The first church service was amazing. Peter preached what must have been a FANTASTIC message and 3,000 people believed in Jesus. All on the same day they also were baptized. And they became part of the church - no membership class required!
It's pretty clear that whenever people decided to follow Jesus, the next step was baptism. Baptism isn't the way to salvation - our sins are forgiven through faith. But, it's the first act of obedience that God calls us to take. Baptism is an outward reflection of what has already happened inwardly when we believed.
When we get baptized it's also a public acknowledgement that you now identify with and belong to Jesus. Now get this - Jesus said that everyone who acknowledges him on earth, he will acknowledge before his Father in heaven. Yes! I want to sign up for that. You can't go wrong having Jesus say something like, "Hey Father, see Joanne down there? She's one of ours." I'll take that kind of attention all day long.
Epic Church has a baptism service scheduled for November 18, at 4:30 PM. It takes place at Roxborough Baptist Church located at 6035 Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. I can't wait - baptisms are my favorite kind of service. Nothing is better than seeing people step forward to say that their lives have been transformed because of Jesus. Shoot me an email at joanne@epicwired.net if you want to be baptized then.
Our life is not our own. We've been bought with a price and we belong to Jesus now. Because of this we get to be baptized and we get to be members of his church. We are part of of what Jesus continues to do in the world some 2,000 years after his resurrection. Jesus' church was a big deal 2,000 years ago and it's a big deal now. Every week I'm grateful for those at Epic who worship, serve, and tell others about Christ and that we're part of this mission together.
Showing posts with label Epic Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Epic Church. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Growing as a follower of Jesus
I'm reading a book by Andy Stanley called Deep and Wide which in many ways describes the philosophy and mission of Epic Church. Often churches focus on either reaching out and drawing as many unbelievers as possible to the faith (well, not enough churches do this actually...) and other churches focus on bringing the people they do have to spiritual maturity (actually, this probably doesn't happen too well either or we wouldn't be lacking in drawing unbelievers...)
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 to go and make disciples from among all nations and to teach them to obey his commands. Jesus said in Acts 1:8 to tell people everywhere about him, extending their reach well beyond those who already had heard the Gospel. So, clearly, we need to do both. Invite people who don't know Jesus to be part of his family AND help those who have believed to grow in their faith.
Andy talks about 5 faith catalysts that are present in the lives of those who are growing in their relationship with Jesus.
1) Practical teaching - if you want to learn God's word and how to apply it to your life, a good start is coming to church every Sunday. At Epic, there is always an application. The goal is never to teach you something interesting or deep just for the sake of increasing head knowledge. If you take advantage of all 52 weeks of messages, you'll come away with practical ways to apply God's word to your life.
2) Private disciplines - you've got to spend some time reading God's word for yourself. Talk to God (also known as praying) every day. Start giving back to God some of what he's given you. If you don't tithe yet (give 10% of your income to the church) then pick a percent and start giving as an act of worship and a discipline. Giving your extra that's left over just doesn't capture the true spirit of generosity. Jesus also talked about fasting. I'm not too good at that one, but I think since Jesus included that, we should too.
3) Personal ministry - God made us for a reason.The most energizing and exciting times are when God uses us to make a difference in someone else's life. This holds true whether you are being used by God to minister before hundreds or thousands on a Sunday morning or whether you are used by God to help one person walk across the line of faith or help one person take a step of obedience or to experience God's grace in a fresh way. There is no greater thrill to know that the God of the universe gave you the right words or led you in some way help someone in a meaningful way.
4) Providential relationships - there are people whom God brings into our lives that end up rocking our world in some way. These are the people through whom we either hear from God or we see God at work. You can't manufacture these relationships, but you can position yourself to encounter them. Get involved with other believers at church by serving and by getting into a life group. Don't go it alone but find people to do life with.
5) Pivotal circumstances - for good or bad, things happen that we have no control over. What we do have control over is our perspective when they happen. Everyone experiences difficult and often tragic situations, but these can be either a catalyst for deepening your faith in God or losing hope and trust. God doesn't promise that we won't have troubles but he does promise that he will be with us through them all. Don't back off from God when you need him most but cling to him, keep your eyes fixed on him, and don't doubt his love and care for you through it all.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19-20 to go and make disciples from among all nations and to teach them to obey his commands. Jesus said in Acts 1:8 to tell people everywhere about him, extending their reach well beyond those who already had heard the Gospel. So, clearly, we need to do both. Invite people who don't know Jesus to be part of his family AND help those who have believed to grow in their faith.
Andy talks about 5 faith catalysts that are present in the lives of those who are growing in their relationship with Jesus.
1) Practical teaching - if you want to learn God's word and how to apply it to your life, a good start is coming to church every Sunday. At Epic, there is always an application. The goal is never to teach you something interesting or deep just for the sake of increasing head knowledge. If you take advantage of all 52 weeks of messages, you'll come away with practical ways to apply God's word to your life.
2) Private disciplines - you've got to spend some time reading God's word for yourself. Talk to God (also known as praying) every day. Start giving back to God some of what he's given you. If you don't tithe yet (give 10% of your income to the church) then pick a percent and start giving as an act of worship and a discipline. Giving your extra that's left over just doesn't capture the true spirit of generosity. Jesus also talked about fasting. I'm not too good at that one, but I think since Jesus included that, we should too.
3) Personal ministry - God made us for a reason.The most energizing and exciting times are when God uses us to make a difference in someone else's life. This holds true whether you are being used by God to minister before hundreds or thousands on a Sunday morning or whether you are used by God to help one person walk across the line of faith or help one person take a step of obedience or to experience God's grace in a fresh way. There is no greater thrill to know that the God of the universe gave you the right words or led you in some way help someone in a meaningful way.
4) Providential relationships - there are people whom God brings into our lives that end up rocking our world in some way. These are the people through whom we either hear from God or we see God at work. You can't manufacture these relationships, but you can position yourself to encounter them. Get involved with other believers at church by serving and by getting into a life group. Don't go it alone but find people to do life with.
5) Pivotal circumstances - for good or bad, things happen that we have no control over. What we do have control over is our perspective when they happen. Everyone experiences difficult and often tragic situations, but these can be either a catalyst for deepening your faith in God or losing hope and trust. God doesn't promise that we won't have troubles but he does promise that he will be with us through them all. Don't back off from God when you need him most but cling to him, keep your eyes fixed on him, and don't doubt his love and care for you through it all.
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