005 The Ripple Effect: The Proper Influence of a Thriving Church
1 Thessalonians | The Anatomy of a Healthy Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 53:31
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so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
How would you describe a thriving church?
Nice buildings?
A big budget?
Full seats?
The Ripple Effect: The Proper Influence of a Thriving Church
How often do you think beyond the walls of our church?
1. The proper influence of a church is the result of proper imitation.
1. The proper influence of a church is the result of proper imitation.
The church in Thessalonica imitated Paul, Silas, and Timothy.
They obeyed their teaching.
They became like them and did what they did.
“Ensample” - tupas or type as in typewriter.
That strikes the ribbon against the paper leaving an imprint.
A. The church’s influence came from their work of faith because they mimicked Paul’s suffering.
A. The church’s influence came from their work of faith because they mimicked Paul’s suffering.
“Remembering before our God your work of faith.” (vs 3)
Their faith produced a work that served each other.
Their faith produced a work that served the unsaved world around them.
and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith,
that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.
For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.
A. The church’s influence came from their work of faith because they mimicked Paul’s suffering.
A. The church’s influence came from their work of faith because they mimicked Paul’s suffering.
The heard Paul and Timothy’s teaching.
They watched how they responded to the trials.
B. The church’s influence came from their labor of love because they mimicked Paul’s love.
B. The church’s influence came from their labor of love because they mimicked Paul’s love.
“Remembering before God your labor of love.”
They labored in love for each other.
They labored in love for the unsaved world around them.
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you,
B. The church’s influence came from their labor of love because they mimicked Paul’s love.
B. The church’s influence came from their labor of love because they mimicked Paul’s love.
Paul had an incredible love for the people in Thessalonica as well as the lost people in the world.
The way we love those we are discipling.
The those we love our church.
The way we love the lost.
The way we love our neighbor.
They are watching and will love like we do.
Today’s verses are proof of obedience.
Proof they followed those they were imitating.
Disciple-making is not about filling someone’s head full of knowledge.
It helps them apply what they are taught and live it out to it’s fullest.
2. The influence of a thriving church goes beyond its walls and even its community.
2. The influence of a thriving church goes beyond its walls and even its community.
The proper influence of a thriving church has an influence like a typewriter striking the ribbon and leaving an imprint beyond the walls of the church both individually and corporately.
“The word of the Lord sounded forth from you…”
The message rang out from among them.
It thundered.
It echoed.
What strikes me is how natural this was for them and how unnatural it is for us.
We were given a model in Acts.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This is both prophetic and prescriptive.
Prescriptive = model to follow.
If we see a model in scripture should we pay attention to it?
If we see the same model twice, what do you think it means?
so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
2. The influence of a thriving church goes beyond its walls and even its community.
2. The influence of a thriving church goes beyond its walls and even its community.
Look at the map.
We can look at this a couple of ways - geographically
Hometown - Howard City (Or wherever you live)
Greater area around your home town - West Michigan
Your state - Michigan or country
We continue the ripple effect to our country and the rest of the world.
We could look at it a little differently.
Our home town
Our own culture
Nearby culture
Different culture
Let’s identify these and see what that looks like.
It is good for the church to corporately be invested.
We as individuals need to be invested.
A. Influence of the church in Thessalonica/my community.
A. Influence of the church in Thessalonica/my community.
If the church disappeared today would the community miss it?
Think about it this way: if each of you were gone, in what way would the community miss you?
How many of us are engrained in the community around us
Building genuine relationships with our neighbors?
Getting to know business owners?
Involved in a way that brings value to the community?
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
A. Influence of the church in Thessalonica/my community.
A. Influence of the church in Thessalonica/my community.
We think about the seasoning part of the salt, but what about the value of salt?
Roman soldiers were paid in salt.
“They aren’t worth their weight in salt.”
When it was no longer seasoning its surroundings it was no longer valuable and was thrown out to be walked on.
Here’s what this looks like for me.
I try to present in my community.
I walked in the gas station and there is a group of influential community men that gather regularly.
I said good morning and got a smile, a wave, and a good morning Josh in return.
My family walks into the grocery story, especially at certain times and get greeted by name.
I serve as a firefighter.
I very specifically bring value to my community.
I have friends in the community.
Hopefully I bring individual value to their lives.
All this because the gospel has miraculously saved me.
Because of that I want to do what Jesus did.
I want to do what Paul did.
I want to love my community.
Follow me as I follow Christ.
If the church disappeared today, would the community miss us?
Would the community miss you?
Who would be at your funeral?
Don’t get overwhelmed.
Find one neighbor.
Find one thing you like to do.
We have coaches.
We have 4H leaders.
Kids playing sports.
Kids in 4H
Firefighters
Our people integrating themselves in the community.
The life of our church is dependent on our involvement and influence in our local community.
B. Influence of the church in Macedonia/my surrounding community or my own culture.
B. Influence of the church in Macedonia/my surrounding community or my own culture.
Not only is this God’s design but it should be our natural desire.
As we grow in our love for our own community and we begin to gain an influence there, then we begin to think beyond our own town.
Be careful thinking beyond your own community until you are doing what you can where you are.
That is the model.
Too often we want more - we want bigger - when we aren’t doing what is in front of us.
This could be our vocation.
This could be intentionally lengthening your ministry focus.
This could be God giving you someone or something your weren’t expecting.
This could be a corporate ministry project.
For me, this is where GRFD fits in.
It is a great blend of my own community and my surrounding community.
Begin praying about your influence.
Our church is also corporately influencing our Macedonia.
Not only was the influence of the church in Thessalonica to the unsaved world but it was to other churches.
We are having an impact on other churches within our greater area!
C. Influence of the church in Achaia/nearby culture.
C. Influence of the church in Achaia/nearby culture.
This is our country. Culture close to our but not completely like ours.
How do we accomplish this?
You already are, but we need to get better.
You already are - (Not only were they individual models, but they were corporate models.)
Pastors call me.
I’ve spoken in other churches.
Dallas spoke in Ohio last week.
You support missionaries.
We have a great influence on CBM
This is why I’m on the board.
It helps me live this part of my influence.
We need to get better.
I would like to see us get to the point of regularly taking missions trips.
Both corporately and individually.
D. Influence of the church everywhere/different culture.
D. Influence of the church everywhere/different culture.
The gospel and the model went everywhere from them!
The desire of all of us should be to see God use this church to take the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.
It should be our individual desires to be used for that in some way.
The influence of the church spread through the world because it imitated Paul’s work of faith and labor of love.
The influence of the church spread through the world because it imitated Paul’s work of faith and labor of love.
Two words: work and labor.
Christianity is not a spectator sport.
Having a thriving church is not a spectator sport.
Disciple-making is not a spectator sport.
Think about it in sports terms.
There are those who sit on the couch and barely react.
The complain about the refs.
They criticize the coaching.
They find some sort of joy if the team wins.
There are those who go and cheer!
Neither impact the outcome of the game.
This church wasn’t thriving because its members were watching pastors and a few others do everything.
This church was thriving because of two words that described the congregation.
Two word’s Paul uses to describe this congregation…
Work & Labor
Work & Labor
A work of faith: Not spectators.
But living lives of obedience actively living out what they believed.
Putting in the work to follow the example set before them.
People knew they were Christians
Not because they followed a set of rules
Because their lives were different.
Their labor of love.
Seeking the highest good for the one loved.
Laboring to the point of exhaustion for others.
Filter this through today’s thoughts
Community
Culture
Similar culture
Rest of the world.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.