Love God and Neighbor Part 2

LOVE GOD AND NEIGHBOR

Part 2

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement

for Village Church Planters.”

As a Village Church Planter, you have the wonderful opportunity and the great

challenge of teaching new believers to obey the commands of Jesus. The VCP

program has simplified this task by identifying 7 Basic Commands of Christ.

As you know, Jesus said that God’s command to love Him and to love our

neighbor as we love ourselves are the two most important commandments.

Sometimes when we think about love, we think about nice feelings and kind

words. Its true, we can demonstrate love through the words we speak to

others. But when Jesus calls on us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves,

he is thinking about more than just kind words. He expects us to take action to

demonstrate love.

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan who helped a man from a different

tribe who had been beaten and robbed. The Samaritan, bound up the suffering

man’s wounds and took him to a hotel where he paid for his care.

The Apostle John said, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother

or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that

person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions

and in truth.”

This is a challenging word for every new church. So, since your church is young,

start now to demonstrate the love of Christ by your deeds. You may take up an

offering of food to give to widows and orphans. You may organize work days to

help a neighbor with his crops or with the construction of a new roof or a

latrine, or some other building project. There will always be more needs than

your church can meet. But do not let that be an excuse. Give generously, love

extravagantly. As a church show your love God with your words and your

worship. As a church, show your love for your neighbors with your actions and

by your generosity. As you make plans as a church to show the love of God to

your neighbors, remember these words from the Apostle Paul:

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and

increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your

righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way so that you can be

generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in

thanksgiving to God.

Do not be afraid. God will supply what you need in order to be generous with

your time and your service to others. Love God with all your heart. Love your

neighbor as you love yourself!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

E-09

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #LoveGodandNeighbor #Generosity

Love God and Neighbor Part 1

Love God and Neighbor   

Part 1

     

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”

Since you and I are followers of Jesus, we are his disciples. Jesus taught his

disciples to go into all nations and help more and more people become his

obedient followers. He told us that the way we should do this was by baptizing new disciples and by teaching them to obey everything that He commanded.

One time a man asked Jesus a very important question. He asked, “Teacher,

which is the greatest commandment in the law? Now there are many, many

commandments in the Law of Moses. But Jesus did not hesitate to give this

man an answer to his very important question about the most important

commandment. Jesus said, “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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All

the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Love God and love your neighbor. There is nothing more important than this.

But for so many of us, these are very hard commandments to keep. When we

are born again, we express our love for God. We thank him for forgiving us and making us a new person. But loving our neighbor can be very difficult. All of our life we have been taught to protect ourselves and our family. We have

been taught that we cannot trust strangers. On many occasions we have been

hurt by the actions of others. People have cheated us. People have insulted

us. People have told lies about us and spread rumors about us. Some have

tried to destroy our reputation. People have stolen from us. Some may have

even tried to kill us. And now Jesus says to us, “Love your neighbor as

yourself.” It is not easy. We do not have the ability to carry out this command

of Jesus in our own strength. But God can help us.

So call out to Jesus to fill your heart with love for your neighbors. Meditate on

the example of Christ who came into our world only to be rejected and

despised. Remember how he loved sinners, how he loved tax collectors, how

he loved his friends. Remember how he was constantly making new friends.

Remember how he showed the full extent of his love by dying for you and me

on the cross of Calvary. Ask him to fill your heart with his love.

Then take action. With words and with actions, love your neighbor as yourself.

In simple ways, every day, demonstrate the love of Christ. This is how the

people of the village where you are planting a church will know that you are

one of Jesus’ disciples. You can do it. God will help you. So don’t give up.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself.

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

E2-07

Baptize New Believers Part 2

                 

Baptize New Believers 

Part 2

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement
for Village Church Planters.”

You have been given a great honor. You have been invited to serve as an
ambassador for Christ and be his messenger in a village where the message of
Christ has not been proclaimed or understood. You are a pioneer; this is a great
honor. But as you know, it is not easy.

One of the most powerful ways you as a church planter proclaim the message
of Christ is by preparing new believers for baptism and helping them be
baptized. Baptism affirms belief in Christ, forgiveness of sin and unity with
Christ. When people repent and believe, they receive forgiveness of their sins
and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The act of baptism proclaims that believers belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once they were dead in their trespasses and sins. Once they were alienated
from God. There was a time when they lived as the enemies of God. But when
villagers repent of their sins and put their trust in Christ, everything changes.
Because of God’s great love and mercy, they are born again. They have a new
life. They have a new nature. They have a new identity. They become
children of God. This change is a result of God working by his Holy Spirit to
transform the new believers. And you get to be His instrument in the
transformation process! What a blessing that is. The time of a new believer’s
baptism can be a time of great joy. There is so much to celebrate!

We baptize people who have repented of their sins. People are ready for
baptism when they have repented of their sins and believed in the risen Lord
Jesus Christ. It is at that point that the church assures the new believer that
God has forgiven their sins. The church baptizes new believers.
The church prays for each new believer to live a victorious life in Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The church teaches the new believer to obey all of Christ’s commands. When
you work with new believers, remind them of God’s promise that if we confess
our sins he is faith and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. Continually remind them of their new nature in Christ. Help
them prepare their 15 second testimony. Celebrate their baptism with great
joy and great hope. Teach the newly baptized believers to obey all of Christ’s
commands.

E2-06

Baptize New Believers Part 1

A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters

Baptize New Believers Part 1

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters.”

The second of the seven basic commands of Jesus is to baptize new believers. After Jesus had been crucified and buried he rose from the dead and appeared to more than 500 people.

Just before he ascended into heaven he said to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As a Village Church Planter, you have the great privilege to help people repent and believe the Good News. You do this directly by talking with unbelievers about the Good News of Jesus. And you train your disciples to share the Gospel. What an honor that is!

But what’s next? After people repent and believe the Good News, what is the next step? People who repent and put their trust in Jesus should be baptized. And who should baptize new believers? People who are disciples of Jesus. John 4 tells us,
“Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.”

Why do disciples of Jesus baptize new believers? Because baptism is a symbol of the new life in Christ that a new believer has just received. And all who have repented of their sins and put their trust in Jesus have received a new life.   So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away —look, what is new has come!

Baptism in water shows that the one being baptized has died to sin but has received a new life, a life of doing what is right. Baptism in water is a way of showing that our sins have been washed away. The water of baptism cleans the outside of our body. 

But the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts from all unrighteousness. Baptism symbolizes that a new believer is clean before God because of
what Jesus has done in his or her heart. But baptism is not just a symbolic representation of a new, clean life with God. Baptism proclaims in a very strong way to the new believer and to the church that the one being baptized has repented from their sins. Baptism marks the end of a life of willful sinning and the beginning of loving, faithful obedience to Christ.

So teach people about baptism and what it means. Prepare new believers to be baptized. Organize baptism services. Don’t delay baptism. Jesus did not delay baptism of those who had repented and believed. Jesus’ disciples did not delay baptism. Philip baptized the Ethiopian without delay when he believed the Good News about Jesus. As a Village Church A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters Planter, you are following the example of Jesus and his disciples. Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

E2-05
#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #BaptizeNewBelievers #Baptize

Three Positions of Leadership – Behind

A Word of Encouragement for Village Church Planters

Three Positions of Leadership – Behind

This is Chuck Rapp with a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.  In my past three messages, I have shared about leadership.  We began with servant leadership as this must be our motivation and foundation as we lead.  We can lead as servants because we are secure in our own relationship with Christ. 

This is my final message in a series I call “3 Positions of Leadership”.  Previously we spoke about being an “in front” leader.  This is the leader who points the way, communicates the vision and motivates people to join the effort.  Last time I share about the leader who walks “beside” his / her followers, mentoring them.    As you walk alongside those whom you mentor, I encourage you to share your life experiences with them, both the good and pleasant ones and also the difficult and challenging times.  Share what you learned through both of those circumstances.
The final “position” of leadership is often the most overlooked in my culture.  This is the leader who comes “behind” a follower to pick them up when they have fallen.  

The Message paraphrase of the Bible states in Romans 15:1-2 “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, ‘How can I help?’”

Did you hear that?  As leaders, we should not “just do what is most convenient for us.”  This is the essence of servant leadership.  
Galatians 6:1-2 tells us “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

As leaders, there are times that people will fail the Lord and us.  Rather than simply discarding them, we are to restore them instead.  We are to pause what we are doing and help them back onto the right path.  This does not mean that we overlook their failure; we acknowledge it, but we use our strength to gently and humbly help them return to right fellowship with Christ and others. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Repent and Believer the Good News Part 2

Encouragement for Village Church Planters 

Repent and Believe the Good News

Part 2

Please click the arrow above to listen to the video and make sure to 

turn on the closed caption (CC) for the words to be seen too. 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “A Word of Encouragement for
Village Church Planters.”
The first of the 7 basic commands of Jesus is to repent and believe the Good News.
Everyone should obey this command. That is why Jesus said, “…go and make disciples of all nations, …teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus began his ministry with these words recorded in Mark chapter 1,   “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

What does it mean to believe the Good News about the Kingdom of God? It means to
believe that God has come near. It means to believe that God has not forgotten us. It
means to believe that God is with us. To believe the Good News is to believe that
God is ready and willing to accept all those who repent of their sins and recognize
Jesus as king. To believe the Good News is to believe that Jesus is the promised Savior who is the way the truth and the life. It means to recognize that Jesus knows the way to God and that He is the way to God. This is truly good news.
Many spirit worshippers and idolaters believe that there is one true God who created
the world. But they think that he is far away. They think that he cannot be known
and that he does not want to help anyone. Idolaters feel abandoned and alone in their
fight against evil spirits. You as a follower of Jesus have good news for idolaters. The
Kingdom of God is near. God is present with us. He is ready and willing to forgive
and bless all who repent and put their trust in Jesus. He will set us free.

Muslim people know that there is only one God. They know that there is a place of
eternal reward where some people go after they die. But they do not know how to
get there. You have good news for Muslim people. The Kingdom of God is near. Jesus
has come into our world to show us the way to God. Through Jesus, we can have a
personal relationship with God which leads to eternal life with him. When Jesus rose
to be with God on high, the Holy Spirit of God came to be with us to comfort us, and
to lead us into all truth. God is with us. This is good news for Muslims and for
idolaters.

So tell it well. Tell it often. Tell it in simple terms. Tell it with stories and with your
15 second testimony. Tell it by drawing the three circles. Tell people in villages near
you the good news that the Kingdom of God is near. God is present to forgive us and
to change us and to enjoy a relationship with us as his sons and daughters. He is good and He is here to save. Tell the Good News!

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

E2-

#EncouragementforVillageChurchPlanters #7BasicCommandsofJesus #GoodNews