Jump Start # 3585

1 Thessalonians 2:14 “For you, brethren, became imitators of the church of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.”

It’s a question that seems to be asked in every generation. It’s nothing new, but it is something that needs to be looked at and addressed. The question is: “Should the church change?” Some are so bold to say that unless the church changes, we are doomed. Our survival and existence rests in changing our ways.

When one has preached for a while, like I have, you realize that this is an old song that resurfaces with a new title every so often. And, change is something that we find throughout our Bibles in both a positive and negative fashion.

The very core idea behind repentance is change. One turns from one direction and turns toward God. The prodigal got up out of that pig pen and headed home. He left the house demanding. He came home asking. He was not the same person. He had changed. Cornelius, Saul, the Ethiopian, they all changed. They repented. So, not all change is bad. In fact, if we do not change, or repent, the Lord said we will perish. It’s not a matter of simply adding church to our busy schedules. We have been converted. We have changed.

But some change is not necessary and in fact wrong. Jeroboam offered Israel a new place to worship. A new god to worship. A new day to worship. And, new priests to help in that worship. All those changes made things easy, convenient and nice. But all those changes took the nation away from God. The sons of Korah wanted to ditch Moses and get a new leader. God would have nothing to do with that.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, we must understand and distinguish between our traditions and what the Bible teaches. The two are not necessarily the same. Covid was helpful for that. Many places adjusted the times they gathered and even the way they administered the Lord’s Supper. Changes took place. Some congregations are hopelessly stuck in the 1970s. They refuse to step into technology. They believe the methods that worked then still work today. And, the refusal to consider new methods, new traditions, frustrates a younger audience. Old elders need to get with the times. We do not change the message, but we can certainly change how we deliver that message and find the best methods that encourage and teach.

Our worship services ought to bring us before the Lord. It should not be viewed as spending an afternoon with your grandpa.

Second, some want a church that is less offensive. Less doctrine and more feelings is what they are after. Moral issues, teachings about what is right and wrong, are viewed as offensive to friends. And, some are more concerned about their friends feelings than God’s feelings. There were times when Jesus offended some. There were times when some walked away from Jesus. Now, one can be in your face and ugly and that’s not what Jesus did. But, neither did He water down the message to make it more pleasant for the audience.

Third, some want the church to change to be more like other churches in the community. They want more community projects and involvement that makes the church more friendly to others. While this may sound wonderful, we must not forgot that the call to be like those around us is often very dangerous. Israel wanted a king like the other nations. And, they got that. Kings that ignored God, just like the ones around them. Kings that were abusive and mean. Just like the kings around them.

God wants us to be separate. We are to be a holy nation. Holy, meaning special, unique, separate. It’s hard to be the light when you look like everyone else.

When some declare that they are not happy, that does not mean that everyone else feels the same. Rather than changing ourselves, it’s easier to say, “the church should change.” We must realize that the way God designed the church and set up the church, that it is capable of doing everything that God wanted it to do. It is sufficient to do the work God intended. The problem comes when we start doing things that were not intended. Then, the boundaries get pushed and rules get broken and people get upset.

Our verse today, shows that the Thessalonians imitated the churches in Judea. They did not set out to be different than everyone else. They did not try something new. They did not strive to be unique. God never calls upon us to do that. He wants us to follow the leader.

Should the church change? Some of the methods and ways we do things, sure. From what God told the church to do? Never! That stake has been put in the ground along time ago by Jesus and the apostles.

Roger

Jump Start # 197

1 Thessalonians 2:14 “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews.”

  Follow the leader is a principle that God loves. God wants us to do what Jesus did. God wants us to follow the examples and pattern of the apostles and early Christians. Paul showed this concept when teaching about the Lord’s Supper. He said, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you…” (1 Cor 11:23). Paul also taught, “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9).

  Follow the leader. That’s exactly what the Thessalonians were doing. They were imitating the churches of Judea. Specifically, as the first Christians endured persecution so were the Thessalonians. And more than that, they imitated the faith and dedication to Christ that the first Christians manifested.

  Imitating the original. Backward looking. That is so opposite of our times. Most want to be innovative, forward thinking, cutting edge, blazing new trails, adopting new ideas and new practices. This thinking moved us from the old dial telephones to our do-it-all cell phones. Technology has made it possible for me to write this Jump Start on my laptop and send it to you via email. Advances in medicine are keeping us alive longer. Business is always looking for new ways and new ideas. We love new gadgets, more channels on TV and the latest whatever. But when it comes to our faith, our worship, the church, we must put on the brakes. It is backward we look not forward. We practice what was done in the New Testament. We are interested in going back to the Bible pattern and not going forward in innovations. What would we notice by copying the churches in Judea? We see that the disciples met on Sunday. There they sang, preached, prayed and took the Lord’s Supper. We would see that as a church their mission was spiritual. We would have also noticed that faith and baptism were taught as the means of getting into Christ. Singing in those early churches was without instruments. Each congregation was independent and overseen by shepherds or elders.

  In too many places, the modern church has given up on copying what was done originally. Instead, the modern church mimics big business. The language is more like business than it is Biblical. The concepts and practices are straight from leadership books instead of the Bible. Fund raiser experts and growth gurus are hired to manage the church. The modern church has simply outgrown the ancient ways and the ancient gospel. How sad. Have we gotten smarter than God? Do we really think we know how to do things better than God does? It is not uncommon to wonder, “Is it a school, a business, or a church?” Who knows?

  The problem is not the modern church, it’s us. Too many of us have out grown the ancient ways and the ancient gospel. God seems too strict and too narrow for many of us. So we simply side step those areas. We still like talking about love, because love is still in. We like talking about helping others because that’s still in. But holiness, righteousness, obedience to Christ? Not in these times. When folks don’t have the Bible as the core of their faith, something else has to hold them together. What works today is having a good time and feeling good about things. Isn’t that the flavor of the week in so many churches today? Preachers are comedians, even dressing the part. The music is to please us, like a concert. Food, games and good times are the drawing card. I know. I see it. I hear all about it. It wouldn’t take much to be a part of it.

  But I’m drawn to those Thessalonians who simply wanted to imitate the churches of Judea. I’m interested in pleasing God. I want to hear that Bible preached and preached. I want to know. I want to connect. I want God at the core of my heart. I want to imitate those early churches. I want that primitive religion that is interested in simply putting God and His ways first. How about you?

  Is the church you attend imitating what was done in the Bible? Do you know? Does it matter to you? Are you following the leader? It’s a matter of back to the Bible or forward to who knows where or what.

Roger