Big Dreams

GO INTO THE WORLD AND MAKE DISCIPLES …

At Antioch Gospel Church, “We preach the gospel, win the lost, make disciples and raise up leaders.”

We help people discover Jesus. We are committed to building healthy and growing churches that empower people to know Jesus in a real and personal way. This vision is fulfilled through Evangelism, Discipleship and Sending. As Church members are discipled and trained, we aim to plant church branches and establish Christian ministries in Australia and around the world.

EVANGELISM

At Antioch Gospel Church we believe that evangelism is a priority for every believer. We encourage and facilitate effective evangelical activities and we teach and lead church members in their outreach to non-Christian family, friends and colleagues.

In Acts 11:19-30 we discover a number of key principles. Following the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7) there was great persecution throughout the land. However, despite the massive increase in intolerance for the Christian faith amongst the religious leaders and Roman authority, there was also an outbreak in the evangelical efforts of the early Church. They recognised the need for people to hear the gospel even though there was an enormous price to pay. In fact, many lost their lives for the cause of Christ.

Some of the ways we can evangelise are:

• Sharing the Word of God (Acts 11:19-20): We can increase our efforts to talk about God and to actively share His love with other people.

• Through the power and presence of God (Acts 11:21): The powerful manifestation of the glory of God, His mighty and miraculous acts and the presence of the Holy Spirit are evidence and confirmation that He is still alive and still the Saviour of the world (Mark 16:20).

• Sharing our life testimony (Acts 11:22, 26): There is a beauty, power and fragrance that shines and flows from the life of a believer. The believer who lives with a Godly lifestyle and is a constant source of blessing towards others causes others to question their lifestyle and to seek and search for answers. This is a particularly effective evangelism tool since people often look for the fruit that comes from living with Christ before they will commit themselves.

• Being full of God’s grace (Acts 11:23): We need to walk in the authority that has been given us by Christ and release His grace upon everyone that we come into contact with (Ephesians 2:8-10).

As a congregation of believers and as ambassadors for Christ we believe that we (and all other members of the Church) need to have a clear purpose and vision for evangelism in our lives and to outwork that vision in our day-to-day lifestyles. It is our prayer that the Church of Christ will fulfil its God given mandate (Matthew 28:19) and be a blessing and a light, shining for the entire world to behold.

DISCIPLESHIP

At Antioch Gospel Church we believe that discipleship is an integral part of the Christian lifestyle. We focus on balancing discipleship with evangelism, knowing that a successful balance between the two leads to a greater effectiveness in reaching the lost and fulfilling the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

There are many ways that discipleship is realised within our congregation. We believe that by strong Biblical teaching, an increased knowledge of the promises of God, an understanding of our collective responsibilities as believers and ambassadors in the kingdom, as well as mentoring others towards living life with Godly principles, that we can all be equipped in order to be ready at any moment. Discipleship at Antioch Gospel Church is all about each member building their lives on the right foundations.

Through our discipleship processes we teach people how to live Godly lifestyles - eliminating sin and dealing with worldly influences and spiritual enemies that seek to destroy us (John 10:10). We emphasise building a strong Christ-like character and teach about being the salt and light of this world. Those who are more mature in Christ are called to impart deep revelation to help others build their lives on the firm and solid foundation of Jesus Christ.

Once again from Acts 11 we can discern a number of important discipleship keys:

• We teach the things that matter and the things that are necessary for the Church (Verse 24).

• We teach others (including Church members) to be good and Godly people, reflecting the image and attitude of Christ (Verse 24).

• We teach the need to be a Church that is full of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead us in every area of our lives (Verse 24). Ephesians 5:18 and Galatians 5:16-26 illustrate that the Holy Spirit is the best teacher and He gives us the wisdom to live our lives like Christ. We need to be hungry for His presence in our lives and to be filled so that we can take the great glory of God to the people of this world.

• We teach principles of faith (Verse 24). The Word tells us that by faith we overcome the world; by faith we move mountains; by faith we experience the miraculous; by faith we are saved; by faith we are forgiven and by faith we are healed. We need faith, not logic, to please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). We can see in Barnabas a man of faith who taught the people how to function and operate their faith in a Godly manner.

• We teach people to be givers (Verse 29). Luke 6:38 says, “Give and it will be given back to you.” Saul and Barnabas knew how to give their lives away through their willingness and obedience to stay at Antioch, knowing that generosity is the key to Godly prosperity and opening up the doors to abundant blessing. We teach the Church to give faithfully and with thanksgiving in their hearts.

• We teach a lifestyle of worship (Acts 13:2). The ultimate result of real worship is to encounter God. We are a Church that allows the Holy Spirit to move freely as He wills and without limit and we teach the Church how to become worshippers in spirit and in truth, constantly dwelling in the presence of God, so that the Holy Spirit can move powerfully in and amongst us.

• We teach the power of prayer and fasting (Acts 13:2). This is a very important subject taught in the Church. Many people have been delivered from spiritual bondage, healed and propelled into greater anointings as a result of obedience in prayer and fasting. We read in the Word that even Jesus set Himself apart to pray and fast and all of His disciples followed this example later after His ascension. When we do likewise, the glory and the power of God is released very strongly in the Church.

• We teach a lifestyle of service (Colossians 3:23-24). As Jesus served God and people, we also have been chosen and called to serve. Whether this is through our active involvement towards the fruitfulness and success of corporate worship services, or through personal acts of service towards others in the love of God, or any other form of God-ordained service, we recognise that serving is an important component in the development of each individual into Christ-like maturity.

SENDING

At Antioch Gospel Church we believe that people being trained and then sent and released into missions work is an essential facet of a healthy and balanced Church.

We see from Luke’s account of Saul and Barnabas in Acts that they were sent into the mission field through the leading of the Holy Spirit. The impact they had on both Jews and gentiles is astounding and we, just like them, need to have a kingdom-focused mindset and a heart like Jesus, who was willing to pay the price for the salvation of mankind. It is for the purpose of establishing the kingdom of God on this earth that we send people out to be a blessing outside of our local communities.

We teach people how to be a blessing for others and equip them with the necessary tools required to be mighty examples for other people to follow. We willingly and obediently release people into other regions of Australia and other countries to be a blessing by building and establishing the kingdom of God in that place.

We understand that the heart of God is to see the whole earth saved by knowing and receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. In order to see this come to pass, we teach and train each other to be missionaries to those around us and to continually ready ourselves to be sent by God to see His kingdom grow. We continually emphasise a willingness to pay any price to build His kingdom with a passion for His higher calling and greater mission to be fulfilled and a readiness for His mantle of authority to be increased upon our lives.