|
Well, true Christianity is not really a religion, for religion denotes ritual and ceremonies. True Christianity is a lifestyle. True Christians strive to live to honor God and follow His teaching.
Christians are “Christ Followers”. We are people who have been “born again” (click here to find out how). We have submitted our lives to His gracious care and have committed ourselves to doing His will by fulfilling the purposes He has for us.
In the Bible, God gives five distinct purposes for people. It is God’s will for every Christian to fulfill them. Those who strive to accomplish these five purposes discover that God gives meaning to their life and blesses them abundantly. The five purposes are:
* Worship: “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”1. Worship is the expression of our heartfelt love for God. We love Him above all else and seek to honor Him in our daily activities and as a congregation during a church service.
* Fellowship: “…so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”2. God never intended for us to do life alone. He gave us a “family” in the church. It is His will for all Christians to be members of a local church in which they are supported and provide their support to the other members.
* Discipleship: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”3. Everyone must come to know Jesus Christ for himself or herself. Our experience with Jesus Christ is never ending. We continually learn to be more like Him.
* Ministry: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”4. Everyone can be a minister. A minister is simply a 'servant' to others. You have something important to share with others. Everyone has a unique blend of gifts, desires, abilities, personality and experiences which can be used to help others. When we serve others, we serve Jesus Christ and find fulfillment.
* Evangelism: “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”5. Jesus wants His followers to tell others the “Good News” about what He has done in their lives and how He can do similar things for others.
We at Abundant Life Ministries want to help you learn more about the Christian life. Just contact us or better yet if you are in the area visit our service this Sunday at 10:00 am!
|
