The Power of Example Part I

Pastor Tom Ross

 

     For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also on power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia, 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-word is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing,” (I Thessalonians 1:5-8).

     Paul the apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, commends the church at Thessalonica for their godly examples and influence. The Greek word for “ensample” is tupos which denotes the making of an impression, a mold, or a pattern. Paul is in effect stating that the church at at Thessalonica offers us a model, a pattern, an example of a congregation that honored God. The church at at Thessalonica demonstrated their faith by their actions. They were a loving, caring, compassionate church. They were also patient and steadfast in the midst of sore trials and afflictions.

     They had turned from their idols and were actively serving God and anticipating the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church at Thessalonica made such an impression by their active faith and sacrificial service that their example and influence soon spread to other congregations. Every New Testament Baptist church out to be a shining example of what Christianity is all about. Jesus instructed us to: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” (Matthew 5:16).

     New Testament churches are made up of saved individuals who have been added to the body by the leadership of the Holy Spirit and to the submission to the ordinance of scriptural baptism. When we followed the Lord in our baptism we were in effect symbolically declaring that we were dead to our old way of life, and raised anew to faithfully follow and serve the Lord in is church. We made a vow before God, the angels, and the church to surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As individual members we each have a solemn responsibility to provide a proper example of Christ-likeness to everyone within our sphere of influence. I challenge you to consider what kind of impression your life is leaving upon others. I pray God will stir your heart to carefully determine what kind of example you are demonstrating by your manner of life.

 

YOUR PERSONAL EXAMPLE INFLUENCES EVERYONE AROUND YOU

      1. Everyday all of us are setting an example for others to see. Our example may be good, evil, or mediocre. Make no mistake about it, we are influencing the lives of others by the way we think, speak, and act on any given day. What a solemn truth! Your life is having an impact on others.

      2. You and I are touching and influencing people in every area of our lives. We set an example for either good or bad in our homes. Moms and Dads, little eyes are watching you. Dads your sons will one day model you the way you treat your wife. Moms one day your daughters are going to model you the way you treat your husband. Parents you are leaving a lasting impression upon your children that in all probability will be perpetuated for generations.     What are we teaching our children and one another by our example? Do we love and respect one another? Do we honor the Lord and exalt His Word by faithful obedience to its precepts? Are we slothful or diligent? What we do is often more powerful than what we say in our homes. Psalm 128:1-6 declares: “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands: happy thou shalt be,and it shall be well with thee. Ty wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, tat thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.

     John Balguy wrote:

     “Whatever a parent gives his children good instruction and sets them at the same time a bad example, may be considered as bringing them food in one hand, and poison in the other.” (The New Dictionary of Thoughts, p. 188)

     When you go into the workplace what kind of example are you setting for your coworkers? Are you lazy, divisive, and full of complaints? Or do your coworkers see someone who is committed and consistently aiming to add value to the workplace? Is your speech truthful, edifying, and encouraging? Do your habits reflect the worthy name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do inspire others to work hard and do their job to the best of their ability? Colossians 3:22 declares: “Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”

     Lewis Dilwyn said:

     When you go to church people are observing your attitude and behavior. They are listening to your speech. They are monitoring your faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Someone may object and say “People at church have no right to monitor my behavior!” That is were you are wrong. We are all members of one another in the local body of Christ. If one member suffers all the members suffer according to the illustration provided in I Corinthians 12. We are all accountable to God and one another for the way we live our lives. What kind of an example are you setting for the other members of the church? Are you spiritual or carnal, content or contentious, loving or lukewarm? What if every member modeled your personal testimony? What if everyone in the church read and applied the Scriptures to their lives like you do? What if everyone witnessed to the lost as much as you do? What if everyone paid their tithes as faithfully as you do? What if everyone prayed for the pastor, the church, and the missionaries like you do? Solemn and searching questions! II Corinthians 3:2-5 states: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.”

     3. When you begin to see how your example affects the world, your sphere of influence, you begin to understand just how important your testimony really is. May God give us grace to follow the admonition of Micah 6🕗 “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God?”

     4. When you take an honest look at modern day society you have to conclude that the power of good and godly examples are sadly deficient or non-existent. This is true in every facet of society, including homes, churches, and government. We live in a world of violence, immorality, ungodliness, disrespect for authority, deception and political corruption. High ranking political figures and their operatives routinely lie, cheat and cover up to maintain their power. Homes are falling apart because parents are not committed to training their children in the way they should go. Churches stand for very little because they fear they will lose money and members. Employers have little or no loyalty to their employees. We are in the midst of a moral crisis that is accelerating. Many people are modeling the examples provided by reality stars, Hollywood hustlers and political pimps. Young minds are being corrupted by dope smoking, immoral, liberal, atheistic professors. An old Spanish proverb states: “Live with wolves, and you will learn how to howl.” Look at our communities and you will find folks without a moral compass howling like wolves with rapacious appetites for that which is unclean. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection,truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers’of those that are good. Traitors, heady, high minded, loves of pleasures more than loves of God: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away….But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived,” (II Timothy 3:1-5, 13).

     We have lost a sense of urgency about the kind of example we are providing and following! Matthew 5:13 declares: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt ave lost its Saviour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.” Unless Christians in general, and the Lord’s churches in particular come to grips with their responsibility to provide a righteous and godly example by a way of consecrated testimony, we will continue to see moral decay of our world. Dear believer are you even the least bit concerned that your attitudes, speech, and actions are influencing others either for bad or good on any given day? Oh that God would stir each of us with a renewed sense of personal responsibility to model the life of our Lord Jesus Christ as an example to others! I John 3:2-6 declares: And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

 

BAD EXAMPLES FROM THE SCRIPTURE

     1. The Old Testament example of Lot provides us with an illustration how a man can ruin his testimony and destroy his family. Lot was the nephew of faithful Abraham. The details of his life are set forth in Genesis chapters 23, 14, and 19. Through covetous desires Lot separated from faithful Abraham. He lusted after the well watered plains of Sodom without giving any thought how such a move would affect his family. Is eyes were fixed upon the prospect of material prosperity. God saw Sodom very differently as Genesis 13:13 records: “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.” Sodom was filled to the brim with homosexuals who had violent and perverted intentions (Genesis 19:4-11; cf. Romans 1:24-27; Jude 7). Lot first lifted his eyes upon Sodom, then he pitched his tent toward Sodom, before too long he was living in Sodom. He willfully led his family into an atmosphere of wickedness and perversion.

     When God determined to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, faithful Abraham interceded for Lot in prayer. God agreed to spare Lot and his family from the coming judgment. Two angels were dispatched to Sodom to retrieve Lot and his family. Lot relayed the message of judgment to his family. Genesis 19:14 states: “And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-laws , and said Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.” Because of Lot’s hypocritical example and fruitless testimony his family mocked him. His wife was so enamored with Her life in Sodom she looked back at the city as God rained down fire and brimstone upon it. She was turned to a pillar of salt. Only Lot and his two daughters escaped the wrath of God poured out upon Sodom. The two daughters concocted a plan to get their daddy drunk and have sex with him so that they could have children. The result of tat unholy union were the A ammoniates and Moabites, who became the sworn enemies of Israel for centuries.

     One man’s sinful example not only ruined his testimony and cost him his family, his illegitimate and incestuous descendents did much harm to God’s chosen people. The power of Lot’s example led to the embrace of evil and wickedness in his family. What a warning for parents and especially Dads! Your example is shaping your family. Where you live, how you act, what you say, and how you think is leaving a lasting impression upon your wife, children, and grandchildren!

     A. W. Pink in Gleanings in Genesis commented on the worldly example of Lot and his miserable end:

     “Lot seems to be a type of that class of Christians who aim to make the best of both worlds, who are really occupied more with the things of earth than the things of heaven. Lot was a man that sowed to the flesh, and of the flesh he reaped corruption. Temporal prosperity was what he sought, but in the end he even lost his worldly possessions. His life on earth was a wretched failure, made up entirely of wood, hay, stubble.’ There was no witnessing for God and no blessing of God upon his family. Lot is a concrete warning, a danger signal, for all Christians who feel a tendency to be carried away by the things of the world...Wretched, indeed must have been the closing days of Lot—cowering in a cave, stripped of all his worldly possessions, his sons-in-laws destroyed in Sodom, his wife turned to a pillar of salt, and he left face to face with the fruit of his awful sin.” (p 154)

     2. The wicked kings of Judah and Israel demonstrate how an evil example by leaders can have a devastating effect upon the people of their country. Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah who failed to remove the high places where people offered sacrifice to idols and he made a peace pact with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel (I Kings 22:41-44). Jehoshaphat’s compromise with Ahab ultimately led to his son (Jehoram ) marrying the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (II Kings 8:16-18). Jerhoram led his subjects in the practice of evil and idolatry, following the wicked example of his father-in-law, Ahab. Ahab hated God and His true prophets. Jezebel is one of the most wicked women to ever live. Jehoram followed their example and brought judgment upon his people. Unholy alliances can have dire consequences!

     The story of Manasseh, king of Judah, and his son Amon is told in II Kings 21. Manasseh reigned 52 years. He was a wicked idolater he even sacrificed one of his sons as a burnt offering and sought the counsel of wizards who were involved in the occult. In spite of Manasseh’s gross wickedness it appears God humbled him and saved him late in life (II Chronicles 33:11-20), However, his example of wickedness prevailed in his kingdom and his son, Amon followed in his wicked ways. Amon exceeded the wickedness of his father and was assassinated by household servants. The laws of sowing and reaping are always in effect. It is always interesting to note that depraved children often follow the worst habits of their parents. Manasseh was saved late in life, but Amon followed his father’s wicked ways instead of humbling himself before God.

     The evil example of these kings of Judah and Israel not only affected their immediate family and ancestors. Their influence was modeled by the citizens of their kingdom. Consider Jotham and his son Ahaz to see how the power of an evil example corrupts both families and nations. It is said of Jotham: And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all his father Uzziah did: HOWBEIT HE ENTERED NOT UNTO THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD. AND THE PEOPLE DID YET CORRUPTLY.” Jotham actually did some good things (II Chronicles 27:6), however his son, Ahaz followed after the wickedness of the kings of Israel:For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. E sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree” (II chronicles 28:2-4). Jotham wouldn't’t go into the temple of the LORD and his son became one of Judah’s worst idolaters.

     Consider carefully what our leaders in America have done. Our nation now worships now at the alter of evolutionary theory. We have thrown off the authority of God, His Word, and the moral law. In 1973 our godless Supreme Court legalized the murder and extermination of children. In the summer of 2015 the same court unilaterally decided that the perversion of homosexual marriage was lawful. Our political leaders have created an underclass dependent upon government welfare that insures the recipients will keep them in power. We actually have a confirmed socialist for the Democrat nomination for president of the United States. We have an immigration crisis that is costing trillions. We are ceding our sovereignty and influence to the United Nations. We have accepted false science under the guise of climate change. Our education system is in shambles. Our economy is weak. The racial divide and bitter animus created by crooked politicians has probably never been greater since the 1800’s. There is little or no respect for law enforcement or any moral authority, for that matter. The downward spiral of America can be traced to the power of ungodly examples from our leaders in every facet of society. Psalm 9:16-17 states: The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeh: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands … The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

 

 

The conclusion of this message will be on the website next month.