Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for August 7

“So don’t boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you” (1 Corinthians 3:21 NLT).

From: August 7, 2019

STOP BOASTING ABOUT YOUR CHURCH AND START BOASTING ABOUT CHRIST

Have you been boasting about your pastor or church to someone? Is it a member of another local church? Stop. If both are gospel preaching, gospel believing churches, then both already belong to you. For both belong to Christ. Everything already belongs to you because you belong to Christ. Man must not glory in men. For whatever is good in man comes from God. So, instead of boasting of your pastor, your church or your denomination, boast about Christ.

PRAYER: Father, we are not in competition with other churches, for we and they belong to You. And everything is already ours in Christ. Help us to put away our boasting in men and boast only in Christ. Teach us to keep Christ on our lips at all times. For we are nothing without You. We would make much of Jesus today. Help us Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11 NLT).

From: August 7, 2018

CALLED TO MAKE JESUS FAMOUS, NOT OURSELVES

Paul was concerned with the church at Corinth because of reports that there were divisions among them concerning which teacher they followed. Some were claiming to be followers of Paul and others, followers of Apollos. This was heartbreaking news to Paul, for he knew the foundation he had laid when he planted the church in Corinth. And that foundation was Christ Jesus. He had not led them to follow him, but to follow Christ.

Someone has once said that wherever you hear the name of the preacher lifted up more than the name of Christ, one should listen for the sound of the serpent’s hiss in the background. For Satan is pleased when he has tempted man to take the glory belonging to Jesus.

It’s good to honor and to submit to the spiritual leaders that God has given. Yet, the glory belongs to Christ. We are not called to make a man, a doctrine, nor a church famous. We are called to make Christ Jesus famous, and if need be, ourselves a fool.

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” (Psalm 29:2 ESV)

From: August 7, 2016

The word “ascribe” means to “give credit” or “recognize.” The Lord’s name is worthy of our recognition. We are to ascribe appropriate glory to Him. This call from David’s psalm is similar to the Lord’s Prayer which teaches us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name.” The first movement of prayer is the upward movement, we lift our eyes to the Lord, seeking His face. This moves us to consider the attributes of God. When we ascribe the glory due his name, we list His character traits and call on His many names as revealed in Scripture. When our view of God is thus enlarged, it moves us to worship and it reduces the size of our troubles in view of Him.

“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7 NKJV)

From: August 7, 2015

Paul compared witnessing with planting. The one who sows and waters is the witness and the seed is the gospel. Yet, the seed comes from God and only He can make it grow. This removes both the pressure of success and the temptation to take credit. As the late Bill Bright used to say, “Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share the message of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God.”

“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

From: August 7, 2014

The Church is the people, not the steeple. And the One who holds them together and makes them one is the Holy Spirit of God. Remembering this, we work to build up people rather than places or programs. God’s strategy for the Kingdom is making disciples.

“It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7 NLT)

From:

Paul uses a farming analogy to compare witnessing with planting. The one who sows and waters is the witness and the seed is the gospel. Yet, the seed comes from God and only He can make it grow. This removes both the pressure of success and the temptation to take credit. As the late Bill Bright used to say, “Success in witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”

“The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being” (Proverbs 20:27)

From: August 7, 2011

Isn’t this “lamp” the Word of God? As the Scripture says in another place, “Thy Word is a lamp.” Nothing else penetrates the darkness of our souls. Open the Book and lets its beams shine into your heart, convicting and leading to you to salvation.