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