WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:02.480 Well, again, let me welcome you. 00:00:03.020 --> 00:00:07.620 As I said at the beginning of the service, as we know, this is Father's Day. 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:14.759 And while the focus that we're going to take tonight isn't explicitly about Father's Day, 00:00:14.820 --> 00:00:19.940 I have been reflecting this week on my dad and on my two boys. 00:00:20.780 --> 00:00:26.359 And for those of us who are parents, we know that one of the most exciting and entertaining 00:00:26.359 --> 00:00:33.399 but also most terrifying realities of having kids is that they have an incredible desire 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:35.480 and capacity to imitate you. 00:00:36.740 --> 00:00:39.359 To imitate things that you want them to imitate. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.379 To imitate things that you hope they don't imitate. 00:00:43.659 --> 00:00:45.560 We had an experience earlier this week. 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:48.000 My wife's out of town, not related to this experience. 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:51.359 Don't tell her that I told you this. 00:00:52.920 --> 00:00:55.780 But we had an experience earlier this week where we're in the living room, 00:00:55.780 --> 00:00:58.240 kids are playing, you know, for the moment, everything's quiet, 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:00.060 no fights are happening, no screaming. 00:01:00.579 --> 00:01:02.260 We have a six-year-old and a three-year-old. 00:01:02.620 --> 00:01:05.200 We hear the three-year-old's voice from the other room just go, 00:01:06.219 --> 00:01:07.299 bow-chicka-bow-bow. 00:01:09.460 --> 00:01:10.859 Just clear as day. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:15.799 And I sort of sit bolt upright and I look at, did I just hear, did he just do that? 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.099 And I turn to ask Laura, where in the world did he hear that? 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:21.700 And I turn and she's not looking at the door, she's looking at me. 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:24.420 And she's giving me the death stare. 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.480 She's going. 00:01:29.320 --> 00:01:34.579 And I thought, and it's possible that I maybe did that one time. 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:36.960 Maybe once. 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:39.060 But that's all it took. 00:01:40.240 --> 00:01:44.500 And steel trap three-year-old just went, bam, and got it. 00:01:44.540 --> 00:01:45.980 And he's now doing it regularly. 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:49.599 And has no idea of the context. 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:52.780 And I still am not 100% sure that I did it. 00:01:53.019 --> 00:01:56.759 But what you see here is this incredible capacity to imitate. 00:01:57.699 --> 00:02:00.439 And then the three-year-old wants to imitate the six-year-old. 00:02:00.780 --> 00:02:05.319 When I'm doing things like shaving, our six-year-old will stand there and he'll pretend in the mirror to shave. 00:02:06.459 --> 00:02:07.439 It's fascinating. 00:02:07.579 --> 00:02:08.079 It's heartbreaking. 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:08.580 It's funny. 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:09.200 It's terrifying. 00:02:10.100 --> 00:02:14.740 The role of imitation is not only something that happens with kids. 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:16.560 We see this in our own lives. 00:02:16.660 --> 00:02:18.480 How did you learn to speak? 00:02:20.640 --> 00:02:25.080 Nobody sat you down as a two-year-old and taught you grammar. 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:30.300 You learn to speak by imitating the people around you, your family. 00:02:31.260 --> 00:02:32.980 Look at the way you dress. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:34.700 Look at our haircuts. 00:02:34.820 --> 00:02:35.720 Look at our shoes. 00:02:35.920 --> 00:02:37.260 Look at the way we present ourselves. 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:38.380 Look at what we wear to work. 00:02:39.820 --> 00:02:43.640 We didn't wake up one day and make all of this up. 00:02:43.880 --> 00:02:44.800 Ex nihilo, right? 00:02:46.860 --> 00:02:52.620 Fashion is 5% innovation, 95% imitation. 00:02:54.420 --> 00:02:54.580 Right? 00:02:54.580 --> 00:02:57.080 Culture is largely imitation. 00:02:57.680 --> 00:03:02.100 Trends are simply kind of imitation gone wild. 00:03:04.880 --> 00:03:07.680 As Christians, we talk a lot about personal growth. 00:03:07.820 --> 00:03:09.420 We talk a lot about personal formation. 00:03:09.620 --> 00:03:11.420 We talk a lot about discipleship. 00:03:12.280 --> 00:03:17.160 But frankly, a lot of that conversation happens in a very individualistic way. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.140 When we think about growing in our faith, we think about reading books. 00:03:20.640 --> 00:03:22.300 We think about sort of going to conferences. 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:25.680 We think about personally learning, listening to sermons. 00:03:26.180 --> 00:03:29.780 We think about personal growth as in me, myself, and I in a vacuum. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:33.780 And it can be highly individualistic. 00:03:33.780 --> 00:03:44.599 I think to a certain extent, that's because in the West, we've largely forgotten the incredibly important role that imitation plays in formation. 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:56.719 And that's partly because our whole educational system in the U.S. is based in the Greek approach to education, which largely overlooks the role of imitation. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:04.240 Now, by contrast, the Greek approach to education is based in the idea of imitation. 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.159 So some contrasts. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:10.039 The Greek approach to education focused on content. 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:14.859 But the Hebrew approach focused on relationship. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:16.360 Right? 00:04:16.420 --> 00:04:19.779 The Greek teachers tried to shape their students' minds. 00:04:20.699 --> 00:04:24.620 Hebrew teachers tried to shape their students' heart and character. 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:26.180 Right? 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.240 So Greek students were to learn what their teachers know. 00:04:29.399 --> 00:04:33.039 Hebrew students were to become what their teachers were. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:38.400 The setting for Greek education was the classroom. 00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:42.560 The setting for Hebrew education was a family. 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:53.660 Paul, the Apostle Paul, being Jewish, understands that as we are all called to be like Christ, 00:04:56.300 --> 00:05:01.680 that part of what that requires is that we have examples to imitate. 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:06.379 And that's what he's talking about in Philippians chapter 2. 00:05:06.520 --> 00:05:08.400 He begins talking about it in verse 19. 00:05:08.520 --> 00:05:10.580 It runs all the way through the end of chapter 3. 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:16.600 It's a big section in the middle of the letter about the place of imitation in the Christian life. 00:05:17.320 --> 00:05:23.920 Now, this makes some Christians nervous, especially those of us who come from a theologically reformed background. 00:05:24.060 --> 00:05:29.759 There's a lot of emphasis on the fact that Jesus gave his life and did for us what we can't do for ourselves. 00:05:29.759 --> 00:05:35.959 That our only hope, that our entire salvation in life is based in grace, not works. 00:05:36.459 --> 00:05:39.860 And so when we start talking about imitation, it's easy to get nervous. 00:05:40.819 --> 00:05:45.819 But it's hard to deny that when we look at a section in the Bible like this section in Philippians, 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:47.360 this is what Paul is saying. 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:51.279 And he's saying no more or no less than this. 00:05:51.599 --> 00:05:57.379 That there are different people who reflect different aspects of Christ in ways that we can imitate. 00:05:57.379 --> 00:05:59.480 Nobody's perfect. 00:05:59.899 --> 00:06:00.579 We're all sinners. 00:06:00.899 --> 00:06:01.639 We're all broken. 00:06:02.019 --> 00:06:03.180 We're all saved by grace. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:11.860 And yet, there are qualities and aspects in people's lives that reveal to us realities that point us to Christ. 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:18.779 And so Paul here is turning our attention and putting forward a couple of people 00:06:18.779 --> 00:06:22.680 and saying these are people that you should seek to imitate. 00:06:23.100 --> 00:06:24.939 Timothy and Epaphroditus. 00:06:24.939 --> 00:06:32.079 So what we're going to do tonight is just to spend a few minutes as we look at what Paul says about Timothy and Epaphroditus, 00:06:33.180 --> 00:06:37.720 we're going to consider what kinds of people should we look to in this way. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:41.220 If you just look around the room, those of you who are part of this community, 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:43.159 if you think about the people who are in your life, 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:49.839 who are the people that we should be looking to and trying to imitate? 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:52.779 What are the qualities that we should look for? 00:06:52.779 --> 00:06:56.059 So we're going to look at a few of these really quickly, 00:06:56.139 --> 00:06:59.199 a few qualities that we see in Timothy and Epaphroditus, 00:06:59.659 --> 00:07:02.779 qualities that we should look for as we're discerning who to imitate. 00:07:03.719 --> 00:07:05.279 So let's pray for the Lord to lead us in this. 00:07:06.039 --> 00:07:14.500 Lord, we pray that you would use these printed words and use your servants here, Lord. 00:07:14.500 --> 00:07:25.100 Lord, somehow you promised that through broken sinners and through your written word, 00:07:25.240 --> 00:07:27.259 that your voice can come through clearly, 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:29.980 that we can actually hear you speaking to us. 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:31.279 And Lord, I need that. 00:07:31.800 --> 00:07:33.800 We all need that to hear the words of our Father. 00:07:34.579 --> 00:07:39.019 So Lord, we pray for that and we pray it on behalf of your Son, Jesus Christ. 00:07:39.420 --> 00:07:39.699 Amen. 00:07:39.699 --> 00:07:45.959 So the first quality that we see as we begin to read this section of Philippians is this, 00:07:46.159 --> 00:07:48.379 is that as we're looking around, as you're trying to figure out, 00:07:48.599 --> 00:07:51.740 who are the people that I should look to, the first quality is this, 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.599 we should imitate people who put Christ first. 00:07:57.560 --> 00:07:59.939 In verse 21, Paul says, 00:08:00.099 --> 00:08:05.180 they all, meaning most other people, seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:08.439 But you know Timothy's proven worth. 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:09.480 So what's he saying? 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:15.500 Most people, Christians included, they tend to really be about their own interests. 00:08:15.899 --> 00:08:20.800 And yet here's Timothy, this unique individual who actually lives in a way, 00:08:21.060 --> 00:08:26.379 he has proven through his life that he is living for Christ first and foremost. 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:27.500 Imitate that. 00:08:28.980 --> 00:08:31.879 See, there are a lot of great people in D.C. 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:35.240 One of the things I love about D.C. is the quality of people that you're around, 00:08:35.240 --> 00:08:41.919 people who genuinely care, people who care about things like justice, ending oppression, equality, 00:08:42.259 --> 00:08:45.720 people who are fighting battles and trying to make the world a better place. 00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:48.639 D.C. draws people like that. 00:08:48.779 --> 00:08:50.500 And it's one of the great things about living here. 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:56.379 But the thing is that we need to recognize along with that is that doing good, 00:08:56.379 --> 00:09:01.000 the kind of good that Christians are called to do in the world, 00:09:01.259 --> 00:09:03.100 that that's also trending right now. 00:09:04.019 --> 00:09:09.039 In other words, we stand to gain a lot of social capital when we do these kinds of good things. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.360 And the reason I bring this up is to make this point. 00:09:12.939 --> 00:09:18.960 It's very possible to do good, but for reasons that are ultimately promoting self-interest. 00:09:18.960 --> 00:09:19.960 Right? 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:22.480 The motives can be varied. 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:27.040 So Paul would say when you're looking for someone to imitate, 00:09:27.460 --> 00:09:31.000 don't just look for people doing good, inspiring things. 00:09:31.800 --> 00:09:33.580 Thankfully in D.C. we have a lot of that. 00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:37.160 But if you're looking for somebody to imitate, don't just look for that. 00:09:37.420 --> 00:09:42.500 He says look for the people who seek the interests of Jesus Christ over their own. 00:09:43.560 --> 00:09:45.300 Which begs the question, how do you know? 00:09:45.299 --> 00:09:51.359 Well, these are the kind of people who will hold fast to their faith, 00:09:51.620 --> 00:09:55.000 even if it costs them social capital. 00:09:55.159 --> 00:09:57.679 People who will do it even if it's unpopular. 00:09:58.799 --> 00:10:06.639 Jesus was the most wildly unpopular person on the planet the day of his execution. 00:10:08.139 --> 00:10:09.319 So it's people like that. 00:10:09.639 --> 00:10:15.179 He says imitate people who understand what it means to have a broken and contrite heart over their sin. 00:10:15.299 --> 00:10:18.359 Which also means they understand what real grace is. 00:10:19.359 --> 00:10:20.759 They understand grace. 00:10:21.319 --> 00:10:22.959 How do you know if somebody understands grace? 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:24.079 Because they're patient. 00:10:24.819 --> 00:10:26.179 Because they're slow to anger. 00:10:26.939 --> 00:10:29.500 Because they're kind and gentle and quick to forgive. 00:10:31.519 --> 00:10:33.659 Because they're willing to engage in conflict. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.179 They're willing to seek reconciliation. 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:35.819 Why? 00:10:35.939 --> 00:10:37.059 Because they've been forgiven. 00:10:37.439 --> 00:10:38.679 They've been reconciled. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:40.219 Imitate people like that. 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:48.899 And thirdly, people who are seeking to put Christ first have the same view of Scripture that Jesus had. 00:10:49.899 --> 00:10:51.240 Which is somewhat rare. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:59.040 I mean, we live in a culture where either disregarding or entirely deconstructing Scripture has the appearance of sophistication. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:03.959 If you want to appear sophisticated, that's the approach you take. 00:11:04.679 --> 00:11:10.819 But Paul would say imitate people who have the courage to engage Scripture thoughtfully. 00:11:11.579 --> 00:11:12.740 Using their minds. 00:11:13.319 --> 00:11:15.360 But ultimately then to put their lives under it. 00:11:16.719 --> 00:11:20.259 That at some point they want to conform their lives to it. 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:22.299 They want to obey Jesus through his word. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:26.959 Paul would say look for those qualities in the people that you seek to imitate. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:35.660 You know, we talked about people who, you know, how our haircuts and our clothes and our shoes and language, all that comes through imitation. 00:11:36.180 --> 00:11:38.460 Think about for a second, think about your worldview. 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:41.500 Where did your worldview come from? 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:45.620 Did you wake up one day and develop it all? 00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:48.040 Just sort of come up with it? 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:49.379 Where did it come from? 00:11:50.280 --> 00:11:56.360 You know, your values, your ethics, your morals, your understanding and assumptions about human purpose and identity. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.879 Where did all that come from? 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:04.080 The New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote an article a couple years back. 00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:05.360 I love this line from the article. 00:12:05.759 --> 00:12:06.100 He says, 00:12:06.180 --> 00:12:09.019 For generations people have been told, think for yourself. 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:11.600 Come up with your own independent worldview. 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:16.019 Unless your name is Nietzsche, that's probably a bad idea. 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:23.060 Very few people have the genius or time to come up with a comprehensive and rigorous worldview. 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:23.940 It's very true. 00:12:23.940 --> 00:12:26.620 So what do we do? 00:12:28.260 --> 00:12:30.000 Well, we take the shortcut. 00:12:30.260 --> 00:12:31.720 I mean, if we're honest, we imitate. 00:12:33.160 --> 00:12:35.240 We look to the social elites. 00:12:35.400 --> 00:12:37.040 We look to the elite journalists. 00:12:37.300 --> 00:12:39.260 We look to places like the New York Times. 00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:42.960 We look to the pundits, the thought leaders. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:51.740 And we assume that if we imitate their worldview, that that will reliably place us on the correct side of issues. 00:12:53.060 --> 00:12:54.019 So we imitate. 00:12:54.540 --> 00:12:57.759 And Paul would say, be very, very, very careful who you imitate. 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:01.080 It's not about being on the left. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:02.600 It's not about being on the right. 00:13:02.700 --> 00:13:04.379 And this happens at both polls. 00:13:06.980 --> 00:13:07.980 Find somebody. 00:13:08.179 --> 00:13:11.439 Find people who have Christ at the very center of their worldview. 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:14.620 People who have built a worldview around that. 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:18.139 People who are seeking Christ's interests first. 00:13:18.139 --> 00:13:22.319 That they have no agenda other than his agenda. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:30.019 You'll never have a better friend than a friend who is seeking to live a life in imitation of Christ. 00:13:30.220 --> 00:13:31.620 You will never have a better friend. 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:34.519 There will never be a better influence on you. 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:37.079 So this is the first thing. 00:13:37.179 --> 00:13:43.779 Imitate people who are living in ways where they're seeking by God's grace to put Christ at the center of their life. 00:13:44.939 --> 00:13:46.860 The second thing flows out of this. 00:13:47.139 --> 00:13:49.960 We should imitate people who put others before themselves. 00:13:50.939 --> 00:13:52.220 Who put others before themselves. 00:13:53.179 --> 00:13:56.139 I know this sounds like, oh yeah, I've been to church. 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:59.360 Of course I need to care about other people more than I do and blah, blah, blah. 00:13:59.539 --> 00:14:02.679 But I really think that we don't understand what this really means. 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:05.419 And I think the whole concept of humility kind of gets a bad rap. 00:14:05.559 --> 00:14:07.120 I think it kind of gets misunderstood. 00:14:08.039 --> 00:14:12.279 A lot of times I think humility, we think of humility as being self-deprecating. 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:14.839 We think of humility as kind of being down on yourself. 00:14:14.979 --> 00:14:18.779 Kind of downplaying your gifts and downplaying your strengths and downplaying all that. 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:19.779 That's not humility. 00:14:22.059 --> 00:14:27.799 You can be a humble person and still be confident in how God has wired you and what your strengths are and what you're good at. 00:14:28.519 --> 00:14:29.759 You can and you should be. 00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:33.159 Humility is not low self-esteem. 00:14:33.319 --> 00:14:35.460 It's low self-preoccupation. 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:40.000 Humility is low self-preoccupation. 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:45.679 You can be confident in those things, but frankly you just don't think about yourself very much. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:50.580 And this is what we see exemplified in Timothy and Epaphroditus. 00:14:50.679 --> 00:14:52.340 In verse 20 it says, Paul says, 00:14:52.419 --> 00:14:56.139 For I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 00:14:56.139 --> 00:14:59.980 In other words, he's not just thinking about you when other people are around. 00:15:00.159 --> 00:15:02.000 He's thinking about you when nobody's watching. 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:05.259 Epaphroditus, same thing. 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:06.819 Verse 26, 00:15:06.919 --> 00:15:08.679 For he's been longing for you all. 00:15:08.759 --> 00:15:09.480 And listen to this. 00:15:10.439 --> 00:15:13.259 He has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 00:15:13.259 --> 00:15:16.360 So Epaphroditus is a Philippian. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:22.240 He's been given money and resources to go from Philippi to Rome where Paul is under house arrest. 00:15:22.539 --> 00:15:24.899 And he's giving Paul kind of what was lacking. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:27.360 In other words, money and supplies that he needed. 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:29.379 The church had sent a big donation. 00:15:30.539 --> 00:15:32.200 And he gets there and then he gets sick. 00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:33.580 And he gets really sick. 00:15:33.580 --> 00:15:36.800 And he almost dies. 00:15:37.780 --> 00:15:39.920 And yet what Paul is saying about Epaphroditus is this. 00:15:40.220 --> 00:15:43.680 In all of that, his primary concern wasn't his illness. 00:15:44.820 --> 00:15:48.820 It was the fact that his friends and family back home heard that he was sick. 00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:53.840 And he was more worried that they would be anxious than he was about his own condition. 00:15:57.160 --> 00:16:02.080 This is just a reflection of what Paul says is ultimately true about Jesus. 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:03.840 He says this earlier in chapter 2. 00:16:04.259 --> 00:16:04.620 He says, 00:16:04.940 --> 00:16:10.280 Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. 00:16:11.020 --> 00:16:14.360 You know literally that phrase, thing to be grasped, you know what that literally means? 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:19.600 He didn't count equality with God a title to be asserted. 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:21.740 Right? 00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:23.460 So we use the word entitlement. 00:16:25.080 --> 00:16:26.000 Asserting your title. 00:16:27.940 --> 00:16:29.200 He says Jesus didn't do that. 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:30.379 There was no hint of entitlement. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:37.220 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.080 So what Paul is saying is this. 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:41.060 Look for the humble servants. 00:16:42.700 --> 00:16:44.720 Look for those people who have no hint of entitlement. 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:47.860 Beware of the proud. 00:16:49.280 --> 00:16:51.740 For those of you who are here, you're not Christians, you may not know this. 00:16:51.800 --> 00:16:54.400 But I'll let you in on something about the kind of Christian world. 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:57.360 The Christian world is full of pseudo-celebrities. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:00.800 Thinkers and writers and speakers. 00:17:02.180 --> 00:17:07.420 And the Christian world is full of conferences that pay the bills of the pseudo-celebrities. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:13.200 And you can spend your entire career getting on a plane and going from one conference to the next. 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:15.339 Speaking and speaking and speaking. 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:19.279 And some of these people crank out books faster than McDonald's can make cheeseburgers. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:25.339 And I'm not knocking those people and I'm not knocking that world. 00:17:25.420 --> 00:17:27.039 And I have a lot of friends who are part of that world. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.960 And some of these conferences I love to go to. 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:35.299 But we need to keep in mind as we're thinking about imitation that that is not what we should be imitating. 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:41.180 That's not the kind of thing that Paul would encourage us to look for. 00:17:41.180 --> 00:17:47.039 Imitate the person who shows up two hours before church to set up by himself. 00:17:49.360 --> 00:17:50.660 That's who you should be imitating. 00:17:51.980 --> 00:17:56.680 Imitate the people who will, more often than not, give up their Saturday to help somebody move. 00:17:58.759 --> 00:17:58.920 Right? 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.360 Imitate the people who miss the service to go downstairs and teach our kids. 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:06.820 Don't necessarily imitate the people up front. 00:18:07.820 --> 00:18:11.080 Imitate the people who stay an hour after we all go home to clean up the trash. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:16.519 Imitate the person who's quietly passing between the pews making sure that we got all our bulletins. 00:18:18.039 --> 00:18:19.820 Those are the kind of people that we should imitate. 00:18:22.140 --> 00:18:23.420 Beware of people who are entitled. 00:18:23.580 --> 00:18:27.259 Beware of people who say things like, well, I would never worship a God who. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:34.640 Or people who tend to define their faith by what they do for God rather than what God has done for them. 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:38.120 Beware of those things Paul would say. 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:41.919 The good news is Advent is full of such people. 00:18:42.779 --> 00:18:46.279 Advent is full of the kind of people who will stay an hour after cleaning up. 00:18:46.399 --> 00:18:50.139 Advent is full of the kind of people who will show up to help you move at a moment's notice. 00:18:50.639 --> 00:18:51.299 And here's the thing. 00:18:51.299 --> 00:18:57.319 Honestly, if more of us imitated those people, we would never have to ask for volunteers because there would be no deficit. 00:18:58.839 --> 00:19:01.619 We tend to always get sign-ups for the up front stuff. 00:19:03.159 --> 00:19:08.619 It's the downstairs, out of the way, behind the scenes stuff that we struggle to get sign-ups for. 00:19:08.619 --> 00:19:12.839 So here's what Paul is saying. 00:19:12.959 --> 00:19:19.399 Imitate people who put Christ first and thereby imitate people who put others before themselves. 00:19:19.619 --> 00:19:20.979 Two qualities that go hand in hand. 00:19:22.579 --> 00:19:24.659 The third aspect of this, three out of four. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:26.699 The third aspect is this. 00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:29.519 We should look for people whose faith has been tested. 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:32.000 Whose faith has been tested. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:36.299 Listen, from time to time we have people come to faith at Advent. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:37.839 It's a wonderful thing. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:39.960 There's nothing more exciting than that. 00:19:40.039 --> 00:19:43.640 To see somebody, they're sort of going along and God breaks into their life. 00:19:44.019 --> 00:19:45.880 And they read and they learn about Jesus. 00:19:46.059 --> 00:19:47.500 And they learn about the gospel of grace. 00:19:47.740 --> 00:19:49.619 And they encounter that love and it becomes real. 00:19:49.859 --> 00:19:51.420 And they come alive. 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:54.259 And they're asking a zillion questions. 00:19:54.460 --> 00:19:57.119 And they're hungry and they want to read everything they can get their hands on. 00:19:57.240 --> 00:19:58.420 And they're signing up for everything. 00:19:58.420 --> 00:20:01.259 And, you know, this is amazing and it's inspiring. 00:20:01.779 --> 00:20:03.080 And we love to see this happen. 00:20:04.600 --> 00:20:06.400 So be inspired by that. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:08.779 But don't imitate those people. 00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:09.060 Why? 00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:14.779 Because we should look for people whose faith has been tempered by the good times and the bad. 00:20:15.300 --> 00:20:18.560 People who have weathered dry spells and dry seasons. 00:20:18.779 --> 00:20:21.960 People who have had times of wondering, where is God in all this? 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.680 Both men fit this description. 00:20:24.860 --> 00:20:26.360 Timothy, if you know anything about Timothy, 00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:28.579 He had started new churches with Paul. 00:20:29.339 --> 00:20:31.019 He had seen people come to Christ. 00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:33.899 He had witnessed lives being transformed. 00:20:34.519 --> 00:20:35.959 But also, you may not know about this. 00:20:36.659 --> 00:20:37.479 This is about Timothy. 00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:39.579 Timothy dealt with chronic illness. 00:20:40.679 --> 00:20:41.539 Chronic stomach pain. 00:20:43.579 --> 00:20:43.740 Right? 00:20:43.959 --> 00:20:46.240 Timothy had been disrespected. 00:20:46.959 --> 00:20:48.079 And falsely accused. 00:20:48.199 --> 00:20:48.839 And subverted. 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:49.500 And opposed. 00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:50.959 Not by people outside the church. 00:20:51.139 --> 00:20:52.459 By people inside the church. 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:54.259 People had tried to undermine him. 00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:57.700 People had tried to discredit him because of his youth. 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:03.539 But in all of this, he'd stayed faithful in his walk with Christ. 00:21:03.879 --> 00:21:05.019 Epaphroditus, same thing. 00:21:05.319 --> 00:21:06.940 Respected member of the Philippian church. 00:21:07.259 --> 00:21:10.220 Possibly there's reason to think he might have been even financially well off. 00:21:11.960 --> 00:21:17.019 And yet he comes close to death trying to bring aid to Paul for the sake of the gospel. 00:21:17.019 --> 00:21:20.859 And yet both men remain faithful and loyal and steadfast through it all. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:28.599 So when you're looking for people around, you know, the kind of people that you want to be in a triad with. 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:31.200 The kind of people that you want to prioritize spending time with. 00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:33.139 The kind of people that you want to learn from. 00:21:33.420 --> 00:21:36.180 Look for people whose faith has cost them something. 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:40.139 Look for people who have been through grief and loss. 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:44.180 Look for the people who struggle with chronic pain. 00:21:44.820 --> 00:21:46.540 Who struggle with chronic illness. 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:50.740 Look for the people who have followed Jesus through conflict. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:52.140 And forgiveness. 00:21:52.860 --> 00:21:53.620 And reconciliation. 00:21:54.780 --> 00:21:57.120 Look for people who have been confronted in their sin. 00:21:57.400 --> 00:21:58.600 And admitted that they were wrong. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:01.380 Look for people who have been through it. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:03.100 Look for people who have wept and suffered. 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:04.860 And still held on to their faith. 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:07.200 People like this have deep wisdom to offer. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.720 And it's not born in them. 00:22:11.120 --> 00:22:15.640 It's the kind of wisdom that comes from hardship that leads you. 00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:19.799 That necessitates that you drive the roots of your life deeper into God's grace. 00:22:20.580 --> 00:22:22.319 Look for people with deep roots. 00:22:24.100 --> 00:22:28.140 That can most often only come through trial. 00:22:29.980 --> 00:22:31.360 People who have been through the fire. 00:22:33.259 --> 00:22:34.440 So this is the third thing. 00:22:34.480 --> 00:22:36.319 We should imitate people whose faith has been tested. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:38.559 Prosperity will test you. 00:22:39.080 --> 00:22:40.160 Adversity will test you. 00:22:41.180 --> 00:22:42.940 Look for people who have been faithful in both. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:45.559 And then the last quality is this. 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:49.000 We should imitate people who prioritize relationships. 00:22:51.360 --> 00:22:53.220 One of the best things about this passage. 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:55.819 Look at how Paul refers to these two men. 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:59.240 What does he call Epaphroditus in verse 25? 00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:01.840 Fellow brother. 00:23:02.400 --> 00:23:03.080 Fellow worker. 00:23:03.620 --> 00:23:04.279 Fellow soldier. 00:23:04.279 --> 00:23:06.160 You know what he's saying there? 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:09.519 We have a deep connection. 00:23:10.660 --> 00:23:15.640 This is a man with whom I'm in a common spiritual family. 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:20.640 We have common work that we do together. 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:23.279 Common priorities that we pursue together. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:26.379 And we have faced common dangers together. 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:27.759 Right? 00:23:27.779 --> 00:23:30.700 In other words, Epaphroditus is the guy I want by my side in all of that. 00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:37.839 And when he's talking about Epaphroditus' near-death experience, he says it would have brought him sorrow upon sorrow. 00:23:38.119 --> 00:23:43.660 He has a deep love and a deep affection for this man born through sharing life experiences together. 00:23:43.660 --> 00:23:47.340 And then Timothy even more so. 00:23:48.340 --> 00:23:50.600 Oh, I love Paul's relationship to Timothy. 00:23:51.240 --> 00:23:52.019 I love it. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:57.820 If you look throughout the New Testament, you can learn a lot about Timothy's life. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:23:58.279 Right? 00:23:58.279 --> 00:24:00.279 He's from Lystra. 00:24:00.680 --> 00:24:02.019 So that means he's a Galatian. 00:24:03.259 --> 00:24:06.899 We know that Timothy's mother and grandmother were Jewish. 00:24:07.539 --> 00:24:12.039 And on Paul's first missionary journey, he went through Lystra, preached the gospel. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.720 Timothy and his mother and grandmother were there. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:16.059 They heard the gospel preached. 00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:17.440 They responded. 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:18.799 They became followers of Jesus. 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:20.700 They became a part of this church plant there. 00:24:20.700 --> 00:24:31.559 We know that Timothy's mom and grandmother raised him knowing the Old Testament scriptures from a very young age. 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:35.180 So we know a lot about Timothy. 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:40.900 But if you search the entire Bible, there's one glaring absence. 00:24:42.860 --> 00:24:43.880 His dad. 00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:49.420 There's only one scant mention of Timothy's dad. 00:24:49.420 --> 00:24:52.320 And it just says his father was a Greek. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:25:00.740 Which in the context means wasn't a believer, wasn't a part of the church, and probably wasn't in his life. 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:07.740 So for all intents and purposes, Timothy was functionally fatherless. 00:25:09.580 --> 00:25:17.640 And you know, you can only speculate about some of this stuff, but Paul makes a reference in one of his letters to Timothy about when they laid hands on Timothy. 00:25:19.420 --> 00:25:20.460 You know, Timothy weeping. 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:31.600 And you know, I remember reading that and just thinking, you know, it's only speculative, but you wonder, could some of that been because his father wasn't there? 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:32.600 I don't know. 00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:35.980 I know that I really wanted my dad there when I was ordained. 00:25:35.980 --> 00:25:44.480 Can you imagine what it must have been like for Timothy when Paul comes back two years later? 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:45.620 Church has been planted. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:46.279 It's going. 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:47.579 Paul comes back to check on it. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:49.440 Paul and Timothy reconnect. 00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:57.380 And as Paul's heading out, he comes to see Timothy and he says, Timothy, I want you to come with me. 00:25:59.140 --> 00:26:01.180 Can you imagine the exhilaration of that? 00:26:01.400 --> 00:26:03.539 It's the beginning of this beautiful relationship. 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:10.420 When Paul goes on to establish churches like the ones at Philippi or Thessalonica or Berea, Timothy's right there with him. 00:26:10.980 --> 00:26:11.140 Right? 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:16.259 Paul spends three hard years teaching the gospel in Ephesus and Timothy is right there with him. 00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:17.320 Right? 00:26:18.600 --> 00:26:25.180 Paul's imprisoned in Rome and Timothy is right there with him, serving him, caring for him, loving one another. 00:26:27.120 --> 00:26:31.040 It's beautiful because if you know anything about Paul, Paul never had a son. 00:26:32.780 --> 00:26:33.820 He wasn't married. 00:26:35.040 --> 00:26:36.340 Timothy never had a father. 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:49.639 And yet in Christ, they become father and son and they have a more beautiful, more loving and more shared life relationship than many biological fathers and their children. 00:26:50.859 --> 00:26:56.099 And it's so powerful to me because I think how many of us have stories that are like Timothy in one way or another? 00:26:57.000 --> 00:27:01.500 You know, either our father passed away or our parents got divorced and we never knew our father. 00:27:03.639 --> 00:27:05.559 Family, things were alienated. 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:07.359 We come from a broken home. 00:27:07.639 --> 00:27:11.259 Or maybe your dad was there and maybe your parents, maybe their marriage was intact. 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:12.960 But maybe he was emotionally distant. 00:27:14.139 --> 00:27:15.919 And so you were functionally fatherless. 00:27:17.659 --> 00:27:25.359 You know, if we had time, there are innumerable statistics about the impact of fatherlessness. 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:37.259 The correlations between imprisonment and behavioral problems and likelihood to commit violent rapes and early teen pregnancies. 00:27:37.439 --> 00:27:42.119 And you just go down the list of the correlations between those and people who come from fatherless homes. 00:27:42.519 --> 00:27:45.379 It's ridiculous when you look at the numbers. 00:27:45.380 --> 00:28:00.900 The fact is, though, all of us, to some extent, even if you have a great relationship with your dad, even if you come from an intact, healthy family, all of us bring into adulthood wounds from our families. 00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:03.259 Even the great families, even the healthy families. 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:09.200 But all of us come into adulthood with certain emotional wounds needing to be reparented. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:14.720 In other words, needing to have emotionally corrective experiences. 00:28:18.080 --> 00:28:22.039 So how amazing is it that the church is a spiritual family? 00:28:24.420 --> 00:28:32.100 You only have one mother and one father, but it's possible in Christ to have many spiritual mothers and many spiritual fathers. 00:28:32.099 --> 00:28:42.019 The church is the only place there is that I know of where you can come with no family and you can leave with a family that spans the globe. 00:28:42.619 --> 00:28:51.099 And I say that because we love to imagine here what would it look like and what would life be like if we really took that seriously here in this church. 00:28:51.099 --> 00:29:01.719 If we really recognize the potential of what it means to have spiritual mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters to really live as a spiritual family. 00:29:02.099 --> 00:29:12.159 I bring all this up because this is only possible to the extent to which we prioritize and invest in relationships. 00:29:12.399 --> 00:29:16.379 One of the biggest challenges to relationship in D.C. is that we are all so busy. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.439 And I've said it a thousand times, I would love to do that, but I just don't have time. 00:29:24.459 --> 00:29:29.539 But Paul would say don't imitate the people who work 80 hours a week trying to make partner by 30. 00:29:29.539 --> 00:29:32.220 Looks great on a resume. 00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:34.000 Don't imitate it. 00:29:35.299 --> 00:29:42.899 He would say this, imitate the people who know how to balance doing good work and being available to their friends and family. 00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:47.319 Imitate people who strike that delicate balance. 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:49.200 Who are able to be there. 00:29:50.859 --> 00:29:52.279 Because here's the reason for that. 00:29:53.319 --> 00:29:54.700 Most of us are young now. 00:29:54.700 --> 00:29:57.799 You're not always going to be young. 00:29:57.880 --> 00:29:59.360 And one day we're all going to be old. 00:30:00.819 --> 00:30:02.220 God willing we'll still be alive. 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:07.299 And when we're sitting around and we're 85 and we're looking back on our life. 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:12.920 I guarantee you not a single person in this room is going to say, man I really wish I had worked more. 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:18.340 But you know the chief regret among people who are aging. 00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:21.799 Is that they didn't spend more time with their friends and their family. 00:30:21.799 --> 00:30:24.659 So Paul would say imitate those people who are doing that. 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:27.220 Who are getting the work done they need to get done. 00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:30.460 And yet they're prioritizing and investing in relationships. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:36.899 We should be looking for opportunities not only to have spiritual mothers and fathers. 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:40.500 But also to become spiritual mothers and fathers. 00:30:42.200 --> 00:30:46.079 So these are the four qualities that we should look for in those we seek to imitate. 00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:48.240 And the reason is this. 00:30:48.299 --> 00:30:49.919 Because all of these things that we see. 00:30:50.039 --> 00:30:52.819 We see these qualities imperfectly in other people. 00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:56.019 We see them perfectly exemplified in Jesus Christ. 00:30:56.379 --> 00:31:01.039 Jesus is the one who put his mission to restore the world through his own death. 00:31:02.039 --> 00:31:03.240 Central to his life. 00:31:04.740 --> 00:31:08.759 Jesus is the one who is continually putting others before himself. 00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:13.079 Because he was willing to give up everything for the sake of humanity. 00:31:13.079 --> 00:31:13.919 Humanity. 00:31:15.500 --> 00:31:17.939 We talk about imitating people whose faith has been tested. 00:31:18.399 --> 00:31:20.000 Nobody was tested more than Jesus. 00:31:20.179 --> 00:31:22.519 Read about his time in the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:31:22.659 --> 00:31:24.240 Begging is there any way father. 00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:28.379 Is there any way that this can happen without me having to go through this death. 00:31:28.379 --> 00:31:30.779 And yet at the end of the day he says. 00:31:31.659 --> 00:31:33.139 Not my will but thy will be done. 00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:34.579 That is a tested faith. 00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:40.559 And then lastly Jesus prioritized his relationship with his heavenly father. 00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:42.980 And with us. 00:31:42.980 --> 00:31:45.779 And we know that simply because he gave up everything else. 00:31:45.899 --> 00:31:47.480 For the sake of his father. 00:31:48.179 --> 00:31:48.940 And us. 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:53.220 So as we imitate these qualities in others. 00:31:53.339 --> 00:31:55.019 What we're really doing is imitating Christ. 00:31:55.440 --> 00:31:56.119 In one another. 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:00.119 So just three final challenges to leave you with. 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:02.079 Sort of three encouragements I want to give you. 00:32:02.159 --> 00:32:02.440 First. 00:32:04.299 --> 00:32:07.759 Look for people who will have this kind of influence on you. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:11.420 Recognize the power of imitation to form you. 00:32:11.859 --> 00:32:15.240 And be intentional about the people that you allow to influence you. 00:32:16.379 --> 00:32:19.140 I'm not saying only be friends with people like this. 00:32:19.319 --> 00:32:21.819 We need all kinds of friends from all different places. 00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:27.220 But when you're deciding who you want to influence you. 00:32:27.299 --> 00:32:28.779 Who you want to become like. 00:32:29.599 --> 00:32:31.480 Be very intentional about that. 00:32:31.480 --> 00:32:33.660 Number two. 00:32:34.299 --> 00:32:39.400 We should seek to become the kind of people other people want to imitate. 00:32:39.620 --> 00:32:41.019 Especially those of us in leadership. 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:45.839 We should seek to set an example for one another. 00:32:46.920 --> 00:32:48.759 This is something we don't often talk about in the church. 00:32:50.079 --> 00:32:52.960 But I think about some of the people who have had the most profound influence on me. 00:32:53.059 --> 00:32:53.740 Some of them knew it. 00:32:53.819 --> 00:32:55.480 Some of them it was kind of formal relationships. 00:32:56.360 --> 00:32:57.980 But many times it was not. 00:32:58.420 --> 00:33:00.779 There are people who have deeply spiritually impacted me. 00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:01.220 And I never. 00:33:01.660 --> 00:33:02.420 They never knew it. 00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:05.000 I sometimes only have realized it later. 00:33:05.480 --> 00:33:08.119 There's one guy that I consider to be a kind of spiritual father. 00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:09.599 He's only a few years older than I am. 00:33:11.079 --> 00:33:12.099 But he's wise. 00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:13.220 His faith has been tested. 00:33:13.680 --> 00:33:15.779 He does put others first to the best of his ability. 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:18.279 He seeks to live for Christ alone. 00:33:18.519 --> 00:33:21.220 And these qualities have rubbed off on me. 00:33:21.359 --> 00:33:23.559 They have influenced and shaped me. 00:33:23.660 --> 00:33:25.279 And I think that's a guy I respect. 00:33:25.420 --> 00:33:26.579 That's a guy I want to be like. 00:33:27.579 --> 00:33:29.939 We need those pace setters in our lives. 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:32.699 And then the third thing is this. 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:35.339 And this is just a challenge to hopefully spark your heart and your imagination. 00:33:35.879 --> 00:33:37.379 I've been praying for a while now. 00:33:38.299 --> 00:33:41.199 That as we grow in our ability to impact the community. 00:33:41.439 --> 00:33:43.399 That our church would gain a heart from mentoring. 00:33:44.480 --> 00:33:45.899 And I just want to lay that out. 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:47.379 Because I know some of you are doing this. 00:33:47.579 --> 00:33:48.699 And some of you aren't doing it. 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:49.859 But you're already thinking about it. 00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:51.699 And some of you are passionate about this issue. 00:33:51.700 --> 00:33:55.059 And then there are some of you who have a lot to offer and a lot to give. 00:33:55.120 --> 00:33:55.759 You just don't know it. 00:33:57.160 --> 00:34:01.840 But do you know the fatherlessness in D.C. is an epidemic. 00:34:02.880 --> 00:34:04.840 And right here, right around us. 00:34:04.920 --> 00:34:07.779 There are programs and ways that we could get involved mentoring. 00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:08.860 Just spending time. 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:09.740 You know it's not. 00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:10.679 You don't have to. 00:34:11.220 --> 00:34:11.900 You know there's no. 00:34:12.019 --> 00:34:13.619 It's literally just life on life. 00:34:14.380 --> 00:34:18.639 Spending some fraction of your time with a person intentionally. 00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:22.159 This is low hanging fruit, friends. 00:34:23.139 --> 00:34:24.319 So if you're doing this. 00:34:24.420 --> 00:34:25.279 If you're interested in doing it. 00:34:25.339 --> 00:34:26.159 If you have a heart for that. 00:34:26.239 --> 00:34:27.420 I would love to know that. 00:34:27.799 --> 00:34:31.099 Because I would love to see this become one of the main ways that we serve in the city. 00:34:31.659 --> 00:34:32.019 Mentoring. 00:34:33.420 --> 00:34:34.579 So as we talk about this. 00:34:34.619 --> 00:34:35.679 As we talk about our fathers. 00:34:35.799 --> 00:34:38.199 As we talk about what it means to be spiritual mothers and fathers. 00:34:38.659 --> 00:34:40.539 Now let's come together and pray to our Heavenly Father. 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:44.679 Lord, we do thank you and praise you. 00:34:44.759 --> 00:34:45.719 That through your Son, Jesus. 00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:48.599 We all have one Heavenly Father. 00:34:48.699 --> 00:34:49.239 And that is you. 00:34:49.339 --> 00:34:51.439 Which means that we're all part of one great family. 00:34:52.000 --> 00:34:56.279 And we pray that our church would become more and more a spiritual family. 00:34:57.719 --> 00:34:59.759 I pray for more spiritual fathers. 00:34:59.939 --> 00:35:00.879 More spiritual mothers. 00:35:01.439 --> 00:35:02.519 More brothers and sisters. 00:35:02.679 --> 00:35:03.539 And sons and daughters. 00:35:03.679 --> 00:35:05.599 I pray that you would knit us together in the gospel. 00:35:06.779 --> 00:35:08.139 And not only for those of us here. 00:35:08.219 --> 00:35:09.539 But for all in this community. 00:35:09.799 --> 00:35:11.119 Who would benefit. 00:35:11.399 --> 00:35:14.459 Who would desire such a family. 00:35:14.460 --> 00:35:16.599 I pray that we could be that for all of those people. 00:35:17.039 --> 00:35:18.380 In your power and grace, Lord. 00:35:18.500 --> 00:35:20.059 We pray this in your Son's holy name. 00:35:20.380 --> 00:35:20.599 Amen.