Daily devotion – The Model Church
The Thessalonian Model of the Church
All the basic ingredients that our Lord wants in a Church were found in the Church at Thessalonica and its congregation.
In Paul’s writing of this Church he does not give us any details in regards to the number of members. He mentions neither their goals, and objectives, their programs, the type of sermons preached nor the music they sang.
There is no mention of their Sunday school, their worship services or their youth camps.
But Paul does tell us about several spiritual elements of this model Church.
Paul first preached the Gospel to this amazing Church during his second missionary travel. After he left them, Paul sent Timothy to them to check out how they were now doing. When Timothy returned from visiting them his report was quiet wonderful – 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7 6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you— 7 therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith.
Here in lies the information that we at CCSH need to examine and apply to be the Church that God wants us to be.
It was firstly a saved Church – in other words the congregation, the people in the pews knew the real meaning of salvation. It was a gathering, a body of born-again believers!
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
They gave real tangible evidence of personally knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Therein lies the beginning, the foundation of an effective Church.
Today sadly, there are so many ineffective Churches because there is a mixture of wheat and tares, even among some leadership.
The key to the success of the Thessalonian Church was its purity. Paul said of the people who got saved and then formed this blessed fellowship was the following – 1 Thess 1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
If you read Acts chapter 2 you will see the early Church was a regenerate Church. It says in Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
This Church, these people turned the City of Jerusalem upside down. When you have a totally regenerated assembly of people moving through town in the power of the Holy Spirit, they are bound to make a great impact.
We pray that God will move in His power here at CCSH, that hearts will be captivated by His great love and that we too may be in some way like the believers in Thessalonica – the model Church!
Today, where does this place you?