What makes a church one that is worth emulating? Contrary to the numbers-based way in which much of the Church today decides which congregations are successful and which are not, the Apostle Paul offers to the new believers in Thessalonica his own praise by declaring that they are, "a model to all believers."
What was it about this congregation? (1) God chose them, (2) the Holy Spirit worked powerfully among them, (3) Paul and his team lived in a Christ-like way while there, (4) they chose to imitate Paul's team and Jesus, (5) all while maintaining their joy in the midst of suffering. This combination of God's will and their faithfulness in response to what God and Paul's team had done, led to God utilizing them as an example throughout Greece.
Our question: What can we do, as a local congregation, to also be worthy of being emulating, better yet, what can we and the other local congregations around us do to help shine the light of the Gospel in our community? Paul has shown us the roadmap.
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