Modeling is a term that has been kicked around in leadership and development circles. What is modeling? One writer said that it is the influence our decisions and lifestyles have upon those around us. Whether we realize it or not, we’re always modeling something. Unlike fashion modeling—in which appearance is paramount—modeling the Christian life requires honesty and authenticity. To model a relationship with Jesus is to be a living, breathing, tangible example to those we disciple. Consider how Jesus did this. He spent three and one-half years literally living with His disciples. This was not a new concept. This was the teaching method of Rabbis. But, consider that in today’s busy world, it’s easier to schedule a meeting than to live life with others. There’s certainly nothing wrong, of course, with having a consistent meeting time. But if we only have time to pass on knowledge in an “academic” way—divorced from everyday life—then perhaps we’re too busy. The vital nature of being in the company of others cannot be overstated. We need one another which is why, in today’s podcast, our focus is Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness — all on this week’s Light on Life.

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Why You Should Consider Jesus as Your Rabbi

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Accept the Challenge

Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

Set your sights higher than they have ever been. Imitate God in such a way that you will be bold enough to say ‘Follow me, as I follow Christ.’

Join the Conversation

Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: Who models the Jesus life for you? Share how you engage in this in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of First Thessalonians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

1. #S10-20: Why Turning from Idols Is A Super Exceptional Move of God [Podcast]
2. #S10-019: Why It’s Vital that Jesus Followers Pray for One Another [Podcast]
3. #S10-018:How to Start a Power-Packed Effective Church: Lessons from Thessaloniki [Podcast]
4. #S10-017: How the Breath of God Inspired the Writing of First Thessalonians [Podcast]

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com

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Podcast Notes

Modeling the Jesus Life: Lessons from Thessaloniki

1 Thessalonians 1:5–10 (ESV) — 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you 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, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

• We’ve already talked about how the gospel came to the city of the Thessalonians in power.
• That can. Be summed up by looking at this verse in Acts.

Acts 15:12 (ESV) — 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

• The Book of Romans has a similar report.

Romans 15:18–19 (ESV) — 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

• There was another factor that played a part in the development of the church at Thessaloniki: modeling Jesus.
• This part is as equally vital as the power part.
• What kind of person did the power flow through?
• Does the message match the man or was the message marred by the man?
• Paul said we proved what kind of men we were when we came among you.
• The word ‘proved’ is added by the translators.
• Literally, the thought Paul conveys here to the Thessalonians is you brought into the message we preached to you because you know how we lived when we were with you.
• That means there was no confusion between the life of the messenger and the message.
• And with that confidence or assurance in the hearts of the Thessalonians, they went ahead and copied their teacher.
• Paul said, you imitated us — you copied our example.
• That means being a Jesus follower by yourself is tough business because if you are by yourself, you have no one to imitate.
• Sharon and I are married — we have been married for forty-two years.
• There are certain areas that Sharon excels in — she does them way better than I do them.
• I have her as an example.
• You may say, well I’m not married — what then?
• Well, it’s vital to be around people, to be around other believers.
• You can learn a lot about humility for example by being in the company of it.
• You can know what the love walk is like by allowing someone else’s positive decisions in this area to rub off on you.
• Your walk in God can receive an inspirational boost by watching faith in action in others.
• To know how gentleness, patience and other giant fruits of the Spirit, spoken of in the Bible, function, it’s super helpful to see it operate in real-life situations.
• The point is simple — we need one another.
• We need to have role models of faith and power.
• Paul modeled Jesus for the believers at Thessaloniki.
• Who models the Jesus life for you?

Modeling the Jesus Life: What It Means to Imitate

• The Thessalonians listened to Paul preach but they also watched his life.
• Now, let’s look at the dynamic impact of the ‘man is the message’ style of ministry.
• We begin to see this in verse six.

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

• One of the fruits of a straight word from a straight man is imitation.
• When your heart wants to do right and you see right displayed in front of you, there is a real attraction.

Hebrews 6:12 (ESV) — 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

• So here, faith and patience were modeled but where’s the attraction?
• The attraction is in seeing the promises of God manifested.
• You believed for a family member to get saved and they finally say yes to Jesus.
• How exciting!
• But, then you go to church and in your Sunday School class, you share your testimony.
• That lights a fire in the person sitting next to you and inspires them on their personal journey of faith.
• They pick up on the same principles you shared and they imitate them — maybe they get the same results and maybe they learn about how they could get those results by making adjustments.
• If you’re setting a proper example, these are the possibilities.
• People want results — if you are getting them, that’s attractive.
• In First Corinthians Paul boldly promoted imitation.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV) — 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

• So it’s right to imitate others.
• People who are just coming to Jesus are classified by scripture as newborn babies.
• Newborn babes are those who are newly come to the faith.

1 Peter 2:1–2 (ESV) – 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

• Being a baby Christian has nothing to do with chronological age.
• You can be seventy-five years old and yet be a newborn spiritually.
• Newborns are highly impressionable – natural or spiritual.
• It’s so vital to set the right example in front of them.
• I thank God for my spiritual Mom, Geraldine Powell, she set a godly example of faith and dedication in front of me.
• But, the scope for imitation goes way beyond just copying a pastor, an evangelist, or a fellow believer.
• Paul said, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.”
• So, I imitated my spiritual Mom.
• I didn’t know that she was imitating the Lord.
• You just do what you see.
• But, because she did walk close to God, I ended up in the right place.
• Think about what happens when a person doesn’t walk close to God in front of those newly come to the faith.
• If a carnal lifestyle is modeled – how does that impact the message?
• What happens when the minister is not imitating the Lord?
• The following illustration shows why this process of modeling is sometimes not so clean-cut and dry.
• And with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

As a fairly young Christian, I worked for a popular theology teacher who has served the Body of Christ in invaluable ways through the last thirty-five years. A man of great intelligence and powerful speaking abilities, he was nearly my idol. In fact, I imitated him: I copied his study habits, manners of speech, and writing style. And while I now recognize that some of that imitation was juvenile, I am convinced that I grew because of it. But after working for him for a couple of years, his flaws became increasingly clear. He was almost never on time for appointments with his assistants, rarely thanked them for their work (at low pay and obscenely long hours), showed little respect for their abilities, and boasted inordinately (sometimes even dishonestly) in his own. Before long, imitation gave way to distrust. When at last I left his employ, I had little respect for him. Absence, however, slowly brought new perspective. Over the years he and I have been reconciled. While I’m still aware of his faults, my respect for his great gifts, his diligent service to the Church, and his years of self-sacrifice is renewed. I think I’ve come ‘round from idolizing, to loathing, to objectivity. I hope I’ve learned my lesson: Imitating fellow Christians may help us establish a few good habits, but it will never substitute for imitating God.¹

• While I agree mostly with the point of this illustration, the truth we must realize come to embrace is that imitating God is indeed in the realm of possibility.
• It is possible to be like God.

Genesis 17:1 (ESV) — 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,

• Walk before me and be blameless — or in other words, walk before me and be like I am.
• That was God’s message to Abraham.
• The above example shows that being like God for all of us is at varying degrees
• The Lord is perfect in all His ways — emphasis on the word all.
• God is perfect in holiness — perfect in purity — perfect in righteousness —perfect in judgment — perfect in speech —perfect in temperament — shall I go on?
• You and I both know they are areas that we may be doing pretty good in, but in other areas, we may fall short.
• In some cases, we are well aware of how faulty we are and how much we need to improve.
• The struggle is real.
• But, this fact does not take away from the point — it is possible to imitate God.
• Not only is it possible, it’s a commandment.
• It’s an expectation.
• You experience the same new birth that Jesus did.
• Does that statement astound you?
• Let’s look at it in scripture.

Modeling the Jesus Life: Why It’s Possible

• Let’s take a look at some of the behind-the-scenes events in the life of Jesus.
• The Scripture tells us that Jesus was made sin for us who knew no sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) — 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

• Jesus was made sin at Calvary.
• For three days and nights, He served the penalty for sin.
• What’s the penalty? — separation from God.
• This separation is described in the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:22–27 (KJV 1900) — 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

• Jesus was made sin — He spent time in hell, that’s what verse 27 plainly says.
• But, you and I know the gospel story — and that is that God raised Jesus from the dead.
• The term ‘dead’ that’s not just me and physical death — it also means spiritual death.

Romans 8:29 (ESV) — 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

• If Jesus is the firstborn, there must be a secondborn, a thirdborn, etc.
• You and I in our coming to Jesus and being born again are somewhere in that chain.
• The three thousand people that were born again on the day of Pentecost are in that chain.

Acts 2:41 (ESV) — 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

• Here is this ‘firstborn’ reference to Jesus in yet another place in scripture.

Revelation 1:4–6 (ESV) — 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Think about what it means to be born again.
• What are you born again into? — the family of God is the answer.
• When you receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and call him the Lord of your life you become a member of the body of Christ — you become a brother in the Lord.
• Now, read this passage in Hebrews.

Hebrews 2:11 (ESV) — 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

• This is an astounding verse.
• Home in on it!
• Listen to it again — he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source.
• The same New Birth Jesus experienced is the same New Birth that you experienced when you came to Him.
• Jesus what is the first man born again — you have the same New Birth he has.
• He is not ashamed to call you his brother.
• So it has to be possible for you to be an example of who He is.
• It has to be so.
• This next verse should cap this for us.

1 John 4:17 (ESV) — 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

• Marvelous!
• As He is so are we in this world.
• Man, it almost makes you want to shout!

1 John 3:2 (KJV 1900) — 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

• Now we are the sons of God — right now, not when we get to Heaven.
• In the rotten here now we are the sons of God and we shall be like him, not just in our born-again spirits — we already have that but in his physical body — as he is clothed in the glory of God, so we shall be.
• Our mortal will put on immortality.
• We will have a glorified body like His.
• Don’t tell me it’s not possible to imitate God.
• Your Jesus walk has to be genuine to be effective.
• My spiritual Mom was not perfect in her theology but in her heart, she was perfect towards God and perfect towards people.
• Now we are talking imitation here, we’re not talking cheap copies.
• You know there are such things as imitation diamonds, imitation fur, imitation leather.
• Faux is a term in use.
• But what does faux indicate?
• If there is a faux, there must be a real.
• If there are fake diamonds, there must be real ones.
• If there’s false doctrine, there must be real heaven-sent doctrine.
• You know there are fake Jesus followers.
• I’ve run into them — thieves and liars they are.
• Faux believers are like the proverbial wolves in sheep’s clothing.
• If there’s a fake, there’s got to be a real.
• The fakes are not what we are talking about here.
• Imitating God produces the real — it carves out the genuine.
• It’s just like parents giving birth to children — those little ones are not fake, they are the real deal.
• They are just immature.
• The man in the illustration above was genuine in some areas but needed to grow in others.
• That’s why I said I mostly agreed with the point the author was trying to make.
• Isn’t that the case with all of us?
• Have you heard this thing about seawater?
• It’s magnificent.
• Did you know that scientists can make an imitation sea water whose chemical composition is identical to that of natural seawater, but marine life will not develop in it? Yet add only a small percentage of natural seawater to the artificial, and marine life will flourish again. Life is a mystery only because we do not know the first thing about it.²
• There are multiple lessons here.
• Faking spirituality produces all the results of fake seawater.
• There is no life in that environment — nothing good comes of it.
• But just a small dab of the real — a small shot of eternal life creates powerful long-reaching results.
• That’s the amazing impact of eternal life.
• Jesus said it this way.

John 5:26 (ESV) — 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

John 10:10 (ESV) — 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

• Jesus said, “The Father God has life in Himself — He turned around and gave it to me, and I’m turning it around and giving it to you.”

Modeling the Jesus Life: The Ripple Effect

• Now, let’s look at the ripple effect of just one person or one group imitating God.

6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

• Do you see the progression?
• You imitated us, Paul said and you imitated the Lord.
• Then, you became an example to all believers in the region.
• The region in question? — Macedonia and Achaia.
• Achaia is Corinth.
• The distance from Macedonia to Achia is around 150 miles.
• So, the influence of the Thessalonians went way beyond their borders.
• How come? — because they imitated someone who imitated the Lord.
• You can impact your world?
• It’s possible and it’s profound.
• Their faith went everywhere.
• Way beyond their borders
• What they did is the norm for you and me.

Now Father God, in the Holy and Mighty Name of Jesus, thank you for your great mercy and your great plan in making us be like Him. Who could have thought of such a great plan? It was your great wisdom that brought this into being. We thank you for the Holy Ghost realities that you have provided. All we can say is glory — All we can say is Hallelujah — thank you Jesus. We give you all the credit in Jesus Name Amen.

• Why Modeling the Jesus Life Is Such a Powerful Witness — you guys have a great God week and we will see you next time for another edition of Light on Life.

#S2-027: What It Means to Walk After the Spirit and Not the Flesh [Podcast]

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