STEEMCHURCH- FOLLOWING UP A NEW CONVERT

Helo Kings and Queens of God's Kingdom,beautiful evening to you all @steemchurch, I hope your day was fine, here in Umuahia, the weather was cold all throughout due to the rain but we are coping very well.

Today i would be sharing with us, the final phase of my series on "FOLLOWING UP A NEW CONVERT".

If you didn't follow the previous series please do well to check my blog and also learn follow up the series.

Today's episode is on "THE PREPARATION FOR FOLLOW-UP".

We shall proceed to consider how to follow up a new convert in such a way that by the grace of God, he will stand and be able to fulfill the will of God for saving him.

Please keep praying as you study that God will grant you understanding and equip you for this task in Jesus' name.

HOW TO FOLLOW UP A NEW CONVERT

Image source

• TRUST IN THE LORD: 1Cor.3:6-9 "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.

7

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

8

The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.

9

For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Except the Lord builds a house, they labour in vain that build it. In following-up a new convert, it is important to trust in the Lord and work hand in hand with Him.

Prov 3:5-7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

6
NIV:in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

7

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Our strength and ability to speak cannot do it.

Paul may plant, Apollo may water, but if the Lord does not increase, every Labour to build up a soul in the Lord will be in vain.

• BE PRAYERFUL: Col 1:9-11 says "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives"

10

so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

11

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience

It takes travail to bring forth. Prayer is the first and primary means of follow-up of a new convert. It takes peatwes to get the right spiritual food for new convert at the right time. It takes God's grace to enable him understand what you are teaching him and to receive it. Even though Paul would teach those new converts about Christ's life and how to walk with him, he has to travail in prayers for them to understand and be able to walk worthy of the Lord. Only with God's help will a new convert grow in his faith.

• WHEN TO START FOLLOWING UP A NEW CONVERT: "Luke 19:5-10 says "NIV:When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

6

So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Follow-up must start immediately a soul is converted, to avoid rottenness. It is dangerous to procrastinate this, just as a mother does not procrastinate the feeding of her new born baby.

The feeding of the new born baby must also continue regularly and frequently with God's word to prevent the enemy from having any space to come back to take over his life, Visit him regularly to encourage him and teach him how to stand in Christ and to change his environment.

• BE DILIGENT: Following up a new convert is a serious labour, just as it is with the care of a new born baby. There is need for concentration of attention and diligence especially at the beginning. Follow up can be tedious. It is a lowly, silent labour and it needs diligence.

We have been commanded by God not to make converts but disciples, so be diligent in following up the new convert and the Chief Shepherd will not forget your labour of love, He will reward you!

Thanks for reading!