died at Passover time. The force of the reference to
Thallus is that the circumstances of Jesus' death were
known and discussed in the Imperial City as early as the
middle of the first century. The fact of Jesus' crucifixion
must have been fairly well known by that time, to the
extent that unbelievers like Thallus thought it necessary
to explain the matter of the darkness as a natural
phenomenon. ... Ironically, Thallus' efforts have been
turned into the mainstream of historical proof for Jesus
and for the reliability of Mark's account of the darkness
at his death." 2
MARA BAR-SERAPION
A manuscript in the British Museum preserves the text of a
letter sent to his son by a Syrian named Mara Bar-Serapion.
The father illustrated the folly of persecuting wise men
like Socrates, Pythagoras, and the wise king of the Jews,
which the context obviously shows to be Jesus. "What
advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to
death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for
their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from
burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with
sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their
king? It was just after that that their kingdom was
abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the
Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by
the seas; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live
in complete dispersion. … Nor did the wise King die
for good; he lived on in the teaching which He had
given". 3
CORNELIUS TACITUS
A Roman historian living from about AD 50 to AD 100 wrote
regarding Nero's fire. "Consequently, to get rid of
the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most
exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations,
called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the
name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during
the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our
procurators, Pontius Pilatus".4
PLINIUS SECUNDUS
A Roman governor AD 112 wrote Emperor Trajan "They
were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before
it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God,
and bound themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any
wicked deed ... after which it was their custom to
separate, and then meet again to partake of food, but food
of an ordinary kind".5
SEUTONIUS
An annalist and court official of the Imperial House during
the reign of Hadrian wrote about AD 120 in the Life of
Claudius. "As the Jews were making constant
disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he (Claudius)
expelled them from Rome."6 Edward
C. Wharton then states "The reason for the fame of
this quotation is due to the fact that Luke, some sixty
years earlier, had recorded this same incident as the
reason for the apostle Paul yoking up with a Christian
Jewish couple named Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18:1-2).
Again, the mention of Christ in the historical context is
observed in extra-biblical literature."7
FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS
Josephus has an interesting observation. "And there
arose about this time Jesus, a wise man, if indeed we
should call him a man; for he was a doer of marvelous
deeds, a teacher of men who receive the truth with
pleasure. He won over many Jews and also many Greeks. This
man was the Messiah. And when Pilate had condemned him to
the cross at the instigation of our own leaders, those who
had loved him from the first did not cease. For he appeared
to them on the third day alive again, as the prophets had
predicted and said many other wonderful things about him.
And even now the race of Christians, so named after him,
has not yet died out.8
EARLY JEWISH AND GENTILE WRITERS
The following quote from F. F. Bruce summarizes this very
clearly. "Whatever else may be thought of the evidence
from early Jewish and Gentile writers...it does at least
establish, for those who refuse the witness of Christian
writings, the historical character of Jesus himself. Some
writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they
do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The
historicity of Christ is as axiomatic for an unbiased
historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not
historians who propagate the 'Christ-myth' theories."
9
1. F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents, Eerdmens, p.
113.
2. Edward C. Wharton, Christianity: A Clear Case of History
Howard p. 7.
3. British Museum Syriac Mss., F. F. Bruce, Jesus and
Christian Origins Outside the
New Testament, p. 31.
4. The Annals and the Histories, 15:44. From Britannica
Great Books, Vol. 15, p.
168.
5. Epistles, 10:96.
6. Life of Claudius, 25:4.
7. Edward C. Wharton, Christianity: A Clear Case of
History, Howard p. 11.
8. Antiquities, 18,3.3.
9. F. F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents. P. 119.
All the above were cited by Edward C. Wharton in his book
Christianity: A Clear Case of History