What the Church Needs Now

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” – 1 Corinthians 13:1

In the spring of 1965, Jackie DeShannon released a song that rocketed into Billboard’s Top 10 hits. The song was titled, “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”

 

Those words are just as true today as they were 61 years ago: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love.” And in the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13, we can almost hear the Apostle Paul saying, “What the church needs now is love, sweet love.”

 

Many Christians, if they were asked to name their favorite chapter in the Bible, would answer: “1 Corinthians 13 … the love chapter.” This beautiful chapter is often read at weddings. But Paul didn’t write this chapter with weddings in mind. He wrote it as a vital part of his teaching about spiritual gifts.

 

The Corinthian Christians were very gifted Christians. In 1 Corinthians 1:7 Paul wrote, “You do not lack any spiritual gift.” The problem was, they were carrying out their gifts in a self-centered, competitive way. In other words, they were using their gifts without “agape” – God’s kind of love. And as a result, the exercise of their spiritual gifts did more harm than good.

 

Agape love is the highest and hardest kind of love, because it’s a love that continues no matter how badly it’s treated. It’s a selfless, unconditional love that perseveres even when it’s not reciprocated. Agape love says, “I love you so much that I will lay down my life for you even if you spit in my face and put me through hell.”

 

Jesus Christ wants us to understand that THIS the kind of love is the secret sauce that makes our gifts truly effective. Our serving MUST be fueled by a Christlike love that is humble, selfless and doesn’t expect anything in return – a love that puts your needs above my needs.

 

As you serve the Lord, remember these 3 lessons:

 

Lesson #1: Instead of desiring spiritual gifts you haven’t been given, desire to lovingly use the spiritual gifts you HAVE been given. When the Holy Spirit handed out spiritual gifts, He gave you just what you needed to do just what He’s called you to do. So, accept your gift. Thank God for your gift. And use your spiritual gift to serve others in love.  

 

Lesson #2: Don’t cheapen your spiritual gifts by using them without agape love. It’s much easier to be religious than it is to be loving. It’s much easier to condemn sinners than it is to love them. But God in heaven, and your church family here on earth, deserve nothing less than your very best love: agape love.

 

Lesson #3: Never forget: Everything Minus Love = NOTHING. In 1 Cor. 13:1-3, Paul is saying, “I don’t CARE how great your spiritual gift is, it’s ‘nothing’ without agape love! You could be the world’s best Bible teacher. It doesn’t matter! You could be a better prophet than Daniel. Who cares? It’s all useless if agape love isn’t flowing through your service to God’s children.”

 

If you REALLY love God and REALLY love your church family, whatever spiritual gift you have, it’s that love that will REALLY fuel your ministry.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Get Those Kids in Church!

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.” - Hebrews 10:24-25

 

For years, historians and researchers have warned us that Christianity is dying in America.

Study after study has confirmed that belief in God, church attendance, and commitment to biblical values are ALL on the decline. In 2019, the year before the Covid-19 lockdowns, 3,000 new churches opened in America. That sounds great until you realize that 4,500 existing churches closed. And during the pandemic, the situation went from bad to worse.

 

Why? Researchers agree that the biggest reason is the growing number of “nones” in our country. In recent years, researchers have started using this term as a label for people who don’t claim any religion. Some “nones” are atheists; others are agnostics; still others say they’re religious but don’t identify with any specific religion.

 

Since the year 2000, the number of “nones” in America has grown dramatically across all age groups—but especially the younger generations. According to a 2021 Barna Group study, about half of Generation Z (those between ages 14 and 29) claim to be Christians … but around 30% of them claim no religion at all. Some studies show that number over 40%.

 

And here’s an even scarier number. According to Barna’s research, only 4% of those 14-to-29-year-olds have a biblical worldview. In other words, although over 50% of Generation Z claim to be Christians, only 4 out of every 100 actually believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and that Jesus is the only path to salvation.

 

It didn’t have to be this way. Parents, to a very large extent, it’s our own darn fault. Not only have we failed to teach our kids God’s Word every day in our homes, we have failed to surround our kids with other Christians who are ready and willing to teach them God’s Word at church.

 

We haven’t maintained our commitment to the Church – the Bride of Christ – and we haven’t taught our kids about commitment to church. And if you’re worried that “dragging them to church” will chase them away from God, believe me: There’s a much higher likelihood of them walking away from God if they’re not in church at all.

 

God’s Word in Hebrews 10:24 is clear: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” And that begins at home. You’ve taught your kids to persevere in school work, in their chores and in brushing their teeth. Now, teach them to persevere in the most important way: Teach them to persevere with the Church to bring honor and glory to God. 

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You the Church’s Missing Body Part?

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

You’ve probably heard the Church referred to as the body of believers. There’s a good reason for that.

 

Ever since Jesus ascended into heaven, the Church has been His continuing incarnation – the Body of Christ – on earth. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, the Apostle Paul emphasizes this important truth: Just as in a human body there are many individual parts, in the Church there are many individual parts that form one Body.

 

So it isn’t surprising that Paul uses body parts as an illustration for spiritual gifts: “There are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” … On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (vs. 20-22).

 

God’s word makes it clear that all spiritual gifts are equally important, and every Christian is given at least one when they are saved and the Holy Spirit enters them. But parts of Christ’s body are asleep on the job, because not all members of the Body exercise their spiritual gifts.

 

In verses 14-26, Paul tackles the two most common reasons Christians give when they don’t use their spiritual gifts in a ministry:

 

Reason #1 (vs. 14-20): Some Christians feel they have nothing worthwhile to contribute. They believe their gift is expendable. Many Christians have a spiritual gift inferiority complex. One of Satan’s greatest schemes, especially since Covid, is to convince Christians that the church will get along just fine without them. But according to verse 22, your contribution to the Body of Christ is “indispensable.” Can the Body of Christ function without you? Yes, but it will only function as well as your body could function with only one foot or one arm. The Body of Christ will always be a bit handicapped—falling short of its true potential—when Christians sit on the sidelines.

 

Reason #2 (vs. 21-26): Some Christians feel they are so gifted that they don’t need the help of other Christians to do great ministry. Instead of a spiritual gift inferiority complex, the Christians Paul talks about in verses 21-26 have a superiority complex. Far too many Christians think that when it comes to using their spiritual gift, the rest of the Church is expendable.

 

Back when the Son of God walked this earth in the flesh, He was the whole spiritual gifts package. He had EVERY spiritual gift. But in verses 29-30, Paul makes it clear that no one Christian has EVERY gift. And that is by design. God doesn’t want ME to be a one-man band. Jesus doesn’t want YOU to be a member of a one-person church. You need the Church, and the Church needs you.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Can I Trade in my Spiritual Gift?

“A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other…. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7 & 11

If you’re a Christian, you have at least one spiritual gift. You weren’t born with it. You didn’t inherit it from your parents. And no one taught it to you in high school.

 

So, where did it come from? According to Pastor John MacArthur, spiritual gifts are “supernatural endowments” given to Christians by God’s “Holy Spirit.” Pastor MacArthur also highlights the PURPOSE of spiritual gifts: “They are God’s supernatural provision for the edification of the church and the evangelization of the world.”

 

Going back to God’s Word, the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12: “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other…. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have” (vs. 7 & 11, New Living Translation).

 

Before we can delve into the types of spiritual gifts, we need to look at a couple of important truths from these verses:

 

Truth #1: The Holy Spirit alone decides which Christian gets which gift, and the Holy Spirit is never wrong. You don’t get to choose your spiritual gift – and it’s a good thing. I guarantee you, the Holy Spirit did a better job of picking your gift than you would. One of my spiritual gifts is pastoring. And honestly, there have been times over the years, when things were tough, that I wished I could trade in that spiritual gift for a different one! But I know now that God has always had me right where He wanted me to be, equipped with just the right gifts to do what He called me to do. The same is true of you.

 

Truth #2: Your spiritual gift isn’t for YOU; it’s for the other Christians around you. I love to teach God’s Word. But the enjoyment I get from using my spiritual gift of teaching is simply an added bonus. Our spiritual gifts are, first and foremost, for our Christian brothers and sisters in the church. However, as you faithfully use your spiritual gifts for the good of other Christians, God will bless you with an indescribable joy. It’s a thrill to do effective, life-changing ministry right where the Holy Spirit has put you and equipped you to serve.

 

Regardless of what your specific spiritual gift is, remember, it’s a gift given to you for the good of those around you. If you’re willing to accept this truth and humbly use your gift in love for the good of your church family, the Holy Spirit will see to it that your ministry is fruitful. And, as an added bonus, He will give you joy.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Can Communion be Unholy?

“Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 11:27

When Christians gather to take the Lord’s Supper, we’re warned not to take Communion in an “unworthy manner.” But do we really know what this means? If we’re going to examine ourselves at Communion time, it would be REALLY helpful to know what we’re looking for.

 

It‘s too simple just to say, “We’re looking for sin.” Of course, we’re looking for sin in our lives. But what sins in particular does the Apostle Paul have in mind in 1 Corinthians 11, when he talks about being subject to God’s discipline and judgment at Communion time?

 

I believe there are 3 specific sins that we must search for inside ourselves before we take Communion:

 

Sin #1: The sin of going through the motions—exchanging an emotional connection with Jesus for a ritual (v. 29). This is a BIG one. Most of us know that Communion is not intended for unbelievers, because they have no relationship with Jesus. But did you also know that Communion is not intended for believers whose minds and hearts are distant from the Lord? So many Christians eat the cracker and down the grape juice without giving it much thought – without having any sort of emotional connection to Jesus. That’s unacceptable. Make sure you’re not just going through the motions when you gather with other Christians around The Lord’s Table.

 

Sin #2: The sin of holding onto unconfessed sin (v. 31). In verse 31 Paul writes: “If we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.” As I mentioned last week, Communion is the ideal time to think about the life you lived over the past week – to scrutinize your words, your actions and even your thoughts. If you realize that you have any unconfessed sin, confess it to God and ask Him for forgiveness before taking Communion.

 

Sin #3: The sin of harboring prejudice, bitterness or unforgiveness toward another Christian in the church (vs. 17-22). One of the Corinthian Christians’ big sins was prejudice. They played favorites, and the rich Christians discriminated against the poor Christians. There is NO place for prejudice or favoritism at The Lord’s Table. And there’s no place for bitterness or unforgiveness. God’s Word is very clear: “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy…. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:14-1).

 

Just like King David in Psalm 139:23-24, at Communion time we should cry out to God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

No Cliques at the Lord’s Table!

"When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk.”  – 1 Corinthians 11:20-21

Have you ever wondered: Did churches in New Testament times hold potlucks? Well, the answer is … yes!

 

Since Christians didn’t have church buildings back then, they met in homes. Some of their meetings were called “Agape Feasts,” or “Love Feasts” (Jude 12). At these love feasts, church members gathered to pool together whichever food items they wanted to share. And their big meal would culminate in taking communion together.

 

Sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? The problem was, in the church of Corinth, not everyone was getting the same helpings at the table. Some may not even have gotten a seat. Instead of using the feast as a time to bring Christ’s Church together in love and unity, they were using it as an opportunity to exclude certain Christians and selfishly stuff their own faces.

 

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul addresses the issue of confusing and disorderly potluck meals and communion services in the Corinthian church. He identifies two problems in this passage:

 

Problem #1: Your Communion Services Are Too Cliquey (vs. 17-18). The way the Christians held their love feasts and communion services was, in Paul’s words, doing “more harm than good.” The gatherings were cliquey and divisive. When we piece together the biblical and historical details, it appears that the rich brought most of the food and wine to the feast – and they weren’t ABOUT to share it with those who could only afford to contribute a couple of biscuits.

 

Problem #2: Your Communion Services Are Too Self-Centered (vs. 19-21). Paul points out one good thing about having cliques in the church: It made it easier to recognize the mature Christians. They were the ones who DIDN’T exclude certain Christians. They were the ones who denied themselves and put others first. Meanwhile, immature Christians were selfishly gorging themselves, instead of humbly sharing their food with those who needed it the most.

 

One of the clear messages in this passage is this: Having NO love feast is better than having a divisive and humiliating love feast. And skipping communion is preferrable to making a mockery of it.

 

For one reason or another, as centuries passed, Christian churches around the world stopped holding love feasts. But churches have never stopped celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. Communion always has been and always will be observed by Christians in every tongue, tribe and nation. But it must be observed by Christians who are unified, not divided; and selfless – NOT selfish.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Taking Communion … the Right Way

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23

When the Apostle Paul writes about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, it seems clear that he had the best possible teacher. Paul didn’t learn about Communion from Peter or James or John. He learned directly from Jesus. 

 

In verse 23, Paul says that what he’s about to teach us about the Lord’s Supper was something he “received from the Lord.” And when he shares what Jesus taught him, he instructs us to look in four directions. We are to Look Back; Look Ahead; Look Inside; and Look Around.

 

#1: Look Back (vs. 23-26a). When we take Communion, we need to look BACK—remembering Jesus’ body that was offered and His blood that was poured out as He died on the cross for our sins. As theologian Warren Wiersbe puts it: “It is not the life of our Lord, or His teachings, that will save sinners—but His death.” At The Lord’s Table, we look back to the cross and remember what Jesus did in love for you and me.

 

#2: Look Ahead (vs. 26b). When we take Communion, we need to look AHEAD—celebrating the fact that Jesus will one day come back to take His followers to heaven. The Lord’s Table isn’t just about respectfully remembering our Savior who died for us. It’s also about celebrating our Savior who CONQUERED death for us. Our Savior lives and will one day come back to take us home to heaven. So, Communion is a beautiful time to look ahead with the eyes of faith and celebrate our soon and coming King.

 

#3: Look Inside (vs. 27-31). When we take Communion, we need to look INSIDE—making sure that we are not taking Communion in an unworthy manner. If you are reading God’s Word each day and receiving good Bible teaching every week, believe me: The Holy Spirit WILL rebuke you discreetly. And it is up to you to heed His rebuke. Confess your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you. And turn from your sins.

 

#4: Look Around (vs. 17-22 & 33). Whenever we take Communion, we need to look AROUND—making sure to make things right with other Christians in the church. Before you take Communion, look around the room and ask yourself: “Is there anyone here today that I need to make peace with? Is there anyone that I’m out of fellowship with?” If the answer to either question is “Yes,” follow Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 5:23-25a. First, make things right with your brother or sister in Christ. Then, take Communion together.

 

As you gather with your church family to take Communion, remember that the Lord’s Supper is one of the most beautiful and meaningful parts of the worship service. But each of us must make sure to focus on Christ as we Look Back. Look Ahead. Look Inside. And Look Around. 

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person or online at 8:45 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc