Author: Brian Burdett

“Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” – 1 Corinthians 14:20

God is very concerned about your mind and how you think. So, do you think? What do you think about? What do you research, study, and know about? When it comes to the dark and vile things of the world, it’s best to be naive, ignorant, and unaware. You certainly need to know that evil exists and how to steer clear of it. Then you need to steer clear of it!!! Don’t dwell on, dig into, or explore evil for yourself. You simply don’t need to be a Christian expert on a particular evil It’s best to never touch those things, though there’s certainly grace if you already have.

On the other hand, when it comes to thinking about the matters of God, His Kingdom, His Word, and His work in the world your understanding and thinking should constantly be growing and maturing in Christ. Ignorance of the Bible is never a virtue for a Christian! Lack of understanding or awareness about the truths of the faith isn’t something to celebrated. If you feel like you don’t know very much about the Bible or Christianity, don’t be OK with that! Take every opportunity to grow in your understanding and ability to think like Jesus about all sorts of topics. When offered the chance to grow and learn in the faith, take it! Don’t be afraid. Don’t be lazy. Mature in your thinking. #FollowJesus

“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:8-10

You might as well get used to love and loving people!!! If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re going to be loving God and loving people forever. FOREVER! All the other gifts of the Holy Spirit will fade away because they won’t be needed any more. Once Jesus returns and ushers in His perfect, eternal Kingdom, we’ll know everything we need to know. Our faith will literally be in what we see before our eyes. There will be no more need for preaching, prophesy, or proclaiming the Gospel in foreign languages to reach people from all nations. Those were simply tools for this incomplete era devoted to reconciling people to God through faith in Jesus.

Once Jesus returns and the new creation is here, our fundamental God-given task will be to love, praise, worship, serve, and glorify God the Father and Jesus the Son as we bask in the glory of God’s presence and love for us. We will marvel at the grace and greatness of the Father and the Son. We’ll rejoice in Their mercy and Their manner. We’ll delight in Them and experience Their delight in us. Love will be our motivation, our activity, and ongoing experience.

This is why love must be the major life theme of every follower of Jesus right now. You’re already loved by God and you’re called to overflow with love for others. Focus on gracious, unselfish, Christlike love for everyone around you. Make it the theme of your life because it will be the theme of your eternity. #FollowJesus

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

When you’re a follower of Jesus you’re expected to be a faithful and active member of His body and bride, the local church. Apart from the church you cannot grow or obey dozens of New Testament commands. Within the local church you must always remember an essential principle that empowers the church to be effective in making disciples. Within God’s church there must be unity in diversity.

That’s what Paul emphasizes as he begins an extended discussion of how our different gifts, skills, talents, and interests are meant to be brought together within the beautiful bride of Christ. He explains we aren’t all gifted in the same way. That doesn’t make some members better or more important. It makes us all different, with that difference being a gift of Holy Spirit Who gifts the church as He knows best. We aren’t all called to serve in the same way. In that variety of callings, King Jesus blesses and empowers every church to be complete for ministry. We aren’t called to participate in every single activity and ministry of our church, but in our God-empowered ministry we understand that we can accomplish far more for the Kingdom together than we can do separately.

What makes the church one in unity is our Triune God – Father, Son, and Spirit – Who is over us, with us, and in us. When we embrace that unity and celebrate how our God makes each of us distinct for His purposes, then we accomplish far more than when we insist on everyone being and doing the same. Don’t look down on others because they aren’t called to the same ministry or mission you are. Celebrate how different Christians have different gifts, abilities, and passions that help the church reach far more people. Don’t let differences become a point of comparison, jealousy, or contempt. Our differences are gifts from our God. A healthy church will usually have far more ministry going on than any one member can, or should, participate in. That’s a wonderful thing! It’s part of how Jesus gifts and governs His bride. Let His gifts operate and celebrate them!

Love your fellow church members. Love what makes them different from you. Extravagantly love what makes them united with you – the God Who loves, saves, and empowers you. Prioritize unity and love God’s diversity of abilities, interests, and talents. #FollowJesus

“Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” – 1 Corinthians 11:28-29

The Apostle Paul emphasizes that while the Lord’s Supper (aka Communion) can’t save you, it could kill you! That’s a heavy thing to consider, particularly about something so joyfully and spiritually uplifting as the Lord’s Supper. Jesus established the Lord’s Supper to be a blessing and remembrance. He ordained that His people should celebrate it until He returns and so we do. When we gather together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we proclaim the death of Jesus in a very vivid way. We proclaim that His body, represented by the bread, was broken for us and His blood, represented by the cup, was shed to establish the new covenant of grace in which we receive forgiveness and eternal life. We celebrate our ongoing union with Christ and His faithful presence among us.

For this reason, Paul commands us to participate in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy fashion. We’re commanded to examine ourselves before we take the elements. We should confess any sin to God that remains to be confessed. We should remember and reflect on what the bread and the drink represent. We must discern the body. But what does that mean???

The broader concern Paul is addressing in chapter 11 is about divisions within the church. It describes rich members feasting and getting drunk before the Lord’s Supper while poor members watch them and go hungry. Discerning the body is about recognizing and protecting the unity of the church. The Lord’s Supper isn’t meant to be experienced alone but to be celebrated alongside all the brothers and sisters gathered in the local church. Because the local church is the body of Christ, we must examine the state of the church and heal any divisions we might be part of before taking the elements of Communion. We must pursue reconciliation with anyone we may have gotten into conflict with. We must never separate people within the church based on any sort of category or preference but intentionally unite with them as the one, Spirit-filled, unified body of Christ.

The next time you come to the Lord’s Table to enjoy the spiritual nourishment of the Lord’s Supper, take time to examine yourself. Get your heart right with God. Then make sure your heart is right toward every other person in the church with you. Work for unity within the church and recognize that when you take the elements, you take them together as one body. We are the body of Christ here on earth. #FollowJesus

“And many nations shall come, and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
– Micah 4:2

Never get too discouraged by world events. Never despair when it seems many are moving away from the Lord. The future is very clear, even if God’s timing isn’t. Through Jesus, God is redeeming for Himself people from every tribe, language, nation, and people group. The nations, all of them, WILL come to the Lord through faith in Jesus Christ. There will be a great turning toward faith in Christ and the Gospel will be proclaimed throughout the entire world.

This doesn’t mean every person will eventually seek God and submit to the Lordship of Jesus. Nonetheless, countless people from all over the world will do exactly that! It will be extraordinary! The future is glorious as we look forward to the combined worship in heaven of every nationality and ethnicity. Let the idea of people from every place on earth standing together to praise the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit fill your mind with joy and excitement about the future. Let it strengthen and refresh you during any present challenges or discouragements.

Let it also fill you with a desire to be part of God’s plan to reach all those nations and ethnic groups. Jesus gave the mandate to go to the nations and makes disciples to His church repeatedly. We must go and make disciples all over the earth, including in the most remote places. As Christians, we ALL share responsibility for making that happen. For some people, that looks like going. For others, it looks like praying diligently and daily for those who go. For many, it looks like supporting those who’ve gone financially and sending them words of encouragement. For still others, it’s about welcoming and blessing them when they return. Many have the opportunity to minister to the citizens of distant nations who’ve moved into their community.

The point is, there’s good work for all of us to do as we pray for that day Micah saw so clearly when the nations will seek to know and obey the Living God and His eternal Son. #FollowJesus