Leaving Our Mark
Pent 23 Leaving Our Mark 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8
Good Role Models in our culture are sometimes not always easy to find. Just as we find that someone (musician, politician, religious leader) who we figure is the one they fall from grace because of some indiscretion from drugs, sexual misbehaviour, tantrums, etc. After all no one is perfect are they! BUT as Christians ( believers and followers of Jesus Christ) we are to go beyond the cultures standards of Good behaviour ( Paul says 2 in his letter to the Thess. To [excel still more] and set that good example of Christ’ love to our families, community and the world.
1. Conversation at thanksgiving dinner:
Question: About sisters bible study. Her husband began to make light of what they were learning by saying after the study they stand outside on street and gossip about neighbours. (not gossiping just chatting as we all do after spending time together sharing God’s word)
brother in law not unlike many in our communities that see us church folk that way. BECAUSE somewhere they encountered a bad example of behaviour from someone who said they were Christian or attended church gathering.
The Christian community is often seen as Hypocrites (say one thing but do the opposite) because people have encountered a bad example of what a Christian should be.
When we get all fancied up for Sunday morning service, teach SS, get up here and preach, rx communion we put some money in the collection plate, Then rest of the week we look down on others, lie or cheat at business, steal, slander, gossip . ( you know the rest) WHAT ARE WE SAYING ABOUT OUR FAITH? WHAT ARE WE SAYING ABOUT OUR LORD!
The right example:
When after we leave worship service, after rx the blood and body of our lord -we go out into the community filled with renewed energy to do GOOD things, to forgive an to have compassion for others, with a heart ready to serve others and to love those around us as Christ loves us, to meet others where they are with the Gospel of God instead of judgement that they are not like us or in here with us! Wow! That is the awesome example that Jesus wants us to be !
2 We meet a group of people like that this morning in the Scriptures. The church at Thessalonica was such and example:
· (main east-west highway, Via Egnatia ) Major city of 200,000 of northern province of Greece, Macedonia and Achaia. Lots of people, lots of trade, lots of different ideas and ways of living.
· the people in Paul’s day in Thessalonica no doubt had similar problems as today (except technology). Wide spread immorality, murder, the worship of anything that came along. People trying to get ahead at the expense of others especially the weak and less privileged.
· But in the midst of all this there were some who Rx the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ and were transformed. 1 thess 2:13 “when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
· After their transformation 3 things happened that changed the spiritual landscape in their communities for many ages;
1. They imitated Christ of the scriptures (1:6)
2. The message of good news of God’s salvation rang out from them (1:8)
3. (1;7) They became examples (models) of God’s love to believers and non believers throughout (macadonia & Achaia) GK (too-pos) word was used to describe a seal that marked wax or a stamp that minted coins. (not a mark easily rubbed out or counterfeited commended the Thessalonians for being model believers leaving their mark on others.
· Just what MARK were they leaving. Vs 1:3 “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ “
· What MARK are we to leave in our families, community and the world? The marks of our works of faith in a God who redeemed us in Jesus Christ , the way we labor in loving all others and to resound with the hope of life eternal by the way we live our lives. 1 peter 3:15”But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” [not pushy]
As disciples of Christ we do much of our teaching by example. Would agree with that ? To be good examples for Christ we are told to imitate Christ! Would you agree to that?
Kennon Callahan, in book “A New Beginning for pastors and Congregations” said;" How we live shares the faith we have…..Faith without life is dead. Faith is more than belief or talk. It is not that we have faith and then somehow talk faith. The talk is the walk. We are living, breathing, walking theology. How we live teaches people the faith we have.”
Let me tell you the story of a T.V. repairman who didn’t like to think about his job when he came home. As a result, he never bothered to properly install the T.V. antenna on the top of his house or fix it when one arm broke in a windstorm. One day a new family moved in next door, and the owner went up on his roof to install an antenna. Knowing that his neighbor was a T.V. repairman, he put his up exactly the same way and turned his antenna to face in the same direction as his neighbour’s. Then, after studying his neighbor’s antenna for a while, he reached up and broke one arm off his new antenna!
Conclusion: Thomas fuller once said;”A good example is the best sermon.” God wants us to practice to be like Him (scriptures call this [Sanctification]. 1 thess 2:12 “live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory .” We have the Scriptures show to us how and the Holy Spirit to teach us the way. Let’s be models of Jesus. Let’s Go from this place and leave our Christian mark wherever we travel.