Ripe for Harvest

S ESSION 3: L AUNCH AND A SSEMBLE • 317

I. The Church is God’s kingdom community, the one institution on earth that He has personally authorized to demonstrate His compassion throughout the world, and to communicate Christ with the lost. Every local congregation of believers, including AF, must make one of its central priorities to spread itself out and make an impact on the world, to reach groups of people who have been yet unreached, and see other Christ-honoring churches planted and brought into existence. God has given every Christian spiritual gifts to be used to make this challenge a reality, right where they live!

II. It helps to understand the growth and expansion of the Church of Christ in three separate but interconnected movements:

A. The Church was Birthed at Pentecost, Acts 2.38-47.

B. The Church is the Church Militant during the present age, here in the world (Ephesians 6.10-18), called to proclaim Christ to the very ends of the earth. C. The Church will be the Church Triumphant during the coming coronation of Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Revelation 19.1-8. III. At Anyname Fellowship, we have committed ourselves to share Christ’s compassion with those who are hurting, and communicate gospel of Christ with those who have yet to hear of God’s saving mercy in Jesus. One simple way of understanding these two goals of AF is through the two great mandates mentioned in scripture which God has given to the church to obey, the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Matt. 22.35-40 (NASB) – And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘ You shall love your neighbor as yourself. ’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” A. The Great Commandment:

Context Values/Vision

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