21st century called twin to 1st
___By Dan Martin
___Texas Baptist Communications
___SAN ANTONIO--The 21st century may be the "twin sister" to the first century, Albert Reyes said at the Baptist General Convention of Texas Evangelism Conference.
___In the first century, several key factors prepared the way for the gospel to be preached worldwide, he said. These included the Pax Romana, better roads and adoption of a common language, Koine Greek.
___At the dawn of the 21st century, "we have Pax Americana," Reyes said. "The world is clamoring to learn business English. We have the information, ... the transportation. We have all of the characteristics that were present then."
___The president of Hispanic Baptist Theological School used 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10 to trace what he called "the strands of DNA" that were present in the early church and ought to be found in current believers.
___The first strand is "transformative impact," he said. "The gospel transforms every relationship we have. When Jesus comes into a life, he changes our words, our attitudes, our relationships."
___The second strand is "relational investment," Reyes continued. "Paul encouraged the early believers to imitate their leaders. Children imitate the behavior of their parents. The apostolic teams stayed long enough at the early churches so that the people caught the lives they saw."
___Reyes quoted futurist Leonard Sweet as saying that the "call to discipleship is a call to pull up another chair and set another place at your table."
___Unbelievers need to see how Christians relate, he added. "Lost people need you, and they need me. We must make a place for them at our table, in our Palm Pilots, in our lives," he said.
___Reyes recalled a time his 7-year-old son told him he wanted to be just like his daddy. "That brought me to my knees," he said, adding that he must be very careful what he models for his son and before unbelievers.
___"What is missing in the 21st century church is an intentional investment in the lives of unbelievers and in the lives of new believers," Reyes said.
___The third strand of DNA present in the first century church, he said, is "exponential increase."
___The Apostle Paul did not organize an evangelism program, but he "developed a pattern of evangelism that was easy to see ... easy to follow--transformed lives.
___"Exponential increase comes," he said. "Nothing can stop the power of a transformed life."
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