Imitation And Example

Okay, I want to talk to you this morning about imitation and example.

Okay, imitation and example.

Let's back a little bit.

I think this is a really important word.

I don't typically give the same word to you guys and to Bellicose Church,

but this is just one that I think is really important for both.

It's one of these kind of, I think, foundational words.

And so I really encourage you to think about these things, listen to these things,

search them out on your own, and let's see what God has for us.

So basically this morning I want to propose to you that you may have or likely have

learned a way of doing church and discipleship that is not consistent with the Scriptures.

Okay, why do I think that?

Because I've observed that many people want Christianity without the cost,

or many people want the benefits of the church without the priority of the church.

Okay?

Want the benefits of the church without prioritizing the church.

Many people want community without responsibility and accountability for really partnership.

And you hear that all the time.

There's one thing I've heard from new people coming into the world of the church.

They most often say, I want community.

But they want community without having to take responsibility and without having to be accountable.

And that's just, there's no such thing.

You're never going to get community that way.

You're never going to get true family that way.

Many people want a sense of camaraderie without commitment to mission.

Okay?

True camaraderie comes when the context of being on a shared mission together.

This is why soldiers have a unique camaraderie that you can't really,

nothing really competes to the camaraderie that soldiers have.

Because it's this heightened sense of mission with great stakes.

And the only ones who should be really comfortable to that are Christians.

Because we are on mission.

We are soldiers in one sense for Christ.

But our battle is spiritual and the stakes are way higher.

But that's, a lot of people want camaraderie, but they don't want commitment to mission.

A lot of people want leadership without sacrifice and submission.

They don't want to have to do meetings and training and late nights.

But they still want to lead.

Well, that's not how it works.

Many people want the fruit of the Spirit without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Many people want a great marriage and family without God's specific roles for gender.

Many people want great kids without the expense of discipline and education.

Many people essentially want outcomes without imitation.

Let me say that again.

Many people want outcomes without imitation.

Today, or yesterday, ironically, is the 13-year anniversary of the church that you guys were sent out of, Bellicose Church.

Okay.

And in the last 13 years, it's been surprising to me how many people have wanted or have even demanded

us to bend our culture ways and traditions to them rather than they bending their culture ways and traditions to us.

There's this kind of expectation that, okay, I see things in the church that I want,

but there's certain things, the cost is too great or the things that are required to get it, I don't want to give.

So I just want the bennies without, you know, let's just, can't you just bend it so that I get all these great benefits,

but then you do these things my way?

And it's like, well, first of all, no.

Second of all, you don't realize that that's actually how those bennies came to be.

It's because of the other stuff that maybe you don't like.

But there's this almost entitlement and this expectation that we get to pick and choose.

You get to, we live in this kind of podcast culture, and you just kind of pick and choose from people

instead of taking the full DNA of someone or the ingredients and nutrients from a person.

It's basically fruit without cost, benefit without inconvenience,

and it's really a bunch of fatherless fruit pickers, kind of bastardized version of fruit pickers.

You know, you just kind of pick and choose what you want.

I got this leader I'm really into, and I got this kind of podcast that I listen to.

And instead of getting the whole person and finding people and imitating their way of life,

imitating them, it's just like we pick and choose fatherless fruit pickers.

It's pervasive.

And what is the result of it?

We lack the outcomes then because we don't have the imitation.

We just are picking and choosing.

And you might say, well, what are you saying?

You just can't challenge anything?

No, no, no.

We welcome challenge.

As a church, we welcome challenge.

As a leader, I welcome challenge.

That's a good thing.

But if you only pull from people the things you want and you don't submit in the areas where you don't agree,

then you don't get the nutrients.

You don't absorb the ingredients from those examples.

So let's look at this in the scriptures, okay?

Basically, I want to start with this concept of ways and traditions.

We'll start in 1 Corinthians chapter 4.

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

1 Corinthians chapter 4.

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

Before I get into that, I want to read one quote, actually.

This is from Doug Wilson.

Kind of describes what I just explained.

He says, well, you can turn to 1 Corinthians 4, but I'll read this quote from Doug.

He says,

which the Bible praises in a number of places.

Romans 15, Philippians chapter 2, and which our modern world condemns.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

It is not even hard to find Christians who are wary of like-mindedness.

Instead, they say, you have to be an individual.

Be your own dog.

You must not imitate others, period.

The result of this is vain exercise, like throwing rocks at the moon.

Sorry.

The result of this vain exercise, like throwing rocks at the moon, does not eliminate imitation.

It only guarantees the imitation of fools.

So good.

Okay?

He's basically saying, we've got this kind of disembodied thing that we want.

And the order of the day is individualism.

No, no, no.

You don't imitate.

You don't get like-mindedness.

What is this, a cult?

What do you get for yourself?

You know, it's almost celebrated and as a virtue to not conform to other people's way of thinking.

To have your own.

You be yourself.

You go, girl.

You know, you do your thing.

I love that you're individual.

I love that you don't do what everybody else does.

That's your claim to fame.

That's your hallmark, your code.

That's your thing, man.

And that becomes exalted.

That becomes celebrated.

But the result of it, what he's saying is it looks like, oh, because of that, we're actually not imitating people.

Isn't that cool?

And he's saying there is no option to not imitate.

You either imitate someone else who is godly and a good example, or you imitate the fools who all try to live by their own selves.

It's a great point.

And Paul makes these similar points.

We're going to look at ways and traditions, starting in 1 Corinthians 4, verse 14.

1 Corinthians 4:14

Paul says,

I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

For though you have countless guides in Christ, you don't have many fathers.

Okay, this is what I'm talking about, kind of this constant, like, guides.

But he says, you don't have many fathers.

You have so many instructors, so many guides.

You don't have many fathers.

For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

I urge you then be imitators of me.

Okay, so stopping there.

He says, I urge you then.

What do you mean then?

Why is he saying then?

He's tying the fact that if I'm your father in Christ Jesus, which he's saying I am through the gospel,

then there's an automatic implication of his fathering.

The automatic implication of someone being your father is you to imitate.

Now, again, that flies in the face of our modern culture.

Imitate my father?

Yes, that's the biblical implied understanding.

The word then is put there because he says I'm your father.

The fact that he says I'm your father means that then you must be imitators.

You see the correlation there?

And then he goes a step further in verse 17.

And he says, that is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved faithful and child in the Lord.

To remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Stopping there.

Okay, think about it.

Does that make sense?

If he's saying because I'm your father, then you should imitate me.

Why wouldn't he then say I'm sending myself so you can see me and imitate me?

That's not what he says.

He says, I'm sending you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord,

to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church.

So he's saying, not only am I to be a person that you should imitate,

that the normative culture of church is that as people imitate one another,

that you can imitate the imitators.

Because they themselves will remind you of my ways.

Timothy is my child, my faithful child in the Lord.

And he's going to remind you of my ways in Christ.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, Paul.

What's this my ways in Christ?

Why don't you just talk about God's ways?

Good question.

Everyone would love to say, oh, come on, man.

Get Paul out of here.

This is about Christ.

He didn't say God's ways.

He said my ways.

He says, I teach these everywhere in every church.

My ways in Christ.

So he's not, he has a way that he built and he taught it in every church.

Now, it was not untethered to Christ.

It's always needs to be tethered to Christ.

But God has given gifts to the church.

Ephesians chapter four, verses 11 to 12.

Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists.

These people are gifts to the church to build up the church.

Okay.

One of them is apostle.

And here we have the example of the gift of apostle given to a church.

And so then he goes to each church and then he can even send Timothy, who's like a clone

of him, so to speak, an imitation, to remind them of Paul's ways in Christ.

The way he did things in Christ.

And he would teach his ways everywhere in and every church.

Isn't that fascinating?

He says, some are arrogant as though I were not coming to you.

Verse 19, but I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills.

And I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power.

For the kingdom of God is not consistent talk, but in power.

So essentially he's saying, I don't care about talk.

There's a lot of guys can talk.

You have 10,000 instructors who can talk.

Where's the fruit?

Where's the substance?

I don't, we'll find out.

We'll find out who these guys are, right?

I'll come to you if the Lord wills.

And when I do, these arrogant people, I'm going to find out not their talk,

but their power.

But that's not how we do things, isn't it?

What are you impressed with?

What are Christians impressed with?

Man, I really love this speaker.

He's just such a great speaker.

His oratory skills are off the charts.

The size of his church is amazing.

The amount of followers he has on social media,

or the amount of people in his church,

what makes me want to follow him?

Paul's like, listen, I ain't interested in talk.

Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk.

It's a matter of power.

Where's the power?

Where's the fruit?

Are you following people who have never,

who haven't seen the fruit of their life,

or they have Timothy's?

Are they people who have actually reproduced people?

Are they people who have fruit in their life?

There are people who can talk a good game,

but have they ever built anything?

Have they ever built anything?

Have they ever built what they talk about?

Or do they just talk?

Do they just theorize?

Paul says, I'll tell you about these arrogant people.

We'll see if they got the goods.

And they'll be based on their power.

Do they have the power?

Hebrews 13, 7 speaks of the similar thing.

Okay?

Whoever wrote Hebrews says,

remember your leaders,

those who spoke to you the word of God.

Consider the outcome of their way of life

and imitate their faith.

Okay?

Consider the outcome of their way of life.

Again, he's saying,

look at your leaders.

So often now,

we have people,

they listen to people,

and because they're a good speaker,

they got a lot of followers,

whatever,

but what about the outcome of their way of life?

A lot of people say,

well,

I want the same outcomes of that person.

Maybe you've said that before.

I want the same outcomes of that person,

but are you willing to imitate their way of life to get there?

A lot of people say,

I want my kids to be like so-and-so's kids.

Their kids are great.

I see that.

But then they're not,

and they think,

oh,

I'm going to,

I want kids like theirs.

But then they're not willing to do what that parent did to get those kids.

They're not willing to imitate the faith that was required,

the faith that brought them to that place.

And so we want outcomes without imitation.

And the writer of the Hebrews says,

hey,

remember your leaders.

Examine the outcome of their way of life.

Don't just listen to what they say.

What is the outcome of their way of life?

What have they produced in their way of life?

And then,

if you want that outcome,

you're going to have to imitate them.

Are you someone that,

someone would want to imitate?

Would someone want to imitate your faith?

Would someone look at the outcome of your way of life and say,

I want that same outcome.

So I want to imitate your faith as well.

This is what should be happening.

This is the,

this is the way.

You're going to see,

I'm going to,

we're going to go into more verses here,

but this is the way that God builds.

Second Timothy chapter three.

Okay.

Starting verse 10.

This is Paul writing to Timothy.

He says,

you speaking of Timothy,

he says,

you ever have followed my teaching,

my conduct,

my aim in life.

The NIV says way of life,

my faith,

my patience,

my love,

my steadfastness,

my persecutions and suffering.

Okay.

You have followed these things.

Timothy was,

he could send Timothy and people could be reminded of his ways because

Timothy followed his teaching.

He followed his conduct,

his aim in life,

his way of life,

his faith,

his patience.

Are you someone who has these type of things?

Are you an example that people could follow?

And do you have people that you're following?

People that you're,

you're saying,

I want to imitate their way of life.

I want to,

I want the,

the same nutrients.

I want the nutrients that are in them to flow down into my life.

And so I'm going to imitate them.

I'm going to follow their way of life.

This is what Timothy did.

And Paul pointed it out here.

First Corinthians chapter 10,

1 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

starting in verse 31.

Paul says,

so whether you eat or drink,

whatever you do,

do all to the glory of God,

give no offense to the Jews or the Greeks or to the church of God,

just as I try to please everyone and everything I do,

not seeking my own advantage,

but that of many that they may be saved.

And then he says,

chapter 11,

verse one,

he says,

be imitators of me as I am of Christ.

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the

traditions,

even as I deliver them to you.

Okay.

So he's saying,

I,

I,

I passed down traditions to you.

What,

what traditions of men or women that you love and respect are you following?

Are you imitating?

He said,

imitate me as I,

be an imitator of me as I am of Christ.

Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Right.

And I commend you because you remember me and everything and maintain the

traditions I delivered to you.

You know,

that's,

that's so offensive nowadays in our,

in our culture.

And we want to,

everyone wants to be new and hip and recreate the wheel.

No one wants to be traditional.

Okay.

And I get it.

In many ways,

we're not like some typical traditional church,

but we should never shy away of having specific traditions or ways of life

that we hand down to other people and never apologize for there being a common way of

thinking in our church that people imitate.

Sometimes we're tempted to feel embarrassed by that.

I know that has happened over the years when you have a culture of people who all tend to,

where the majority of them homeschool.

And people just feel like,

Oh,

you know,

trying to accommodate the person who doesn't homeschool and trying to make them feel good and feel like that's cool.

And they should make them feel like it's cool because there's nothing wrong per se in not homeschooling.

But you should not apologize for a way of life that is imitated among a lot of people.

If in fact,

the value system that undergirds it is a godly one.

We should be unapologetic for it.

And if someone feels left out in that,

it feels like,

Oh,

I feel left out.

I feel like if I come into this church and everybody homeschools and I don't,

I'm going to feel left out.

It's like,

you might a little bit.

We have a way of life.

Churches,

people should have a way of life.

Paul says,

I have a way of life.

I have traditions.

I pass them down to you.

Paul's not apologizing for his traditions.

Paul's not saying,

Oh,

do you feel kind of left out because you're not,

you don't follow the same traditions as I do?

No,

he says,

follow my traditions.

I commend you because I handed them down to you and you followed them.

You followed my traditions.

You followed my way of life.

That's important.

That's what we need to do.

And that's what Paul's telling them to do.

Second Thessalonians three,

verse six.

He says,

now we command you brothers in the name of our Lord,

Jesus Christ,

that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in

accord with the tradition that you receive from us.

Okay.

So now he's,

he's upping the ante a little bit more.

And when he's in Thessalonica,

he's saying,

Hey,

I'm commanding you.

If you see any brother who's walking in idleness and not in accord with the

traditions,

we set up,

keep away from him.

Okay.

Why?

Cause he's not,

he's not following the traditions.

He's literally telling them,

exclude that person from your fellowship.

Why?

Cause he's not following the traditions.

Do you see that?

What he's saying there?

He's not walking.

He's walking in idleness and not in accordance with tradition that you receive

from us for yourselves.

No,

how you ought to imitate us.

There's that language again,

because we were not idle when we were with you,

nor do we eat anyone's bread without paying for it.

But with toil and labor,

we work night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you.

It was not because we don't have that right,

but to give you and ourselves an example to imitate.

This is why for the first seven years when we planted bellicos,

I worked,

I didn't take money from the church.

I worked a full-time job.

One of the,

not because I didn't have a right to take money from the church at that point

in time,

but I didn't want anybody to look at me and say,

you're asking us to do something you're not willing to do.

I had a full-time job,

seven kids,

and I'm doing every single thing I'm asking everybody else to do.

Yay more.

I'm trying to set an example.

And I didn't want anyone to say,

oh, church boy over here doesn't want to do everything that he's commanding us to do.

I have no respect for him.

I couldn't afford to lose the respect of the congregation

by not being willing to do everything I was asking other people to do.

And I had that right.

But I'm not going to take up that right.

I wanted to pass on a tradition of being able to do kingdom life

in the context of the normal everyday stuff of life that people have,

like raising a lot of kids,

having a full-time job,

you know,

these kinds of things.

And he says,

you know yourselves how you ought to imitate us.

I wanted people to say,

hey,

imitate what I'm doing.

This is possible.

Part of the reason we have this,

Paul's doing this imitation thing is because it puts on display what's possible.

Listen,

you can do these things.

And here's proof.

I'm doing them.

That's why this disembodied kind of way of Christianity,

where we just take ideas,

theories,

books,

podcasts,

and that becomes our chief reference point,

rather than these concepts incarnated in real flesh and blood people,

and the nutrients of those people,

and the value system of those people,

being imparted and infused into a group of people,

as even double portion sons and daughters,

is so much superior.

than just a transfer of information.

We've reduced church to a transfer of information.

I like the information you put out,

and I want to take it in.

No.

Information's good.

Good teaching is good.

Bad teaching is bad.

Okay?

I'm not advocating that we don't care about doctrine and teaching,

but I'm saying,

church is way more than just an exchange of information.

It's an exchange of love,

wisdom,

and power

that comes not just through the exchange of information,

that comes through the exchange of life,

where you are imitating one another,

where there's a sharing of life.

Okay?

We see this in the scriptures,

this concept of imitation and example.

Let's continue on here.

Philippians chapter 3,

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

starting verse 12.

Paul says,

not that I've already obtained this,

or I'm already perfect,

but I press on to make it my own,

because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Brothers,

I do not consider that I've made it my own,

but one thing I do,

forgetting what lies behind,

straining forward to what lies ahead.

Verse 14,

I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let those of us who are mature think this way,

and if anything you think otherwise,

God will reveal that also to you.

Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Then he says in verse 17,

Brothers,

join in imitating me,

and keep your eyes on those who walk

according to the example you have in us.

Okay?

Have in us?

Who is he talking about?

I thought this was Paul.

He's speaking in the plural.

Who's he talking about?

If you go to Philippians chapter 1, verse 1,

Philippians 1:1

who's the ones who's writing this book?

First three words of that book are Paul and Timothy.

Is that interesting?

He's saying,

Join in imitating me,

and keep your eyes on those who walk

according to the example you have in us.

So he's not just saying imitating me.

He's also saying,

Watch the examples of those who are imitating us,

who walk according to the example.

Are you someone who's living an example

that people want to live in?

I tell you what,

one of the most valuable things

that you can experience

is the opportunity

to learn how to lead without a title.

When I was a part of a church,

a couple churches back,

and they never appointed me as an elder,

but I would attend all the elders' meetings,

and they looked to me almost like an elder,

but I never got the title of an elder.

And it was very frustrating to me.

So I'm thinking,

What is the deal here?

Like, I'm being asked to give input as an elder.

I'm attending all the elders' meetings,

but I was never appointed as an elder.

And I looked at that,

and I thought,

Oh, this is such a,

this is not a good thing.

And maybe it wasn't,

but you know what?

In hindsight, it was so good for me.

I learned a really valuable lesson.

And the lesson was

that I could not lean

on a title or authority

to bring influence.

The danger about having a title or authority

before you have influence

is that you rely on the title or authority

to bring influence,

which is the most disillusioning thing

for the people you're trying to lead.

You want to be someone that people don't respect?

Enforce or assert authority

that you don't have in influence.

And this is relevant to us

because there's no elders in this church.

There's no,

other than my leadership in this church,

that doesn't exist.

So there's a unique opportunity

for leadership,

but the temptation is always to assert

a form of authority

that doesn't exist in our influence.

And if you learn to influence

before you have title or authority,

your title and authority

is that much more powerful

because people respect you

and people want to follow your example.

It's always the temptation though

because it's easier.

It's easier to assert authority

than to exercise authority

through influence.

Authority flows to those

who take responsibility

and exert influence.

Influence doesn't always

flow to those

who have title and authority.

Do you hear me on that?

Very important point.

And I know the temptation

is to think,

hey, we need titles

and authority sooner

so we can bring influence.

And I just want to say,

if you've ever thought that,

I really disagree with you.

And I don't think

you're seeing the wisdom of God.

It is much more wise

to learn the art,

the ability to influence

without title and authority

so that when you do get

title and authority,

it'll be wielded

in a righteous way.

And there's absolutely

no reason why you cannot

use and exercise influence

in a godly way

without title and authority.

It's just way harder

because you can't cheat.

You can't assert your authority

because you don't have it.

All you have is what you have.

All you have is your example.

And if your example

isn't that good,

if your reputation

isn't that great,

you don't have any authority.

But if you have

a great example,

you have a way of life

that would want

to be imitated.

If you have an example

that people say,

I respect this person,

I trust this person,

I want to live

like this person,

you have a level

of authority

that exists

without even having

the title.

But that's an important thing.

Don't ever think

or assume

that people should

follow you

or trust you

because you have

some sense of entitlement

to some form

of leadership.

You're never,

ever entitled

to people's trust.

Even if you're

in a place of authority.

And I know

you're tempted

to want it

and think that you are owed it,

but you're never owed it.

You always got to work for it.

You got to work for that trust.

You got to work for that.

And I'm not saying

that there shouldn't be

a certain respect

for people who are

in God-given places

of authority.

There should be.

But you shouldn't have

this entitled view

that, oh,

people should trust us.

And the fact is,

we could all do

a better job

of learning how

to win one another's trust

and to live an example

that people would

want to follow.

That's an important

thing here, okay?

Join in imitating

and keep your eyes

on those who walk

according to the example

you have in us.

Speaking of Paul

and Timothy.

He goes on

in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:2

chapter 1,

verse 2.

It says,

We give thanks to God

always for all of you,

constantly mentioning you

in our prayers,

remembering before our God

and Father

your work of faith,

labor of love,

and steadfastness of hope

in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith, hope, and love.

Those three phrases

are so great.

He's saying,

Remembering your work

of faith,

labor of love,

steadfastness of hope.

Those are three ways

to leave a good example,

right?

Those three that will remain

in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know,

brothers,

loved by God,

that He has chosen you

because our gospel

came to you

not only in word

but also in power

and in the Holy Spirit

and with full conviction.

Then He makes

this great phrase here.

He says,

You know what kind of men

we proved to be

among you

for your sake

and you became

imitators of us

and of the Lord.

You hear that?

You know what kind of men

we proved to be

among you

for your sake.

What kind of men

and women

are you proving

to be among

this church?

The proof's always

in the pudding.

The proof's always

in the fruit.

Wisdom is proved true

by your actions.

I think we can talk

and say they have wisdom.

The Bible says

wisdom is proved true

by your actions.

What kind of men

and women

are you among

the people?

Okay?

And then He says,

Become imitators

of us

and of the Lord.

Become imitators

of us.

And you receive

the word of much affliction

with the joy

of the Holy Spirit

so that you became

an example

to all the believers

in Macedonia

and Achaia.

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.

So not only

did they become

imitators

of Paul

and the men

that were among

them,

which there's

multiple men,

this is Paul,

if you look at

1 Thessalonians

at the beginning,

it's Paul,

Silvanus,

and guess who?

Timothy.

Okay?

He said,

You knew what kind

of men we were

among you for your sake?

Not only did they

emulate him

and imitate him,

but then they

became an example

to churches

all over the place.

Wouldn't it be

awesome if there

were multiple

churches in

Kansas City,

Raytown area,

just all over

the city that

were examples

to other cities?

Wouldn't that

be awesome?

You ain't just

going to get that

by just listening

to a bunch of

sermons.

And you should

listen to sermons.

I'm preaching a

sermon.

I'm not undermining

my own sermon.

Okay?

I believe you

should listen

to the sermon.

But you don't

just get that

from listening

to information.

It has to be

imitated.

You have to

imitate real

people.

Real people.

You can't have

a disembodied

Gnostic Christianity.

Okay?

He goes on

in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 2:1

2,

verse 1,

he says,

For yourselves

know,

brothers,

that our

coming to you

is not in vain.

But though we

had already

suffered and

been shamefully

treated at

Philippi,

as you know,

we had boldness

in our God

to declare to

you the gospel

of God

in the midst

of much

conflict.

For our

appeal does

not spring

from error

or impurity

or any

attempt to

deceive,

but just as

we have been

approved by

God to be

entrusted with

the gospel,

so we speak

not to please

man,

but to please

God,

who tests

our hearts.

For we never

came with

words of

flattery.

As you know,

nor with a

pretext for

greed,

God is witness.

Nor do we

seek glory from

people,

whether from you

or from others,

though we

could have

made demands

as apostles

of Christ.

Okay?

Important point

here,

do you see that

he's talking in

the plural here

and keeps saying

we?

He's going to

keep going on

in the rest of

this chapter.

Keeps saying we

are us.

Who's he speaking

of?

Again, you look at

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 1:1

chapter 1,

verse 1,

he says,

Paul,

Silvanus,

and Timothy,

which he just

said,

we could have

made demands

as apostles of

Christ.

There's your

proof that

Timothy was an

apostle,

if you're ever

wondering.

Just set it

right there.

We as

apostles,

Paul,

Silvanus,

Timothy,

three apostles.

We could have

made demands

as apostles

of Christ,

but we were

gentle among

you,

like a nursing

mother taking

care of her

own children.

So being

affectionately

desirous of

you,

we were ready

to share with

you not only

the gospel of

God,

but also our

own selves,

because you

had become so

very dear to

us.

Listen to that

language.

Okay?

Again,

are we

willing to

share not

just the

gospel,

not just

information,

not just

the truth,

but our

very lives,

our very

selves?

Because he

was affectionately

desirous of

them,

they didn't

just share

the gospel,

but they

shared their

very selves.

That's father

and that's

mother.

He said like

a nursing

mother.

Okay?

Are we

willing to

do that?

Are we

willing to

share our

lives?

Not just

the convenient

things,

but vulnerability,

not just

transparency

where people

can see

in the

windows,

but the

opening of

the doors

of our

hearts to

say,

hey,

voluntary

openness to

say this

is what's

going on

in my

life.

Some of

you are

feeling more

close to

each other

than other

you.

Some of

you are

saying it's

been a

little bit

hard to

get to

know one

another and

grow close

to one

another in

these last

three,

four months

as a

church.

I can

almost

guarantee

you that

some of

that is

caused by

not being

voluntarily

open.

If you

want to

go deep,

don't wait

for someone

to ask

you how

things are

going.

Don't wait

for someone

to ask

you if

things are

hard in

your life.

Don't wait

for someone

to ask

you about

the good

things in

your life.

You have

to voluntarily

open yourself

up to do

that.

That's how

you share

not just

the gospel

but your

very lives.

You're

opening up

your heart

to one

another.

You're

making room

in your

hearts

for people

to live

and to die

with one

another.

This is

the language

of Paul.

He says

you do

this because

you have

become very

dear to

us.

For you

remember

brothers

our labor

and toil

we work

night and

day.

We might

not be a

burden to

any of

you while

we proclaim

to you

the gospel

of God.

You are

witnesses

and God

also how

holy and

righteous and

blameless was

our conduct

towards you

believers.

How holy

righteous and

blameless was

our conduct.

Who is

the ones

whose holy

righteous

blameless

conduct you

want to

imitate?

He said

for you know

like a

father with

his

children we

exhorted each

one of you

and encouraged

you and

charged you

to walk in

a manner

worthy of

God.

To walk in

a manner

a way of

life that

was worthy

of God.

We

exhorted

you we

encouraged

you and

we challenged

you.

Okay?

Or charged

you sorry.

Exhorted

encouraged

and charged.

We all need

people in our

life who

exhort us

who charge

us and

encourage us

to live in

a manner

worthy of

God.

People who

do it like a

father with

his children.

We all

need

fathers.

Walk in a

manner worthy

of God who

calls you in

his own

kingdom and

glory.

We also

thank God

constantly for

this and

when we

received the

word of

God which

you heard

from us

you accepted

it not as

the word of

men but as

what it

really is.

The word of

God which

is that work

in you

believers.

For you

brothers became

imitators of

the churches of

God in Christ

Jesus that are

in Judea.

For you

suffered the same

things from

your own

countrymen as

they did from

the Jews.

He's saying

you imitated

us so much

so that you

imitated the

churches.

You even

imitated our

suffering which

going back to

Paul with

Timothy when he

says I followed

your way of

life your

conduct.

Remember what

it said at the

end?

I followed

even your

persecutions and

your sufferings.

They even

imitated because

they lived the

same way of

life they

ended up

imitating the

same suffering

and persecution.

imitation.

That's how

close their

imitation was.

But we want

outcomes without

imitations.

And who are

the people who

can be examples

that would be

followed?

Are you living

a life?

Is your

leadership, is

your example of

your righteousness,

the way you show

up to things or

don't show up to

things, your

promptness or

being laid,

your parenting,

your husbandry,

your being a

wife, your

godliness and

being single,

your example of

being a single

godly pure

person, the way

you conduct

yourself in a

dating relationship,

the way you

conduct yourself

and how you

obey your

parents?

Are you able

to set an

example that

someone would

want to

emulate?

Paul says,

1 Timothy 4,

12, he says,

don't let anyone

look down to you

because you're

young.

Send them an

example of

speech, in

life, in

love, in

faith, in

purity.

How's your

speech?

How's your

life?

How's your

love?

How's your

faith?

How's your

purity?

Is it an

example?

Peter said the

same thing when

he said to

the elders,

take care of

the flock that

is under their

care.

What did he

say to do?

He said, be

examples to

them.

Be examples to

them.

Hebrews 6,

10-12, it

says, God is

not on

justice to

overlook your

work and the

love that you

have shown for

his name in

serving the

saints as you

still do.

And we

desire each

one of you to

show the same

earnestness, to

have the full

assurance of hope

until the end,

so that you

may not be

sluggish, but

imitators of

those who, through

faith and

patience, inherit

the promise.

People say, I

want to inherit

the promise.

Are you

willing to

imitate what it

took to inherit

the promise,

though?

We see people who

are inheritors of

promise, and we

say, I want your

inheritance.

Do you want the

work that it took

to get there?

A sluggish person

who's not willing

to imitate the

faith and patience

that it took to

receive that

inheritance is

never going to

receive an

inheritance.

But that's what

people want.

They're like the

prodigal son saying,

give me my

inheritance before

you die.

No, where's the

faith and the

patience that is

imitated that gets

the same inheritance

that you look up to

so much?

Through faith and

patience, inherit

the promises.

We all love to

follow a faith

movement, but

where's the

patience movement?

That one's not

sexy.

Man, you're a

faith preacher,

man.

You got faith.

That's awesome.

I love your

faith, brother.

I want to be

like you.

No one's ever

like, I love the

fact that you do

the same thing for

a long time with

no fruit and you

keep doing it.

We should start a

patience movement.

We could use

one.

And if you're

going to be a

part of a

church plant,

you better

believe.

You think you're

going to get

away with

doing a

church plant

without patience

and getting

inheritance?

Think again.

Think again.

It's faith and

patience.

It's not just

faith.

I know faith is

the more sexier

one.

That's the one

we like to talk

about, but that's

not what it

says.

There were people

who inherited

promises.

And he says,

hey, I'm

telling you these

things so you

don't be sluggish.

There are those

who are, but you

need to be

imitators of

those who through

faith and

patience inherit

the promise.

Who is the

person in your

life that you've

seen has patience

and faith to

inherit promises

that you're

imitating?

Okay?

I want to finish the

end of this message

with three examples

of three men in

my life that I

have sought to

emulate and try

to explain this

with more

practicality so you

can get kind of

vision for this.

Okay?

I had three

different men in

my life that

fathered me and

that I really

sought to emulate.

I tried to do

2 Timothy 3.10.

I follow their

teaching, their

conduct, their aim

in life, way of

life, faith,

patience, love,

steadfastness.

You know, notice

that.

He says he

followed Paul's

patience.

It's that same

word.

Okay?

First man who

poured himself

into me, followed

his teaching.

This man may or

may not be in

this room.

Followed his

teaching.

Followed the way

he did family.

I even got to

live with his

family.

Okay?

Followed his

teaching, followed

his family, followed

the fact that he had

an open home.

I learned so much

about what it

looked like to

have an open

home.

Followed his

generosity.

Followed his

ministry style.

Followed his

self-sacrifice, his

ability to sacrifice

his life, him and

his wife and their

family.

Life wasn't a

meeting-centric

thing.

It was all of

life.

They never turned

it on and off.

It was just an

always kind of

thing.

Really followed

that not letting

people look down

because they're

young and believed

in that teaching.

Really tried to

follow that.

Okay?

And tried to

imitate it as

much as possible.

And there's been

great.

There are still

things to this

day that I've

heard people in

this room encourage

me about or say

they like about.

And it's just

because I imitated

it from someone

many, many years

ago and I'm still

imitating it to

this day.

Right?

It was something

that I saw in

somebody else and

absorbed those

nutrients from

someone.

And does that

mean that every

single thing that

that person did,

I wanted to do

everything the way

they did?

No.

There were some

things they did

differently.

There were some

things, but I

couldn't just say,

well, I just want

this and that and

then I'm not going

to do this and

that.

I have to imitate

everything.

And so now

afterwards, many

years later, there's

some things I do

differently.

There's a lot of

things I do the

same.

Okay?

During that time, I

lived in kind of

church office life.

I don't do the

church office life

anymore.

Okay?

I was glad I

imitated it for that

period of time.

I learned a lot, but

now later on I think,

you know what?

I'm going to do

things differently

that way.

You know?

Gave myself with

that man to a lot of

short-term missions

trips.

I don't do a lot of

short-term missions

trips right now.

My focus is

different.

But I learned a

lot of doing all

that.

I was taught to

preach without

notes.

Okay?

And that was a

challenge to me.

But I learned how

to do that.

And I'm glad I

learned how to do

that.

But preach with

notes now.

So I learned how

to do that.

Maybe that was

uncomfortable at the

time, but that's the

way he did it.

So I was going to

imitate his way of

life.

He preached without

notes.

I'm going to preach

without notes.

Okay?

Now that I'm older,

figured out my way

and how I do things,

I don't emulate that

part.

But I hope you're

hearing.

There's a lot of

the other stuff I've

emulated over the

years.

And that's what

happens.

But my point is,

when you emulate a

man, when you

imitate a man, you

don't just imitate all

the things that you

really like.

You imitate all of

the things, except

for sin.

You don't imitate

anybody's sin.

Okay?

No one's advocating

for that.

But you're imitating

their way of life

because you're

absorbing the

nutrients.

Okay?

I had a second man

who poured himself

into my life.

I followed his

teaching.

He had a gift of

faith.

I recognized that

early on in my

Christian life that

I had a gift of

faith too.

But mine was very

immature.

His was much more

mature.

This guy made me feel

uncomfortable all the

time.

He's constantly, he

was constantly, his

faith was constantly

10 feet further than

mine was.

And so I would spend

time with him.

And I purposely tried

to get as much time

with him as I could.

And I tried to do

what he was doing.

And it was always

uncomfortable because he

had way more faith to

me.

But like, I want to be

faith.

I want to have faith

like you do.

So I'm going to do

this, even though it's

uncomfortable.

So I followed his

faith.

I followed his

patience.

This guy was very, much

more patient than I

was.

He was willing to wait a

long time.

He was a Kansas farmer

and he knew about

patience.

I followed his

hearing of God's

voice.

I learned a lot about

hearing God's voice.

I followed his open

home example as well.

His obedience to God

at all costs.

His ministry style.

His prayer and

fasting.

He was one of the

first guys I ever

met who fasted on a

regular basis.

I was like, okay, I'm

going to start doing

that.

I didn't even know that

was a thing.

But this guy fasted on a

regular basis.

So I said, when you

fast, let me know.

I'm going to fast with

you.

I wanted to imitate him.

I wanted to learn what

it meant to have a

regular fasting life.

I fasted sometimes, but I

didn't have a regular

rhythm.

This guy had a regular

rhythm of fasting, so I

imitated it.

His thinking outside of

the box I followed.

His tent making.

He did other things to

raise funds because he

didn't have enough in

support of what he had.

So I did that with him.

He would work on cars and

fix up cars.

And so he asked me, I'm

like, hey, I want to spend

time with you.

I want to learn through

you, so I'll work with

you.

And they were sanding

cars.

He put Bondo on these old

wreck cars.

And it was one of the

worst things I've ever

done in all work jobs I've

ever done in my entire

life.

I could, I hate it.

It's just sanding and he

said, okay, now do it

again.

Do it with a different

grit.

And I'm like, okay, I'm

done with that.

He's like, okay, do it

again with this grit.

And I'm like, this is