Your Daily Devotional for May 2, 2006

May 2, 2006

 

A Useful Influence

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:”

 

1 Thessalonians 2:13, 14

 

There is a common thread throughout the first century churches besides the people’s faith in Christ. That other common denominator was the fact that they suffered persecution for their faith in Christ. The Jews at Judea had persecuted the prophets, the Apostle Paul, and even their own countrymen, yet the Judean Christians remained faithful despite these difficulties. God used their example to influence and encourage the church members at Thessalonica to stand firm when they, too, faced opposition.

 

There are other churches today that have not compromised, dipped their sails, nor been pulled away from evangelism, and who are staying true to the old-fashioned, fundamental doctrines of the Word of God. I thank God for these churches and the very real influence that they’ve had on me as a pastor, as well as the members of our church.

 

Fundamental churches have a great responsibility at this very hour. I would not venture to guess to what extent this responsibility is, that is totally up to the Lord, but we must recognize that each church membership has a stewardship of its own influence. As a pastor, I must be a steward of whatever influences God has given me so that I don’t become a stumbling block to another preacher who is trying to stand for God.

 

In verse 14 we see that the Thessalonican church “became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus…” Some today may say that we ought not to follow men, but that statement is not entirely biblical. The Apostle Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Still others today might say that we ought not to follow another church, and there is a measure of merit in a statement like that; however, if another church is following the Word of God, living a holy and righteous life, and actively leading others to Christ, then thank God for a church with that kind of influence.

 

Church members should desire that the Lord would allow them to have a godly, encouraging influence so that if another church is suffering, rather than letting down its guard, closing the service schedule, and canceling the strong preaching emphasis and soulwinning program, those members would stand firm and say, “If it can be done there, then we can do it here, too!”

 

May God help us to realize the eternal ramifications of quitting or compromising our positions. We need a new generation of fundamental churches in this hour that will stand firm and, like iron sharpening iron, encourage and strengthen one another to press on through the difficulties for the cause of Christ.

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