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of the Holy Ghost." I Thessalonians 2:14 "For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:" I Thessalonians 1:6
and all that is left is religion. The power of Christianity is one person sharing his experience with another. If you have no experience you have nothing to share. The process is, people believe, they are saved, and begin to follow the example. That is how the Gospel works. Paul said to the Thessalonians, "We preached, you believed and were saved. You saw how we lived the Christian life, you in turn begin to live the same life, others followed your example and the chain reaction brought the Gospel to the known world." Some say, "Don't look at me." "Why not?" "Is something wrong?" Whether good or bad the truth is, we teach by what we are. We are not Christians by what we say, we are Christians by what we are. It is the responsibility of every believer to live what the Bible says is a Christian life. If you cannot do that you are still in your sins. If you cannot say to others I have found the answer, follow me, you need to go back to the altar. Paul carries the principle beyond the individual in I Thessalonians 2:14, "for ye brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus." The churches of Greece saw the Godliness of the churches of Judea, they repeated the process. If a church is not an example, where will you find it? If we cannot find a pattern to emulate, where will we find reality. The reason there are so many dead churches, there are so many dead churches. Someone reproduces the same thing they have been taught, thus the death process is continually repeated. As Jesus passed along life, he called men with the words, "Follow me." What He really said was come walk with me, be with me, become like me. This must be the role of the Preacher. After three and one half years Jesus was crucified, the disciples were left with an experience that reproduced the Savior a thousand fold. The Gospel is spread from person to person. Every believer is called to call others to follow them as they follow Christ. We teach by what we are. The disciples learned to pray by watching Jesus pray. The Church is structured on the same principle. This must be balanced. I am not talking about a blind submission or subjection, I am speaking of following those who follow Christ. Boys become like their fathers, like mother like daughter. Acts 17 speaks of those who searched the Scripture to see if those things are right. We are responsible to know the right, and when we know we must follow.