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As the disciples preached the Gospel, the early church grew rapidly and as the church grew, so did the need for godly men to lead the churches. Jesus is the head of the church, but he calls under-shepherds to tend to the flock of individual churches. The Bible uses the terms; overseer or elder to define what we call pastors today.

The role of church elder or overseer is described in 1 Timothy 3:2–7 and Titus 1:6–9.

The primary role of the elder is to tend to the sheep. It is in the preaching of the Word that the church is led. A church grows in spiritual health as the truth of God’s word is declared from the pulpit week after week. There are no shortcuts, God has chosen this means to instruct his people.

One of the key attributes of a candidate elder is humility and this is where a plurality or group of elders is necessary to hold one another accountable and to encourage one another in life and in doctrine.

A church that is led by a group of elders allows the ministry staff (team leaders in the church), to focus and maximize their gifts and talents. Team leaders make practical decisions on how to implement and carry out the direction provided by the Elders. 

The elder is to fulfill the roles of teaching and prayer. Prayer for and with the members of the church. The elder is called to guard the doctrine and unity of the church. The elder is called to care for the spiritual needs of the church, providing Biblical counsel and discipleship. The elders are also called to train and equip deacons, preparing them for ministry.

So, what are the qualifications of an elder?

The New Testament places more stress on the character of the Spiritual leader than on the gifting of the spiritual leader. Looking at the list of characteristics of an elder in 1 Timothy 3, only one of them refers to a particular gift, “being able to teach”.

Sadly, the 21^st century church has lost their way in this regard, as we are programmed for entertainment, and teaching skill is our primary focus when selecting a church family. But the Bible calls for the leader’s character to be the benchmark. And it is true that the church of Jesus Christ will not progress beyond the spiritual strength of its leaders.

Christian leaders are not perfect, but the primary requirement is one of character rather than giftedness according to the Bible. There are men who are gifted communicators but their character does not match their gifting.

1 Timothy 3:2, begins the list of qualities required of an elder, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”

To be above reproach; this is not perfection, but what it means is that no one inside or outside the church should be able to point out a flagrant sin in the elder’s life and character. A sin that the elder is unrepentant about and refuses to acknowledge. 

To be the husband of one wife; the elder must be devoted to their spouse.  It means having eyes only for your wife, purity in thought. Being devoted to one woman.  

Temperate; elders must be self-controlled, enslaved to nothing.

Sober-minded; elders must be sober, sensible, wise, balanced in judgment, not given to quick, superficial decisions based on immature thinking. 

Respectable; elders must demonstrate a well-ordered life and honorable behavior. 

Hospitable; elders must be unselfish with personal resources, willing to share blessings with others. 

Able to teach; (see Titus 1:9 and 2 Timothy 2:24). The elder’s leadership is to be under and by the Word of God. This is the authority. It’s not the power of personality. It is the power of the Word of God. Elders shepherd people by the instruction of God’s Word.

And then in verse 3 Paul writes about some vices or character deficiencies that should not be found in an elder, “not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”

Elders must be free from addictions and willing to limit their liberty for the sake of others. He must not be aggressive or quarrelsome and not a lover of money (see Matthew 6:21). An elder should be an example of someone who is content whether he has a lot or a little, not constantly reaching for more.

Verse 4 continues, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,”

Elders must have a well-ordered household and a healthy family life. This is the responsibility of the husband in the home. Verse 5 continues that if an elder cannot manage his own household, how can he be expected to oversee the church.

Verse 6 says that he must not be a new believer. An elder must have a track record of walking with the Lord, demonstrating spiritual disciplines that have been developed over years of practice.  

If a new believer, who doesn’t have a solid foundation of discipline, is placed too quickly in leadership, pride becomes the number one enemy as verse 6 says, and that has been the downfall of many gifted but immature young leaders.

And finally verse 7, the elder must have a good reputation in the community.

So that is what the Bible says about the character of the elder, it is an extremely high bar, but we must never forget the importance of the church and the price that Jesus paid for his bride. Nothing less than excellence and commitment is demanded.

I believe that the Lord always builds his church and as long as we are faithful to the call of Jesus for his church, we will see growth. As with the early church, growth requires leadership.

May the Lord lead us as a church in growing, developing and recognizing leaders.

We all like good news, don’t we. If we really grasp this news, it will change the way we respond to God.

We know that the Gospel is the Good news, that God became a man and died on a cross for our sins, and that God raised Jesus from the dead so that we could be reconciled with God if we put our faith in Jesus.

Easter weekend is at the core of the Gospel. In spite of this good news, many of us still struggle with completely trusting God.  

Romans 8 verses 31 to 39 has five profound promises that are really good news. If we grab a hold of these promises, we will have no problem trusting God for whatever He allows in our lives.  

Here are the five promises:

1: God is for us (Romans 8:31)

Our Heavenly Father is not distant or disconnected from us. The expense that God paid for our salvation is beyond what we can imagine. The cross is an outpouring of perfect, divine love (Romans 5:8).

If God displayed His love for us in such a way while we were sinners and separated from Him, now that we are reconciled to Him, how much more will he give us all we need (1 Peter 2:9).

2: God graciously gives us all things (Romans 8:32).  

God our Heavenly Father gave His son for us so that we could be in right standing before God.

As a result of our standing before God, He blesses us. He blesses us with the basic things we need and then even the things we don’t need. God loves to bless His children.

It is a good daily exercise to look for those lavish gifts from the Father, the unexplainable special events or things that are simply gifts from heaven.

The more you see those gifts, the more you will understand His nearness and the truth that the eye of your Heavenly Father is really on you!

3: No condemnation (Romans 8:34).

This incredible chapter begins and ends with a promise we all need to hear regularly (see Romans 8:1).

Who can possibly condemn us? Verse 33 says that it is God who justifies, He has declared us righteous in Christ. Satan is the accuser, but his accusations fall on deaf ears, for we are God’s chosen and beloved ones. Jesus has already paid the price for our salvation. There is no condemnation.

Does this mean that we can sin as much as we like?

Absolutely not, Paul addresses this in chapter 6:2, “By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

When we sin, we are convicted and we repent quickly, bringing it to the cross (see 1 John 1:9). Our sins are forgiven, there is no condemnation. Sometimes, our emotions have to catch up with reality.

4: Jesus is interceding for us (Romans 8:34b).

Because Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, he is talking to God the Father about you. More than talking, he is your advocate and perfect high priest.

But not only is Jesus our High priest and advocate interceding for us, we also have the Holy Spirit interceding for us (see Romans 8:27 and Hebrews 7:25). This intercession in heaven assures us that we are secure.

5: You are loved (Romans 8:35-39).

God loves us with an irresistible and unconquerable love. Do you know how much you are loved?

The reality of life is that there is hardship, sickness and pain. It is a lie of the prosperity Gospel teaching that our lives are supposed to be free from sickness, pain, and hardship. But God uses the pain and difficult circumstances for our good (Romans 8:28).

God does not shelter us from the difficulties of life because we need them for our spiritual growth. God assures us that the difficulties of this life are working for us and not against us. God permits trials to come that He might use them for our good and His glory.

When going through trials, it is tempting to feel that God has deserted us. But that is when He is nearest, just like a parent who picks up a child who has fallen and hurt himself.

Our Heavenly Father is nearest when we feel the most unworthy, because of His great love for us. Paul goes on to write that we have absolutely nothing to fear (Romans 8:39). This is not a conditional promise of God, rather it is based on the victory that Jesus won on the cross. His victory becomes our victory.

This security in Christ is an established fact, and we claim it for ourselves because we are in Christ. Nothing can separate you from His love. If God be for us, who can be against us!

To live in this knowledge is freedom, but it requires faith to believe these incredible promises.

Too often we walk by feelings. Our feelings and emotions dictate our perceived reality, but by walking in faith and believing that God loves you with an all-encompassing love, changes the way we live. It changes the way we respond to challenges in life. We no longer have to walk in fear, but rather we can walk in perfect love (See 1 John 4:18).

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The more we love God, the more we understand the love of God. And the more we understand His love, the easier it is to trust Him. After all, when you know someone intimately and love him sincerely, you have no problem putting your confidence in him.”

What would you do if God asked you to give it all up?

When God tested Abraham in Genesis 22, He gave us the clearest prophetic picture of what Jesus would have to endure on the cross.

At this point in his life, Abraham was a seasoned man of faith. He had accomplished much and given much to the Lord. In Genesis 12, he obeyed God and left his fathers household to move to an unknown land, going in faith and giving his all to God.

God blessed Abraham and made a special covenant with him in Genesis 15, but Abraham didn’t have any children?

Where it was impossible in the natural, God blessed Abraham and Sarah with Isaac, the son of the promise.

All seemed to be going well, God has blessed, Abraham has been faithful and now surely, he would rest in his old age. But God has one more test for Abraham as we read in Genesis 22:1-19.

This account is traditionally viewed in light of Abraham’s tremendous faith in response to the unthinkable request from God to sacrifice his only beloved son, the child of the promise.

At first glance, we gloss over those words, probably because we may have heard them many times. But this is a horrifying story. God asks Abraham to slaughter his own son, this is counter to everything we know about God. This is offensive and challenges our sense of decency and our understanding of God. But this is recorded as Abraham’s finest hour, his most glorious victory in a life filled with challenges.

We have the advantage of knowing how the story will unfold, but for Abraham it must have been the most difficult few days of his life. Maybe he suspected this was a test, but we cannot know for sure.

In Genesis 22:4 we read, “On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.” It appears that he had been walking for three days with his eyes on the ground before him, deep in thought and anguish. Abraham’s quick response and silence seems to indicate resigned numbness to God’s will, steeling himself against the emotions tearing through his heart.

God stopped the sacrifice of Isaac right at the point where there was no doubt that Abraham was going to go through with the act of killing his son. God showed that He never intended to allow Abraham to kill Isaac and went on to explain the test to him.

This picture of God is not the soft and benevolent Heavenly Father that our modern-day Christianity likes to portray. On the contrary, the picture of Abraham lowering the knife was, in God’s eyes, the passing grade of the test. We must come to grips with the fact that the God of the Old Testament is still the same today, He has not changed. But what has changed is our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ (see Isaiah 55:8).

Isaac was not a young child at this point, and he was fully aware of what took place. It must have been incredibly traumatic for him; his own father betrayed him and was about to kill him.

But according to a few ancient Jewish rabbinical documents, it is said that Isaac was so convinced that he needed to be sacrificed, that he asked to be bound tightly. Which is why the Hebrew speakers refer to this account as the “Akedah” or “binding”.  

This gives us a totally different picture of Isaac, one of a willing sacrifice. Isaac is a “type” or foreshadow of Jesus.

Leading up to Mt Moriah, Abraham is silent. So too, God the Father is silent in Gethsemane at the leading up to the crucifixion of His beloved Son.

The fact that the wood for the offering was laid on the back of Isaac is a symbol of the cross that Jesus would one day carry on his shoulders.

Leading up to his crucifixion, Jesus was unwavering in his path to the cross and he was silent during his trial.  In the same way, Isaac walked alongside his father and scripture seems to suggest that they were not engaged in much conversation.

This account in essence is the salvation of Israel.  Jesus was sacrificed to save people from all nations.

The crucifixion was a test.  A test that Jesus passed to save all who would put their faith in him.

So many parallels, however, on every level, Jesus is the greater one who accomplished much more by his own personal sacrifice.

What makes this account so horrifying, is that Abraham stood poised with a knife to slaughter his own son, the son of the promise. As we think about the crucifixion of Jesus, we should be even more offended. Because of our sins, God the Father required a perfect sacrifice. The only way we could be saved was by the perfect sacrifice of the spotless lamb of God, Jesus (See Isaiah 53:6 and 2 Corinthians 5:21).

We must never miss the horror of the cross, where God the Father inflicted His perfect wrath upon God the son. That is the offense of the cross that is impossible for us to fully comprehend.

This picture on Mount Moriah became reality on Mount Calvary.

As we begin to focus on Calvary in this season, let us never forget the unimaginable price that was paid for our salvation.

What would you do if God asked you to give it all up? Do I trust God enough to be obedient when he invites me to put something on the altar. Do I worship Him above all else, putting His will and plans above my own. As you walk with God, there are going to be times when God asks you to give it all to Him (Matthew 16:24-25).

There will be things, even good things, plans and dreams, that we need to be willing to sacrifice before God is able to use us as He intends.

Are you willing to give it all to him today?

Marriage is under attack. I believe, that one of the reasons why we see marriage under attack in the world today is because the church has an incomplete view of marriage.

In 2015, the Supreme court ruled that people of the same sex could legally marry. But this man-made law simply determined that two people can legally obtain the benefits that society provides for married couples. It doesn’t change what God says about marriage. Do we trust the designer? The only way that we can embrace same-sex marriage is to devalue marriage all together.

People will argue that Jesus didn’t specifically speak out against homosexuality. But he was pretty clear about marriage (Matthew 19:4-6). The church must celebrate and teach a Biblical understanding of marriage. It’s sad that in the 21^st century, we have to define marriage.

This is more than cultural wars, this is spiritual war, Satan hates marriage and has a specific purpose to destroying marriage.

John Stott wrote: “Marriage is an exclusive heterosexual covenant between one man and one woman, ordained and sealed by God preceded by the leaving of parents, consummated in sexual union, issuing in a permanent mutually supportive partnership, and normally crowned with the gift of children”

Sexual immorality is any sexual activity outside of this biblically defined covenant of marriage. Within the Biblical bond of marriage, sex is blessed, while outside, it is sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7).  

The reason marriage is so sacred is because the primary role of marriage is to portray and proclaim the Gospel (Ephesians 5:32). Satan hates marriage, because it is a picture of two non-interchangeable and different parties, made one by the work of Christ. Husbands portray Christ, and wives represent the church. Both parties have definite roles and functions, the church cannot do what Jesus is doing. And that is why Satan created a counterfeit, a lie that mocks God’s design.

God takes marriage very seriously, and has defined immorality for what it is, regardless of how cleverly the courts, and the entertainment, and media machines have redefined it (Hebrews 13:4).

In Ephesians 5:22-24 Paul focuses on wives. Many people struggle with the language of submission, but this is not about a form of subjection or controlling power. Submission simply means to prefer others. And it is only possible as one is filled with the Spirit of God.

Andreas Kostenberger wrote, “While some may view submitting to one’s husband’s authority as something negative, a more accurate way of looking at marital roles is to understand that wives are called to follow their husband’s loving leadership.”

Husbands and wives have equal value, but different roles within marriage.

The husband’s primary role is to be a priest, being the spiritual leader in the home. Tragically, men have abdicated their authority in this area by giving in to laziness, leisure, pornography, and a general lack of spiritual discipline.

The women’s role is to follow and support the husband in the spiritual leadership of the family, ensuring that the home is a place that is sacred and holy to the Lord.

When both are fulfilling their roles, marriage is a beautiful thing to observe.

We must be careful to reject any teaching that says that women are subservient to men, or that the husband is a form of a CEO in the marriage. Submission must be voluntary and follows sacrificial love.

Typical human nature is that women crave love and men desire respect, that’s the way God has wired us.

So, we have the two aspects of marriage: love and submission.

Love and submission can both be defined as putting the will of the other person ahead of your own, to prefer the other person. Love and submission are two sides of the same coin.

In verse 25 Paul tells husbands, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

What is Christlike love? It is the love that took Jesus to the cross to give his own life for the church. It is sacrificial love.

For men marriage is a call to die to self. It is daily giving yourself away for the good of your bride. It is sacrificial and preferential love. You cannot love your wife like Christ loved the church and be passive. This is loving by serving and giving of your time and energy.

It is also a sanctifying love, as we see in verse 26, “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word”

This does not mean that any husband has the ability to atone for sins, only Jesus can do that. But men are to be the spiritual leader in the home. Encouraging their family to read the Word and allowing the word of God to bring transformation.

Here is a good question for men. Are our wives more like Christ because she’s married to us? Or is she more like Christ in spite of us?

But there is an eternal purpose in marriage. In verse 32, Paul writes that the mystery of marriage refers to Christ and the church. It is beyond our understanding. When God created the world, and the covenant of marriage, he had Christ and the church in mind. Not the other way around.

Marriage is not the ultimate, Christ is.

Christ is ultimate, not our husbands or our wives. Our primary loyalty must be to Jesus.

If I was to ask you, what is the biggest problem that marriages struggle with today, I would get a multitude of answers. But the root problem of every marriage is sin.

Marriage is ordained by God for the glory of God. Therefore, He is the source of the love and the only one who can cause a marriage to flourish and proclaim the Gospel of Christ to the world.

As we shine the light of healthy marriage, the world will see a picture of Christ and the church (John 1:5).

We need to talk!

Those four words have a way of causing increased levels of anxiety.

It usually means, there is an issue we need to discuss, something that is out of line that needs to be addressed. We need to have a difficult conversation.

As followers of Jesus, we have the responsibility to be the salt of the earth. We have an obligation to speak the truth in love.  This could mean having difficult conversations with our friends, family and especially in the church.

We live in an age where to disagree with someone is regarded as hateful and unloving. However, to confront someone with the truth is the most loving thing we could do.

We live in an age where truth is suppressed and even the most fundamental human truths are no longer definable if you want to be accepted. But this is nothing new, Satan questioned the truth of God in Genesis 3:1 when he tempted Eve.

When talking about truth and God’s word as the authority for our conversations, we must establish what the Bible says and begin there. We don’t have the option to discard selected truths in the Bible because we find them hard to accept in our post-modern culture.

So, at the outset of this series, we must look at the foundation of truth. Without the foundation of the Word, we cannot speak truth in our culture. We have no authority and no basis for the truth.

Psalm 19 begins as the Psalmist declares the general revelation of God through nature, but then David changes from the general revelation to the special revelation of God in verses 7 to 9. In these verses we see six different names, six attributes, and six ministries of the word in the lives of those who read and obey this revelation.

 Verse 7a: The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul.

The word “Law” refers to the Torah or the instructions of God.  It refers to helpful teaching and a set of instructions for life.

The first attribute is that this Law is perfect, it doesn’t need to be edited. It is the fine surgical instrument that God uses to turn people from darkness to light.

The first ministry of the Word is that it, “it revives the Soul.” The word of God is supernatural in its application. Reviving the soul means to convict and bring people back to their original place. Spiritual new life is found in the Word of God.

Verse 7b: The testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple.

A testimony is a recalling of what God has done. All Scripture testifies to the nature and character of God as it is the revelation of Jesus.

The attribute of this testimony is that it is sure, reliable and trustworthy. The Bible is a foundation on which we can safely build.  There is no foundation as secure as the Word of God on which to build your life.

And the ministry of this testimony is that it makes wise the simple. The term for simple here means inexperienced but teachable (Psalm 119:130).

Verse 8a: The precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart.

Precepts are the practical instructions and can also be translated as orders. The Bible contains the instructions spoken with the authority of Almighty God.

The attribute of these precepts is that they are right and true.

And the result of living according to these precepts is “rejoicing the heart”. By following the instruction of God’s Word, we will know true joy (1 John 5:3).

Verse 8b: The commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes.

Now the Psalmist gets more specific, from precepts to Commandments, these are rules for life. The way we respond to these commandments is life or death.

But these commandments are pure and will lead to purity (Psalm 119:11).  God only gives what is good for us.

The ministry of the Commandments is that they are “enlightening the eyes”. The eyes are the window to the soul (Matthew 6:22-23). What we meditate on determines our purity.

verse 9a:The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever.

The fear of the Lord may not seem to fit, but the fear of the Lord is the natural response of the person who meditates on God’s word. The fear of the Lord is a holy reverence. God’s word does not submit to our will, we must submit ourselves to God’s word.

The attribute of this fear is cleanness and purity, as we submit ourselves to the word of God, we will be made clean (Ephesians 5:25-27). Reading aloud God’s word has a cleansing effect.

And the ministry is that God’s word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Verse 9b: The rules of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

The sixth and final description of the Word of God is rules or judgments. These are God’s final pronouncements and His final authority on all things. God’s judgments reflect His righteous character. We see God’s righteous judgment on our sin as Jesus took our punishment on the cross.

These judgments of God are true (John 17:17), Jesus prayed that the Apostles would be set aside for the ministry of truth, declaring God’s word.

The final ministry of the rules of God’s word is righteousness.  Our righteousness is only because of faith in Jesus as our Lord and savior and another example of why John introduced Jesus as the word in John 1.

The Psalmist closes in prayer asking that God would help him to live in purity and holiness (Psalm 19:14). This is only possible as the Holy Spirit transforms us and makes us more like Jesus.

Without the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life, this book will just be a collection of words on a page.

As we apply the words of truth to our lives, we will see supernatural transformation taking place, we will see lives transformed as we have life giving conversations.

We need to talk!

Luke 14:25-35

The word “disciple” means a learner. A disciple of Jesus means someone who follows Jesus, learns from Jesus and becomes like Jesus.

In Luke 14, we find Jesus teaching a large crowd, and he challenged them on what it means to be a disciple. People started leaving because the cost was too high, his words were too convicting.

Being a disciple of Jesus costs. There is always a cost involved in being a committed Christian.

Salvation is free, but discipleship costs.

In the church today, we have made discipleship too easy and the commitment of being a follower of Jesus is pretty low.  We have lowered the bar in Christianity so much that people think they are doing God a favor by coming to church. The truth is that you will never find that kind of faith in the Bible. Discipleship costs, but it is worth it.  

This passage calls out four characteristics of a follower of Jesus.

1. True Disciples must Worship at any cost.

Worship is not just singing, that is an aspect of it, but worship is all about values and priorities. We value what we worship, and we prioritize what we worship.

Luke 14:26-27, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

To worship God above all else, there is a cost involved in personal relationships. The Greek word Jesus used here for “hate”, means to love less than. To worship God means that we must not love anyone or anything else more than we love God (See Matthew 6:24). Your love for Jesus, your worship must come before any human relationship. Often our following Jesus will cost us relationships and reputation, but our lives are no longer our own.

What are your plans for 2023?

To be a true disciple who worships at any cost we must take ourselves off the throne of our lives and put Jesus on the throne. This applies to every decision we make.

Adrian Rogers said, “when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s the last personal private decision you will ever make, your last independent decision. From then on, you have to ask, “Jesus, what do you want me to do?”

Do you want to be a disciple of Jesus? You must worship at any cost.

2. True Disciples must work at any cost

Luke 14:28-30, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.”

Being a disciple of Jesus, not only involves dying to self, but it also involves building. Our lives are to be towers that are constructed where the Lord places us, according to his design. As disciples of Jesus, we are to submit to the architect of our lives for his building plan. Like any building project, there is planning, sacrifice and diligence required.

Some of you began building your spiritual lives, but then the cost and the sacrifice became too high.

You used to be faithful in the place of prayer, but you got distracted and stopped building.

You used to have a daily rich time in the Word, but then you got busy and stopped building.

You started tithing monthly, but then you had a financial challenge and stopped building.

You were attending church weekly and even joined a life group, but somehow slowly pulled back, and stopped building.

Maybe you volunteered in the children’s ministry, but it began to cost more than you expected in time, and you stopped building.

Today, I want to challenge you to get back to building the tower of your spiritual life.

3. True Disciples must war at any cost.

Luke 14:31-33, “Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

When you become a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will be at war with this world. The good news is that, he has already won the final victory. And even if it seems that the whole world is opposed to you being a follower of Jesus, with God, you are in the majority and you cannot be defeated.

But as soldiers, we must not compromise, lowering the standards in order to keep the peace. God’s word is our first and final authority, there is no compromise or reducing the word of God to make it acceptable to the world around us. There is no compromising with Satan and his demons, he has one agenda, and that is to kill you.

4. True disciples must witness at any cost.

Luke 14:34-35, “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus addresses the commission of a disciple; we are to be witnesses for the Gospel.

Salt is a preservative; we are to be salt that preserves and prevent our families and communities from spoiling.

Today, the church has lost its salt and we are seeing the devastating effects in our society of a church that does not act as an influence in society.

The problems we face in the world, pornography, drugs, crooked politicians, broken marriages, and the likes, are not because Satan and his demons have gotten more powerful or eviler. The problem is that the Church has compromised and lost the preserving power of the Gospel.

Are you ready to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in 2023? (See Matthew 16:24).

Have you ever formed a relationship with someone or with an organization that you regretted? We have all had relationships with people or organizations that have not been good for us. Unhealthy connections lead to unhealthy fruit in our lives.

But healthy connections are good for us. Healthy families, healthy institutions of learning, healthy churches, healthy relationships and more. However, no matter how good these connections are for us, people will let us down, organizations will change, and time will change us and our needs.

However, Jesus offers us a relationship that has the power to give us everything we need or ever will need, and a relationship that will never change. Sadly, so few people fully understand the total dependency that we have in our relationship with Jesus.

In John 15 verse 1, Jesus said, “I am the true vine…” Jesus uses the metaphor of a vine and branches, but it wasn’t a new picture for the Children of Israel (see Psalm 80:8-9). The vine metaphor was understood by Jews in the First Century as referring to Israel. Jesus takes the metaphor and applies it to himself, referring to himself as the “true” vine, and not just any vine.  

Jesus uses the Greek word for “abide” or “remain” ten times in these few verses. The Greek word means to stay and commit to a specific relationship or location. In this context, it means to remain in fellowship with Christ, so that his life can work in and through us to produce fruit (See John 15:4). Jesus said, “abide in me…” commit to remaining in my presence.

But then Jesus makes a commitment to abide in us. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you…” What a wonderful promise. As we commit to remain in Jesus, making him lord of our lives, he commits to remaining with us. A promise that he will never break.

In Genesis 3, there was a separation caused by the first sin that removed mankind from abiding with God. Jesus repairs the separation, but more than that, he promises to give us his Spirit. The fellowship and intimacy we are offered is closer than we could ever imagine.

The apostle Paul frequently used the words, “In Christ” in his letters. What does that mean, and how do we experience the fullness of being in Christ?

The most crucial part of understanding this is knowing where we are. As followers of Jesus, we need to know where we are positionally. Paul makes this clear in Romans 6 where he writes about the reality and the necessity of being dead to sin, and alive in Christ. (See Romans 6:1-5).

Being in Christ, is positional. We are, as followers of Jesus, positioned in Christ by his righteousness. So that when God the Father looks at us, he sees us covered by the righteousness of Christ.

So how do we live from that position? How do we abide in Christ?

John 15 gives us two critical ways of abiding in Christ.

The first way is found in John 15 verse 3 and 7, in verse 7 Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Here we have an instruction and a promise. The instruction is to abide in the word (See Psalm 119:11). His words are to remain in us. We are to keep them in our lives, to build our lives upon them, to be obedient to them. When we take time to meditate on God’s word, to listen to God, to reflect on it and allow it to instruct us, we strengthen our ‘abiding’ with Jesus. As we do this, we become more aware of our position, who we really are as children of God.

As we meditate and feed on the the written word of God, the Holy Spirit in us, takes the word and makes it come alive and active, making it the Rhema word of God to us. As Hebrews 4:12 says, “… discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”

Secondly, we abide by obeying His Commands (John 15:10).

Jesus says in these verses that through obedience we remain in his love. This is not obedience out of duty or law, rather as we grow in our love and knowledge of Jesus, we desire to do what he wants us to do, and we naturally find Joy in obedience. Jesus wants us to experience the fullness of his joy in this life, and an essential part of this is found in keeping his commandments.

So how can we know that we are abiding in Christ? What is the fruit that Jesus talks about in John 15:5?

There are several different kinds of spiritual fruit named in the Bible.

We bear fruit when we win others to Christ. As we grow in holiness and obedience, we bear fruit of the evidence of the presence of God. We have the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22–23). The kind of Christian character that glorifies God and makes Christ real to others.

Along with producing healthy fruit there is the pruning (See John 15:1-2).

Jesus is the true vine, and the Father is the Vinedresser. The Vinedresser must prune the branches to keep the vineyard healthy. We don’t like that, and when we are pruned, we sometimes get angry at God. He may remove things from our lives that we like, things that we think are essential, but God knows they are holding us back from producing more fruit. Any sin (dead branches) in our lives will be dealt with by God because of His love for us.

Sometimes God removes seemingly good things in our lives for us to become more fruitful.

What is God pruning in your life today?

What is the fruit that Jesus is producing in your life as you are abiding in him?