Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 41
February 26, 2014
Are You Becoming?
The Word became . . . . John 1:14
It’s hard to get our brains around this, but we need to try: God changed. God did something that is impossible for God to do.
He became something he had never been before.
When Jesus came to earth, he took on a new mode of existing. He became human. In the words of John, he became flesh.
But the point is, he became.
And God expects the same of us. Jesus became, and God expects us to become.
It’s really an amazing deal:
Jesus left heaven. God wants us to come to it.
Jesus downgraded. God wants us to upgrade.
Jesus partook of humanity. God wants us to partake of deity.
But the bottom line is, God wants us to change.
Are you becoming? Are you allowing God to make you into something you haven’t been before? Or, are you resisting him?
Some Christians refuse to change, and that makes them unbecoming. If they’re not becoming more like the Son, then they’re becoming less like him. They’re not just unbecoming in their behavior, they’re actually unbecoming in their faith. They’re becoming less like Jesus.
In Kingdom realities, there is no such thing as a plateau. You’re either becoming or unbecoming.
Which are you?
Don’t settle for being what you’ve always been. Don’t accept bad behaviors and character flaws as “the way God made you.” He wants to make you more.
Paul wrote that he was confident that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” Philippians 1:6.
Bow your head, turn your hands over, and give God permission to change you today.
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February 25, 2014
Will’s Letter to ACF, February 24, 2014
Greetings Friends! Isn’t God good? Praise him for his Grace!
Thank you for all of your encouragement after this weekend’s message. God was really good to us. If you missed any of the John/Prologue messages, you can watch them here.
This Weekend’s New Series: Follow
So now that we have the major themes established in John, it’s time to jump into the story. We’ll begin with Jesus’ call of his disciples and then explore the rest of the discipleship teachings throughout John.
DO NOT PRESUME THAT YOU KNOW WHAT A DISCIPLE IS.
I think John (and Jesus) are going to surprise you. This weekend’s message is called Discipleship 101. See you this weekend.
Next ACF Baptism
Speaking of discipleship, obedience is a key component of being a disciple, and baptism is an act of obedience. Our next ACF baptism is rapidly approaching. Take a step of obedience that God will honor. Contact your local community pastor for baptism details.
Pray for Rain
I woke up with a song on my mind this morning. It was Let it Rain by Jesus Culture.
Given the messages on Grace and the photos of Lake Travis from this weekend, I think it’s time to renew our prayers for rain. Will you join me?
I’m asking God to fill Lake Travis (681) by June 1, 2014. The date is completely arbitrary. It just gives me something to shoot for in prayer. That’s a big, hairy, audacious prayer, and the kind that God loves to answer. Will you pray with me: O God, as a sign of your grace and mercy on Austin, please fill Lake Travis to 681 by June 1. In Jesus’ name!
Speaking of Prayer
Our new staff member Robert Stone has a goal of training 120 intercessors across all communities to pray for ACF. This is the ministry that could single-handedly transform our church. You’ll be praying for me, all the community pastors, for God’s presence in our services and for specific needs in our church. Will you be one of these God-called intercessors? Contact Robert@acfellowship.org for more information.
I love you friends! I’ll see you this weekend.
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Pray this for Your Home
And in that place many believed in Jesus. John 10:42
I have loved this verse for many years. I have also prayed it countless times for the church I lead. I’ve prayed that ACF would be a place where many people believe in Jesus.
And God has honored that prayer.
Today, I want to suggest that you start praying this verse for the place where you live. Whether it is a duplex, an apartment, an RV or a house, pray that the place where you live will be a place where many come to know Jesus.
We’ve placed way too much emphasis on church buildings and not nearly enough emphasis on the places where believers spend the bulk of their time—their homes.
What if you viewed your home as an evangelistic outpost for Jesus? What if you prayed that your home would be a place God’s Word was taught, Jesus’ name worshipped, and the Gospel shared regularly? What if you viewed your home as a place where people were supposed to meet Jesus?
What if we all did?
Start with the people you live with: your spouse, kids, roommates. Pray that they will come to know Jesus in your house. And then, teach them. Make sure they know how much God loves them and that Jesus died for them.
Then, spread out to your neighbors. Get in the habit of having them in your home, around your table. Tell them your story. Show them Jesus’ love.
And don’t forget about your regular visitors—the yard guy, trash collectors, mail deliverer, baby sitters, neighborhood kids, and even your local Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness missionaries who happen to knock on your door.
Pray for your house today. Pray that many people will come to know Jesus there.
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February 24, 2014
Flesh
And the Word became flesh . . . . John 1:14
There may be no more dramatic juxtaposition in the Bible. What John placed side by side–the Word and flesh–seems extreme to say the least. In fact, it’s hard to imagine two more mutually exclusive concepts. But John went further than just connecting the two. He actually claims that one became the other. That, friends, is nothing short of astounding.
And the Word became flesh . . . .
The Word, as we have seen, was John’s metaphor for the pre-incarnate Jesus. The Word was infinite, abstract, immeasurable, timeless, divine and all-powerful. Jesus, so John argued, was all of this and more in his eternal, pre-Bethlehem state.
Flesh–ordinary, garden-variety flesh–has nothing in common with the Word. Flesh is finite, limited, time-bound, measurable and frail. Flesh can get sick. Flesh can get tired. Flesh can grow hungry. Flesh needs rest. Flesh can suffer. Flesh can even die. The natural condition of flesh is nothing like that of the Word. Left to themselves, the two would never cross paths or never need to be used in the same sentence. But in the wisdom and plan of God, the two were not left to themselves.
Between the distinct concepts of the Word and flesh, John placed an apparently harmless little verb–became. And with that verb, the world received the most profound theological concept ever revealed. With that verb John linked the infinite with the finite, eternity with time, divinity with humanity, immortality with mortality, and holiness with sin. Everything that the Word had been by nature became everything that was flesh. It’s the greatest changing, the greatest altering, and the greatest downsizing in history. In his story.
The Word became flesh. Those four words sum up what John is saying in his Gospel. The first few verses of John deal with the Word in eternity, and the remainder of the book addresses the Word as flesh.
The Word became flesh is a beautiful transition statement describing the most beautiful transition ever made. In this Great Transition, God took the infinite concept of his deity and crammed it into a human frame. He made it tangible so all of us could all know him. As John wrote in 1:18, Jesus explains God to us.
Friends, Jesus had graciously removed all the mystery that otherwise surrounds God. Jesus explains, describes and introduces God to us. He is able to do these things so effectively because he himself is God. He’s God in human form, God-incarnate, God the man. He’s God with skin on him, God in the flesh.
Every question you will every have about God had been answered in Jesus. Everything you need to know about God this side is heaven is available in Jesus.
Simply stated, Jesus really is all you will ever need.
*I’m teaching through John at Austin Christian Fellowship. Click Here to watch or listen to the messages.
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February 21, 2014
True Enlightenment
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. John 1:9
A man asked me about this two weeks ago: How can God judge a Muslim who has never heard of Jesus? John answers that question, at least in part, here in this verse.
There is a direct relationship between accountability and revelation. We cannot be accountable for what we have not been shown. If there were no revelation of God in the world, we certainly would not be accountable to him.
When Jesus entered the world, a new, final and higher level of understanding of God was given to men. What we had previously not known about God became clear and apparent in the life, words and ministry of Jesus. As John 1:18 states, Jesus explained God to us.
And, with that explanation came accountability.
John described Jesus as the true light. Jesus is the real deal. He is not one of the many imitation lights that claim to have a new and updated angle on God. Jesus is authentic light. The one, true God-light.
The appearance of Jesus on earth forever changed the stakes in the eternal game. No longer can men claim ignorance or lack of revelation. The arrival of Jesus brought a new level of accountability to mankind. It’s not that we haven’t been shown. Jesus, by his appearing, awakened the heart of every person to the truth of God.
Now I know what some of you are thinking: How did Jesus enlighten all people? What about those who have never heard of him?
The arrival of Jesus on earth set some things into motion that help every person on earth have the chance to know him. The first is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is constantly wooing all people to the truth that there is a God who loves them. That’s why Paul told the Athenians that while God previously overlooked ignorance of him, he was now calling all men to repent (See Acts 17:30-31).
What changed? Jesus sent his Spirit.
Beyond that, Jesus enlightens all men through the ministry of his Church, through the teaching of his Word, through the lives and testimonies of those who follow him and, of course, through the beautiful and ongoing revelation of God through nature.
You and I are accountable to God because Jesus came into the world. We have no argument for ignorance. But this is not bad news, not at all. For with accountability comes the possibility of relationship. Jesus’ revelation of God not only exposed us to God’s reality, but also to his love.
Jesus made it possible for all to know and relate to God. And that, dear friends, is the best news you’ll ever hear.
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February 20, 2014
An Invitation to Dinner
Several years ago, after Susie and I started ACF, Susie had a dream of having every member of the church over for dinner. She called her dinner initiative 246 dinners, based on Acts 2:46–They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. We’ve been doing 246 dinners ever since.
They dinners are really simple. We gather around a table, share a meal, and answer questions about our lives.
Recently, Susie shared her 246 vision with her friend and visionary Jennie Allen. And now, you won’t believe what God has done with the idea. And it all begins with one word: IF.
Click image below to watch the video.
Click here to go to the IF: Table home page and to read Susie’s description of the If: Table.
Click here to see answers to FAQs about IF: Table.
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Devote Yourselves to What is Good
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. Titus 3:14
In this verse, Paul is talking to a leader; actually, a leader of leaders. He’s telling him what he expects of his leaders. He’s telling him what message he wants passed down the lines of authority through Titus to them.
The message? Structure your life so you can respond to urgent needs around you on moment’s notice.
Paul wanted the believers in Crete to know that God expected them to care for each other. He expected them to keep their overhead at a minimum and to have enough disposal income and time to stop what they’re doing and give themselves to the care of others.
It seems that Paul knew nothing about a version of Christianity that allows Christians to be too busy, too important or too financially obligated to be able to help others.
Doing good—especially the doing good for others—is something we’re commanded to devote ourselves too. It’s not for our spare time or our spare pennies. It’s a priority.
Looks like I need to reconsider my priorities . . . again. How about you?
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February 19, 2014
What Do You Do When You Start Making More Money?
What do you do when you start making more money? That may seem like a stupid question, but I want you to think about it.
What do you do with your increase? Where do you place your investments?
Today we have banks, safety deposit boxes and the stock market. We have many choices when it comes to storing and/or investing what we’ve earned. But in Jesus’ day, they had barns. As his culture was made up primarily of farmers and ranchers, the barn would have been a prominent fixture in the landscape. So when Jesus wanted to talk about the implications of living with more than enough, he talked about barns:
“The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry,”‘ (Luke 12:16-19).
On the surface, this sounds like every entrepreneur’s dream. In this case, the guy is a farmer. His land totally goes wild and yields a bigger harvest than he ever imagined. In order to manage his new harvest, he tears down his barns and builds bigger ones. So far, this sounds like a pretty good business plan. Right? He’s got it made. He’s got enough wealth to last him for years.
There’s only one problem. He had less than eight hours to live: “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ (Luke 12:20).
Okay, I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m pretty sure that when God begins a sentence with “You fool,” it can’t be good news. This poor guy had missed it big time. Not only had he wasted his money building barns to hold crops that he would never be able to take to market, but he also had presumed upon God by assuming he had years to live. Both, from God’s standpoint, represent serious lapses in judgment.
But perhaps the farmer’s biggest mistake came at the moment that I call Decision Time. It came when the he realized that his current barns could no longer hold his crops. Jesus shared the farmer’s rather short and one-sided thought process with us. Basically, he gave no thought to any other option other than expanding what he had. That’s the critical moment; that’s decision time.
What do you do when your crops yield significant fruit? What do you do when you have a major financial gain? That’s your critical moment; that’s your decision time.
Almost without exception, people build bigger barns. It’s just our natural, default instinct. If we live in a certain size house–a house that is completely adequate for our family’s needs–and then we come into more money, we either consider an add-on or moving to a larger house. The push is always for more, for larger, for nicer, for bigger barns.
By the way, the same is true for churches. Churches will rent a facility or buy a piece of land and build a small building. Then they’ll start having services. God blesses their efforts and they grow. So they add a second service and they continue to grow. Pretty soon, they have so much harvest their barn is no longer adequate to hold it all. So what do they do? They build bigger barns. They tear down what they have and start over; or, they sell their barns and land and they buy more land and build a bigger barn.
And both cases—the individual’s and the church’s–the emphasis becomes having more, being larger, expanding assets and increasing wealth. There’s only one little problem with this strategy: no where in the Bible is a Christian or a church commanded to pursue more material gain. Not once. Never. At all. Did I say no where?
We’ve chosen a personal way of life and a church growth strategy that, simply stated, goes against everything the Bible teaches about stewardship, personal gain and how we disciple people. And this errant strategy is yielding a cheapened form of discipleship, and such failed discipleship is what kills families, churches, and nations.
So I have a simple suggestion: don’t build a bigger barn. When your land yields so much produce that you’re having trouble managing it, just give it away. Instead of investing in a larger house or vacation home or a backyard pool, invest it elsewhere. Declare your current barn to be large enough and then determine that whatever you receive that won’t fit in that barn to be something you don’t intend to keep.
*Want to know more? Read my book Enough. I dare you.
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The Speed of Darkness
The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:5 (NLT)
Let’s think about darkness.
It never exists on its own. There is no source for darkness. In our world, while the sun produces light, darkness isn’t produced by anything.
Darkness only exists when light is absent. The ability of darkness to spread and envelop an area is directly proportional to the amount of light present. Darkness only expands at the speed of light’s retreat. In the physical world, darkness spreads at the rate of the sun’s setting and no faster. It is totally subjected to and under the authority of light.
What is true about light and darkness in the material word is exponentially so in the spiritual world. In spiritual realities, darkness (evil) can only prevail where light (God’s presence) is absent. Satan and Jesus cannot coexist. Satan’s dark domain can only thrive when the light of Jesus is missing.
And thus, the only way a soul, a family, a church, city or a nation can be controlled by darkness is when Christ’s light is absent.
Now look at your soul. Is it illuminated by light or shrouded in darkness? Do you have pockets or areas of your life that are secretive? Do you often retreat to the shadows?
Darkness can only exist in those areas of your life where you choose to reject light. Whether you see just a few small pockets of darkness in your life, or even if you have vast regions of your life veiled in darkness, there remains one simple solution: Let in the light.
Jesus will gloriously illuminate any area of your life into which you invite him. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been dark, how cold it is or how many bad things are hiding there in the dark. When you let in Jesus’ light he will immediately transform it.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:1
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