Did Jesus Have A Mission Statement?

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Wayne Davies

Did Jesus Christ have a Mission Statement? Let’s take a look at the book of Mark to see if he communicated the purpose of his coming to earth 2,000 years ago.

Jesus came to preach.
It’s been said that God only had one Son, and he was a preacher. Jesus had a passion for proclaiming God’s truth, and he told the disciples that in no uncertain terms.

Jesus would get up early in the morning to pray by himself. One day the disciples woke up, couldn’t find him, and went looking for him, exclaiming that “Everyone is looking for you!” (Mark 1:37).  He responded by saying, “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38)

Jesus came to call sinners to repentance.
Have you ever wondered what Jesus preached about?  Would you like to hear one of his sermons? You can do that by simply reading the four gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  They are filled with his preaching and teaching.

Mark gives us an excellent summary of Jesus’ preaching ministry – he proclaimed “the good news of God” (Mark 1:15). What does that mean? Here’s a summary of his sermons: “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news” (Mark 1:16).

So Jesus came to preach, and the content and goal of that preaching was to confront sinners with the need to repent. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus for spending time with the scum of society (tax collectors and “sinners”), he responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).  Luke’s account is more explicit – “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).

Jesus came to serve.
Has there ever been a person in the history of the world who did more for others? I think not. When reading the four gospels, we are overwhelmed with the way Jesus met the needs of those around him. He spent countless hours not only teaching and preaching, but healing the sick and feeding the crowds and driving out demons. He did whatever he could to help people.

This was intentional – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . . ” (Mark 10:45).

Jesus came to die.
The ultimate purpose of Jesus’ coming is clearly stated in the last part of Mark 10:45. Jesus came to serve, “and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

A ransom is the price one person pays to set another person free from slavery. How did Jesus do that? When he died on the cross, he paid the price to liberate guilty sinners from the bondage of sin, death, and hell.

Everything Jesus did and said for three years led to this. It was his primary mission.

As we reflect on the Mission Statement of Jesus, how should we respond? Certainly with much praise, thanksgiving and worship! And also with humble submission and repentant self-examination, asking ourselves the question – To what extent am I devoting my life to the Mission Statement of Jesus?

What is your response?

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Bible Reading Tips – Do You Pray This Prayer When Reading The Bible? (Great Advice from Psalm 119)

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Wayne Davies

Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is filled with verses about the Bible. This psalm is also filled with the prayers of a man who has a deep longing to commune with God and live a godly life in accordance with the Word of God.

One particular prayer is repeated seven times: “Teach me your decrees” (see verses 12, 26, 64, 68, 124, 135, 171). Do you pray this prayer when reading the Bible?

Let’s take a look at the meaning of this prayer.

The psalmist is communicating his heartfelt desire for God to teach him the Word. (“Decrees” is one of many synonyms for the Bible in Psalm 119.) And the fact that he repeats this prayer so often is an obvious indication that this desire is both sincere and consuming.

Every verse in this psalm was written in the Hebrew poetic style known as “parallelism”, which means there are usually two statements that go together. These two statements often complement one another, and this literary structure enables us to dive deeper into the meaning of the prayer to “teach me your decrees”.

Here are two truths to learn from the verses that contain this prayer:

Being taught by God is closely associated with worship.
It is significant that verses 64, 68, and 124 all mention something magnificent about the character of God. Specifically, God’s attributes of love and goodness are highlighted immediately before the psalmist asks for God’s teaching. “The earth is filled with your love, Lord; teach me your decrees” (verse 64; see also verse 124). “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees” (verse 68).

Verses 12 and 171 also mention praise of God. “Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees” (verse 12). “May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees” (verse 171).

So there is a clear connection between praising God for His greatness and being taught by God. The more we recognize the infinite worth of our Creator, the more we want Him to teach us. This is why Christians do things in a particular order during our church services: worship is usually first (singing hymns of praise), followed by teaching (the sermon), followed by more worship (concluding hymns).

Recognizing God for who He is – the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving One – stimulates a longing to sit at the feet of King Jesus and let Him teach us how to live.

Being taught by God is closely associated with self-examination.
Note verse 26 – “I gave an account of my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees”. God knows everything about us, yet the psalmist realizes his need to tell God what he’s been doing and thinking. Undoubtedly this includes confession of sin – being honest with God about our faults and taking responsibility for them in His presence.

And certainly this also includes pouring out our hearts when we are faced with the struggles and frustrations of life, and asking for help. Fortunately, we can count on God to listen as we share the most intimate details of our lives — an amazing thing, when you consider that the Creator of the universe has promised to listen to us when we cry out to Him.

God promises to both listen and answer. He delights to impart His wisdom to us, and the psalmist is confident of just that in verse 26 – “you answered me”. God provides the guidance we need, and He does that primarily through His Word; hence the connection between the believer’s self-examination and the believer’s longing for the teaching of God’s Word.

So when we look up – through worship and praise – God will teach us His Word. And when we look within – through self-examination – God will teach us His Word. Let us follow the example of the psalmist and beseech our Father to teach us His decrees every day, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Attributes of God – God Forgives (Why Every Day Is Thanksgiving Day)

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Wayne Davies

A few years ago I was sitting in a worship service and the pastor asked us to spontaneously shout out something that we are thankful for. (And it wasn’t a Thanksgiving service.)

I immediately responded with one word: Forgiveness.

Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for His forgiveness of my sins.

Ever wonder what the word “forgiveness” means? One meaning is this – to cancel a debt.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). In a parallel passage, Jesus also taught us to pray, “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Luke 11:4).

So we see that “sin” and “debt” are synonyms. Because we sin, we owe a debt to God. What is that debt? That debt is the consequences of our sin – our guilt before a holy God and the simple fact that we deserve to be punished by God for our sins – like any criminal who has broken the law and must pay a fine or do the time.

And the just punishment for sin, according to Romans 6:23, is death – physical, spiritual and eternal (in hell).

Now we all have problems in this life, right? It may be unemployment and the unpleasant financial consequences of not having enough income to pay your bills. Perhaps you are behind on your mortgage or rent and creditors are hounding you for payment.

Jesus was drawing an analogy between financial debt and spiritual debt. As sinners we owe a debt to God and there are only two ways that debt can be paid: God’s way or my way.

There are also only two places where that debt can be paid – at the cross of Jesus Christ or in hell.

And there are only two people who can pay that debt – Jesus Christ or me.

So every person is a debtor in the bankruptcy court of heaven. And we are faced with The Million Dollar Question – how are we going to pay that debt?

Fortunately, God is a God of forgiveness. He wants to cancel our debts.  In fact, He delights to do just that, and He wants to forgive us more than we want to be forgiven.

He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in order to pay the debt of our sin. And because of His death, those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as the only One who can pay that debt receive forgiveness of sins and a debt cancellation notice that reads, “Paid In Full”.

This is why the gospel is “good news”.  And this is why the psalmist wrote, “If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared” (Psalm 130:3-4).

If you know the joy of forgiveness, don’t let this day pass without expressing your heartfelt thanksgiving to God for this wonderful gift through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Protected: Basic Bible Doctrine – How Do We Know Jesus Was Human? (Evidence of Jesus’ Humanity from Mark 1)

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Wayne Davies

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Protected: Basic Bible Doctrine – What Is The Authority of Jesus? (And Why Does It Matter?) (Mark 1:16-28)

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Wayne Davies

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Basic Bible Doctrine – How Do We Know Jesus Is God? (Evidence of Jesus’ Deity from Mark 1)

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Wayne Davies

When reading the Bible, it is hard to miss one of its most pervasive teachings – the deity of Jesus Christ.  Repeatedly, the writers of Scripture present Jesus as God.

The four gospels are the most obvious example of this. John tells us that he wrote his account so that “you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31).

This purpose statement can also be applied to the accounts penned by Matthew, Mark and Luke.

The beginning of Mark’s gospel is both a wonderful picture of the early ministry of Jesus and a powerful demonstration of his deity. Consider these four manifestations of divine authority from Mark 1.

Jesus defeated the devil (Mark 1:12-13).
After his baptism in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness for a 40-day fast, where he is tested by Satan and is victorious over him. Mark’s brief description of these 40 days only mentions that Jesus was tempted by Satan, but we know from the parallel accounts in Matthew 3:1-11 and Luke 4:1-12 that Jesus successfully resisted these temptations and thereby demonstrated his deity.

Jesus called his disciples (Mark 1:16-20).
Four fisherman’s lives were changed forever when Jesus gave them the simple command to “Come, follow me” (Mark 1:17). Peter, Andrew, James and John willingly submitted to the divine authority of Jesus, for immediately “they left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:18).

Jesus overpowered demons (Mark 1:21-28, 33).
If Jesus could overcome the temptations of the devil himself, he could also demonstrate his divine power over demons. This is a recurring theme in Mark, as Jesus repeatedly issues the command for demons to come out of their victims; and without fail, this command is obeyed (Mark 1:25-26). Jesus even had the power to stop the demons from talking.

Jesus banished illness (Mark 1:29-34, 40-45).
Every physical ailment known to man was an opportunity for Jesus to display his divinity. Peter’s mother-in-law had a fever, which Jesus cured with a touch. And even dreaded leprosy was instantly removed by the hand of Christ. From the most common illnesses to the most devastating, Jesus healed people by the thousands.

And so the evidence for the deity of Jesus is overwhelming. He had authority over the devil, his own disciples, demons, and disease. These four types of power are seen throughout the book of Mark, as well as the accounts written by Matthew, Luke and John. Jesus did so many miracles that John says, “If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

The deity of Jesus Christ is demonstrated clearly and powerfully on the pages of Scripture. How should we respond when considering the abundant evidence that Jesus was both God and man? We are compelled to echo the words of the Roman soldier who watched Jesus die on the cross and said, “Surely this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

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Basic Bible Doctrine – Who Says Jesus Is God? (Verbal Testimonies From Mark 1:1-11)

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Wayne Davies

The deity of Jesus Christ is the bedrock of biblical Christianity and one of the foundational truths of the Bible. Repeatedly the New Testament teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, which simply means that Jesus is God the Son.

The evidence for the deity of Jesus is overwhelming and is found on virtually every page of the New Testament. For example, let’s take a look at Mark 1 and see whether the deity of Jesus is presented. Mark 1:1 states categorically that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Now let’s see how Mark unpacks that statement with verbal testimonies about the identity of Jesus.

1. The testimony of the Old Testament prophets (Mark 1:2-3).
Mark begins his record of the ministry of Jesus by describing his forerunner, John the Baptizer. And he introduces John by quoting Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. That second verse makes it clear that John’s mission was to tell people to get ready “for the Lord”, and the word “Lord” (in Isaiah 40:3) is the Hebrew word “Yahweh”, the most common name of God in the Old Testament. God Himself was coming, so get ready!

2. The testimony of John the Baptizer (Mark 1:4-8).
John described Jesus as someone infinitely greater than himself. He said that this Jesus would be “more powerful than I” and a person “whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (Mark 1:7). The reason John ascribed such praise to Jesus is because John knew that Jesus was not only a man, but also God in human flesh.

John the Baptizer himself quotes Isaiah 40:3 (in John 1:23). And John’s recognition of the deity of Jesus is evidenced when John said “he (Jesus) was before me” (John 1:30) and “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).

3. The testimony of God the Father (Mark 1:9-11).
When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, God the Father spoke from heaven and said to Jesus, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). So not only did Old Testament prophets predict the coming of the Son of God, and not only did John the Baptizer recognize Jesus as God’s Son, but here is God Himself testifying to the divine identity of Jesus.

Do you ever imagine yourself being present at some great event of the past? Wouldn’t it be cool if there really were such a thing as a “time machine”, so we could travel back in time and witness the past rather than only read about it?

I would love to have been there at the baptism of Jesus. How about you? We would have heard God proclaim from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God!

Is this not a testimony worth our full attention and consideration?  If God said it, shouldn’t we take it to heart?

Yes, make no mistake about it – the Bible is quite clear in its teaching about the identity of Jesus. He is presented as none other than God the Son, God in a human body. May the truth of the deity of Jesus Christ grip our hearts and cause us to bow at His feet today.

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What Is Religious Hypocrisy? (Words You Never Want to Hear From Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23)

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Wayne Davies

According to those who heard Jesus speak firsthand, “no one every spoke the way this man does” (John 7:46). There was something captivating about the preaching and teaching ministry of Jesus Christ. He could say things that either enthralled or baffled his audience.

Jesus also said things that could scare the living daylights out of you. The more I read the four gospels, the more I find statements that petrify me. Like this one: “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).

Jesus is describing a conversation that will take place on Judgment Day between himself and a person who thinks he is going to heaven but ends up in hell. Not every person who says “Jesus is my Lord; I’m a Christian” will spend eternity walking the streets of gold.

Doesn’t that statement grip your soul and make you tremble?

What does it mean? I think it means this: talk is cheap. I can say I believe in Jesus and not really be a believer. I can profess faith in Christ and not really have faith. I can pray the sinner’s prayer and not really mean it.

Jesus continues this account of Judgment Day like this: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

So a person can prophesy (preach), drive out demons and even do miracles and not be a genuine Christian. If that is true, can we not also assume that a person can attend church every Sunday, read the Bible every day, and give away thousands of dollars to help the needy, and not be a true believer?

How can this be? What is the point of these stunning statements?

Jesus is addressing one of his most favorite topics: hypocrisy. He’s describing a religious hypocrite. And he’s confronting all of us with the ultimate eternal destiny of those whose profession of faith is only that. Jesus is making clear the huge difference between profession of faith and possession of faith.

What should we do when we read a passage like this? We look in the mirror and ask, “Am I for real? Am I a genuine Christian, or am I a hypocrite?”

We take to heart the exhortation of Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” This is a difficult thing to do, but it is necessary.

So I urge you to examine yourself today, and as often as is necessary for the rest of your life. Doing it now instead of later could make a world of difference on Judgment Day.

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The Greatest Commandment: Top 10 Things To Do With Your Heart (Psalm 119)

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Wayne Davies

The Bible is a long book. My 1978 New International Version is 1,156 pages long. Ever wonder what the main point of the Bible is? Whether you’ve ever read the whole thing or not, would you like to know one of its central teachings?

One day an Old Testament scholar asked Jesus to tell him the most important commandment in the Bible. For Jesus, this was an easy question to answer. He cut right to the chase with this response: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38).

The Bible is crystal clear about this – the most important thing I’m supposed to do is love God with everything I am.

But I need help. I need more direction. I want to know what loving God looks like.

What I’m asking is: How do you do that? How do you love God with all your heart, soul and mind?

Is there a passage in the Bible that tells us what it means to love God completely?

I think there is! I think Psalm 119 helps us answer this question. And wouldn’t you like to know not just what we’re supposed to be doing on earth, but how we’re supposed to do it?

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses), and virtually every verse is about the Bible. But it’s also a wonderful treatise on the heart, because the word “heart” appears about 15 times (depending on which translation you’re reading).

So here are 10 ways you can love God with your heart, in the order they happen to appear in Psalm 119:

1. Seek God with all your heart (Psalm 119:2, 10, 58)

2. Praise God with an upright heart (Psalm 119:7)

3. Hide God’s word in your heart (Psalm 119:11)

4. Set your heart on God’s laws (Psalm 119:30)

5. Allow God to set your heart free (Psalm 119:32)

6. Obey God’s law with all your heart (Psalm 119:34)

7. Keep God’s precepts with all your heart (Psalm 119:69, 112)

8. Allow the Word of God to be the joy of your heart (Psalm 119:111)

9. Call to God with all your heart (Psalm 119:145)

10. Let your heart tremble at God’s word (Psalm 119:161)

What do you think? Does that help? It sure helps me.

Over the next 10 days, why not spend a day focusing on each of these ten specific ways to love God with your heart. This is what the Christian life is all about. This is what the Christian life should look like.

How are you doing? Like me, there’s plenty of room for improvement, right?

As you work on each of these areas, keep in mind this powerful and comforting promise – “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

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Attributes of God: God Never Sleeps – How Can This Be? (Psalm 121:1-4)

Posted on June 14, 2014 by Wayne Davies

When you need help, where do you look? When you are in a bind, to whom do you go?

The writer of Psalm 121 tells us where he looks and to whom he goes when he’s got a problem. “I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

I live in northeast Indiana where it’s about as flat as it gets. We don’t have any hills around here, so I find it difficult to relate to the reference to hills. So if you happen to live in a place devoid of topographical variety, perhaps we need to paraphrase these verses like this – “I lift up my eyes to the trees” or “I lift up my eyes to the sky”.

You get the idea. The point is obvious – the psalmist looked up because he knew that God lives in heaven. And this God above is his source of comfort and strength down below.

More importantly, this believer tells us why he goes to God in time of need. “He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:3-4).

This is an amazing statement: God never sleeps. He has never slept and he never will sleep. He has never even take a nap!

To the child who asks, “Where did God come from?”, we humbly answer, “God always existed. He is without beginning or end.”  And to the child who asks, “How old is God?”, we simply say, “God has always existed. He has no birthday, so we don’t know how old he is. He is eternal.”

So, from eternity past, which is a mind-bending concept that mere mortals will never get our brains around, God has not only existed, but he has existed in a state of complete consciousness. Always awake, never tiring, never running out of steam. He is as strong as he has ever been without ever pausing for a moment to sleep.

How can this be? We love to applaud athletes who excel in their craft and make the rest of us look weak and incompetent. How much more amazed should we be in the presence of the Almighty God who does not sleep, while we struggle to remain awake for 18 hours.

There are a 1,001 reasons to worship the Maker of heaven and earth. Certainly this is one of them — he never sleeps. And because He never sleeps, never takes a day off, never even takes an afternoon off, we can go to him in our time of need, confident that he will hear us and provide the help we need.

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