A.D. 30 church was dangerous and dynamic. The book of Acts says that the Lord repeatedly added to the number of souls being saved. At one time, over three thousand souls were transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Yes, Jesus wants us to be on mission, cultivating relationships with the lost, sowing the gospel, and reaping eternal life. However, it doesn't end there. New believers aren't to be left in this state of infancy; growth is to continue.
How does one move from being a new believer toward continued growth?
Christ gave the example of baptism. The Apostles instructed the new converts to repent, believe, and be baptized. The outward symbol representing the Romans 6 death to sin and alive to Christ transformation that took place at the cross.
In addition, Christ and the Apostles showed these new believers what their new life in Christ meant. They were taught the elementary principles, building upon the foundation of belief in Christ. In the Great Commission, Christ instructed His disciples to "Go, make disciples." These disciples were to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and taught to observe or obey all that Christ commanded.
The Ministry Multiplication Cycle, the vital part of theGAHTERING's DNA, continues from EVANGELIZE to ESTABLISH. We, as disciples on mission for Christ, must experience these parts of life with Christ in order to transfer the gospel DNA to others.
Have you realized that you've never taken the vital first step of obedience in your relationship with Christ? You've never identified with Christ through baptism? Or maybe you were baptized as a child before you were a believer, having a baptism that is out of order. Either way, you have the opportunity to respond.
Baptism is the first step. Yet, where do you go from that step of obedience? How can you continue to grow as a believer? Just as infants are dependent upon others to feed them and nourish them, you must be fed. Just as toddlers are given the tools to feed themselves, you must learn to feed yourself so that you can be nourished. At theGATHERING and at First Euless we have many opportunities for you to find out what has happened in your life as a result of trusting Christ, how to feed yourself the word of God, and how to continue to grow in your relationship with Him. We have many opportunities for you to tap into as apart of our Wednesday Grow classes (like Celebrate Recovery), community groups, and i2i mentor relationships.
