The central truth of the bible is expressed and personified as Jesus Christ. The ancient prophecy of hope and salvation was realized when Jesus became a man, was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. Four books of the bible provide a historical account of the life and ministry of Jesus. These four books are called the Gospels and they introduce the New Testament. The authors of these four books either personally witnessed the miraculous life of Jesus or interviewed the people who did. The Gospels tell us that Jesus called people to follow, believe and ultimately obey him. Those closest to him were called disciples. When Jesus called his first disciples he issued an unusual statement of purpose to them;
Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men. - Matthew 4:19
Jesus taught his disciples that He was the way, the truth and the life. He was the very Word in the flesh full of grace and truth. He is the atoning sacrifice for all. Whoever believes in Him is granted eternal life. Following the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate on Easter Sunday, Jesus remained on earth for 40 days. At the end of this time, he brought full context to his charge recorded in Matthew 4:19 when he issued the Great Commission to his disciples just before ascending into heaven;
Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:18-20
The “what’s next” for disciples of Jesus in 2009 is to become his church. It seems that we are prone to get stuck in religious activity and we forget that our focus and purpose is to share the truth of Jesus. A surrendered heart and Christ-like character serves as the foundation of our influence. At Longleaf Church, it’s our vision to create relevant and strategic environments where people are encouraged and equipped to pursue Intimacy with God, Community with Insiders and Influence with Outsiders. Our dream is to launch a church movement that’s actively fulfilling this Great Commission as "church people" are empowered to invite their un-churched friends to church. We call this Relational Evangelism. The power of Easter reflects our newness of life through Christ and it provides purpose and strength for our lives. Wow! That’s exciting!
