Ekklesia | Missions
Acts 24:14
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,
Disciple – A Pupil, A Learner or A Follower Who is Under The Instruction of A Teacher
Acts 11:25-26
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Calling Yourself A Christian Is EASY- Following Christ Is NOT
Matthew 16:24
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Calling Yourself A Christian Is EASY- Following Christ Is NOT
Following Christ Involves Sacrificial Action
Followers of Christ Who Are Sacrificially Taking Action
Calling Yourself A Christian Is EASY- Following Christ Is NOT
Matthew 5:1
5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Matthew 5:2-12
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Following Christ Involves Sacrificial Action
Matthew 7:12
12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Calling Yourself A Christian Is EASY- Following Christ Is NOT
James 2:15-18
15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Romans 10:14-15
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[a] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
3 John 1:7-8
7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
Following Christ Involves Sacrificial Action (It involves Doing what Christ Commanded us to Do- To Love and Care For Others- To Share the Gospel with Others- to Live Out our Faith)
2. Followers of Christ Who Are Sacrificially Taking Action
Matthew 7:28-29
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching,29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 8:1-2
8 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. 2 And behold, a leper[a] came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
Matthew 8:3
3 And Jesus[b] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.”And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.