Are You a Good Role Model?

“In Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” – 1 Corinthians 4:15-16

 

In the book of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul spends a lot of time rebuking the Corinthian Christians for their pride and divisiveness. As Paul confronts them with the Word of God, the sinful thoughts and attitudes of their hearts are being exposed, which is uncomfortable—even painful. That’s why Paul says what he says in 1 Corinthians 4:14: “I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you.”

 

In the first three chapters of his letter, Paul has called his Corinthian readers “brothers” three times. But here in chapter 4, he basically says: “I don’t just think of you as my ‘brothers.’ I also consider you to be my own dear children whom I love.” Isn’t that something? Regardless of how messed up the Corinthian Christians were, Paul didn’t reject them. Instead, he tenderly reminded them that they were his spiritual kids. Paul didn’t hate them. He actually loved them.

 

Part of what Paul is saying is that he encourages and mentors those he pastors in much the same way that a father would encourage and mentor his own son. But it’s more than that. As Pastor John MacArthur puts it: “A father, by definition, is a man who has children…. Every believer should be a spiritual father, God’s instrument for bringing new lives into His kingdom.”

 

In verse 16, Paul takes the next logical step: “Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” Think for a moment about how many dads across America tell their kids, “Do as I say, not at I do.” For Paul it was never, “Do as I say, not as I do.” It was, “Do as Jesus says, and I’ll show you by MY life how to do it. By God’s grace, I’m walking the walk. So, follow in the footsteps of your spiritual father. I urge you to imitate me.”

 

Whether or not you realize it, you have followed in someone else’s spiritual footsteps, and somebody else is following in yours. Every one of us needs to have a spiritual father in our lives, and each of us needs to be a spiritual father to at least one other Christian. 

 

Now, we can’t just step it up at church. John MacArthur reminds us: “Our children … know firsthand if we are living up to what we are trying to teach them…. Discipling is more than teaching right principles; it is also living those principles before the ones being discipled” (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12). Christian parents MUST set a godly example for our kids and grandkids of how to live out our faith. If we teach with our words, but not with our lives, we should not be surprised if our kids and grandkids end up walking away from the church.

 

As Christians, every one of us needs to, in the words of theologian Preben Vang, “be in both camps at the same time.” You and I need to FIND good Christian role models to follow while BEING good Christian models for others to follow. One of the greatest joys in ministry is to see your spiritual children following Jesus every bit as well as you follow Him.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You Arrogant or Humble?

“What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” – 1 Corinthians 4:7

Are you an arrogant Christian?

 

Of course, our kneejerk response is to say, “I’m not an arrogant Christian! I’m a humble Christian!” But not so fast. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any trace of pride or arrogance that we’re still harboring in our hearts.

 

In 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul writes: “Dear brothers and sisters, I have used Apollos and myself to illustrate what I’ve been saying. If you pay attention to what I have quoted from the Scriptures, you won’t be proud of one of your leaders at the expense of another.”

 

Pastor John MacArthur writes: “God’s faithful servants are to receive proper honor and respect…. But they are to be honored only within such bounds of Scripture. Godly respect turns into ungodly exaltation when we exceed what is written…. As is often the case, the leaders were exalted [by the Corinthians] for the followers’ own sakes, not for the leaders’ sakes.”

You see, when we boast and brag about how amazing our pastor is or how much better our church is than another Christian’s church, we aren’t just lifting our pastor or our church on a pedestal; we’re really lifting OURSELVES on a pedestal. At the root of church disunity and division is selfish pride and arrogance.

 

To find out which type of Christian you are, Paul asks three tough questions in verse 7:

 

Question #1: “For who regards you as superior or what sets you apart as special?” (Amplified Bible translation) Paul’s implied answer is, “No one! If you think you’re superior to other Christians, or if you think your pastor and your church are superior to every other Christian pastor and church, it’s just your pride-filled imagination.”

 

Question #2: “What do you have that you did not receive?” And Paul’s implied answer is … “Nothing! Everything you have, you have received. Everything you have is a gift from God.”

 

Question #3: “If you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” Everyone and everything in the Corinthians’ church was a gift from God. They didn’t EARN their church leaders. They didn’t DESERVE their salvation. It was all GOD’S doing, not their own. So, what was there for the Corinthian Christians to brag about? Nothing! 

 

So, what kind of Christian are you? If you have a tendency to lift up your pastor and/or church higher than God ever intended, you likely have more pride in your heart than you imagined. May each of us check our egos at the door and strive to be a humble servant whose only concern is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Who’s Judging You?

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes.”
– 1 Corinthians 4:5

In the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul addresses one of the biggest problems in the Corinthian Church: They were cliquey and judgy. Some of their pastors and leaders, they treated like royalty. Others, they pushed aside like last week's garbage. 

 

So, in 1 Corinthians 4, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians – and you and me today – the proper way for us to view our church leaders: “as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (v. 1).  In other words, church leaders are the lowest slaves … while at the same time being the most trusted stewards.

 

As a pastor – Jesus’ servant and a steward of God’s Word – Christ hasn’t called me to be popular. He hasn’t even called me to be successful. He’s simply called me to be FAITHFUL. And the same is true of God’s calling on YOUR life. On Judgment Day Jesus won’t say to us, “Well done, popular and successful servant.” If we are faithful to our calling, He will say, “Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant.”

 

In verses 4 and 5, Paul describes three different judgments that he was subjected to:

 

#1: The judgment of OTHERS. Paul makes it clear in verse 3 that it bothers him “very little” when he is judged by others. As one translation puts it, “I couldn’t care less if I’m judged by you or by any human court.” Paul wasn’t living for the praise of man. He was living for the praise of God. And he understood better than most that man’s evaluations of his life and ministry were flawed. So, when Paul was in the center of God’s will, and he KNEW he was in the center of God’s will, he ignored the judgments of others.

 

#2: The judgment of HIMSELF. Paul didn’t stop there. He even ignored his own judgment of himself for the same reason. He understood that his own evaluation of his life and ministry could be just as tainted and flawed as others’ evaluations. As a pastor I’ll admit that at times, I’m my own worst critic. But even I won’t get to chime in and criticize myself when I stand before God on Judgment Day. What a relief!

 

#3: The judgment of GOD. On Judgment Day, others’ opinions of your life and ministry will be irrelevant. Even your OWN opinions will be irrelevant. The only evaluation that will matter is the evaluation of Jesus. That’s why we must faithfully carry out our assigned duties as servants of Jesus. That way, when you’re criticized by others, you can stand with Paul and say with faith and joy: “It is the Lord who judges me.”

 

Like Paul, I have decided to leave the judging up to the Lord. He is my perfect Judge. And He’s your perfect Judge too.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You Neglecting God’s Temple?

“God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” – 1 Corinthians 3:17b

In 1 Corinthians 3:16 Paul uses a powerful metaphor that speaks volumes about how vital Christian unity is: Together, we are God’s Temple.

 

Most of us are familiar with the passage that tells us our own individual bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But did you know there are more Scriptures in the New Testament that speak about the Church being the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 3:16, Eph. 2:21 and 2 Cor. 6:16) than there are about our individual bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit? Most Christians overlook this clear teaching of Scripture … because, deep down, many Christians in America believe that while Jesus is necessary, the Church is expendable.

 

And for Christians who DO prioritize the Church, we avoid teachings about the Church being God’s temple because it’s uncomfortable. We don’t like to talk about the damage we’ve done to God’s temple through our infighting and complaining. Like the Christians in 1 Corinthians 3, we defile the Church – the temple of the Holy Spirit – when we sow seeds of disunity and division among Christians.

 

Fortunately, in verses 18-23, Paul tells us how to gain and maintain unity in our church … in four steps:

 

Step #1: We must have a proper view of ourselves (vs. 18-20). Many of the Corinthian Christians were intellectual snobs, still chasing after worldly wisdom and holding themselves above other Christians. So, how do we keep from being intellectual snobs? Paul answers, “View yourself as a “fool so that [you] may become wise” (v. 18). To “become a fool” means to check your ego at the door and be humble enough to learn.

 

Step #2: We must have a proper view of our leaders and teachers (vs. 21-22a). The Corinthian Christians were caught up in the cult of personality. They argued and boasted that their leader was the best, whether it was Paul, Peter or someone else. And Paul responds in verse 21, “No more boasting about men!” Paul urges Christians to stop placing their favorite leaders on pedestals and shining a spotlight on them. Only Jesus Christ deserves the spotlight.

 

Step #3: We must have a proper view of the world (v. 21-22). Paul tells us, “All things are yours, whether … the world or life or death or the present or the future.” Christians SHOULD enjoy life and the beauty of God’s creation. But Christians should also enjoy death (in God’s perfect timing), because when our physical bodies die, we remain spiritually alive – transported to be with Christ. That’s why Paul ends verse 22 by pointing out that the future is ours to enjoy. Because of Christ, we don’t just have the gift of the present – we also have the gift of the future.

 

Step #4: We must have a proper view of God (v. 23). It is in Christ that we find our proper view of everything. Only when we fix our eyes on Christ—the author and perfecter of our faith— can we truly eliminate division in the church and be the temple of the Holy Spirit that Jesus has called us to be.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You Building With Straw?

“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
– 1 Corinthians 3:11

When they started building the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in 1135, it was never intended to lean. But five years into construction, the building began to tilt. The architect and engineer tried to correct the lean by making the remaining stories shorter on the uphill side, but it just kept getting worse.

 

Over the next 600 years, engineers realized that the tower wasn’t just leaning. It was actually FALLING, at a rate of 1 to 2 millimeters per year. Finally, from 1990 to 2001, a team of experts worked together to save the tower. If something hadn’t been done, the tower most likely would have toppled over by now.

 

Do you know WHY the leaning tower leans? It has a weak foundation. The foundation is only 10 feet deep – far too shallow for such a tall building. To make matters worse, the tower was built on spongy marsh soil.

 

In 1 Corinthians 3, the Apostle Paul speaks of laying a foundation and constructing a building. But he’s not talking about building a chapel, a prayer room or a cathedral. He’s talking about building the Church – the body of believers who follow Jesus Christ. Together as a church, you and I – and Christians all over the world – are a building under construction. We are God’s building.

 

And Paul makes it very clear verses 10 and 11 that he laid a rock-solid foundation for the Church. Its foundation was and is Jesus Christ, and that foundation can NOT be changed. Even if someone WANTED to change the Church’s foundation, he/she couldn’t. The foundation of Christ crucified is firmly set in place.

 

However, there is still a way to sabotage Christ’s great building project. All you have to do is construct a shoddy building on top of the quality foundation. Therefore, Paul writes in verse 10, “Each one should be careful how he builds.” In verse 12, Paul gives three examples of quality building materials: gold, silver and costly stones; and three examples of substandard building materials: wood, hay and straw. Bottom line: There are wood churches filled with hay Christians, and there are gold churches filled with precious stones.

 

As we work together to serve God, we need to ask ourselves: Are we building something of quality that will last, or are we building something shoddy that will topple? Contrary to popular belief, a solid gold church isn’t necessarily one that is big and looks successful to the world. Many big, successful-looking churches are wood, hay and straw in God’s eyes. They are built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ crucified, but because they don’t preach, teach and uncompromisingly live out the enduring word of the Lord, they are wood, hay and straw.

 

In God’s eyes, quality building is building that centers on the Word of God, especially the gospel. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.”

 

Therefore, as you serve Christ, give Him your very best. And as you serve Him with your church family, give Him your very best. Build on the solid rock foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaim the enduring Word of God that is more precious than gold, silver and costly stones.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Grow Up!

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things.” – 1 Corinthians 13:11

Have you ever known someone who was really immature—someone who did NOT act their age? In an article in “Christianity Today,” Jen Wilkin tells about one of the most immature people she and her husband ever met. Her name was Charlotte.

 

Wilkins writes: “From the moment we stepped into her space, it was all about her. She demanded our full attention day and night. Forget rational arguments or the needs of others; it was The Charlotte Show, 24/7. She thought only of herself and demanded loudly and often that her needs be met. Our schedules bowed to her every whim. She uttered not a word of gratitude…. And we didn’t mind one bit. Because all 7 pounds and 15 ounces of her was doing exactly what she should.”

 

Then, Jen Wilkin adds: “What is appropriate in an infant is appalling in an adult.” And in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul has to call out the Corinthian Christians and tell them: “You’re acting like spoiled brats! Knock it off!”

 

Even after being saved for several years, the Corinthian Christians were still hanging out in the spiritual nursery. They were still immature. That was a tragedy in the church in Paul’s day, and it’s a tragedy in the Christian Church today.

 

So, Paul tells the Corinthian Christians in verses 1-3a: “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly — mere infants in Christ.  I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.”

 

“Milk” in God’s Word includes the entry-level teaching that new Christians should be able to digest easily with the help of the Holy Spirit – for instance, the basic Gospel message about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, as well as the beloved Bible stories about Noah, Moses and Jonah. That’s all MILK! “Solid food” is the deeper doctrine that helps us to better understand God so that we can more effectively trust, love and obey Jesus Christ. Learning how Jesus uses the cross to transform you so that you can join Him in His great ministry here on earth—that’s solid food.

 

In these verses, Paul reveals the two main characteristics of immature Christians: #1) They refuse to dig deep into God’s Word (vs. 1-2). #2) Immature Christians’ thinking and behavior are indistinguishable from that of non-Christians (vs. 3-4). As theologian John MacArthur warns, “Spiritual truths that we ignore and neglect will become less and less remembered and meaningful…. Nothing causes us to ignore God’s truth more than not living it.”

 

Christians, use it or lose it! If you don’t want to lose what you’ve been learning in God’s Word recently, you’ve gotta live it out. If you don’t live it out, you will neglect it and will most likely forget it. Jesus Christ gave His life for you. So, how can you help but dive into the deep end and live your life for Him?

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, now meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

God’s Secret Wisdom

 “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ … these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.” – 1 Corinthians 2:9

Is it REALLY so hard to believe the Gospel message – that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son? And is it REALLY so hard to believe that this same Jesus desires to live inside you and continue His great work through you?

 

For many people, the answer is … YES. In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul reveals the main reason so many smart people don’t believe the gospel message. They don’t believe it, because they don’t understand it. And they don’t understand it, because God has hidden its true wisdom from them. Why would He do that?

 

One reason is found in 1 Corinthians 1:29: “So that no one can boast before Him.” If there’s one thing that God hates, it’s pride. So, if someone comes to God proud, puffed up and full of himself, God will intentionally hide the wisdom of the cross from him. But if you come to God with a humble heart and a teachable spirit, the outcome will be very different. His Holy Spirit will reveal to you the wisdom that, because of your former arrogance, was once hidden from you.

 

When someone comes to God with a humble heart, sees the truth of the cross and accepts Jesus as Lord, wisdom begins. But it’s ONLY the beginning. The Word of God has been described as a river: Certain parts are very shallow, where even a little lamb can safely get a drink of water. Other parts of the river are deep enough for an elephant to disappear under the depths. As Christians, we shouldn’t spend our entire lives only sipping in the shallow end.

 

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, Paul writes: “As it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ … these are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit.” In Old Testament times, no one was able to see, hear or even imagine the cross of Jesus and what it would mean to hopeless sinners like you and me. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we have been blessed with insight and understanding. We can experience God’s love in a way that no one in ages past could.

 

Jesus Christ has blessed every Christian with the gift of His Holy Spirit for many reasons, including THIS reason in verse 12: “that we may understand what God has freely given us.” The Holy Spirit has access to all of God’s wisdom and understands every bit of it. So, if you’re a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is your COUNSELOR, giving you the best advice; your REMINDER, reminding you of what Jesus has taught you in Scripture; and your TEACHER, teaching you about who God is and what He requires of you. The Holy Spirit gives you insight and wisdom you could never have had on your own. To God be the glory!

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, now meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Get Out of the Spotlight!

 “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom…. I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

– 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

 

Scottish pastor John Hutton shared the story of a man who was known as a drunkard and a lowlife. But to everyone’s surprise, one day he gave his life to Christ.

 

His drinking buddies thought he had lost his mind. They said, “Surely you can’t believe in the miracles that the Bible talks about. You don’t actually believe that Jesus turned water into wine!” The new Christian responded, “I don’t know if he turned water into wine. But in my own house, I have seen Him turn beer into furniture.”

 

The new Christian didn’t waste his time arguing with his unbelieving friends. He just pointed to his own transformed life.

 

And in the First Century, the Apostle Paul took a similar approach. The unbelievers in Corinth didn’t get saved because Paul was a stronger debater than all their intellectuals and philosophers. They got saved through the simple, foolish-sounding gospel message about Jesus Christ dying on the cross for their sins. Paul knew that people don’t get saved because you can out-debate them.

 

Paul makes it clear that when he was in Corinth, he did not preach the gospel “with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” (1 Corinthians 1:17). If Paul had let his high I.Q. and oratory skills take center stage, Paul would have gotten the glory, not Jesus. And that, my friends, is a sin. As we do ministry, Jesus alone must be in the spotlight.

 

In chapter 2, Paul continues: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 1-2).

 

The Corinthians had seen plenty of professional speakers and philosophers who would “wow” audiences with their amazing speeches. But Paul refused to be an entertainer or a showman who took the spotlight for himself. Instead, he consistently shined the spotlight on Jesus Christ, basically saying, “Look at Him, not at me! Look at what Christ has done! Look at HIM!”

 

Paul writes, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power” (vs. 4-5). And how did Paul’s preaching demonstrate the Spirit’s power? Here’s the answer in two words: CHANGED LIVES.

 

A transformed life is the greatest evidence of the true wisdom and power of the gospel. When Jesus Christ takes hold of a hard human heart and turns beer into furniture, there’s no evidence more convincing than that. The world’s most inspiring sermons will not persuade your family and friends to accept Jesus Christ as much as your changed life will.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, now meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc

How to Correct a Christian

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10

The Corinthian church was messed up and needed fixing.

 

So in the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Corinth, he has his work cut out for him. But before he starts digging into their problems, he spends several verses letting his Corinthian church family know how much he thanks God for them.

 

Paul’s approach in 1 Corinthians 1 reveals this beautiful principle: Before you rebuke or correct a Christian brother or sister, you should reach out to them in love, as Paul does in verse 4: “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”

 

Then, before Paul lowers the boom with his first rebuke, he writes: “He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful” (vs. 8-9). Paul lets his readers know that their current failures are NOT permanent failures, because God is at work! He won’t let them become eternal failures. Because “God … is faithful.”

 

Only then does Paul move on to the Corinthians’ first big problem: disunity. Schisms and quarrels were taking place within the church, breaking it up into had no fewer than four factions. They were becoming “groupies” for their favorite church leader. Warren Wiersbe says it so well: “Instead of emphasizing the message … the Corinthians emphasized the messenger.” These divisions had brought the church to the brink of a spiritual divorce.

 

As he pleads with the church for unity (v. 10) , Paul reminds the Corinthians that there is only one Christ in Christianity (v. 13). There is only one Savior who was crucified for you. And He is the ONLY one into whose name believers are baptized.

 

Here are three lessons we can draw from this passage: 

 

Lesson #1: Before you rebuke or correct a Christian brother or sister, share your heart with them and let them know how much you thank God for them. Every Christian needs a rebuke or correction at one time or another. So, never forget this important principle. 

 

Lesson #2: By Christ’s grace, your current failures aren’t permanent failures. The God who was faithful to save you is also faithful to sustain you. You are a work in progress – and so is your Christian brother or sister. God’s still working on you, and God’s still working on them. And God WILL be faithful to finish His work.

 

Lesson #3: Refuse to be a church leader’s “groupie.” Just be a committed follower of Christ and a unifying servant in His Church. Don’t follow men. Follow Jesus. And don’t put servants of Jesus up on a pedestal where only Jesus deserves to be.

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, now meeting Sundays at 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

What Should a Church Look Like?

 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42

There’s no doubt: The 1st Century Jerusalem Church was one of the impactful churches in history. Without it, Christianity as we know it today would not exist.

 

In Acts 2, at the start of the Day of Pentecost, there were only around 120 Christians in Jerusalem. But by the end of the day, there were 3,120. God’s Word is clear that the cause of this explosive growth was the Holy Spirit, who descended on the church just as Jesus had promised. Acts 2:41 tells us that 3,000 people got saved that day – and that was just the beginning.

 

In Acts 2:42-47, we discover this impactful church’s top five priorities. These priorities helped this once-tiny group of believers change the world.

 

Priority #1: Learning God’s Word together. Jesus’ apostles had sat under His teaching for at least three years, and Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would remind them of all that He taught. Learning the Old Testament scriptures AND Jesus’ teachings was a top priority for the Jerusalem Christians.

 

Priority #2: Sharing with and caring for each other. The second priority of the Christian Church in Jerusalem was fellowship. Take another look at verse 44: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” Theologian John Stott writes: “Christian fellowship is Christian caring, and Christian caring is Christian sharing…. That we have hundreds of thousands of [poverty-stricken] brothers and sisters is a standing rebuke to us who are more affluent.” The early Christians took care of each other.

 

Priority #3: Worshipping Jesus Christ together. The Jerusalem Christians devoted themselves to “the breaking of bread” – that is, communion. But verses 43, 46 and 47 describe something beyond the ritual of communion. They ate together “with glad and sincere hearts, praising God.” Regardless of whether they were in a home or in the temple courts, whether they were taking communion or just sharing a meal, they lived lives of Christ-centered worship.

 

Priority #4: Praying together. Many Christians don’t see the importance of praying together. Many think it’s perfectly fine if 100% of our praying is done on our own. But Jesus disagrees. Private prayer is biblical and necessary, but so is praying together. In Acts 1:14, Luke tells us that the Christians “all joined together constantly in prayer.”

 

Priority #5: Evangelizing together. The fifth priority of the early Church is evident in verse 47, which shows the Christians “praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” There’s no doubt: The Jerusalem Christians prioritized evangelism. They reached out in compassion and love to those who didn’t know Christ, and they continued to boldly preach the Gospel message. As a result, more people got saved every day.

 

May we never be so preoccupied with learning, sharing, worshiping and praying that we forget to share Christ. The Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit. And you and I must be missionaries both inside and outside the four walls of the church.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

No More Guessing Games!

“We know that we are children of God…. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true.”
– 1 John 5:19-20

 

Aren't you grateful that God doesn't make us play a guessing game when it comes to the most important questions in life? 

 

In his first letter to the early Christian church, the Apostle John shares six certainties to give us great confidence as we follow Jesus Christ. Last week I shared the first two of those certainties. Today I’d like to share the last four:

 

Certainty #3: God hears and answers prayer (1 John 5:14-17). John writes, “If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (vs. 14-15). Now, notice that John DIDN’T say that God hears and answers ALL prayer. We read in the Old Testament of times when God turned away from the prayers of His children when they were disobeying His will. God makes it clear: If you are rebelling against Him and refusing to repent, He makes no promises about listening to or answering your prayers. But we CAN be confident that God hears and answers our prayers when our hearts are right before Him. And our hearts are right before God when we obey His commands, do what pleases Him and ask according to His will.

 

Certainty #4: God’s Children Don’t Keep Sinning. Verse 18 says, “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them” (v. 18). Does that mean God’s children never sin? No. Earlier in his letter, John writes, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). But, he continues in the next verse, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” You see, John isn’t talking about occasional sins, when Christians let their guard down and give into temptation. He’s talking about ongoing lifestyle sins—LIVING in sin. When we follow Jesus, the One born of God (Jesus) keeps us safe from perpetual sin.

 

Certainty #5: God’s children are free from Satan’s control. John writes, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (v. 19). According to John, either you are a child of God who is safe in your Heavenly Father’s hand, or you’re in the grip of the devil. There’s no middle ground. So if you are a born-again believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you can be sure that as a child of God, you are free from Satan’s control.

 

Certainty #6: God’s Children Know the One True God. As John tells us, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true” (v. 20). As we follow Christ and obey His Word, we can be sure that God doesn’t make us play the guessing game. We can know the one true God.

 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church. Join us tomorrow for a special service at our office facility: 8:45 a.m. at 17746 George Blvd in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

How Can I Be Sure?

“This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” – 1 John 5:11

God hasn’t just called us to walk HUMBLY. He has also called us to walk CONFIDENTLY.

 

In 1 John 5, John shares six Christian certainties on which we can build our lives with confidence. Today I’m going to talk about the first two.

 

First, we can be certain that Jesus the Son of God. In verses 7 and 8, John tells us that “there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”

When Jesus was baptized in water, God confirmed that Jesus was the Son of God by speaking from heaven: “This is My beloved Son, with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). At that time, God sent His Spirit down to remain on Jesus. Then, once again, God spoke from heaven a few days before Jesus was crucified. Jesus cried out, “’Father, save Me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again’” (John 12:27-28).

 

In short, the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ baptism and Jesus’ crucifixion ALL testify that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the living God. And these three testimonies are in complete agreement.

 

Second, we can be certain that believers in Christ have eternal life. In verse 13, John assures us: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” In other words, John wrote this letter, at least in part, so that believers and followers of Jesus Christ would have certainty that they are saved and walk in confidence—knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is saving a spot for them in heaven.

 

Here are two Life Lessons we can draw from this passage:

 

Life Lesson #1: You can be certain that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, and that certainty should give you great confidence to live your life all-out for Jesus. God’s Word makes it crystal clear that Jesus IS the Christ and the Son of the living God, and that He deserves nothing less than your absolute best. He gave you HIS best, so you must give Him YOUR best.

 

Life Lesson #2: If you have put your faith in Christ, you can be certain that you’ll make it to heaven. You don’t just THINK it or HOPE it. You KNOW it. The world around us will try to get you to doubt Jesus Christ and His promises. But you and I must hold strong in our faith. “He who has the Son has life.” Believe it! “You may KNOW that you have eternal life.” Believe it!

According to John 14:2-4, Jesus has gone to the Father’s house to prepare a place for every one of His followers—and that includes YOU. He has promised to come back for you so that you may be in heaven with Him. Believe it, church! Believe it, Christian!

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church, meeting Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. at 16209 Kamana Road in Apple Valley. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.