pastor joe davis

Have you ever had a worship experience where you sensed something? a greater awareness of God’s presence? What are the things that make those moments happen? How can we experience these moments more often? Worshipping together always been an important characteristic of church community, from the 1st century until today. Throughout church history, the church has put great effort, thought, & resources into corporate worship. When we first started at McCurdy’s we built stage pieces, bought good equipment, recruited talented musicians. Members of our team arrived every Sunday 4 hours early to prepare, because worshipping in community is a priority. As we renovated this facility, getting this space ready for community was a major focus, much time & resources. We do all these things because know worshipping in community is the most distinguishing act for a church. We learned last week, when we gather together, Jesus promises to open a door to Heaven we can enter with Him. Today’s passage gives the perspective of what that looks like, what it sounds like, right now, in the throne room.

Today at GraceLife we celebrate the official opening of our doors on Lockwood Ridge to the community. It’s a special day in the history of our young, little church, and we are so glad for everyone here to celebrate with us. What does the phrase “Grand Opening” mean to you? What exactly we are celebrating as a church? Yes, we celebrate the accomplishment, we’re excited, but it must be more than that, It is just a building after all. We don’t celebrate brick and mortar, We are celebrating a new door of ministry Jesus has opened for GraceLife. Future opportunities to be a lampstand, to preach the Gospel, which we know is power of God for salvation. That’s the grand opening we celebrate, & what’s on other side of the door Jesus has opened for us, His mercy, grace, majesty & glory. That’s the topic we are studying in our series on Revelation the next few weeks, starting with today’s passage. It should be read as an epilogue to the letters to the 7 churches, something EVERY church should read in community.

There was a time not too long ago GraceLife was growing a little complacent, it was right before COVID. Attendance was up, cash flow was the strongest ever. We were comfortable @ McCurdy’s, 1900, & Swift Road. I had just started preaching through Mark, and our core ministries: GL Food Pantry & GLR were booming. We had it all handled with not many uncertainties. But GraceLife was growing complacent becoming a little self-reliant & didn’t even realize it. Then COVID hit; money got tight, we couldn’t meet & some left because of it. Then grief hit us, more than once. You know what these last 2.5 years taught us? GraceLife cannot be self-reliant. We need to cling to Jesus each day.

Does God have a special place in His heart for the American church? Can the Bible be read as Americans? We tend to interpret scripture from an American perspective, I understand its easy to do because…we’re Americans. Sometimes that’s ok, but reading scripture as Americans doesn’t serve us well. The American experience is so atypical. We easily slip into flawed interpretations, missing out on something much bigger than the mere 246 years of America. Today’s passage requires us to put aside our American citizenship, in exchange for our Kingdom of Heaven citizenship. It’s a prime example of how we must read Revelation over the next several months to learn all we can from it. First, with our American experience put aside, and with the O.T. in one hand, and John’s letter in another.

What if GraceLife received a letter from Jesus saying “GraceLife is dying! Repent, return to the Gospel, or be judged!”? Is GraceLife a living, vibrant, faithful, obedient church? IF Jesus wrote us a letter, would He list any good works? I worry about this continually. Then I see God use our church for His Kingdom, and my anxiety fades just a bit…for maybe an hour… then I worry about it again. Why do I worry so much? Do any of you ever think about this? If you’re emotionally, spiritually, financially vested in GraceLife, you should ask these questions also. We’re not perfect, no church is, but are we alive? I believe right now, today, we are (More later). Can we stay alive? And What does a dying church look like? Low attendance? No money? Lots of conflict? Are those the proper metrics? Just because a church has lots of people, lots of money, a good reputation in society, looks vibrant, it can be dead. We will see that today in week 8 of Revelation. We will also learn how to assure GraceLife doesn’t become like that.

(REVELATION 2:12–17) “AND TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN PERGAMUM WRITE: ‘THE WORDS OF HIM WHO HAS THE SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD. [13] “‘I KNOW WHERE YOU DWELL, WHERE SATAN’S THRONE IS. YET YOU HOLD FAST MY NAME, AND YOU DID NOT DENY MY FAITH EVEN IN THE DAYS OF ANTIPAS MY FAITHFUL WITNESS, WHO WAS KILLED AMONG YOU, WHERE SATAN DWELLS. [14] BUT I HAVE A FEW THINGS AGAINST YOU: YOU HAVE SOME THERE WHO HOLD THE TEACHING OF BALAAM, WHO TAUGHT BALAK TO PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THE SONS OF ISRAEL, SO THAT THEY MIGHT EAT FOOD SACRIFICED TO IDOLS AND PRACTICE SEXUAL IMMORALITY. [15] SO ALSO YOU HAVE SOME WHO HOLD THE TEACHING OF THE NICOLAITANS. [16] THEREFORE REPENT. IF NOT, I WILL COME TO YOU SOON AND WAR AGAINST THEM WITH THE SWORD OF MY MOUTH. [17] HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES. TO THE ONE WHO CONQUERS I WILL GIVE SOME OF THE HIDDEN MANNA, AND I WILL GIVE HIM A WHITE STONE, WITH A NEW NAME WRITTEN ON THE STONE THAT NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT THE ONE WHO RECEIVES IT.’ Imagine a letter like this from Jesus being read aloud in Pergamos, in earshot of those who compromised the Gospel...Can you imagine Jesus starting off by calling your city the place where Satan’s throne is? Imagine Jesus writing a letter to the church in Sarasota, “Repent or I will war against you, I’ll bury you in that quartz white beach sand, I’ll drown you in the Gulf of Mexico.” Would that get your attention? Jesus introduced himself to Ephesus as the one who holds the seven stars & stands among 7 lampstands. Jesus introduced himself to Smyrna as 1ST & the last, the one who died & rose again, sovereign over the faithful. Jesus introduces himself to Pergamos… He has a two-edged sword in His mouth, & He’s not afraid to use it. We often forget there’s two sides to who Jesus is. Yes, He’s the great shepherd, holding the church in His hand...It's true He will never leave or let go of His people. But there is another side to Jesus, the two-edged sword Jesus.

Every follower of Jesus has wondered if they would have what it takes to stand up to real persecution. We imagine scenarios of being forced to choose between our faith or our life, or family & friends lives. It’s a hypothetical situation Americans can’t really answer since we don’t face that kind of persecution & likely won’t. That’s what makes today’s passage so difficult to preach, it’s a situation none of us are ever likely to face. Its much easier to preach about sin in the church, we relate to that! But Jesus doesn’t do that in His letter to Smyrna.

For nearly 6 years GraceLife has lived in a comedy club, an office building, & a strip mall. We were forced love people before a building or the organization, to be Mobile, Organic, Biblical, & Generous. In this way our humble beginnings have been a blessing. They helped us find, and maintain our first love. That first love has been to relentlessly serve hurting people in our community thru love, generosity, & truth. Now with all the exciting things happening, there’s a challenge for GraceLife, as we discuss carpet, paint, chairs, cameras, lights, GLK for our families, parking lots, & everything else… could we be tempted to lose our first love? Let’s go further, If GraceLife closed its doors, would our community even feel the impact? Would anyone even notice? This week starts a section in Revelation containing personalized letters for each of the representative 7 churches. Each letter lists things a church did well, and things that church failed in, all of which are relevant for every church.

Traditionally the picture of Resurrected Jesus in our minds goes back to a 1st century image of Jesus. The stone rolled away, the empty tomb, the women informing the other disciples about the angle & Jesus is missing. We imagine Peter running to confirm it for Himself, we see Jesus, not yet full glorified appearing to His disciples. It’s a glorious image held dear in our hearts, but what if it isn’t the last image of Himself Jesus gave us to remember? This week, Revelation helped me realize I need to upgrade the image of Resurrected Jesus in my heart & mind. A new revelation of who Resurrected Jesus is, what He looks like, what He’s doing right now, & what He will do. This picture of Resurrected Jesus unveiled for us is meant to change how we see Him, even on Easter Sunday.

Lets read this passage written by a 90-year-old man in an isolated, 1st century prison, no plumbing, no electricity, no medical care, no heating or cooling, bad nutrition...(REVELATION 1:4B–8) JOHN TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES THAT ARE IN ASIA: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM HIM WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME, AND FROM THE SEVEN SPIRITS WHO ARE BEFORE HIS THRONE, [5] AND FROM JESUS CHRIST THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD, AND THE RULER OF KINGS ON EARTH. TO HIM WHO LOVES US AND HAS FREED US FROM OUR SINS BY HIS BLOOD [6] AND MADE US A KINGDOM, PRIESTS TO HIS GOD AND FATHER, TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. [7] BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, AND EVERY EYE WILL SEE HIM, EVEN THOSE WHO PIERCED HIM, AND ALL TRIBES OF THE EARTH WILL WAIL ON ACCOUNT OF HIM. EVEN SO. AMEN. [8] “I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA,” SAYS THE LORD GOD, “WHO IS AND WHO WAS AND WHO IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY”.

Historically, Revelation has been not only the most intriguing book in the Bible, but also the most intimidating. Yet somehow, even though its talked about a lot, in many ways it’s also the most neglected by individual believers. My experience is most Christians aren’t nearly as familiar with Revelation as they are other books in the Bible. Most have probably, for example red Genesis or the letters of Paul more often than Revelation. As a result, what most people know about Revelation, they have relied on what others say about it. Many have been taught Revelation is about codes, riddles, clues, puzzles, like a Christian version of Nostradamus. I suspect most Christians consult google about Revelation more than reading it for ourselves, or in community. As a result, there’s perhaps more innocent misunderstanding of Revelation than any other book in the Bible. Many Christians can’t resist the urge to collate its images alongside of current events, world news headlines. Each generation of the church has tried to infuse contemporary news & world events into the pages of Revelation. People have inserted everything from presidents, to popes, to governments, to wars, to pandemics, to famines. People try to interpret the images in Revelation literally, others approach it as if it were a sudoku math puzzle, some use it as inspiration for doomsday preparation, a manual for surviving an inevitable future global catastrophe. Many have used Revelation to elevate themselves, claiming special prophetic insight to unlock its “hidden” secrets. Revelation has been unrightfully used to divide and splinter the church based on erroneous end times interpretations. None of these was the purpose or intention of John when he wrote Revelation, so what is the purpose? It’s to reveal Jesus in ways we’ve never seen Him before! Shouldn’t that be more compelling than this other stuff?

“…SINCE YOU ARE WAITING FOR THESE, BE DILIGENT TO BE FOUND BY HIM WITHOUT SPOT OR BLEMISH, AND AT PEACE.” What are “these” we are waiting for? When Jesus returns, He will gather His church, then expose & remove evil. Obviously, followers of Jesus are supposed to be “waiting for these”, but what should our waiting look like? What does Peter mean when He says we should be found without spot or blemish, and at peace? What’s harder, believing in Jesus’ return, or being diligent to be found by Jesus w/out spot or blemish and at peace? What does without spot or blemish and at peace even mean? Is living like that even possible? How far does that go? How many of us right now can say, “I am waiting without spot or blemish and at peace? I call it “Perfect waiting” How should “perfect waiting” impact priorities, choices, our relationships with one another & the world around us? How do we know if we’re perfectly “waiting for these”, ready to be found without spot or blemish, at peace? Would a checklist be helpful? Or an example of perfect waiting to follow so we’re found w/out spot, blemish at peace?

Are there things about this world you believe should change? Things that if there was justice would be wiped away? War? Human trafficking? Racism & bigotry? Violent crime? Murder? Rape? What about Economic injustice? Corporate greed? Government corruption & evil? What about things like natural disasters that cause so much pain? What about cancer? COVID? What about other moral issues like abortion, euthanasia, on and on…Most people have some sort of vision or hope for what the world should be, including strong opinions on solutions. The human heart naturally longs for all things to be made right. We hope for a better world, a better tomorrow. We hope for that personally, for our family, our community, our country, the world. We long for eutopia. We advocate for those issues and solutions, with great passion, as we should as part of our royal priesthood. Sometimes we make a real difference, but it’s never enough, no matter how hard we try, we can’t have total success. There is only one event that will make this world everything we hope, that will fulfill our desires, God’s Judgement.

“STILL A MAN BELIEVES WHAT HE WANTS TO BELIEVE, AND DISREGARDS THE REST” – SIMON & GARFUNKEL, “THE BOXER” Have you disagreed with someone who refused to acknowledge important obvious points in your argument? We have all been on both sides of this equation though. Every human in history has been. Sometimes stubbornness starts with ignorance, in that situation there’s hope information & persuasion will help. But what about when someone knows the information but still refuses to acknowledge obvious truth? Can you relate? The problem there isn’t education, lack of knowledge, Its morality, human nature. Information can’t cure our depravity. This might be the saddest quality of human depravity when we willfully reject obvious truth. Why is that? Sometimes truth can be humiliating, troubling, requiring costly changes, courageous choices, humbling acceptance. Sometimes truth is so frightening we chose ignorance, even willing & ready to risk the inevitable consequences. The cost of willful ignorance is particularly high when it comes to spiritual truth, those are permanent, eternal.

Why do we follow Jesus? Why do we go through the trouble of living in accordance to His commands? - Why do we put our faith and trust for eternity in His promises to the degree it changes how we live on earth? The reason? You have been convinced the words of Jesus are true, reliable enough to devote your life to Him. That makes sense, right? We follow Jesus, trust in Jesus because we’re confident He is the Way, the Truth & the Life. If that is true for you, are you able to articulate the reasons? Could you pass those things on to others?

In an emotional week for GraceLife, we start ch 2 of 1 Peter, where Peter describes God's people as "living stones" used to build a "spiritual" house of God. Its a powerful truth about loving God's people more than buildings.

This sermon explores the story of Joseph of Arimathea and how the tomb of Jesus transformed Joseph's hope from earthly to eternal.

A special message at Celebrate Recovery in Sarasota about how desperation is the most important component to success in recovery.

A special message at Celebrate Recovery in Sarasota about how desperation is the most important component to success in recovery.

Brian Yost from City Commit Sarasota, fills in for Pastor Joe, shares a story about the very beginning of GraceLife and how he sees our church living out the commands of Jesus.