A Missed Opportunity
The other day I ran across the story of a man who had a great opportunity that he missed. His friend took him for a ride one day way out in the country. They drove off the main road and drove through groves of trees to a large uninhabited expanse of land. A few horses were grazing, and a couple of old shacks remained. The friend, Walter, stopped the car, got out, and started to describe with great vividness the wonderful things he was going to build. He wanted his friend Arthur to buy some of the land surrounding his project to get in on the ground floor. But Arthur thought to himself, who in the world is going to drive twenty-five miles for this crazy project? The logistics of the venture are staggering. And so Walter explained to his friend Arthur, "I can handle the main project myself. But it will take all my money. But the land bordering it, where we’re standing now, will in just a couple of years be jammed with hotels and restaurants and convention halls to accommodate the people who will come to spend their entire vacation here at my park." He continued, "I want you to have the first chance at this surrounding acreage, because in the next five years it will increase in value several hundred times." "What could I say? I knew he was wrong," Arthur tells the story today. "I knew that he had let this dream get the best of his common sense, so I mumbled something about a tight-money situation and promised that I would look into the whole thing a little later on." "Later on will be too late," Walter cautioned Arthur as they walked back to the car. "You’d better move on it right now." And so Art Linkletter turned down the opportunity to buy up all the land that surrounded what was to become Disneyland. His friend Walt Disney tried to talk him into it. But Art thought he was crazy. James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 389.
Acts 1:5-11
Some would tell us if you will on stay doctrinally pure, preach the word, pray more and be dedicated your church will grow. If this be true why are there many a church and pastor who do all these things and yet have feelings of guilt, feel inadequate and are frustrated?
There are many dedicated people in churches that are not growing. So the problem could not be lack of dedication. We must be dedicated but we need to develop skills that will make for church growth. The need is not to work harder but to work smarter. To become better at being skillful some of the things we will need to do are read books, listen to tapes, watch videos, use the internet, attend conferences and even look at other churches that are growing and find out why. Eccles. 10:10 “Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.” How much time have we spent sharpening our axes? Professional pilots spend two times a year a week at a time retraining and sharpening their skills away from their jobs. One might think that just doing that job would make them ok. They give as a reason for doing this as, “Because people’s lives depend on how skilled we are.” Should not the church be concerned about people in the same way? Would you want a doctor or dentist to work on you if they only used that which they learned in school ten years ago? Churches today are not growing because many are set in the past in the way we do church. Paul said that in his doing church he became an expert builder. He wanted the church to be the best it could so he did the best he could in building the church on a solid foundation. Did you know that after he was saved he spent three years alone with God before he went to preach in Syria and Celica? He was unknown to the churches in Judea and is only noticed in that they heard that the one who was persecuting the church now was preaching the faith. He was not welcomed in the church in Jerusalem until Barnabas stood up for him. God took time with Paul to make him ready to do the work in the church he did. We need to take time to learn what God wants us to do and not just rush into doing.
By some standards could Satan be considered a Christian? By Richard Mansel Adapted and revised
We might hear when someone dies, He didn’t go to church but he was a good Christian. Millions consider themselves Christians even though large percentages have no church they attend and have never believed in Christ as Savior. I want us for a few moments to consider what a Christian is in light of what the Bible says and that the devil fulfills them except---.
First, for someone to be a Christian they need to believe God exists? Satan believes this and even says so in Genesis 3. To say we believe God exists does not make us a Christian, because that would make Satan a Christian. James 2:19 “Do you still think it’s enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror!”
Second, for someone to be a Christian he must believe God is powerful? In Job 1:10, Satan acknowledges that God controls what happens to man. Satan was there in heaven, saw creation and knows the power of God. To believe that God is powerful is not enough to make one a Christian because that would make Satan a Christian.
Third, for someone to be a Christian they need to read and believe the Bible. In Luke 4 Satan quotes Psalm 91:11, 12. He read and believed the Bible. Just to read and believe in the Bible does not make someone a Christian because then Satan would be a Christian.
Fourth, for someone to be a Christian he must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? On several occasions demons spoke to Jesus or others affirming their belief in the deity of Christ. MT 8:28-29 “two men who were possessed by demons met him. They began screaming at him, "Why are you bothering us, Son of God? You have no right to torture us before God’s appointed time!" Luke 4:33 Once when he was in the synagogue, a man possessed by a demon began shouting at Jesus, 34 "Go away! Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One sent from God." Luke 4: 41 “Some were possessed by demons; and the demons came out at his command, shouting, "You are the Son of God." But because they knew he was the Messiah, he stopped them and told them to be silent.” To simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God does not make someone a Christian because then Satan would be a Christian.
Fifth, for someone to be a Christian he needs to attend church? In 2 COR 11:12-15 Satan transforms himself into an angel of light while demons transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. Where do you think these ministers would go to steal the flock away from God? The best place would be right in the church. To simply attend church does not make someone a Christian for Satan likes to attend church.
Sixth, for someone to be a Christian he must do good deeds? When we do good deeds, we often have personal motives for doing them. In MT 4 when Satan tempted Jesus his motives were evil, but he was trying to do good deeds for he wanted to feed Jesus, protect him if he fell and fulfill Jesus’ desires. To simply do good deeds does not make us a Christian, or Satan would be a child of God. But Satan cannot be made right with God because God has judged him.
So all of these things we mentioned that Satan can copy are part of being a Christian. But none of them alone makes us a Christian. The Bible says we must be transformed by being born again John 3. One must repent of sin, Acts 2:38 “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” One needs to put on Christ GAL 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” We are to live as new creations in Christ, 2 COR. 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. A Christian will live for God by bearing fruit for his kingdom. One must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
The Bible teaches us that we express love for God by bearing fruit in service to God in a variety of ways. God’s desire for us is to produce fruit that will last. One of the major themes of the New Testament is fruit bearing. We are told those who are in Christ are to produce fruit. If there is no fruit on a tree it means either it is dead or rotten. Jesus was quite clear that such a tree needed to be cut down and put in the fire. MT 21:19 “When he saw a fig tree by the road, he went up to the tree and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to the tree, "May fruit never grow on you again!" At once the fig tree dried up.” 3:10 “The ax is now ready to cut the roots of the trees. Any tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into a fire.” God cannot bless a church that has become self-centered, me-satisfied and had no fruit.
What does it mean to be fruitful? Fruit is used some 55 times in the New Testament. Fruit of repentance, fruit of answered prayer, fruit of giving, fruit of Christ-like character, fruit of the Spirit, fruit of righteousness, fruit of good works and fruit of the Gospel to name some. What fruit would be in your life today if Jesus were to pick the fruit from you?
One cannot just expect the Lord to work in a church if we are just sitting and hoping things will happen. We are to work together with Him in building the kingdom. God has chosen to use people in building His kingdom1 COR. 3:6, 9 “I planted, and Apollos watered, but God made it grow. We are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field. You are God’s building.” Joshua was told that the Promised Land was his. God did not just hand it to him but the people had to work together to obtain it. Praying alone will not cause the church to produce. We need to put feet, hands and mouth to those prayers. It is recorded in the O. T. that Joshua was told to stop praying and take care of a problem before God would do any more. He had to leave praying and go do and God would not answer prayer again until the action was done. Many of you pray and could it be the church is not as it should be because God wants action. I would not want us to quit praying but I believe that God is speaking to us about doing. Some churches have programs that were developed many years ago and hold on to them though they do little for the church. What ever it takes to attract people to Christ and have their lives changed is what needs to be done. If nothing spiritual is happening in church and if lives are not being saved and changed by the power of the Gospel what needs to be done? PS 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless or in vain.”
We are to be faithful. Does that mean as I have heard some express for many years just hold on till Jesus comes? Faithfulness has to do with accomplishing as much as you can with the talents and resources God gives to you. Doing all you can with all that you have. This does not mean to copy someone else but t o be what God made us to be. If you expect little from God you will get little from Him. If your life requires not faith then you will be unfaithful.
Hot Mama Base Story Editor: By Clifford Cox E. Izawa Whittier, California, USA
It was the middle of nowhere, 30 below, and the wind was blowing something fierce. I hadn’t seen anyone else on the road for an hour. I was driving my little Pinto station wagon out in eastern Montana on a very cold January day in 1964. Suddenly, my car sputtered and died. My winter traveling trunk (containing emergency insulated coveralls, flares, food, etc.) was in the rear. I had to walk ten feet to the hatch to put the coveralls on. By the time I jumped back inside with teeth chattering, the car was colder than a freezer. I had a CB radio, so I started calling for help. Knowing no trucks used that road, I could only hope for another motorist crazy enough to be driving, or someone with a home base radio in this unpopulated area. After ten minutes of silence, a female voice came strongly through: "Hi, Cliffhanger! This is ’Hot Mama Base.’ You’re coming in loud and clear. Where are you?" I gave her the last highway road marker I’d seen (maybe a mile north) and told her what had happened. "Sounds like a frozen gas line, Cliffhanger. Have you tried adding de-icer?" No, I replied, I added my last can at the last gas stop, and they didn’t have any more. Would you call AAA for me, ma’am? "You gotta be kidding!" she laughed. "You’ll never get one of those boys up here on a day like this. They’re working Highway 2 where all the wrecks are. You’re not far from me; I’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Don’t go away." She laughed again. During the next 20 minutes the cold worsened. The wind was blowing so hard the car rocked constantly. My teeth chattered the entire time. She came driving up the northbound lane in a large Chrysler station wagon, and stopped alongside my car. She was about sixty, with a very pleasant smile. She handed me two large cans of anti-freeze for the gas tank. I added them both and ran over to her car and told her I would be OK. She stayed and said, "Go see if your car will start. If it won’t, I’m gonna push you to my house." So I ran to my car -- teeth still chattering like a lawn mower -- and it started right up. I ran back over. I started handing her money to cover the expenses and trouble, but she jumped in dismay. "Stop that, Cliffhanger! You can’t pay me for a rescue. You just do something nice for someone else sometime." That was more than twenty years ago and as a result of that encounter, as she recommended, I’ve tried to help others as much as I can. "Hot Mama Base" was not only a very nice person and a lifesaver, but a life-changer as well. This is a challenge for us to be lifesavers and life changers which is the reason for the church. (This last illustration is not valid for Pinto were not in existence until 1972, so you might make note that it is only an illustration)
