THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER

TESTIMONY OF CHRIST

• Must be born again.– “Jesus answered and said to him, "Most

assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.“ Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?“ Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”{John 3:3-5}

TESTIMONY OF CHRIST

• Must be converted.– “At that time the disciples came to

Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”{Matthew 18:1-3}

TESTIMONY OF CHRIST

• Great Commission.– “And He said to them, "Go into all

the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”{Mark 16:15,16}

–Matthew 28:18-20– Luke 24:44-49

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Saved by foolishness of preaching.– “For since, in the wisdom of God,

the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”{1 Corinthians 1:21}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must HEAR in order to believe.– “And how shall they preach unless they

are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?“ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”{Romans 10:15-17}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must BELIEVE or die in your sins.– “Therefore I said to you that you

will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”{John 8:24}

– “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” {Mark 16:16}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must REPENT and be converted.– “I tell you, no; but unless you repent

you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” {Luke 13:3-5}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must CONFESS His name before men.– “For with the heart one believes

unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” {Romans 10:10}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• By faith BAPTIZED into Christ.– “For you are all sons of God

through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” {Galatians 3:26,27}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Purify your souls by obedience to truth.– “Since you have purified your souls

in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” {1 Peter 1:22,23}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Made free from sin by obedience to doctrine.– “But God be thanked that though

you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” {Romans 6:17,18}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must be Led by the Spirit.• This is done by the word—the

medium of the Spirit– “For as many as are led by the

Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” {Romans 8:14}

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

• Must be washed, justified and sanctified.– “And such were some of you. But you

were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” {1 Corinthians 6:11}

– “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” {1 Corinthians 1:2}

TAUGHT BY FIGURES

• The New Birth. (John 3:3-5)• Begotten– “Of His own will He brought us forth by the

word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” {James 1:18}

• Born of water and spirit.– “Buried with Him in baptism, in

which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” {Colossians 2:12}

TAUGHT BY FIGURES

• Marriage to Christ. – “Therefore, my brethren, you also have

become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” {Romans 7:4}

– “For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” {Ephesians 5:23}

TAUGHT BY FIGURES

• Marriage to Christ.• Acquaintanceship– “No one can come to Me unless the

Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” {John 6:44,45}

TAUGHT BY FIGURES

• Marriage to Christ.• Love– “There is no fear in love; but perfect

love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” {1 John 4:18,19}

TAUGHT BY FIGURES

• Marriage to Christ.• Ceremony– “For you are all sons of God through

faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” {Galatians 3:26,27}

EXEMPLIFIED

• On the Day of Pentecost

• What told to do: Believe beyond a doubt, repent and be baptized in name of Christ.

• Acts 2:36,37– “Therefore let all the

house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.“ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

EXEMPLIFIED

• On the Day of Pentecost

• What told to do: Believe beyond a doubt, repent and be baptized in name of Christ.

• Acts 2:38– “Then Peter said to

them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

EXEMPLIFIED

• On the Day of Pentecost

• What they did: gladly received the word and were baptized.

• Acts 2:41– “Then those who

gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

EXEMPLIFIED

• On the Day of Pentecost

• Its consequences: remission of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit and added to the church.

• Acts 2:47– “Praising God

and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

EXEMPLIFIED

• Samaritans • Acts 8:12– “But when they

believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.”

EXEMPLIFIED

• The Corinthians • Acts 18:8– “Then Crispus, the

ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.”

EXEMPLIFIED

• All conversions tell the same story in the book of Acts.

• The Plan:– Hear– Believe – Repent– Confess faith in

Christ– Baptized into

Christ– THE PATTERN…

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

• When men obey the will of God from the heart…

• Sins are pardoned and God recognizes and accepts them as His children.

• Added to His Body of the saved— the church.

• Enjoy the privileges and share the responsibilities of the relationship.

• This is God’s plan—any other is from men!