The Unchanging Power of the Gospel - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. -James 1:27
We are living in a time described as the postmodern generation. And in church circles today, there is a lot of talk about how to reach postmodern people. But here's what I think: The gospel doesn't change. Whether it's for the ancient culture, the modern culture, or the premodern, postmodern, or post-postmodern culture, the gospel never will change. The same message that Peter gave on the Day of Pentecost to people in the first century is relevant for us today in the twenty-first century.
I hear people saying today, "I want to reach my nonbelieving friends, so I just need to hang with them. I need to kind of be like them and not be too holier-than-thou."
I am with you on that. I don't think we should ever come off pious or as though we don't care about people, because we should care about them. But sometimes in our attempt to build a bridge, in our attempts to relate, we end up becoming more like them than they end up becoming like us. They are bringing us their way more than we are bringing them our way. So we need to be very careful in this area.
The rationalization is, "Well, Jesus hung around sinners, so I will hang around sinners." Jesus didn't really hang around sinners, however. I'm not saying that Jesus had no contact with sinners. He had plenty of contact with them. But he didn't hang around them. He hung around His disciples for the most part. When Jesus was around sinners, they were changed.
We must always want to bring unbelievers to faith, not end up being like them. Be careful that you don't overcompromise. Because sometimes we lower our standards in order to extend our reach-and we end up reaching no one.
A Test for False Prophets
“Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)
“Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4)
Our text for today seems somewhat out of place, for it is tucked into a passage dealing with false prophets: instructing the people of Israel in ways to detect one who would lead them into false worship. The penalty was death, “because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt” (v. 10). The purpose was both purification and example, for “all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you” (v. 11).
The chief test of a prophet was not his ability to perform signs and wonders (v. 1). Elsewhere the test of total, lifelong accuracy was applied. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously. . . . that prophet shall die” (Deuteronomy 18:22, 20). A more immediate test lay in the absolute harmony of the prophet’s message and deeds with the revealed Word of God, and the wholehearted commitment to the Lord Himself. This test takes the form of the holy standard set forth in our text.
Note that an inward attitude will be expressed, as given in the six action verbs. If we are to please God, we must “walk after” or “pursue” Him, and “fear” or “reverence” Him in all things. Furthermore, we must “keep” His commandments, striving to “obey” Him on every issue He addresses. He expects such a one to “serve” Him: to do His bidding. Finally, we must “cleave” or “cling” to Him, holding fast to Him in an ever-deepening relationship. To do less is to fail the test used to discern false prophets, incurring at the least His displeasure; at the most His wrath. JDM
The Authority of the Scriptures - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." -Isaiah 55:11
When I think of Billy Graham's preaching over the years, one thing comes to mind: he always quoted the Bible. How many times have we heard Billy Graham say, "And the Bible says . . ."? I've always loved that about him. He knows the authority of the Scriptures.
In the same way, Peter's message on the Day of Pentecost was great because it was scriptural. He quoted Joel 2:28-32 from memory, and he also quoted Psalm 16 and Psalm 110. Obviously Peter had committed great portions of Scripture to memory. Any Christian worth his or her salt should be able to stand up at a moment's notice and clearly articulate the gospel message without notes.
Why? Because someday you may find yourself in a situation where you'll need to break it down fast, where you'll be able to say, "Here's how you can get right with God and put your faith in Jesus Christ."
We need to know the Scriptures. I can't emphasize enough how important the Bible is when you are sharing your faith. As Isaiah 55 tells us, "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, . . . so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (verses 10-11).
We need to use the Scriptures as we share the gospel. As artists know how to use their pens and brushes (and nowadays, their computer programs), as cooks know how to use their knives and utensils, as soldiers know how to use their weapons, we need to know how to use the Word of God.
A Caring Church
Luke 10:25-37Do you realize that believers should not have to look beyond the body of Christ to have their needs met? We are meant to be a self-sustaining body. After several decades in ministry, I have seen only one way for the church to function as it should: believers must commit to give of themselves on behalf of others.
For example, a man determines to pray and struggle alongside a hurting brother until the burdensome situation is resolved or peace returns. Or a woman makes herself available to answer a new Christian's questions about the weekly sermon--the two ladies search the Bible and fill their minds with Scripture. And there are countless other ways to serve others, such as driving an elderly member to the service, teaching a Sunday school class, or visiting a weary single mom and listening to her concerns.
Before you become overwhelmed by the variety of needs in your church, let me remind you that loving each other is meant to be a body-wide effort. One person cannot meet every need. But suppose you commit to serving a small group of folks whom God brings into your sphere of influence. If, in order to care for them, you surrender self-focused preferences about resources and time, the Lord will bless you with more joy and contentment than you've ever known.
To serve others before serving yourself is to practice authentic Christianity. I'm certain that if believers commit to meeting as many needs as the Lord brings to their attention, then a lazy church can be transformed, becoming a true body of believers who function together for the glory of God.
The Promise of Liberty
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” (2 Peter 2:19)
Do Not Neglect Your Spiritual Gift
1 Timothy 4:12-16
Every Christian is given at least one spiritual gift with which to serve the Lord and build up the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7). But many believers neglect this special empowerment of the Spirit. Although Timothy had some good reasons to forsake his calling from God, Paul advised him to "take pains with these things" and "be absorbed in them" (v. 15). As you look at Timothy, ask yourself if either of the following situations are hindering you from fully serving the Lord.
Age: No matter how old we are, the Lord wants us to use our spiritual gifts. Because Timothy was young, he could easily have been intimidated by those with more experience. However, youth isn't our only excuse. Some believers think they're too old to serve the Lord. Even though our areas of ministry may change over the years, we're never called into spiritual retirement.
Inadequacy: Have you ever avoided a service opportunity simply because you felt totally unqualified? That's probably how Timothy felt about leading the church at Ephesus. Our spiritual gifts rarely come to us fully developed. God often requires that we step out in faith and trust Him to work in and through us. Over time, as we obey and serve Him in our areas of giftedness, He increases the effectiveness of our ministry.
Is anything keeping you from using your spiritual gifts? Though given to us, these abilities aren't for us; they're for the church. To neglect them would not only deprive fellow believers but also rob ourselves: there is joy and blessing in serving others anddoing the work God has designated for us.
Making Room for AtheismJohn Piper
Our church exists “to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.” That is our mission. “All things” means business, industry, education, media, sports, arts, leisure, government, and all the details of our lives.
Ideally this means God should be recognized and trusted as supreme by every person he has made. But the Bible teaches plainly that there will never be a time before Jesus comes back when all people will honor him as supreme (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10).
So how do we express a passion for God’s supremacy in a pluralistic world where most people do not recognize God as an important part of their lives, let alone an important part of government or education or business or industry or art or recreation or entertainment?
Answer: We express a passion for the supremacy of God...
1) by maintaining a conviction at all times that God is ever-present and gives all things their most important meaning. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and Governor of all things. We must keep in our minds the truth that all things exist to reveal something of God’s infinite perfections. The full meaning of everything, from shoestrings to space shuttles, is the way they relate to God.
2) by trusting God in every circumstance to use his creative, sustaining, governing wisdom and power to work all things together for the good of all who love him. This is faith in the future grace of all that God promises to be for us in Jesus.
3) by making life choices that reveal the supreme worth of God above what the world values supremely. “The steadfast love of the Lord is better than life” (Psalms 63:3). So we will choose to die rather than lose sweet fellowship with God. This will show his supremacy over all that life offers.
4) by speaking to people of God’s supreme worth in creative and persuasive ways, and by telling people how they can be reconciled to God through Christ, so that they can enjoy God’s supremacy as protection and help, rather than fear it as judgment.
5) by making clear that God himself is the foundation for our commitment to a pluralistic democratic order -- not because pluralism is his ultimate ideal, but because in a fallen world, legal coercion will not produce the kingdom of God. Christians agree to make room for non-Christian faiths (including naturalistic, materialistic faiths), not because commitment to God’s supremacy is unimportant, but because it must be voluntary, or it is worthless. We have a God-centered ground for making room for atheism. “If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight” (John 18:36). The fact that God establishes his kingdom through the supernatural miracle of faith, not firearms, means that Christians in this age will not endorse coercive governments -- Christian or secular.
This is why we resist the coercive secularization implied in some laws that repress Christian activity in public places. It is not that we want to establish Christianity as the law of the land. That is intrinsically impossible, because of the spiritual nature of the kingdom. It is rather because repression of free exercise of religion and persuasion is as wrong against Christians as it is against secularists.
We believe this tolerance is rooted in the very nature of the gospel of Christ. In one sense, tolerance is pragmatic: freedom and democracy seem to be the best political order humans have conceived.
But for Christians it is not purely pragmatic: the spiritual, relational nature of God’s kingdom is the ground of our endorsement of pluralism, until Christ comes with rights and authority that we do not have.
Watching for Christ’s Return
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. . . . Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:42, 44)
He Counted Me Faithful
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” (1 Timothy 1:12)
The testimony of a changed life is perhaps the best evidence that God is alive and active today. The fact that at salvation a dead slave to sin is given life and a new nature comprises the only rational explanation for one who lives in victory and power after a lifetime of defeat.
Take Paul, for example. Our introduction to him is at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58), after which his ardor for the Jewish traditions and hatred of Christianity caused him to wreak “havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). This was not just casual opposition, for he was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). He was a “blasphemer, and a persecutor [not only of Christians, but of Christ Himself—Acts 9:5], and injurious” (1 Timothy 1:13).
However, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I [Paul] am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15), he said. Paul “obtained mercy” (v. 13), not receiving the punishment he deserved, through “the grace of our Lord [which] was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (v. 14), even though he was not even seeking God (Acts 9:1-5).
To a greater or lesser degree, God has worked that same work of grace in each life that now belongs to Him. Paul called himself the chief of sinners, but each of us has done or has been capable of equally heinous acts. Through His grace, we are not only rescued from addiction to sin, but rehabilitated and empowered and given, as we see in our text, missions to accomplish that are of eternal significance. Let us “thank Christ Jesus our Lord” with Paul. JDM
The Service of Motherhood Philippians 2:1-11
Children are a blessing from the Lord (Ps. 127:3-5). Motherhood is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves.
Sometimes this constant serving can be exhausting and even discouraging--particularly for a first-time mother. But you can take real encouragement from Jesus. One of the best examples of gracious servanthood is found in John 13:3-16. By kneeling to wash His disciples’ feet, the Lord showed that the key to true leadership is humility. And it is humility that leads to eternal reward.
Unless you are willing to stoop down and get your hands dirty, you will miss the real riches of motherhood. By dying to your own desires and pouring your life into someone else, you become like Christ and create a godly legacy that will carry on for generations to come. What greater blessing could one hope for? Of course, the motivation for serving others is not to reap benefits, but when we follow God’s plan for our life, that’s what happens.
In giving us children, God places us in a position of both leadership and service. He calls us to give up our lives for someone else’s sake--to abandon our own desires and put our child’s interests first. Yet, according to His perfect design, it is through this selflessness that we can become truly fulfilled.
Seeking Signs
“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40)
If there was ever “an evil and adulterous generation,” it is surely this present one and, once again, there is a widespread seeking after signs (same word in the Greek as “miracles”). The almost explosive rise of the so-called New Age movement has produced an amazing interest in all forms of occultism and supernatural phenomena: astrology, channeling, ESP, near-death experiences, UFOs, meditation, and mysticism of many strange varieties.
Even in Christian circles, there is an unhealthy interest in new revelations and other supernatural signs. The Lord Jesus, however, rebuked those who wanted special signs before receiving Him. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). He has already given us the greatest of all signs—His bodily resurrection from the dead, the best-evidenced fact of all history—and this should suffice, as He told the scribes and Pharisees in our text.
In fact, there is a real danger in seeking such signs and wonders, for many of these things—while perhaps supernatural—are not from God. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24).
Unlike the first generation of Christians, we now have the complete written Word of God, both Old and New Testaments, and it is sufficient for every need of every believer until Christ returns, “whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). HMM
A Walk of Faith - Greg Laurie -
Children are a blessing from the Lord (Ps. 127:3-5). Motherhood is a great honor and privilege, yet it is also synonymous with servanthood. Every day women are called upon to selflessly meet the needs of their families. Whether they are awake at night nursing a baby, spending their time and money on less-than-grateful teenagers, or preparing meals, moms continuously put others before themselves.
Sometimes this constant serving can be exhausting and even discouraging--particularly for a first-time mother. But you can take real encouragement from Jesus. One of the best examples of gracious servanthood is found in John 13:3-16. By kneeling to wash His disciples’ feet, the Lord showed that the key to true leadership is humility. And it is humility that leads to eternal reward.
Unless you are willing to stoop down and get your hands dirty, you will miss the real riches of motherhood. By dying to your own desires and pouring your life into someone else, you become like Christ and create a godly legacy that will carry on for generations to come. What greater blessing could one hope for? Of course, the motivation for serving others is not to reap benefits, but when we follow God’s plan for our life, that’s what happens.
In giving us children, God places us in a position of both leadership and service. He calls us to give up our lives for someone else’s sake--to abandon our own desires and put our child’s interests first. Yet, according to His perfect design, it is through this selflessness that we can become truly fulfilled.
Seeking Signs
“An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:39-40)
A Walk of Faith - Greg Laurie -
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. -Ephesians 5:18
The Bible tells us to be filled with the Spirit, but have you ever wondered what that actually means?
Some people surmise that to be filled with the Spirit is to have an emotional experience, and it can include that. But it doesn't always include that. Which means you can be filled with the Spirit and not have any emotional response whatsoever. Then again, you can be filled with the Spirit and feel a lot of emotion.
But here is the problem: All too often, some of the most bizarre, aberrant things we see happening in the church today are attributed to the Holy Spirit. People are saying the Spirit is telling them to do these things. But do we find these things in the Bible? The answer is no. So are these things from the Holy Spirit? I don't think they really are.
So what does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? We could compare it to driving a car. We read in Acts 2 about the day of Pentecost, the story of the explosion of the Holy Spirit that set the church in motion. In the same way, when you get into your car and put your key into the ignition and turn it over, there is an explosion, if you will, that fires up the car. You don't need to keep turning your car on again and again once you're driving. You just need that initial explosion, and then you drive the car.
It is great when you have an emotional experience. But we must remember that the Bible says, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17). By and large, the Christian life is a walk of faith, not a walk of feeling. Feelings will come and go. But the just shall live by faith.
A Power to Change the World - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." -Acts 1:8
I am always interested in last words, in knowing the last thing that someone said.
Jesus was leaving. Prior to His ascension, He took the apostles to a mountain in Galilee, where He gave them marching orders for the church:
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
How would they pull this off from a human standpoint? They were in no way ready for such a task. There were still things they didn't understand. Their faith was weak. They had failed in their public witness and also in their private faith.
After all, Simon Peter, their acknowledged leader, had openly denied the Lord. If Peter could be demoralized by the words of one woman, then how could he (and they) be expected to go into all the world and preach the gospel?
How? They would do it with a power they had never known before, a power to change the world: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8). It's power to be a witness . . . power to share your faith . . . power to turn your world upside down . . . power to do what God has called you to do.
The same power that was poured out at Pentecost is available to us today. The Bible has promised a dimension of power for every believer who would ask for it from the Lord, to be a witness for Him.
Things We Cannot Do Without
�But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?� (James 2:20)
�But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?� (James 2:20)
There are many things in life we can well do without, but there are at least seven things a Christian simply cannot do without. These are:
1. The Lord Jesus Christ. Speaking of the heathen nations before Christ, Paul said: �At that time ye were without Christ, . . . having no hope, and without God in the world� (Ephesians 2:12).
2. Christ�s shed blood. �Without shedding of blood is no remission.� �Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, . . . But with the precious blood of Christ� (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
3. Christ�s sinlessness. The Lord Jesus �was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin� (Hebrews 4:15). Therefore, He could die for our sins.
4. Faith in Christ. �Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is� (Hebrews 11:6).
5. Faith-generated works. True faith in Christ inevitably produces good works. As our text reminds us, �faith without works is dead� (James 2:20).
6. True holiness. �Follow . . . holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord� (Hebrews 12:14). Genuine faith in Christ both receives His imputed holiness and also generates practical holiness in the believer.
7. Heavenly chastisement. Unconfessed and unforsaken sin in a Christian�s life must receive chastisement from the Father. �If ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye . . . not sons� (Hebrews 12:8).
Without saving faith in the Lord, we have nothing of eternal value, but with Him, we have �all things� (1 Corinthians 3:21). HMM
Holy Boldness - Greg Laurie -
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. -Acts 4:31
Sometimes I'll hear people say, "We need another Pentecost." No, the original Pentecost was more than sufficient. However, can what happened to them still happen to us today? The answer is yes and no. Nowhere else in the Bible do we read of a mighty rushing wind, and the Spirit coming upon people like flames. But in Acts we do frequently read of the Holy Spirit empowering, speaking to, and using the believers.
The power given by the Holy Spirit to the first-century church at Pentecost is available to the twenty-first century church today. The power that was given to them then is available to us now.
The Holy Spirit filled the first-century believers again and again and again. We read of Peter at the Beautiful Gate being led by the Spirit to pull a crippled man to his feet. Then we read of how the Lord filled him with the Spirit, and he stated that Jesus was the Messiah.
This same power came upon the apostle Paul when he was trying to preach the gospel to the governor, and a sorcerer was opposing him. And the Bible tells us in Acts 13 that Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, turned to this man and rebuked him. It took a boldness from God.
When the believers were preaching the gospel and were told to stop, they prayed for even more boldness to do so. And in Acts 4:31, after this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they all were filled with the Holy Spirit and preached God's message with boldness.
If you have ever been afraid to speak up for your faith, if you have ever been opposed or mocked as a Christian, then you are a candidate for being filled with the Holy Spirit.
How to Serve the Church 1 Corinthians 12:18-26
When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don't happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.
It's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.
Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another...
We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.
The Linen Clothes
�Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.� (John 19:40)
The Jews of Jesus� day prepared bodies for burial in a much different fashion than we do today. In our text the word �wound� actually means �to bind, tie, or wind,� and bodies were tightly rolled up in long strips of linen cloth. Parallel passages in Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, and Luke 23:53 employ words derived from the Greek hellisso, meaning �to coil,� from which we get our word �helix.�
The tightness of the winding can be inferred from the raising of Lazarus from the dead. After Christ had called him back to life, �he that was dead came forth, bound [same word as �wound�] hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go� (John 11:44).
On resurrection morning, after hearing the news of the missing body of Christ, Peter and John ran to the sepulcher. �Peter . . . went into the sepulcher, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped [same word as �wound�] together in a place by itself. Then went in also that other disciple . . . and he saw, and believed� (John 20:6-8).
John recognized, as we should, that only a miracle could account for the state of these linen clothes. If thieves had stolen the body, they would either have taken the clothes, or the clothes would have been strewn around, not lying in the same location and shape as they had been when the body was present. Previously, John �knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead� (v. 9), but when he saw the linen clothes, he �believed.�
Christ miraculously rose from the dead. John believed; we have his eyewitness testimony. Can we do less? JDM
Choosing to Believe
John 3:1-21
Faith isn't something we can lay claim to because we were born to believing parents or have citizenship in a Christian country. Nor can we attain it by attending or even teaching Sunday school, though I've often heard such incorrect assertions. Instead, the following should be true of genuine believers.
A clear understanding of the gospel is essential for a person to believe and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove our sins. God offers His grace as a gift to anyone who will receive it.
A definite decision at a particular point in time serves as a sort of landmark of the heart and mind. People do not just slip into Christianity; faith in Jesus must be chosen. Believers are those who have made a deliberate decision to trust the Lord and follow in His ways.
A blessed assurance follows the clear-cut decision so that believers can be certain of their salvation. God wants confident, assured children (1 John 5:13).
A visible symbol of what happens when someone receives the Savior--namely, baptism--illustrates dying to one's old ways and rising to new life in Christ Jesus. Believers are to take this step as a public way of identifying with Him (Matt. 28:19).
A man or woman of faith chooses to surrender to Christ, embraces the Word of God, and lives fully for the Lord. True believers no longer muddle through the practices of religion out of habit, but instead worship and rejoice in a vibrant personal relationship with the Lord.
When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don't happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.
It's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.
Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another...
We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.
The Linen Clothes
�Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.� (John 19:40)
Choosing to Believe
John 3:1-21
Faith isn't something we can lay claim to because we were born to believing parents or have citizenship in a Christian country. Nor can we attain it by attending or even teaching Sunday school, though I've often heard such incorrect assertions. Instead, the following should be true of genuine believers.
A clear understanding of the gospel is essential for a person to believe and receive the good news of Jesus Christ. His death on the cross was the only sacrifice required to remove our sins. God offers His grace as a gift to anyone who will receive it.
A definite decision at a particular point in time serves as a sort of landmark of the heart and mind. People do not just slip into Christianity; faith in Jesus must be chosen. Believers are those who have made a deliberate decision to trust the Lord and follow in His ways.
A blessed assurance follows the clear-cut decision so that believers can be certain of their salvation. God wants confident, assured children (1 John 5:13).
A visible symbol of what happens when someone receives the Savior--namely, baptism--illustrates dying to one's old ways and rising to new life in Christ Jesus. Believers are to take this step as a public way of identifying with Him (Matt. 28:19).
A man or woman of faith chooses to surrender to Christ, embraces the Word of God, and lives fully for the Lord. True believers no longer muddle through the practices of religion out of habit, but instead worship and rejoice in a vibrant personal relationship with the Lord.
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