Love Never Fails

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul shows us how beautifully Christ’s selfless “agape” love behaves. And in verse 8, Paul tells us in no uncertain terms that “agape” love NEVER fails.

 

To understand what Paul means, it’s important to look at this verse in several other good English translations: “Love never ends” (CSB, ESV & HCSB); and “Love will last forever” (NLT). It turns out that Paul is not saying that “agape” love is always successful. He’s saying that “agape” love never dies. Agape love is eternal.

 

In other words, agape love is not a magic key or spiritual formula that guarantees success. Like Jesus, if you love the people around you with an “agape” love, they may STILL spit in your face; they may STILL slander you; they may STILL crucify you and think they’re doing everybody a favor. But if you love those around you with an “agape” love, your love will outlast all of the world’s shenanigans.

 

Verse 13 puts a final bow on this beautiful chapter: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” In eternity, faith will become sight. So faith—at least in the sense of trusting in One who we cannot see—will become a thing of the past. And in eternity, all hope will be realized. In heaven, there will be nothing left to hope for. So, even faith and hope have an expiration date. But “agape” love doesn’t. Agape love is an integral part of the character of God. So, just like God Himself, agape love will last forever. Faith, hope and love will remain until this world passes away, but in eternity, only agape love will remain. Therefore, “the greatest of these is love.”

 

Pastor Chuck Swindoll suggests asking ourselves these 3 questions after studying this life-changing chapter:

 

Question 1: “Do you consider ‘agape’ love essential in your ministry? Is ‘agape’ love the single most important aspect in your relationship with others?” It’s easy for our love to grow cold when it’s not “agape” love. We start going through the motions. We put on a smiling face. We perform the tasks we’re supposed to do, but there’s very little love in it. You could be the most gifted and talented Christian in the church, but if you don’t have “agape” love, God’s Word says … it’s nothing. Why? Because EVERYTHING – LOVE = NOTHING.

 

Question 2: “Does your love fade in and out? Is it fickle—hot and cold? Even though ‘agape’ loving isn’t safe or easy, it must be unconditional and consistent.” We might THINK we’re loving others with an agape love, but if your love fluctuates based on how other people respond to it, that’s not “agape” love. “Agape” love isn’t based on your feelings. Agape love is a verb, an action rooted in a conscious decision to love those around you. Our love must be like Christ’s love: selfless, unconditional and consistent. 

 

Question 3: “Does ‘agape’ love come to the surface of your life more than any other virtue? In Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit, love comes first (Gal. 5:22)…. If those around you were to identify one virtue to describe you, would it be LOVE?” Honestly, I don’t know the answer to this question. People who know me tend to describe me as dedicated and hard-working. But would “loving” be on the tip of their tongues? I’m not sure it would. So, the Holy Spirit and I have some work to do on me. And you and the Holy Spirit have some work to do on you.

 

It’s easy to talk to people about how much Jesus loves them. But we must roll up our sleeves and start showing them Jesus’ selfless, sacrificial, unconditional “agape” love.   

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services at 9am: at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville, or at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Why Did You Come to Church on Easter?

"So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.” – Matthew 28:15

A week ago Sunday, most Christian churches saw their biggest attendance day of the year. People who rarely, if ever, attend showed up in droves. And we might ask ourselves … why?

Let’s take a look who came to Jesus’ grave that first Easter morning. Most of us think first of the group of women who went to Jesus’ tomb. They came to anoint Jesus’ grave cloths with spices and oils as a sign of respect and love.

But those devoted women were beaten to the tomb by about 24 hours – by Roman guards. Governor Pilate had ordered the tomb guarded to make sure Jesus’ disciples couldn’t steal the body and claim that he’d risen from the dead. So, when the women arrived, the guards were already there.

None of them knew yet that the tomb was empty – until an angel appeared, rolled back the stone and sat on it. The guards were so terrified that they were frozen in place—so scared they couldn’t even run away.

While the women left to share the good news with the disciples, the guards finally got moving as well. Some of them went to the city and told the Jewish leaders what had happened. The leaders hastily devised a plan. They gave the soldiers “a large sum of money”—likely a year’s wages—and ordered them to keep their mouths shut (v. 12). So, the soldiers took the money and obeyed their orders. That was their story, and they were paid well to stick to it.

But the soldiers knew the truth. And so did the women. And later that day, so did Jesus’ apostles. Within a few short years, Christianity swept across three continents, because the fact of the resurrection was plain to see.

Now, I want to ask you two very important questions:

Question #1: Did you go to an Easter service because you were somehow PAID to be there … or because you WANTED to be there? The soldiers were at the tomb because they were PAID to be there. The women were at the tomb because they WANTED to be there. Last week, many Americans came to church because a family member pretty much made them come. Others might have come because they were serving lunch afterward. Still others came for an Easter Egg Hunt, prize giveaways or free entertainment.

Question #2: Are you walking past a goldmine of eternal treasure for a few quick bucks? As the Roman guards left the temple with a bag of cash, they thought they’d struck it rich. They ran past a goldmine to pick up a few pennies. That’s how it is when we choose money over Jesus, when we choose goods over God, when we choose the temporary things of earth over the eternal things of heaven. We don’t go to church with our families each week because we don’t feel like it. We’ve got more important things to do.

Are you more like a paid soldier who was at the tomb for the money, or are you like one of Jesus’ followers who came because they truly loved Jesus? I pray that when you come to church, it’s because you WANT to be there. I pray that instead of toying with Jesus Christ, you come to trust in Him and follow Him.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Join us for Sunday services in person or online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

A Savior for the Nobodies

“It is true! The Lord has risen.” – Luke 24:32

Tomorrow we celebrate Easter – the day when those first followers of Jesus Christ witnessed the greatest event in human history.

 

Jesus was dead … or so everyone thought. But the women who came to anoint Jesus’ body that first Easter found an empty tomb – and a living Jesus. Soon afterward, Jesus appeared to His disciples. Most of us remember those stories. But today, let’s look at one of Jesus’ less-talked-about appearances following His resurrection: His appearance to two men on the road to Emmaus.

 

We know almost nothing about these men, except that they were followers of Jesus, and that they were walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus (Luke 24:13). Why spend so much time on Jesus’ appearance to these two nobodies?

 

Only two verses in Matthew are dedicated to Jesus’ appearance to the women at the tomb. Just seven verses in John are spent on Jesus’ appearance to 10 disciples in the upper room that evening. But a whopping 23 verses are devoted to Jesus’ appearance to two unknown Christians on the road to Emmaus. Why?

 

Scripture doesn’t really tell us, but here are three several life lessons that I believe help us get closer understanding the reason.

 

Life Lesson #1: Jesus doesn’t only care about celebrities. He’s a living Savior for nobodies as well. I’m no Apostle Peter, Martin Luther or Billy Graham. And I am SO grateful that Jesus wasn’t born just for the great saints. He was also born for you and me. He died for you, and He conquered death on Easter morning … for YOU. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

 

Life Lesson #2: Jesus is drawn to those who are humble and teachable. In verse 25, Jesus told the two men, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” That is NOT a compliment. But these two Christians didn’t get offended. They remained humble and teachable. And as a result, their lives were forever changed.

 

Life Lesson #3: Jesus is looking for dedicated followers who will go and tell others the Good News. During his three-year ministry, Jesus often told the people he healed not to blab about it to anyone. But after His resurrection, Jesus urged His followers to tell everyone about Him. And that’s just what these two men from Emmaus did. They rushed to tell the others that Jesus is risen, just as He said.

 

These two men knew the Good News was worth sharing right away. Because Jesus Christ conquered sin on Good Friday and conquered death on Easter Sunday, you and I can live forever. You can’t keep that good news to yourself. Tell a family member. Tell a friend. Tell EVERYONE! And bring them with you to church tomorrow to find out more.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us for  our Easter service tomorrow at 9 a.m. with an Easter Egg Hunt afterward for the kids. Impact meets at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Or, join us online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

5 More Ways to Show God’s Love

“[Love] is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

– 1 Corinthians 13:5-6 

God’s kind of love – “agape” – isn’t easy. It’s hard … REALLY hard.

 

But Jesus Christ has called us to love as He loves: with an unconditional, others-centered, agape love. It’s far and away the best kind of love. So, as Christians, we must stay determined to love God and people with agape.

 

Picking up from last week’s article, I’d like to share five more ways that God’s love behaves:

 

Love is not self-seeking (v. 5). It’s impossible for agape love to be self-absorbed and self-seeking, because agape is all about putting the needs of others above itself. The online BibleRef.com commentary on 1 Corinthians 13:5 makes this excellent point: “Much of the Corinthian church’s problems would have disappeared if they focused on looking for ways to meet each other’s needs before satisfying their own.” If you want to squander your life and be quickly forgotten after you die, here’s the secret: Just live for yourself.

 

Love is not easily angered (v. 5). The CSB and ESV translate Paul’s words this way: Love “is not irritable.” Love does not lose its cool over small irritants. We all know that Jesus got angry at times. When his 12 disciples were chasing off the children who were coming to Jesus, Jesus got angry. When Jesus drove out the money changers and venders from the temple courts, He was really angry. But Jesus never got angry for selfish reasons. He got angry for righteous reasons. He got angry for the glory of God and the good of those around Him.

 

Love keeps no record of wrongs (v. 5). Paul uses an interesting Greek word here: “logizesthai.” In Paul’s day, this was a word accountants used to describe writing down a transaction on a ledger and reckoning it to someone. So, Paul is saying that agape doesn’t keep a mental note of everything someone did that was mean or hurtful. Agape doesn’t hold grudges, and it “keeps no record of wrongs.”

 

Love does not delight in evil (v. 6). Sadly, our culture finds sin entertaining. Horror movies make hundreds of millions of dollars every year, and we have a $15 billion pornography industry in America. Why? Because we find bloody murder and illicit sex entertaining. Now, many Christians would say, “That doesn’t apply to ME!” But what about gossip? One of the most common ways that Christians delight in evil is by listening to gossip. Do you realize that gossips wouldn’t do much harm if you weren’t so eagerly listening to them? Agape love never delights in evil. Agape love never rejoices in wrongdoing or in gossip.

Love rejoices with the truth (v. 5). Remember that in John 14:6, Jesus told His disciples, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Therefore, agape love rejoices in Jesus. Jesus Christ IS love’s delight. 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us for Good Friday tomorrow night at 6pm, and for our Easter service this Sunday at 9 a.m. with an Easter Egg Hunt afterward for the kids. Impact meets at 17746 George Blvd. in Victorville. Or, join us online at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

What God’s Love Looks Like

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
– 1 Corinthians 13:4

How does God love? And how can we love the way Jesus loves?

As I mentioned last week, there are very clear differences between God’s kind of love – “Agape” in Greek – and all other kinds of love.

 

First is “Eros” love: the romantic, sensual love we hear so much about in our songs and movies. But “Eros” is a love that tends to be selfish. “Eros” love says, “I love you because you have something desirable that I want.”

 

Second is “Phileo” love: a mutual love between family members or friends. “Phileo” love says, “I love you, knowing that you also love me.”

 

Third is “Agape” – God’s kind of love. It’s a selfless, unconditional love that has no strings attached. Agape love says, “I love you so much that I will put your needs above my needs – even if you spit in my face and put me through hell.”

 

In 1 Corinthians 13, The Apostle Paul describes how agape behaves. In verse 4, he lays out the first five qualities of God’s love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”

 

You and I desperately need to behave more like Jesus. We need to be more patient—taking anything from others—and more kind—giving generously to others, even to our enemies. When Jesus commanded us to love one another, He wasn’t just commanding us to THINK kind thoughts and FEEL kind feelings about one another. He was commanding us to actually BE kind one to another.

 

Not to envy means that agape love always wants the very BEST for the other person – even if it’s at your own expense. And boasting – bragging about the things we have, or our accomplishments – is the total opposite of God’s love. Pastor John MacArthur writes: “Jesus, who had everything to boast of, never boasted. In total contrast, we who have nothing to boast of are prone to boast. Only the love that comes from Jesus Christ can save us from flaunting our knowledge, our abilities, our gifts, or our accomplishments.”

 

And just as envy and boasting can’t coexist with agape love, neither can arrogance. You can either have a big arrogant head, or you can have a big loving heart. You can’t have both. Which will it be for you?

 

Here are 3 Life Lessons we can take from this verse:

 

Lesson #1: If you’re going to love, don’t love the way our culture loves – love the way Christ loves.

 

Lesson #2: In our culture, where impatience and unkindness are all around us, Christ’s followers must swim against the tide. Our patience with impatient people and our kindness to unkind people should be unmatched.

 

Lesson #3: If we truly love God and people, we will work with the Holy Spirit to root out pride, jealousy and bragging from our lives. We must, in humility, value others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

 

Christians, since most people around us have no clue what “agape” love looks like in the real world, let’s show them. Let’s show them real patience and kindness, without even a hint of jealousy, bragging or arrogance.

 

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.

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.