How to be a Model Church

How to be a Model Church

This Sunday, we were privileged at CDC to have brother Yap Kok Keong commence our series on1 Thessalonians with the message on “How to be a Model Church.”

In one of his missionary journeys, the great Apostle Paul came to the city of Thessalonica and began to preach there, winning many believers. However, after only a short time, he was forced to leave abruptly because of severe persecution but he wrote back to them to encourage them in the faith.

The key verse for the message was vs.7, where Paul said of them “You became a model church….” And our message this morning was concerned with how to become a model church!

A church or an “ekklesia” as said in those days consists of an assembly of believers. A model church is not a perfect church. Later, Paul wrote a second letter to them addressing a serious problem. Some of them had become idle, becoming busybodies instead of being busy working. Still, the church had many good things, and Paul urged to press on for more. The church consists of sinners that are declared blameless and holy through faith in Jesus Christ. Basically, she is a whole bunch of redeemed sinners learning how to live out the new life that Christ has basically implanted within them. The church is not physical or external, not an impressive building. In those days, they probably met in an apartment-like home. And the members were a mixed bunch, nothing much to look at, but they were undergoing severe trials and tribulations. Some lost their jobs, some were in jail, and some were hiding from the authorities.

Key to their qualities of a model church can be found in vs.3 –

 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Therefore, three important things we should strive to follow are:-

(i)                  Work produced by faith

(ii)                Labor prompted by love

(iii)               Endurance inspired by hope

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.   9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;   10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

The Lord’s message rang out through the faith of the Thessalonians! They believed what they heard and all their work was based on that belief. And their labor was prompted by love. They were willing to risk their homes and safety by welcoming the apostles there. And they themselves endured much persecution as they held on to the hope of eternal glory in Christ Jesus. When Paul’s enemies could not find him, they seized the house owner Jason instead! The Thessalonian church turned from idols to serve the living God and they patiently waited for His Son Jesus Christ to return from heaven!

And of course, there were three important foundations that the Thessalonian church had which helped them become a model church.

Firstly, they were supported by prayers, and the great prayers of the Apostle Paul - 2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;  

Secondly, they were loved and chosen by God - 4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.  

Thirdly, the gospel had come with power, with the Holy Spirit comeing upon them with deep conviction. 5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

To be a model church, we need to strongly support each other in prayer, to declare and hold on to the conviction that we are loved and chosen by God, and to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit as we declare the gospel!

Furthermore, the Thessalonian church became imitators of Paul and of Jesus Christ - 6 And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit: To become a model church, it is essential that we continually focus on the person of Jesus Christ and seek to be like Him.

Finally, brother Yap shared with us how we should try to contextualize the Thessalonian model into our times and culture.

Looking back at the three important points – work produced by faith, labor prompted by love and endurance inspired by hope, we realize that we need to look at the motivations behind our actions, whether our work is prompted by love and faith. We need to realize that wherever we work is because God placed us there! And we would do well to seek to find out what God wants us to do there!

Brother Yap shared with us how he was inspired by a kindly doctor who showed compassion to him when he was a young lecturer. In those days, brother Yap was backslidden, but the doctor believed in him and bought him a motorcycle knowing his difficulties in commuting to work and even gave him his windcheater.  

This same doctor also believed in two other men, sending them to India to study medicine. One became a dentist and is still serving God to this day. The other fell away for a time, but has also come back to the faith. Sometimes, his labor and sacrifice met with disappointment but he still carried on in faith.

Brother Yap was also touched by how sister Kun Han took the trouble to travel all the way to Muar to encourage the Christian teachers there. She was already so busy where she was with Scripture Union and church and even her own household matters. And a visit to the church in China also amazed him. Meeting in secret places at various locations, brother Yap could always immediately sense the joy and love among the small group of believers he ministered to. And outside loomed the large menacing Communist machine. Many times they would receive a call and quickly move, and that was the way they lived out their life in faith, risking all things to follow Jesus.

In conclusion, brothers and sisters, let us endeavor to really live our lives with work produced by faith, labor prompted by love and endurance inspired by hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

God bless, Jason