A church that allows Christ to be formed in the people will leave a lasting impression of Christ on society. Here is how it works…
Listen to this sermonPatterns of an Apostolic Church

Aje Pelser
Preached at Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town.
Sunday 13th August 2006

Reading:
1Th 1:1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 1:2 We give thanks to God for you always, making mention of you in our prayers,
1Th 1:3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father,
1Th 1:4 knowing, beloved brothers, your election of God.
1Th 1:5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
1Th 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, welcoming the Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,
1Th 1:7 so that you were examples to all who believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
1Th 1:8 For from you the Word of the Lord sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to speak anything.
1Th 1:9 For they themselves witness what kind of entrance we had to you, even how you turned from idols to God in order to serve the living and true God,
1Th 1:10 and to wait for His Son from Heaven (whom He raised from the dead), Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
(Modern King James Version)

Key Verse for this discussion: I Thessalonians 1:7
“So that you became a pattern to all the believers…” (Amplified Version.)

Historical Context:
Apostle Paul was writing to the Thessalonian church about Jesus’ return and consequently discussed the concepts of death and resurrection as well as preparation for the coming of Christ. The birth of this particular church was by no means peaceful. Read the account of the apostolic team’s first visit in Acts 1:1-17. There is a reason that Paul mentions the example this church became to others who believe throughout the region.

Word Study:
The specific word “Example” has some significance in our study:
G5179
τύπος
tupos
Thayer Definition:
1) the mark of a stroke or blow, print
2) a figure formed by a blow or impression
2a) of a figure or image
2b) of the image of the gods
3) form
3a) the teaching which embodies the sum and substance of religion and represents it to the mind, manner of writing, the contents and form of a letter
4) an example
4a) in the technical sense, the pattern in conformity to which a thing must be made
4b) in an ethical sense, a dissuasive example, a pattern of warning
4b1) of ruinous events which serve as admonitions or warnings to others
4c) an example to be imitated
4c1) of men worthy of imitation
4d) in a doctrinal sense
4d1) of a type, i.e. a person or thing prefiguring a future (Messianic) person or thing
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G5180
Citing in TDNT: 8:246, 1193

Within the scripture reading there are some apostolic patterns that will cause your church to leave an imprint (tupos) of Christ on society:

Apostolic Patterns:
1. Teachability:
“And you set yourselves to become imitators of us and through us of the Lord Himself, for you welcomed our message in spite of much persecution,” (Amplified Version.)
The church members imitated Christ in the apostles. God uses people in our lives to set an example. True disciples of Christ leave an impression of Christ wherever they go, whatever they do. This does not mean that they are perfect in every way. Try to find Christ’s “tupos” in someone. Where has Christ left his mark in their life? Imitate that mark of Christ you see in mentors, leaders and shepherds. IN this case, the apostles made their mark to such an extent that the disciples clearly represented Christ even in their absence.

2. Strong Faith
To “have faith” is to “adhere to; trust in; rely on” God. In this case of the Thessalonian church, the report of their faith spread throughout the surrounding region.

3. Bravery
These believers welcomed the apostle’s message in spite of persecution. That is a mark of an apostolic church that will set an example to other churches.

4. Joy!
Jesus endured the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. You can only function together as an apostolic reformational church if real kingdom joy is present in all your activities. This type of joy does not come from circumstances but from the Holy Spirit within. The God of hope must fill you with all joy and peace in believing by His supernatural Spirit that is poured on all flesh. All you have to do is ask!

5. Inspiration
To be inspired from within is the key. Church members should not need to be psyched up every Sunday morning to live powerful lives and reach the lost. There should a fire within that is unquenchable that releases a continuous passion for God and His work. There are moments when we grow weary and disillusioned, but then we need to wait on the Lord to renew our strength. Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. When someone has this kind of inner motivation, they see what needs to be done in situations and do it boldly like Peter and John. When people saw their boldness they perceived they were with Jesus. Our communion with Jesus in prayer and corporate worship should infuse us and inspire us with that boldness. Enthusiasm has to come from within. “Enthuse” means “inspired by God” according to the Oxford dictionary.

6. Proclamation
Any Christian worth his salt has to participate in some form of proclamation of the Word of God, specifically the good news of the Gospel of Christ.
“The Word of the Lord has resounded forth from you unmistakably…”
When we speak about Jesus Christ, there should be no mistake about what we mean and how much we are consumed by God. Doctrine is a vital component to today’s apostolic reformational church. In order to bring about a change in society, paradigms have to be re-aligned to the original intents and purposes of the New Testament writings of the apostles. This is a daunting task, because some say that the conditions of the early church were different, so how could those principles apply to us today? However, we face similar problems, just in a different context. The truth principles of the Bible still work, we just have to wait on God to give understanding to implement His Truth in our daily lives. Listening to testimonies of believers who walk according to the Truth in the Bible is enough evidence of the living Word shaping and changing lives today. That is what we should proclaim: Jesus is alive and working in our lives!

7. Representation of Christ
When people come to your church, did they leave with an indelible imprint of Christ in their soul?

When apostle Paul complimented the Thessalonian Church saying:
“but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to speak anything” it doesn’t mean that Paul did not preach anymore. It mea