Service times, and why we worship together:

 

Our services start at 10am on Sunday mornings and 6pm Sunday nights. We also have services on Thursday nights at 7pm. We believe wholeheartedly in assembling together on a regular basis. The Bible is very clear on the importance of “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrew 10:25). The scripture also says “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Aside from the biblical principals, it’s also refreshing to see your bothers and sisters in Christ and to worship and fellowship with them often. You will be blessed to be around genuine, loving Christians. Antioch is more than a church; Antioch is a family.

What it means to be born again:

 

John 3:5… “I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

We all have been born with an evil nature; every single one of us will sin at some point in our life. We must all be BORN AGAIN and freed from our old, sinful nature (1 Peter 1:23).” Jesus revealed that the born again process contains two-steps in John 3:5. When Jesus expressed that an individual must be born of the water, He was referring to being baptized by full immersion. All throughout the book of Acts we see Jesus’s Apostles commanding people to be baptized. We see Jesus in Mark 16:16 stating that you cannot be saved without being baptized. When Jesus mentioned being born of the spirit he was referring to receiving the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).  The scripture states that when the first century church received the spirit for the first time they spoke in tongues as the spirit gave them the utterance (Acts 2:4-14). This experience was the outward sign of evidence that God had filled them completely with His spirit. Jesus paid the price on the cross so we can have the opportunity to born again and to walk in His peace and grace.

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John 3:5… “I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

Why would Jesus tell us to be born again? Believe it or not the answer is simple. We are all born into sin, into bondage. The Bible declares that because Adam sinned, all who are born after Adam are born with corruptible human nature (Romans 5:12). In Romans, Paul talks about how our human nature cannot please God, rather it is impossible to please him without Gods intervention (Rom. 8:12). Our human nature is greatly influenced and bound to sin because of the curse Adam and Eve allowed into the world through their disobedience. You are born innocent but we all have an evil nature, every single one of us will sin at some point in our life. We must all be BORN AGAIN and freed from our old, sinful nature that we are naturally born with (1 Peter 1:23).

 

Jesus not only tells us to be born again but he tells us how to be born again. In verse 5 of John Chapter 3 He states that the process consists of “Water and Spirit”. Jesus is revealing the born again process to contain two-steps. As we look through the scriptures we find more understanding on each step. When Jesus expressed that an individual must be born of the water, He was referring to being baptized by full immersion. The word baptize in the original language (Greek) of the New Testament means to “Dip, Submerge, or immerse”. All throughout the book of Acts we see Jesus’s Apostles commanding people to be baptized. We see Jesus in Mark 16:16 stating that you cannot be saved without being baptized.

 

What is so significant about Baptism and how does this relate to being born again you might ask? Great Question. Baptism is the avenue in which we can gain access to becoming completely washed of our sins. It is also the way that we take on the family name of Jesus. The scripture says that we are to become sons of God (Rom. 8:14-17) well when you become a son you take on your Fathers name. This is why every time someone was baptized in the Bible it was in the Name of Jesus. We must have his name applied to our lives, which signifies possession! We are now God’s possession, we are His son and receive His full inheritance! (Ephesians 1:11-14)

 

We all know that Jesus died on the cross and paid the price of redemption with his own blood but most do not realize that His death made the baptismal experience possible for you. When Jesus paid the ultimate price, He was taking on our sins for good, He was wiping it clean for us but we still have to receive that payment. Baptism is how we do that. When I go under the waters of Baptism, the scripture says that I become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17, Galatians 3:26-27). My past is now completely gone, forgiven and forgotten by God. I now have a clean slate before him. The power is not in my good deeds but in my obedience to God’s word that I must be baptized. God responds to my obedience (Luke 11:28, John 14:15, Romans 5:19). Once I am baptized correctly in the Name of Jesus Christ I can go to him at any moment and any time and ask him for forgiveness and He will cleanse me and make me new again. Second Corinthians tells me that baptism puts me INTO Christ’s body; it puts me in covenant relationship with Him. Other scriptures on Baptism (Acts 2:38-41, Romans 6:1-18, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 10:48, Acts 22:16, Colossians 2:12, Luke 3:16, Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 8:36-38, Ephesians 4:4-6, Acts 16:31-33)

 

The second step is being filled with God’s spirit, the Holy Ghost. Baptism puts me in Christ and the Holy Ghost puts Christ in me, making me ONE with God. This makes me a born again SON of God. The scripture states that when the first century church received the spirit for the first time they spoke in tongues as the spirit gave them the utterance (Acts 2:4-14). This experience was the outward sign of evidence that God had filled them completely with His spirit. In the book of Acts chapter 2 we see the Apostles experiencing this wonderful experience for the very first time, then we see them turn around and share this with the others around them resulting in 3,000 people being added to the church in one day!

 

If you search the whole Bible, especially the New Testament, since God’s spirit was not available until after Jesus’s death, you will only find one sign that is consistent throughout the scripture when somebody received God’s spirit. The consistent evidence was tongues. (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:45-46, Acts 19:6, Mark 16:17, 19). The Holy Spirit living in you is what will operate to change you and make you more like God (Romans 8:2-6). In order for me to live out this Christian walk and please God, I must be born again because that is the only hope that I will be supernaturally empowered to walk with God so I am not led astray by my sinful, human nature. We must be born again the way the Bible states.

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The importance of Care Groups:

 

The bible gives us a blueprint on how to collectively walk this Godly journey. The method we are to follow can be found in Acts 2:42. According to the Bible, fellowship and breaking bread together are an integral part of our collective Christian growth and both are needed to sustain a church as much as praying together and studying/teaching doctrine. Antioch has recognized the need and has been meeting this need for over 25 years now. We call it “Care Groups”. Care Groups are small group meetings during the week that take place in saint’s homes across the area. It provides the opportunity for intimate fellowship amongst members and guests of the church. A typical Care Group will consist of food, a light lesson, as well as burden bearing (praying for one another’s needs). Find a Care Group near you!

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The bible gives us a blueprint on how to collectively walk this journey. The method we are to follow can be found in Acts 2:42, as the first century church leads by example… “42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Most churches and religious organizations focus on doctrine and prayers but very few focus on fellowship and breaking bread together. According to the word, fellowship and breaking bread together are an integral part of growth and is needed to sustain a church as much as prayer and doctrine. The proof is in the explosive growth the early church experienced which you can find from Acts chapter 2 through the rest of the book. At one point it mentions that all of Asia heard the word of God (Acts 19:10). How is this possible? Was it because they came together once a week and went on with their lives for the other six days? No, they not only assembled together for teaching of doctrines and prayer meetings but they also went from house to house breaking bread together and participating in close, intimate fellowship with one another.

 

Antioch has recognized the need and has been meeting this need for over 25 years now. We call it “Care Groups”. Care Groups are small group meetings during the week that take place in saint’s homes across the area. It provides the opportunity for intimate fellowship amongst members and guests of the church. A typical Care Group will consist of food, a light lesson, as well as burden bearing (praying for one another’s needs). Most importantly, it gives individuals the opportunity to connect on a deep level through conversation and time spent together. It is the perfect opportunity to bring friends or family members, especially those who have never been to the church before. Lasting life-long friendships are built during these Care Groups. This is what the early church participated in, and this is one of the main ways the early church grew in their love for one another (John 13:35).

 

 

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What the Bible is to a believer:

 

You might ask yourself, does the bible really matter? YES! We believe the bible is the final authority for a believer. The words of the Bible are just as alive today as they were when the Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ spoke them or wrote them thousands of years ago. The word of God has stood the test of time and continues to be proven through: History, Prophecy, Science, Archeology and by Personal Experience. We invite you to receive this book by faith and let the living word become apart of you.  Jesus stated, that a true disciple is one that follows and obeys his word (John 8:31).

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You might ask yourself, does the bible really matter? YES! We believe the bible is the final authority for a believer. Did you know the bible states that God has exalted his word above His name? (Psalms 138:2). It sure does! The bible also declares that heaven and earth shall pass away before one word from this book will pass away (Matthew 24:35). Jesus stated, that a true disciple is one that follows and obeys his word (John 8:31). The Bible is a living and breathing book! The words are just as alive today as they were when the Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ spoke or wrote these words thousands of years ago. The word of God has stood the test of time and continues to be proven through History, Prophecy, Science, Archeology and by Personal Experience. We invite you to receive this book by faith and let the living word become apart of you.

 

Think of the Bible like this… What if we told you to grab metal from all over the world? This metal must range from decades and centuries. Once you gather all of this metal you must throw it all into a garage, shut the door and let it sit for a few days. What If you came back a few days later opened up the garage and you see the metal is gone, and in its place is a beautiful, brand new Ferrari. Well, that is impossible, that could only happen by an absolute miracle. How could metal without being touched turn into such a beautiful, valuable masterpiece? It would be supernatural if it happened. Well… That is the Bible! Writings that span over a 3,000-4,000 year period from 42 different authors and somehow it fits together giving us this most detailed, beautiful picture and cohesive story about God, life, redemption, and eternity. How is this possible? The Bible is supernatural; the one true God brought it to together for us!

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How to Hear the Word by Actively Mixing it With faith:

 

One of the most powerful forces in the universe is our faith, but unfortunately if this power is not coupled with THE most powerful force in the universe, God and His word, then it is of no use. Countless times throughout the Bible, God would give a man or woman a message either through Jesus Christ or other men of God. You would see some prosper while others faltered. It was basically the same message but different results. How is this possible? It’s simple. Those that saw results mixed the message with their faith and acted upon it while the others heard the message but did nothing about it; they did not exercise their faith. True faith will always cause action and obedience.

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One of the most powerful forces in the universe is our faith, but unfortunately if this power is not coupled with THE most powerful force in the universe, God and His word, then it is of no use. Let us explain, the Bible says that the only way a person can profit from God’s word and see true biblical results is by mixing our faith (earnest conviction, which is produced in action not only by belief or thought) with God’s word, the Bible (Hebrews 4:2). Countless times through out the Bible, God would give a man or woman a message either through Jesus Christ or other men of God. You would see some prosper while others faltered. It was basically the same message but different results. How is this possible? It’s simple. Those that saw results mixed the message with their faith and acted upon it while the others heard the message but did nothing about it; they did not exercise their faith.

 

The Bible gives us countless examples on both sides of the spectrum. One of the most unfortunate situations we find in the Bible is when the Israelites are delivered from the hand of the Egyptians after 400 years of slavery. Moses rises up to deliver the people by visiting the Pharaoh of Egypt. God sends 10 different plagues to Egypt convincing them that these were Gods people; finally the Pharaoh had enough so he released the Israelites. This is a wonderful, heroic feat right? Well yes, and you would think the people who were in bondage for 400 years would be thankful until kingdom come… wrong. God gave these people a very specific “word” or message that he would bring them to their own land and that they would prosper there. He told them it was a land that flowed with milk and honey, a fertile and peaceful place. However, as the journey got started from Egypt to the promised land, multiple issues arose among the people, they started complaining, backbiting, rising up against their leader and even following strange gods. You are probably thinking, “How in the world could you do such a thing after seeing God work so miraculously?” This may puzzle you but in reality the same problem happens today throughout the church day in and day out. You see, the Israelites let their current circumstances dictate their future destination; they ultimately did not mix God’s message or word of a promised land, with their faith. But didn’t they believe that God was taking them somewhere? True faith will always cause action and obedience. If you really believe God is taking you to the Promised Land then you will act like it, talk like it and walk like you are on your way. Thankfully, there was a few good men that held on to the promise for that wonderful land and they most certainly entered in.

 

No matter what life brings us we must always mix our faith with the word of God. You might not have received a message from God like the Israelites did, although you were given the Bible, which in its entirety is Gods word! The moment you begin to truly trust God by mixing your faith with his word is the day you will be free and know there is a promised land awaiting you when you pass from this life to the next. Heaven is our promised land and this life is the journey, we must not loose faith and continue to act, speak and walk like we will one day be dancing on the streets of glory. God will also want to you lead you into great promises and destinations in this life but we will need to hold on by faith until they come to pass. Get your feet planted in Gods word and stand strong by faith, it is the greatest life you can live!

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Antioch Media:

 

Some days you may need a little pick-me-up preaching while other days you greatly desire to hear that deep revelation the Pastor taught about a few days ago. With our state of the art media options it’s easy to download media, watch the services, listen to messages and even share with friends. We made it accessible for all. Simply, click on the various links below to access our channels!

 

InFellowship:

 

In Fellowship makes giving easier than ever at Antioch! We offer online giving whether it’s tithes, offering or any other financial blessing. You can track how much you have given for that fiscal year; it can all be done on In Fellowship. Click here to access our InFellowship website!