The Open Word (Audio)

Paul had a routine when he traveled to share the good news of the gospel. He’d teach in the synagogue of that town. However, when he went to corrupt Corinth, he was wholeheartedly rejected by the Jews in that city. So, Paul trusted God and remained faithful and followed the new direction God gave him. Today, Pastor David will remind you that Jesus’ sacrifice is for ALL people. Paul knew salvation was for everyone and shared the hope of the gospel with the gentiles. And many came to faith in Christ and were eternally saved.

Even in the most wicked of cultures, there are those the Holy Spirit will convict of sin. There are individuals who will actually listen and believe and put their trust in Jesus. Paul, in courage and faith, went into utterly corrupt places and spoke boldly of the gospel. Today, Pastor David will encourage you to be an imitator of Paul. He was willing and obedient. He knew the word of God and studied it faithfully. He prayed frequently and trusted God completely. The Holy Spirit will work miracles through such faithfulness!

It may feel confusing to try to measure success of ministry. Some try to find success in the number of souls won for Christ. And while this is a victory to praise God for, a high number isn’t the only indicator of success. Today, Pastor David will remind you that your faithful ministry may only win a few souls to Christ. But for those individuals, who now will spend eternity in Heaven, your ministry was worth it. Walking in obedience to God and following his direction is exactly where you should be, no matter how large or small your impact!

Paul faced a problem that many of you face today. He was in the midst of a culture that was full of unbelief and sin. Pastor David will encourage you to imitate Paul in the way you share the great good news of salvation with broken sinners. God longs for all to know him. In fact, every person you meet is someone Jesus died to save who needs to know God’s love. So, in compassion, ask them their story. If you listen to them, they might just listen to your story of salvation, of your faith. In order to care about their eternal salvation, you must care about their lives!

How do you choose to live in and engage a pagan and sinful culture as a believer? If you angrily engage with antagonism and hatred to convince people they need saving will simply drive people farther from Christ. Today, Pastor David explains how Paul entered into the pagan culture of Athens not to debate or instantly condemn. He simply had a heart to share the gospel with ALL people even those engaged fully in a sinful life. He used their cultural situations to enter into a conversation that exposed them to truth in love.

The world has fallen so far from God’s original good intention. Sin is a pervasive problem in every human heart. And because of this sin and separation from God, an eternity in Hell awaits. However, there is good news! Jesus came and died in your place so you no longer have to face that eternity. And God calls you to share this great news! Today Pastor David will challenge you to have a passion for the lost – to make sure others know of this salvation. Be available for God to mightily use you and your life in amazing ways.

It’s pretty easy these days to hear false teaching in the church. Jesus warned of this very thing. And, if you’re not careful, it’s easy to become deceived. But, as Pastor David points out today, one way to avoid false teaching is to continually, frequently search and know the scriptures. In order to grow in faith and intimacy with God and avoid falling away to another voice, you must know God’s word. As you hear messages about the word, in response to God’s faithfulness, invest the time to make sure what you’re hearing is from God.

Believers in a broken and sinful world have so much working against them. Unbelievers are often hostile and aggressive, rejecting the message of the gospel of Christ. Yet, as Pastor David will explain today, the power of God working through faithful believers can overcome these overwhelming odds. Even in the bleakest circumstances, God multiplies the work of the faithful in order to reach and transform multitudes. It simply requires surrender and an earnest desire to impact this world for Christ.

Christian persecution is incredibly unjust and damaging. The enemy will use any tactic to stop the spread of the gospel, including spreading lies or false imprisonment. This can be incredibly damaging to a believer, especially new believers. Today, Pastor David will explain how Paul and Silas bravely declared publically the injustice the Romans inflicted on them. He did this to call them out and to give the young church there courage despite any future consequences. Be brave. Be willing to stand firm in defending your faith.

Imagine you’d been groomed as a model citizen under a fearsome leader, but then decided to turn your back on it all. Where would the list end of all the risks you’d be taking to abandon what you’d known for something different, but true? In today’s passage, Pastor David investigates a man’s history and responsibilities that weighed heavily on him when he happened to intersect with two great missionaries at the time. Hear how he responded to these men of faith and his life-altering choice.