Faith is not an end in itself. God has sent every believer out to share their love with others and make it tangible. How? Actually, we already know. Are we making any progress? Here is a divine service to help us look inward.
Experiencing and sharing the love of God was the focus of a divine service on 24 May 2025 in Serenje in Zambia. The starting point was Matthew 3: 16–17: “When He had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
The water, the dove, and the path to God
Until the baptism of Jesus, heaven was closed, Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider explained. In other words, human beings no longer had access to fellowship with God. Jesus came to open the heavens: through His sacrifice, He created the opportunity for people to come to God again.
Jesus did not actually need to be baptised because He was without sin. But He wanted to show that this was the path that human beings would have to follow in order to come to God. The Chief Apostle made a point of drawing attention to the Holy Spirit who descended in the form of a dove. Since the Flood, the dove has symbolised God’s mercy, reconciliation with Him, and true peace through fellowship with Him.
God confesses, God commissions, God accompanies
The Chief Apostle drew several parallels between Jesus and believers today.
- Through the baptism of Jesus, God publicly acknowledged His Son. And through the rebirth out of water and the Spirit, He has made those who have been sealed His children. “God loves you as He loved Jesus Christ.”
- Jesus was sent to proclaim the gospel and deliver the world from evil. In Him, God was present on earth. “We have a mission to fulfil. We must proclaim His message. We must prove that God is present on earth. He wants to do good to our fellow human beings through us.”
- God did not spare Jesus from suffering, but He gave Him the strength to endure it. “God is with us when we suffer, and He gives us the strength to remain faithful even in the worst moments of our lives.”
Self-introspection regarding our mission
“Dear brothers and sisters, may I ask a question?” the Chief Apostle said. “What do people see when they look at New Apostolic Christians? Are we really witnesses of Jesus Christ?” he asked, naming five key aspects.
- “Do people see that it is very important to us to obey the commandments, no matter what?”
- “Can they see that we are willing to do good to our neighbour for the sake of Jesus Christ?”
- “Can they see our spiritual development?”
- “Can they see that we are struggling for unity?”
- “Can they see that we are striving to forgive, to reconcile, and solve problems for the sake of Jesus Christ?”
“That is why we are here and why we can call ourselves children of God,” Chief Apostle Schneider said. “We have a mission to fulfil. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, God has promised us that He will be with us. But only those who really want to be saved will be saved. Brothers and sisters, it’s truly time to do good.”
Photos: NAC Zambia
