When God’s Tests Don’t Make Sense

“By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.”  - Hebrews 11:17

Last week I came across a story about a college student who was taking a class in ornithology, the study of birds. The teacher had a reputation for being extremely difficult, so this guy spent weeks studying for the final exam. The day of the test arrived, and he went to class feeling prepared. But instead of having a normal test, there were 25 pictures on the wall of birds' feet. And the exam boiled down to this: Identify all 25 birds by their feet.

Well, this young man was ticked! He walked up to the professor and said, "This is crazy. Nobody could pass this test." The teacher responded, "Nevertheless, you have to take it." The student said, "I'm not going to take it." The teacher responded, "You have to take it, or you fail the course." The kid said, "Go ahead and fail me. I'm not going to take this test." The teacher says, "All right. That's it. You've failed. Tell me your name." The kid kicked off his shoes, hiked up his pant legs to show his feet and said, "You tell me."

Have you ever been given a test that you didn’t think was fair? For some of us it was the algebra test that required us to know formulas that weren’t discussed in class. For others it was the DMV written test that asked questions that weren’t in the review book. For some married couples it was the pregnancy test that didn’t come back the way that you wanted it to. And let’s be honest: Sometimes God’s tests aren’t fair either.

In Genesis 12, God commanded Abraham to go to an unknown destination, leaving his country, his people and his family (Genesis 12:1). In chapter 22, he raised the ante quite a bit when he said: “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 12:2). Once again, God gave Abraham one very difficult command to obey in faith. And once again, Abraham had to walk in faith without knowing exactly where he was going. Last time God’s one command was “Go!” This time God’s one command was “Sacrifice!”

But there is one BIG difference between God’s command in Genesis 12 and his command in Genesis 22. According to what God’s word tells us both in Hebrews 11:17 and in Genesis 22:1, when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was a TEST. Now, let’s just say it: This test of God sounds warped and cruel. How on earth could a loving God ask one of His followers to murder his own son, even if God knew He wasn’t going to let him go through with it? It seems almost sadistic. And I don’t have an easy explanation -- just like Abraham, we’re going to have to take it on faith that God knew what He was doing, even if it doesn’t make sense to you and me.

As we know, at the last minute God commanded Abraham to spare his son, providing a ram for the sacrifice instead. But what can you and I learn today from God’s nerve-racking test? Here are 3 important lessons that we need to embrace as we walk by faith:

#1: Expect tests and trials from God, because the Christian life is never easy. Living for Jesus Christ is, without a doubt, the best way to live, but it’s definitely not easy, in large part because life isn’t easy. Our cars get rear-ended, our bills pile up, and our bodies break down. And following Christ, in some ways, makes life harder. Following God’s laws is not easy. But living for Jesus brings us peace with God, forgiveness, grace, purpose, hope, comfort in our sorrows—AND love and joy. Remember that as you follow Christ, God is more concerned with your character than He is with your comfort. So, at times he will send you trials and tests to prove that your faith is real, to make you stronger, and to bring out the best in you.

#2: Focus on promises, not explanations. Abraham didn’t know why on earth God wanted him to sacrifice his son, but Abe held fast to the promise God had given him—that God would make Isaac into a great nation as numerous as the stars in the sky and the grains of sand on the seashore. One way or another, Abraham believed that God would be true to His word. If God didn’t give Abraham a full explanation every time He gave him a command, why on earth do you think God owes YOU a full explanation every time He gives you a command? The fact is … He doesn’t owe you anything. So, if you’re going to follow Jesus Christ, you need to be okay with that. So, instead of obsessing over God’s explanations (or lack thereof), focus on the hundreds of promises of God. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” “You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.”

#3: Depend on God’s provision. Just as He provided Abraham with the ram, the Lord will always provide for your needs in the place of His assignment. What does that mean? If you are walking in faith and obeying His marching orders in faith, He will meet every one of your needs. Count on it! If He isn’t meeting all your needs, the reason is simple: You’re not where you’re supposed to be. If you’re where God means you to be, then let me share a wonderful little promise with you: “My God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Following God’s Directions … Without a Map

“By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”  - Hebrews 11:8

I heard a story about a woman who lived in mortal fear of a burglar breaking into her two-story home. At least once a week, she would wake up her husband in the middle of the night and beg him to go downstairs and check out a noise that she heard. This went on for over 10 years.

Then one night, things were different. The wife heard a noise, woke up her husband, and he stumbled downstairs as usual to check it out. But when he reached the bottom of the stairs, he got the shock of his life. He looked around the corner into the family room, and there actually WAS a burglar in their house! The man staggered back in shock. Then he introduced himself and said, "You’ve GOT to go upstairs and meet my wife. She’s been expecting you for years!"

You could make the case that for 10 years that man’s wife had a whole of faith. Even though she never saw him, she BELIEVED that burglar was coming for her. But now, let’s take a look at a more positive kind of faith—the kind shown by one of the greatest men of faith in the whole Bible: Abraham.

Abraham started life with the name Abram. He and his family lived in Ur, which is located in modern-day Iraq, not very far from Baghdad. In Genesis 12:1, God spoke to Abram for the first time, saying, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” In this short verse, God commands Abram to “GO” and leave behind three things: his country, his people, and his family. That would be tough enough. Now, notice that God didn’t even tell Abraham where he was going. He simply said, “Go to the land I will show you.” That would be like God telling you or me, “Head east!” “East” could mean Palm Springs, Arizona, New Mexico, New York, or even China!

Abraham had to push his doubts and questions aside to do what God told him to do. And he had to give up a LOT in order to do it. But according to Genesis 12:4, “Abram left, [just] as the Lord had told him.” That journey eventually added up to about 1,000 miles total—traveled on foot. Abraham did it not because God answered all of his questions, but because God simply said, “Go!” So, in faith, Abraham went.

Abraham confidently obeyed God’s command to GO no matter how uncomfortable it was, no matter how much criticism he received from his family and friends. And, in all likelihood, at least some of those people were devastated to hear that Abraham was walking away from their tribal god to follow some new God called Jehovah. But Abraham counted the cost and obediently walked in faith anyway. Why? Because that’s what faith does. I love the way it’s described in Hebrews 11:8: “By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”

Over the years I’ve discovered that most people are willing to put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. After all, most Americans believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. And most people really don’t want to go to Hell. So, they’re more than happy to say a quick prayer or jump through a few quick religious hoops to get “fire insurance” to avoid Hell. In my experience, most people are willing to put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. But most are not willing to put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. You see, the word “Lord” means “boss and master,” and most of us despise the thought of someone being our master.

But if no one has ever told you this, let me be the first to tell you loud and clear: Savior and Lord go hand-in-hand. Jesus cannot be divided in two. Jesus is the whole package. If you accept him as your Savior, you also accept him as your Lord. But if you reject him as your Lord, you are also rejecting him as your Savior. If I truly have faith in Jesus Christ, there is no mistaking who’s in charge: He’s in charge—not me. He’s in the driver’s seat of my life—not me. He gives the marching orders, and I obey those marching orders. That’s true Bible faith.

That’s the kind of faith that Abraham had as he left his hometown, country, friends and family and headed Northwest, even though he didn’t know where he was going. And that’s the kind of faith that God has called you and me to have today.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

How To Build an Ark

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” 
- Hebrews 11:7

The manager of a minor league baseball team was so disgusted with his center fielder’s performance that he ordered the player to the dugout. Certain that he could do a better job himself, the manager ran out to center field to take over the position. The first ball that came into center field took a bad hop and hit the manager right in the chin. The next one was a high fly ball. He lost it in the glare of the sun, and it bounced off the top of his head. The third hit was a hard line drive that flew between the manager’s hands and hit him right in the nose.

The manager was furious. He ran back into the dugout, grabbed the center fielder by his uniform and shouted, “You idiot! You’ve got center field so messed up … even I can’t do anything with it!”

It’s easy to find a man who thinks he can do no wrong—someone who considers himself blameless. It’s a lot harder to find a person who, in the eyes of everyone he or she knows, is considered blameless. But Noah was that kind of man. Genesis 9 tells us, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”

Of course you know the basic story. Just 10 generations after Adam and Eve first sinned, sin was so rampant in the world that God was pained that he ever created us, and he set out to destroy mankind with a flood. Only Noah was found to be blameless. This doesn’t mean that he was completely sinless, but he was found righteous by God through his faith. And that faith was plain as day when he spent over 100 years building an ark in the middle of the desert while his neighbors looked on and laughed. Hebrews 11:7 is a rather short verse, but it mentions Noah’s faith three times: “By FAITH Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his FAITH he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by FAITH.”

Meanwhile, Noah’s neighbors were caught up in the downward spiral of sin. Mankind has a nasty habit of going from bad to worse. In Genesis 3-6, you can see this downward spiral of sin over the course of the first 10 generations of mankind. As time passed, people’s sin became more severe and more depraved. And I can’t help but think that as God observes our nation and our culture today, His heart is—once again—filled with pain. We live in a world filled with sexual perversion, where pornography, premarital sex, adultery and homosexuality are commonplace and accepted as “normal.” We live in a world of violence, where murders and even mass shootings have become commonplace, and over a million pre-born babies are aborted from their mother’s wombs every year. We live in a world of spiritual apathy, where even Americans who call themselves “Christian” live their lives as practical atheists, as if there were no God, no heaven and no hell.

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be like Noah. Noah was IN the world, but he wasn’t OF the world. His obedient faith brought him God’s favor and grace. Noah confidently obeyed God’s word and built a ship in the middle of the desert. Why? Because that’s what true faith does. Noah is best known for building an ark—but as shown in Hebrews 11, he’s better known in God’s eyes for building two other things.

1. Noah built a godly character. Noah chose faith … real faith in God. And because of that, he chose obedience to God’s word; he chose to fear God rather than man; he chose to pursue a right relationship with God; he chose to live a blameless life and walk with God. He chose to work with God to build his godly character, which ultimately was so much bigger and more important that building a big boat.

2. Noah built a godly family. I love the way Hebrews 11:7 puts it: “In holy fear [Noah] built an ark to save his family.” Noah didn’t simply protect his kids physically. More importantly, he protected his kids spiritually. He passed on his faith to his sons. As parents, one of the greatest building projects we can ever undertake is to build a spiritual ark for our kids to save them from the destruction of this world’s sin.

And how do we go about building this spiritual “ark”? For starters, we make sure that we are praying and reading God’s word with our kids and grandkids at home. If we don’t teach them these godly habits, who will? And we must make church attendance a weekly priority for our families.

This Sunday is “Superhero Sunday” at Impact. As kids come to church dressed as Batman, Wonder Woman or Captain America, it will provide a beautiful opportunity to point this generation of kids to the truth of Scripture—namely, that Jesus is our REAL Superhero.

We hope and pray that our kids and grandkids will, like Noah, swim against the tide of sinful culture and choose to walk by faith in a right relationship with God. And they will do just that as godly parents, grandparents and churches build spiritual arks … together.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Take a Long Walk with God

“Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
– Genesis 5:24

After starring in several blockbusters including Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers Endgame, Chris Pratt has become one of the most popular actors in Hollywood. But here’s something that’s far more remarkable: he is a Christian who is very vocal about his faith. After high school, Chris experimented with drugs and alcohol and was going nowhere fast.

But one day he was at a grocery store doing some shopping before heading to a party where he hoped to get drunk and hook up with a cute girl. But at that grocery store a man came up to him and said, “Jesus told me to talk to you.” In Chris Pratt’s own words: “At that moment I was like: I think I have to go with this guy. He took me to church. Over the next few days I surprised my friends by declaring that I was going to change my life.”

Hollywood isn’t exactly a hotbed for Jesus-loving Christians, but isn’t it encouraging to know that there are followers of Christ who stand out in the crowd and openly share their faith in Tinseltown? And isn’t it encouraging to know that the Bible spotlights dozens of men and women of faith who loved and served God faithfully in their own generations? One of the Bible’s lesser-known faith heroes is Enoch.

Enoch’s life is nicely summarized in Genesis 5:18-24. In a nutshell, Enoch was seven generations removed from Adam, and he was the great grandfather of Noah. Genesis chapter 5 records the 10-generation genealogy between Adam and Noah. And if you were to read the entire chapter, you would see that Enoch stands out in three inspiring ways:

#1: Enoch didn’t just live; he walked with God. If you read through Genesis 5, you’ll notice a repetition of words and phrases in the genealogy. For example: Each man was born, lived a certain number of years, had a son of his own, and then “lived” a certain number of years afterward, having more sons and daughters. We find this pattern repeated in verses 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 and 19.

But this pattern is interrupted with Enoch. Verses 22-23 read: “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuseleh. And after he became the father of Methuseleh, Enoch…walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.” Did you catch the difference? With Enoch, the phrase “walked with God” replaces the word “lived.” Well, that’s nice…but what’s the point? Here’s the point: God’s word is telling us that there is a difference between WALKING with God and merely LIVING. Any fool can simply exist. Anybody can merely live. But those whose lives glorify God and fulfill His purpose in their generation are those who don’t merely believe in God or talk about God. Like Enoch, they WALK with God.

#2: Enoch’s years here on earth were FEWER but so much FULLER than those of every one of his ancestors. If you look at the lifespans called out in Genesis 5, they’re pretty remarkable. Most of the men lived over 900 years. But Enoch just lived on earth for 365 years—or as some call it: A year of years. Enoch only lived here on earth for about one-third as long as his dad and granddads. But a longer life does not necessary produce a more impactful life. Does it?

Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. Amadeus Mozart clocked out at 35. Vincent van Gogh--just 37. Martin Luther King Jr. died at 39, and Joan of Arc was just 19. Like most of you, I hope to live a long life. But what is much more important than the number of years that I live is how much I put into those years for the glory of God. When you consider your own life, are you more focused on the number of your years or on the fullness of your years? No matter how many years God gives you, make sure every one of them counts for the glory of God.

#3: Unlike all of his ancestors, Enoch didn’t die. Instead, God took him away. If you were to look at the brief descriptions of Enoch’s dad and granddads in verse 5-20, you would see another pattern in the way the end of their lives is described. They lived a certain number of years, and then they died. But not Enoch. “Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (vs. 23-24).

Enoch never died. God simply…took him away. And in a sense, committed Christians don’t really die either. God simply takes them away.  Even if our heart stops beating and our lungs stop pumping and our brain waves stop firing, we don’t die. God simply takes us away. We live every day that God has called us to live, walking by faith, obeying God’s commands and fulfilling His purpose in our own generation. And after we have done all that God has called us to do, He simply takes us away.

A little girl learned about Enoch one day at church, and when she got home she told her mom the story of Enoch. She said, “Enoch used to take long walks with God. One day he walked so far God said, ‘It’s too far to go back; come on home with Me.’ That’s what happened to Enoch.”

Wow! I don’t know about you, but I want to take long walks with God. I’m going to keep walking by faith and fulfilling His purpose in my generation until He calls me home. How about you?

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Service Sundays at 10 a.m. at the new Dr. Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You a Base-Model Christian?

“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation he fell asleep.” - Acts 13:36

I heard a story about a dairy farmer who went to buy a new pickup truck. He had seen an ad in the paper for a great deal on a new truck, so he decided to trade in his old clunker. He went to the dealership, chose a pickup and was ready to write the check for the full amount. But the salesman said, “Wait, I haven’t given you the final price yet.” The farmer asked, “Isn’t it the price I saw in the paper?” The salesman said, “No, that’s for the base model. All the options cost extra.” So, after the options were added, the farmer reluctantly wrote a check for $2,000 more than he had planned to pay, and he drove off the lot in his new pick-up.

A few months later the car salesman called the farmer because he wanted to buy a cow for his son’s 4-H project. The farmer assured the car salesman he had several good milk cows for sale for $500. The salesman drove out, selected a cow and took out his checkbook. The farmer said, “Wait. I haven’t given you the final price yet.” Then he handed the salesman a bill that read: “Basic cow, $500. Two-tone exterior, $45. Milk storage compartment, $60. Four handy spigots at $10 each, $40. Leather upholstery, $125. Automatic rear fly swatter, $38. Natural fertilizer attachment, $185. Grand total … $1,233.”

Now, I’ve never purchased a cow, but because I’m a bit of a cheapskate, I’m pretty sure I’d go for the base model. When I buy a car, I LIKE the base model … as long as it has air conditioning. If the car has four tires, an engine and a steering wheel, the base model is just fine. But when it comes to living the Christian life, the base model will never be “just fine.”

On Paul’s first missionary trip, he went into the Jewish synagogue in Pisidian Antioch to preach a powerful message about Jesus. In this message, Paul mentioned one of the greatest heroes of the Old Testament: King David, the only man in the Bible to be called “a man after God’s own heart.” David had a fierce love for God and served Him faithfully. And then, in Paul’s words, “when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation he fell asleep” (Acts 13:36).

Paul was making the point that God had a plan for David’s life. God gave him a clear purpose to carry out in his own generation. And David carried it out. David served God’s purpose in his own generation. God called David to slay Goliath, so David obediently slew Goliath. God called David to serve in King Saul’s court, so David obediently served in King Saul’s court. God called David to lead Israel in her battles and lead the people to follow God. So David obediently led Israel in her battles and led them to follow God.

Isn’t that good? In a day and age when most people were pretty much living for themselves, David was the servant of his generation. Could the same be said about you and me? The Bible makes it clear that everything in this vast universe of ours was created by God. He created every bug, every fish, every bird, every animal and every person—including you. The Bible is clear that God created you and designed you just the way you are. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. Your eye color and hair color are by design. Your height and your build are by design. Your natural strengths and even your natural weaknesses are by design.

So, are we living the lives God designed us for? In a day and age when most people are pretty much living for themselves, are we, like David, a great blessing to the age we live in? Are we servants of our generation? Matthew Henry reminds us, “We were not born for ourselves, but are members of communities, to which we must study to be serviceable.” And as devotional writer A.W. Tozer says, “David was smart enough to serve God and his generation before he fell asleep [ie, “died”]. To fall asleep before we have served our generation is nothing short of tragic…. It is a moral calamity to sleep without having first labored to bless the world.”

So true! But what is that purpose? At Impact Christian Church, we summarize God’s purpose with the shortest mission statement I’ve ever seen. It’s only three words: Love. Learn. Serve. Every Sunday morning, we seek to love God by loving people. Our greatest desire is to see every person who comes through our doors accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and begin loving him too. Our second focus is to learn God’s word. As we study His word, we get to know Him better, and we learn how to love and serve Him better. Our third purpose is serving. Just as David was created to serve God’s purpose in his own generation, so too are we. Jesus didn’t come to earth to be served, but to serve. And we follow in his footsteps as we serve each other and our community.  

My life has meaning and purpose, and so does yours. So, we must boldly stand and declare, “I will NOT waste my life!” You and I were created not to be served but to serve, and to serve God’s purpose in our own generation. I do not believe that anyone was created by God for base-model Christianity. I believe you and I were created for greater impact. And that boils down to this: Loving God by loving people … learning His Word … and serving others. If you don’t already have a church home, then I’d love to invite you to start joining us every Sunday. And we’ll serve God’s purpose in our generation—together.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Come join us Sunday at 10 a.m. at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

From Good to Great

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” – Matthew 20:26-27

About three months ago, I met in my office with two of our amazing staff members: Patrick, our Worship Director, and Christie, our Children’s Ministries Director. Our congregation had just voted to move our church to a more central location with a new name and new determination to make a greater impact in our community. I said to Patrick and Christie, “We do some really good ministry here at First Christian Church. But as we make this big move and launch Impact Christian Church, we need to move from good to great.”

But what is “great”? In Matthew 20, two of Jesus’ disciples learned an important lesson about what true greatness looks like in Jesus’ kingdom. James and John, using their mother as a messenger, basically asked for the two best thrones in Christ’s kingdom—one on Christ’s left and one on his right. They wanted the seats of honor and authority right next to Jesus. Now, that takes guts! And Jesus’ answer was … “No! Not gonna happen!"

You see, the path to greatness in Christ’s kingdom is much different from the path to greatness that we are accustomed to in our culture. The path to greatness in Christ’s kingdom requires sacrifice and suffering. “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” The word “cup,” as it’s used here and elsewhere in the Bible, is a metaphor for suffering. So, Jesus asked James and John, “Are you willing to sacrifice and suffer the way I’m going to sacrifice and suffer?” Both men immediately answered, “Yes.” But they had no clue how much Jesus was about to sacrifice and suffer.

Afterward, Jesus seized this teachable moment to pull all twelve of his disciples together and teach them about true greatness. His words in verses 25-28 are so important for every Christian to grasp: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus was God in human flesh. That being the case, he had every right to ask his followers to wait on him hand and foot. But he freely relinquished this right because he so loved the world that he came to seek and save the lost. Paul says it so well in Philippians 2:5-7. He writes, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant.” Here in Matthew 20, as Jesus had his sights set on the cross, his message to his disciples was loud and clear: “I’m not asking you to serve ME. I came to earth to serve YOU.”

Most of you have probably heard the famous words spoken by President John F. Kennedy at his inauguration. He said, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” These are some of the most enduring words ever spoken by a U.S. president. But when you think about it, President Kennedy—whether he realized it or not—was basically just asking us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps as citizens of this great nation.

We could just as easily apply Jesus’ instruction about serving to our marriages, to our friendships, to our work life and to our church. “Husbands, ask not what your wife can do for you. Ask what you can do for your wife.” “Wives, ask not what your husband can do for you. Ask what you can do for your husband.” How much healthier would our marriages be if we asked this question every day? “Ask not what your friends can do for you. Ask what you can do for your friends.” “Ask not what your coworkers can do for you. Ask what you can do for your coworkers.” If you and I will follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve others without expecting them to somehow repay us for that service…it will transform our marriages, our families, our friendships, our workplaces, our church and our community.

Who would have thought that the path to greatness would be the path of serving and humility? Jesus, that’s who. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life. As we launch Impact Christian Church, I pray that we will follow in Jesus’ footsteps. I pray that we will humbly serve each other and serve our community. As we do, there’s no doubt in my mind that we will have a greater impact in the Victor Valley for Jesus Christ. And best of all, lots of people are going to come home to Jesus.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Worship Celebration every Sunday at 10 a.m. at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

We Are Doing It for Them

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:10

One of my favorite poems is “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen Dromgoole. In three short stanzas the poem paints the picture of an old man traveling his final highway as the end of his life nears. After crossing a fast-moving stream, he turns and begins building a bridge across it. A fellow traveler questions his rationale for building a bridge over a chasm that he’ll never cross again. The builder turns to his fellow traveler and famously says, “This chasm that has been as naught to me, to [a] fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; He too must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building the bridge for him!”

The Book of Luke records some of the most impactful moments in Jesus’ life and ministry. It records some of his most important teachings and miracles. But through it all, the Book of Luke holds this common theme: Jesus came to earth to seek and save people who were far from God—people who were “lost.” And nowhere in the Book is this theme made more clear than it is in Luke 19 as Jesus reaches out to the Danny DeVito of Israel: a very short tax collector named Zacchaeus.

You probably remember the story. The hated tax collector wanted to get a glimpse of Jesus as he walked through Jericho. But because of the size of the crowd, and because he was vertically challenged, all he could see was the back of people’s heads. So Zacchaeus got creative. He ran up the road ahead of Jesus and climbed a sycamore fig tree. And when Jesus passed that way, Zacchaeus received the shock of his life. Not only did Jesus see him perched up in that tree—Jesus actually stopped under the tree, met his eyes and called him by name. He said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”  

Not surprisingly, the people in the crowd grumbled when they heard Jesus choose to have dinner with the person they despised the most—someone known for lying, cheating and stealing from the people. But Zacchaeus wasted no time demonstrating to Jesus that he was a changed man. He stood up and said, “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” (vs. 8). There’s no doubt: Zacchaeus was a changed man!

Now, just to be clear: Zacchaeus wasn’t saved because he generously reimbursed those whom he’d ripped off. Just like everyone else who is saved, Zacchaeus was saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. His generosity was simply his new faith in action. But consider this: When Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed the sycamore tree, he thought that he was seeking Jesus. But Jesus makes it clear in verse 10 that Jesus himself was the one doing the seeking: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

But who are the lost whom Jesus seeks? Bible scholar William Barclay gives a great answer to this question. He writes, “In the New Testament [‘lost’] does not mean damned or doomed. It simply means in the wrong place. A thing is lost when it has got out of its own place into the wrong place; and when we find such a thing, we return it to the place it ought to occupy. A man is lost when he has wandered away from God; and he is found when once again he takes his rightful place as an obedient child in the household and the family of his Father.”

This summer as I was finishing up a morning jog, I looked across the street from my house

and saw two large dogs moseying down the street. One was a German shepherd, and the other was a blood hound. I whistled for them to come over, and unlike many of the strays I’ve encountered, they actually came. They trotted across the street into my driveway, and I checked their collars. I don’t remember the name of the German shepherd, but the bloodhound was named…Bubba. So, I called the number on Bubba’s I.D. tag, closed my front gate and let my girls play with the two dogs all morning until their owner showed up to take them home. I’ve got to say: It felt really good to be a part of that family reunion. It felt really good to help return those two dogs home to their owner. But believe me, it feels even better to help people return home to God.

This past Sunday I asked our church family a very important question: “Why did God direct us to move our worship services to a new location and launch Impact Christian Church?” Is it because doing Sunday ministry in our new location will be cheaper or easier? Not at all! In fact, it’s more expensive, and it’s a lot more work for set-up. So, why did God lead us to do it? He did so because Jesus’ love for the people of Victorville compels him to seek and save the lost. And he has given you and me the incredible privilege of helping to bring our neighbors home to Jesus Christ.

So, may I be so bold as to ask: Are you a bridge builder? Are you in the business of helping others get back home?

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us for our Grand Opening at 10AM on Sunday, October 6th at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.