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Family Ministry Moments - March 2024

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See the Example, Be the Example

The best way to learn is to imitate someone.  In many professions, this is called on-the-job training.  You watch someone perform a task then you perform it under their
supervision until you are proficient in the task.  This is also true in our Christian walk.  This type of training is called discipleship.  Discipleship has an aspect of formal training, which is what we often think of when we hear the word.  We see this in many settings like worship, small groups, discipleship groups, Bible studies, devotions, etc.  This type of discipleship is very important; however, it is not the only form.

Discipleship has on-the-job training.  This means we see the example of a more mature Christian and learn from them.  This principle is readily apparent in 1 Thessalonians 1.  In verses 2-3, Paul makes it clear that the Christians in Thessalonica get it.  They are par excellence when it comes to faith.  This is only the case because they took seriously the gospel call in their lives.  In verse 4 Paul remembers the time he shared the gospel with them, and God showed His power in their lives through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Then in verse 5, Paul reminds them of his character.

Paul along with his companions sought to live holy and righteous lives so that they could be an example to the church.  Paul says in verse 5 that they did this for the sake of the
Thessalonians.  This doesn’t mean that Paul did not seek to live a holy life at other times, but that he was hypervigilant to be a godly example for their benefit.  This led the Christians to a deeper and more mature faith and before long the church at Thessalonica became an example to all the believers in the entire region (verse 7).

The example they set was one of faith, they trusted in the Lord above everything else.  In verses 9-10, Paul points out how the Christians in Thessalonica turned away from idols and worshipped the Lord alone.  They also watched expectantly for the Lord's return.  They had a heavenly mindset as they patiently lived out their lives on earth.  This is a sure sign of maturity.  This would have been a powerful example to other believers.

There are two things I think we can learn from this passage.  One, we must find and imitate godly examples.  Paul was a great example of faith for them to look at, but Paul was not perfect. He was the first to tell you that he was a sinner saved only by the grace of God; however, there was something that Paul did very well, he made it clear that his focus was on Jesus.  Even when you looked at the example of Paul you were pointed to Jesus.  Paul did not seek to exalt himself, rather he sought to exalt Jesus in everything he did.  This is important when we look for a godly example.  We cannot just find someone who calls themselves a Christian and hitch our proverbial wagon to them.  Often when we find a teacher who makes themselves the star, they fail either morally or theologically.  If you affix your faith to that person then when they fail, you are left shattered and broken.  We must always remember that people are imperfect.  We should never exalt a person, rather we look for examples that seek to keep Jesus as the center.

Second, as we mature in our faith, we must become an example of godliness.   We should not shy away from being an example rather we should encourage it, provided we are looking to Jesus for our example.  My prayer is that my life and the lives of those in the church will encourage all the believers in our community.  We want to live a life that brings glory to God and helps others to glorify Him as well.  Let’s remember the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians 11:1,
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”  Let us be the example of Christ that we want to see in others!

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Family Ministry Moments - February 2024

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The modern world assumes many things that are contrary to the Bible.  The world assumes that God does not exist. The world assumes evolution is a fact.  The world assumes the Bible is just another book full of errors.  They assume Jesus was just a man whose miraculous powers were greatly exaggerated by His followers.  These are not only
assumptions by the culture we live in but they are also common objections to the Christian faith.  People use these “facts” as a reason why they will not become Christians.

This is not a new problem.  From the first day of Jesus' resurrection, people have sought to discredit Christianity.  This has been a problem for the church for the past 2,000 years, which is why Christians have had to develop a defense of our faith.  This is commonly referred to as apologetics.  The word apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia” which means to give a defense of something, in this case, we are presenting a defense of Christianity. This is what Peter is highlighting in 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” This is the goal of apologetics.

On Sunday nights during Student Gathering, Alex and I have begun a new series.  It is based on the book by Alex McFarland, The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity.  This book tackles all the questions I mentioned in the first paragraph and more.  We felt it was important for our students to begin to think critically about their faith.  We want them to understand why they believe what they believe.  We also wanted to challenge any that might have bought into the world's lies.  Students can also use this information as they reach out to their friends.

One of the major reasons I wanted to do this series was to get students to start thinking and to ask questions. When I was a teenager there was an unspoken rule in church that you don’t ask certain questions.  I think it is important to ask all kinds of questions, especially ones about faith.  Our God is big, and He is not afraid of our questions.  This is the reason He has given us His Word. We can study the Bible and find answers to all of life's big questions.  God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

God’s word is the first place we should look when seeking to answer questions, but we should not discount things like science and the natural world.  It is no surprise that God designed the universe to point to His glory.  If you examine the intricacies of the world, you can’t help but see a grand design that points to the grand designer!  We have given the students so many examples to help them answer questions like, “Does God Exist?” and “Did God create the universe in seven days?”.  One great resource that we have pointed the students to is Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org).  Ken Hamm has developed a robust website full of apologetic science.  Science and faith do not stand opposed as the world would have you believe.  Science confirms a great and glorious creator God.

My challenge is don’t be afraid to ask questions!  Ask questions then seek the answers first in God’s word and then in trusted Christian resources.  Don’t just take the word of anyone about what you believe.  Do your own research and study.  You must develop a robust theology so that you can give a defense.  We must all be ready!

“…if Satan can't take away our faith, he might be able to intimidate us to such a degree that we are paralyzed, that we are not quite as bold as we were before. And so, not everybody is called to be a professional apologist, but we are all called to study apologetic issues and to see that there are reasons for the hope that is within us.”
R.C. Sproul - Ligonier.org

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