Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 8
“Grab the DDK, grab the Clement of Rome… What do they find important?… They sound like Jesus”; what would it mean for your church to “sound like Jesus” the way the speaker claims these early writings do, and where would your community need to change to match that sound?
Another way to ask: What would it mean for your church to “sound like Jesus” in its teaching and priorities? What would your church need to change to get there?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
To “sound like Jesus,” the transcript suggests a church would talk and live in a way where Jesus’ teachings are clearly primary, shaping what the community values and practices. Change would be needed wherever the church’s “sound” is dominated by camp debates, internet arguments, or abstract systems more than obedience.
- He urges: “Allow the simplicity,” implying Jesus’ teachings should be plain and central.
- He instructs people to read early sources: “grab the DDK, grab the Clement of Rome… the earlier church writings.”
- He observes: “What do they find important?… They sound like Jesus.”
- He summarizes their emphasis: “the teachings of Jesus are what’s important to be kept.”
- He adds the communal implication: “that’s what the church should look like.”
- He warns apologists can “get us into these camps,” which can change what a church “sounds like.”