Faith Works | Discover NorthEast

Discover NorthEast | Matt 28:19-20

1 Corinthians 12:14 “Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

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Matt 28:19-20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Go

Make disciples

Baptizing them

Key Point: As a follower of Jesus, we’ve been given the responsibility to teach new believers.

Colossians 1:28 “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

5 benchmarks of a Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus:

1. Grace

Key Point: God will use you to lead others to understand the truth of the Bible.

2. Growth

1 John 2:6 (GW) “Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived.”

George Barna “Christianity would be incredibly influential in our culture if Christians consistently lived their faith. Most non-Christians don’t read the Bible, so they judge Christianity by the lives of the Christians they see. The problem is that millions of Christians don’t live like Christians – and that’s partially because they don’t know what they believe and therefore cannot apply appropriate scriptural values in their life.”

3. Group

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” 

Life is best when lived in biblical community.

4. Gift

I Cor. 12:12-20 “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

Key Point: By God’s design, the plan is that every believer is involved in the ministry of the church.

5. Generosity

Luke 12:15 “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 12:19-21 “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

Warren Wiersbe “It means to acknowledge gratefully, that everything we have comes from God, and then make an effort to use what he gives us for the good of others, and the glory of God.”

Growth Plan

1. LISTEN: Listen to the truth.

Romans 10:14 “And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

2. LEARN: Learn Biblical truth.

Acts 2:42a, 47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Key Point: It’s important to learn about the Lord and the plans He has for you.

3. LIVE: Live Biblical truth.

1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 

1 Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

4. LEAD: Lead others to know the truth.