Be Blameless and Holy - 1 Thessalonians Series

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. The Bible is full of stories and instructions about giving blessings. Christians often say, “God bless you!” But many times we miss the opportunity to truly bless other people.

A blessing is a statement, spoken to another person or group of people, made in faith declaring a desire for God’s favor to be upon them.  Like prayers, blessings are spoken in faith. But prayers are directed to God. Blessings are spoken to other people.

Like prayer, blessings spoken in faith are powerful. God is delighted to fulfill the blessings spoken in love by men and women of God. Our heavenly Father delights in bringing to pass our blessings that are spoken in faith and align with his good and gracious will. 

As a church planter, you have dozens of opportunities every day to speak words of blessing.  You can bless believers and unbelievers with your words.

The Apostle Paul serves us a great example of a man of God who blessed others. His blessings, like all true blessings, were motivated by love. He loved the Thessalonian believers. He longed to see them. He wanted them to prosper spiritually, emotionally, and as a church. He wanted God’s favor to rest upon them. He desired the very best for them. So he blessed them.  1 Thessalonians 3:12,13 is a great example of a blessing motivated by love, expressed with faith, and conformed to the will of God. 

Paul wrote, “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”  Paul had expressed his love for the Thessalonians again and again. There is no doubt that this blessing was motivated by love. And Paul knew that God’s will for his people is that we live holy and blameless lives, that we reject sin and that we honor God. So in faith he made his declaration of blessing.

We bless people because we love them and we want God’s grace to abound in their lives. Of course, this is the same reason we pray for people.  But when we bless people by speaking directly to them to declare God’s favor upon them, they have a chance to respond.  I’m sure when the Thessalonians read Paul’s words of blessing desiring that they live blameless and holy lives, their first response was something like this, “Amen. May it be so, just as you have said.”

Paul expressed faith when he blessed them.  The Thessalonians expressed faith when they received the blessing. The one who blessed and the ones who received the blessing agreed in faith.  When followers of Jesus agree in faith for the will of God to be done, great things happen. God moves and his blessings flow.

Church planter, perhaps you rarely declare a blessing on the members of your church or upon your neighbors. But blessing others is a powerful tool God has given you to release his goodness and grace upon needy people. So pronounce blessings with greater frequency. It may feel awkward at first, but keep trying. Your Father in heaven delights to fulfill your blessings declared in faith and motivated by love.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Bless

Increasing Love - 1 Thessalonians Series

 

Welcome to Multiply, a podcast to help encourage our village church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. We are Brad & Daneille Snowden, and we are delighted to be with you today.

We have a vegetable garden and a small flower garden as well. This summer has been extremely hot, and I must confess, I was not diligent watering my potted flowers. Before this, the rains would come, and I had beautiful and colorful flowers that bloomed perfectly. Now, the petals have fallen, and my leaves are brown. Why, because I did not pour into them water that gave them life.

Today we will read about how our Lord Jesus increases His love in us to pour out to others.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 says:

“And may the Lord cause you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you

Looking at the first part of this verse we read; “and may the Lord cause you to increase & excel in love…”  God has gifted all humans with an inner ability to love and care, especially for those who they are related to. It is what is termed: a natural form of love. The Greek word: ‘storge’ describes the natural bond and love between parents, children, brothers, and sisters. As Christians, we become a part of even a larger family, the family of God. This love is called philia (in Greek) which is a love Christians practice towards one another. It means ‘beloved, a dear friend, one trusted in a close way, and a confidant.’  We have this love because as it says in verse 12 of our text – “the LORD CAUSE YOU TO INCREASE IN LOVE!” [HIS LOVE] This love is called Agape love in the Greek. It is the highest level of love, it is God’s immeasurable love for humankind, it is perfect and unconditional as we see all throughout God’s Word.

I believe the Apostle Paul was full of this love as he lived out his life as a missionary and church planter! He expresses this love here in 1 Thessalonians for the church of Thessalonica, as he expressed his longing to be with them and how he prays often for them.

May we all increase in God’s Love and have the increasing love for one another, this is done as God increases in our lives. This was strongly declared by John the Baptist himself.

More of Jesus we must pray, as we increase in His love to overflowing.

This has been Multiply; will you please share this podcast to others? You can find us also on www.vcpencouragement.org, also on Facebook and YouTube.

Be increased in Jesus today!

Night and Day We Pray - 1 Thessalonians Series

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Are you a habitual person or a spontaneous person?  A habitual person has habits that he or she carries out every day. Those habits provide guidance all during the day. Habitual people know what to do, because they have established habits for doing the right thing at the right time.

As I share this podcast with you about one of the Apostle Paul’s good habits, I have to confess, in general, I am not a habitual person. But the habits I do have serve me very well. I go to church on Sundays. I read God’s word in the morning. I make lists of tasks that I need to accomplish. I consult those lists to make sure I fulfill my responsibilities. But compared to many people I know, I am not a habitual person. One time my wife said, “Dean, you never do the same thing the same way twice.”  There is more truth to that than I care to admit.

The apostle Paul had a habit that I want to develop more and more in my life. It’s a habit that I can recommend with confidence to you as a church planter. Paul prayed night and day. He tells us in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 about his experience in Athens while his dear friends in Thessalonica were suffering persecution.  He said, “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.”  There are two ways to understand what Paul meant by these words. Perhaps he means that he prayed without ceasing, day and night, all the time as he went about his other business. Or perhaps it means he devoted special time to prayer at night and also in the morning. Either way, Paul was habitual in his prayer for the church members at Thessalonica.

What about you?  Do you pray habitually for the members of your church? Do you pray for them constantly during the day and in the evening as well? Or do you have special times set aside before you begin the activities of the day in which you pray for your church members? Both habits are good. Both habits develop proactive prayer in which we cover people in prayer even before we hear about specific challenges.

Reactive prayer is less desirable. In reactive prayer, we receive bad news and that prompts us to pray. Of course it is not wrong to pray when we hear bad news. But it is much better to pray proactively. How would you describe your prayer habits? How well are you covering your church members in prayer?  Paul prayed night and day for the Thessalonians. What new prayer habits is the Lord prompting you to integrate into your daily life?

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #PrayerHabits

Principles of Leadership - Get Out of Their Way Part 2

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters.

During 2022, my theme has been “10 Principles of Spiritual Leadership”.  In my previous episode, I introduced principle #7, “Get out of their way!”  I shared how it is important that we avoid micro-managing those who serve under our leadership.     

Today, I want to turn our attention to a second important aspect of this leadership principle.  It’s vital that we help emerging leaders grow and develop their skills and leadership.  In order to do so, we need to give them room … to give them some freedom … to lead on their own.  This not only helps them to grow as leaders; it helps the organization to expand in both capacity and capability.  

Some time ago, I read about the contrast between leaders who develop other leaders and those who simply increase the number of those who follow them.  The author of this enlightening difference is Ron McManus.     

Leaders who develop leaders

– want to be succeeded by others

– want to be replaced

– focus on strengths of the people

– give away position and power (recall principle #6, Delegate Authority)

– grow by training more leaders 

Leaders who develop followers

– want to be needed by others

– want to be recognized

– focus on others’ weaknesses

– hold on to their position and power

– grow by attracting more followers

We want to be leaders who develop other leaders.  It’s been said that a good test of a leader is what happens when he or she is no longer with the team.  In light of this, think of the Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2).  Jesus had ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to empower His followers. 

Peter, who had denied Christ three times just a few days before, now preaches with anointing and power and becomes one of the key leaders of the first century church.   

Later, we see in Acts, chapter 8 that the early church encountered persecution.  Up until that time, the church was led by a small handful of leaders (John, James, and Peter).  In verses 1 and 4, we read that “a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered … Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”  Those who were scattered stepped up into leadership because they were no longer in proximity to their leaders.  They had room to grow in their leadership.   

Jesus’s followers continue to lead His Church today, and I would suggest that this makes Him the most effective leader this world has ever seen.  

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

You Are Standing Firm - 1st Thessalonians Series

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Are you a goal-oriented person?  Do you think about goals and want to achieve them?  When you were a student in school did you strive to be elected the student leader of your class or of your school?  When you play football, do you work very hard to win the match?  As a farmer are you highly motivated to achieve an excellent harvest?  Are you a goal oriented person?  I am.

As a church leader, I have a lot of goals in mind. I love to see people progressing. I love to see people learning and growing in Christ. So Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 3:8 are very interesting to me. After he had heard about the faith and love of the new Thessalonian Christians and how they had stood up to persecution, he said, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.”

Why was Paul so happy that he Thessalonians were standing firm?  That doesn’t sound very exciting. There is not much progress with merely standing in one place.  What was Paul so excited about? 

To stand firm in the Lord is to resist temptation. To stand firm in the Lord is to know your identity in Christ. You know for sure that Jesus loves you, that Jesus died for you, and that Jesus has forgiven you.  To stand firm in the Lord is to resist temptation. To stand firm is to confidently trust the Lord, without wavering, when trials and persecution come.

Most people are not firm. They are flexible, even floppy. When trials come they bend with the wind. Not the Thessalonian Christians.  When persecution came, they stood firm in the Lord. For Paul, this was wonderful. It was so great, when he got the news of their firmness in Christ, he said “Now we really live!” 

So it’s fine to have goals for your people. It’s good to work as a church planter to see your church members progress in the faith. But a primary goal should be that your people stand firm in Christ.  

So how can you help your people stand firm? Teach and re-teach them to obey the seven basic commands of Christ. Each one produces firmness and steadfastness. 

• Repent and believe the Good News

• Baptize new believers

• Love God and neighbor

• Partake of the Lord’s Supper

• Pray and meditate on the Word of God daily

• Give

• Make disciples

My church planting friend, are you continuing to teach these seven basic commands of Christ to your people? Do you emphasize these seven basic commands? If you do, you are seeing some of your church members who are standing firm in Christ. Or have you forgotten about these important teachings of our Lord Jesus? If you have, you can begin to emphasize them again. As you teach these seven commands and help your people experience the power of the Holy Spirit to live them out, you will find that they will stand firm in the face of persecution and trials.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #7BasicCommandsOfChrist

Good News About Faith and Love - 1st Thessalonians Series

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

One of the major themes you have heard on many of these Multiply podcast episodes is encapsulated in this message: “Church planting is hard work.”  And there is another idea that flows from this theme: “Church planters are not rewarded with big money or great fame.”  That lack of worldly reward is part of what makes church planting such hard work. But let me tell you friends, there is a reward for church planters. And we don’t have to wait until eternity in order to receive this particular reward.

By now you know well the story of Paul and his church planting effort in Thessalonica.  That story is preserved for us in Acts 17 and in Paul’s New Testament letters to the Thessalonians. Because of persecution, Paul had to hurry away from the new church he and his team had planted in Thessalonica. In his absence, Paul prayed constantly for the new believers and church members of the baby church.  He longed to see them, but as much as he tried, he couldn’t get back to them. So he sent Timothy to find out about their faith.

Now here is the part about the church planter’s reward.  When Timothy came back and reported to Paul that the Thessalonians had not abandoned the faith, but that they were still trusting God and still walking in love, Paul was overjoyed. He said in 1 Thessalonians 3:7, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.”

Now, you may be asking yourself, “What about the reward?” Well, let me tell you something about rewards.  I have graduated from four educational institutions. Hundreds of people attended my graduation.  I have gotten jobs, when jobs were very hard to find. I have been recognized in front of my peers for achievement. But no reward I have ever received is a great as the sheer joy of knowing that people I led to faith in Christ, members of the church I planted, men and women I trained, are continuing in the faith and love that entered their hearts when they were born again. There is no reward that is equal to that joy and peace and jubilation that comes when you find out that people’s faith is strong in spite of persecution and trial. It can’t be bought, no matter how much money we may have. That joy is the gift of God. It is the reward from God for the faithful church planter.  Sometimes we must wait a long time to feel that joy.  Nevertheless, we should not grow weary in well doing as we plant churches. If we don’t give up, we will reap a harvest at the proper time. God will reward our work by giving us enduring joy. 

And let me tell you, the joy that comes when we learn that those we have led have strong faith and persistent love is not just a passing emotion. That’s because faith and love are the two most important human attributes. We are saved by faith in a good God. We move forward over barriers and through struggles by faith. Love for God and love for neighbor are the supreme human virtues. Loving behavior transforms marriages, families, villages and nations. So when Timothy shared the good news with Paul about the Thessalonians’ faith and love, Paul knew for sure that the power of the Gospel had indeed flowed through him and had truly produced fruit that would remain. My friends, that knowledge produces lasting joy. My brother, my sister, that joy is your reward too as a church planter.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Reward #Joy