I would suggest that today in our congregation there are lots of ways we could divide everyone up.
! The world's very good at dividing people up into groups and camps and all sorts of characteristics.
But today there are essentially three different kinds of people here today.
There will be some who are not yet disciples of Jesus.
There will be those as well who are disciples but who urgently need examples to follow.
There are disciples who need to be formed and who need examples to follow.
And then there are also, although there's probably some overlap between this group,
there are also those who are disciples and who are worthy examples to follow.
And in a sense, that's really the path of the Christian life.
It's a path from coming to faith, so having no faith and belief in Jesus,
but coming to be a disciple and then growing through that path of discipleship,
the road of the journey of faith, you could say, as you go on with your lives.
And you aspire to growth and maturity.
And that is what all of us should be aspiring to.
And I just want to note, just one simple note of caution before we get too far into this passage today.
The verse I want to really draw your attention to is verse 17.
Paul writes,
Brothers, the word that's used in Greek there, it means family members really,
although it is formerly brothers and sisters,
join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
And I suppose really I just want to ask the question, who are you following today?
What are you looking for in the role models in your life?
The thing we need to kind of dispense with just at the beginning is that there are some people who would say,
the only example I need is Jesus.
And we'd almost cut themselves off from looking and observing other Christians and walking in fellowship within the church.
It's really necessary for us to have more than that.
We need living examples.
We need flesh and blood examples that we can go to, that we can talk to, that we can listen to,
that we can observe, that we can see.
And these examples are not the ones on whom we rest and rely for salvation,
but they are examples that we follow for growth
and for how we proceed in running the race that is before us.
It's an acknowledgement, in fact.
If you deny this, in fact, in a sense you deny this.
It's an acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit's work.
The Holy Spirit works in the lives of individuals.
And the work of the Holy Spirit is in bringing people to maturity.
The work of the Holy Spirit is actually glorifying Christ Jesus
in molding us and shaping us in our lives to be more like Jesus ourselves.
And so as you go through your Christian life,
there will be many people around you who are worthy examples
because they are the fruit and work of the Holy Spirit
because they evidence that work in their lives.
And so before you rush off to say,
well, I don't need any examples except Jesus.
I'll stick just to the Bible. Thank you very much.
I urge you to consider what the Bible actually says
in saying that there are examples.
And Paul, interestingly, sets himself up as an example.
Join in imitating me
as well as those who walk according to the example you've seen in us.
So the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in people's lives
means there are people that we can follow as examples.
I would say as well, just as an aside before we get into this,
that perhaps these are characteristics
that we should look for as a congregation in a pastor.
As we think to the vacancy in our congregation just now,
there's maybe some characteristics that have eluded us.
Perhaps we haven't considered.
And there are things that we should really look for
in those who have spiritual responsibility
for the flock of God.
I've got five points today.
And in order to make them a bit easier to follow,
we're going to use an acrostic.
I'm not normally a fan of this.
I don't often do this.
I know I've done it twice recently, but still.
The word that we're going to think about today is grace.
Because that's Paul's theme.
He finishes his letters with an appeal for the grace of God,
and he greets in the peace and the grace of God
to the disciples in verse 2 of chapter 1.
First of all, then, the first characteristic of good examples
is the characteristic of gaining Christ's righteousness.
We should follow those who understand justification.
Now, that's a big word.
It's a theological word.
But it means simply the means by which we gain righteousness
to stand with confidence in the presence of God.
And there are lots of ways that people think about this.
Paul, before he came to faith in Jesus,
had a peculiar way of thinking about justification.
He thought you were made righteous by your actions.
And so he rattles off all of the things that he thought made him righteous.
He was a good Jew.
He had been circumcised when he was eight days old.
He was a good Jew.
He followed the lineage of his people.
So he knew which tribe he belonged to.
He knew where he came from.
He knew his roots.
More than that, he said, concerning the law, I was a Pharisee.
So the Pharisees could boldly say that they had identified
a very discrete number of definite laws from the word of God
that if they followed them, then they could say,
hand on heart, I am following the law of God, and I am righteous.
And Paul could say that his way of gaining righteousness
was by being good enough.
And the world, in fact, is full of such people.
Everyone thinks they can be good enough
by measuring up to some particular standard.
Plenty of people actually think they've been good enough
measuring up to the standard of God's word.
But the best examples to follow
are those who are justified not by works,
but who are justified, as Paul says, by faith.
That is, people who have come and put their trust for salvation,
their trust for righteousness to stand in God's presence,
in the person of Jesus.
They've trusted Jesus, on the one hand, to take away their sin,
for Jesus to deal with their sin at the cross,
to take away their guilt and shame
by him bearing the price and penalty of their sin at the cross.
And equally, they have a sense of righteousness,
not because of what they have done,
but because they cling to the merit of Jesus,
that Jesus is their righteousness.
That Jesus is the one who makes me worthy to stand before my God.
The way I often think about it is in terms of a football strip.
If you play for a football club or a team,
you don't want to look disorganized.
And so you wear the team colors.
And when someone moves from one team to another in a transfer window,
the strip that they wear changes.
And the heritage that they step into and that they rely on changes.
So when you go to play for Rangers or Celtic,
you don't carry on wearing the team colors from your old club.
You wear the new team colors.
And their heritage, their badge, their fame is yours.
And people would say it's an honor to wear these team colors.
And it's the same for us as Christians.
That even as we think about our righteousness,
if we think about what we do to gain acceptance from God,
the greatest honor that we can show to Jesus
is by saying we rely on his colors to take us there.
And so today, I would say if you're not yet a believer,
if you're in that first category,
then simply this, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
and you will be saved.
Trust in him.
Just come to him in prayer.
The words can be faltering,
but the sentiment is what matters.
And say, Lord, I can't do this myself.
I cannot measure up.
I need Jesus to be my righteousness.
I need to trust in him.
If you need examples,
it's important that you look to those
who will set an example of how you rightly stand with God.
If you're a young Christian today,
this is something you need to really reflect on
more and more as you go on.
There's lots of things as young Christians we can get kind of bogged down in
about the practice, about how we do things,
what we do, the things we invest our energies in and so on.
All of that's important.
But the thing that will lead to your growth as a Christian
and the thing that will actually deepen your usefulness
is the foundation of Christ in your life.
And Christ becomes more and more of a foundation in your life
the more you recognize the example in others who've gone before you
who have made Christ the foundation in their lives.
And I look at the people who I look up to,
the people who I admire as Christians,
are the ones who, with great humility,
recognize Jesus as their Savior.
And for those who are at that stage in their walk,
remember always, this is a reminder to us,
because even as old Christians,
sometimes we can lapse in this, we can get it wrong.
Remember where we stand.
Gain Christ's righteousness.
So that's our G, grace.
Secondly, we are running towards the prize.
Follow those who are pressing on to the prize.
That's what Paul says in verse 14.
I press on towards the goal of the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus.
Maturity in life often means slowing down, doesn't it?
You know, we look at older people
and we see them slowing a bit as they get on.
Maturity in the Christian life means running more.
Maturity in the Christian life is almost the inverse.
In fact, that's why the Bible is full of this imagery of rejuvenation,
revitalization.
A healthy Christian and a healthy church
is a church that runs.
A church that runs forward towards Jesus,
towards the finish line, towards the goal, towards the prize.
And maturity like that means movement.
It means being spiritually hungry
for the experience of knowing Christ
and being close to Him and in fellowship with Him.
And so I would today urge those of you who are not yet
saved,
those who haven't yet come to that place of faith.
One of the misconceptions that people often have
is that they think the Christian life is a sort of static thing.
You get the kuram
and then that's you, you're there
and your life's over and that's it.
And
I think actually it's flawed
because being a disciple
means following.
The word actually means a follower.
Someone who
goes in the footsteps
of their master.
And our master, Jesus,
was on a journey.
As Paul says,
He went to the cross.
It was a journey that took Him
to that destination.
And now He is in heaven
and He is seated at the right hand of God and high.
And one day He will return
to judge the living and the dead.
But
for us as followers of Jesus,
we need to be on a similar trajectory,
a journey.
And sometimes that journey,
as we'll see it,
involves suffering.
But it's still a progress.
It's a progression.
It's an advance,
a movement.
And so I would encourage you today,
if you're not yet a believer,
not to be
duped into thinking
that there is no
ongoing progress
and change in the Christian life.
The Christian life
is inherently
a journey.
For those of you
who are young Christians
and those of you
who need examples
to follow,
there is nothing
as inspiring
as someone
who has
gone before you
and has
a great example
of their goals
being achieved.
By that I mean
their spiritual goals.
Like people who've actually
walked through their lives
and who have said,
this area of my life
is a sinful thing
that I need to deal with.
And so I'm going to deal with it.
It might be a character
issue.
It might be an addiction.
It might be a habitual sin.
But who've said,
by the grace of God
and by the Spirit's working in me,
I'm going to address this.
And you as a young Christian,
you look at,
and I remember being like this myself
as a young Christian,
thinking,
that is quite incredible.
That there were examples
in my life
of people
who had the humility
to say,
God took me through.
And they were good examples
to follow.
Instead, though,
the danger is
that we see
as our examples
lethargic people.
Spiritually lethargic Christians.
And you see that
in lots of different ways.
You see it,
for example,
in a formulaic prayer life.
Where prayer
is almost like
a professional wrestler.
I don't know
if you've ever watched,
I don't know,
it's WWE,
I think it's called now,
World Wide Wrestling Entertainment.
And it is entertainment.
It's a show.
I was telling my kids
the other day
about one of the characters
who was in that
when I was younger.
It was The Rock.
And The Rock would,
you know,
he had a great charisma.
And when he arrived on stage,
he'd always introduce himself
in a certain way,
reminding people
about who he was.
And then he would have a fight
with another wrestler.
And the fight would actually,
when you watch it,
it's quite impressive to see.
But it's actually
very well scripted.
And the whole fight
kind of goes
in the same motion.
And then what you slowly realize
as you get a bit
more savvy to it
is you realize
they're actually performing.
And so this night
they're in Los Angeles.
And then maybe
a couple of days later
they're going to be
somewhere down in Texas.
And then maybe somewhere,
a few days later,
they're going to be somewhere
maybe in the Midwest.
And they're going to move
around the country
in different places.
And every night
the show
is pretty much the same.
And so you've got
this really impressive
looking kind of fight
happening on stage
in the wrestling ring.
But you realize
the whole thing
is an act
and really scripted.
And the truth actually
is that sometimes
our prayer life
can be like that.
It can look
really impressive.
It can look like
it's full of
biblical language
and it can look like
it's full of
very audible
goals and aims
and phrases
and things in prayer.
But actually
it's become
formulaic,
routine.
Because the next time
you hear that person
praying
it's exactly the same prayer.
And there's no
vitality to it.
There's no change to it.
There's no life to it.
And the walk with God
is a walk that is
constantly changing.
Our walk with God
is evolving
because the things
that are going on
in our lives
are changing
and evolving
and the things
we have to pray for
are changing
and evolving
all the time.
And because
the sin that we
recognize in our own
lives is something
that's changing.
So this is another one
where lethargy
can set in.
We get lax
in putting to death
the sin that is
within us.
And we slow down
with it.
Or we get sloppy
in our witness.
Don't we know
that there's plenty
examples of that?
And so set
as examples
those who are
running
towards the prize.
Those who are
pursuing it
with all their might.
Secondly
thirdly sorry
grace
A.
We would
accept
suffering
with Christ.
This is a strange
one because
Paul says
something very
profound in this
chapter.
He talks about
the suffering
of Jesus
and he says
he wants to
share in that.
He says in
verse 10
that I may
know Jesus
and share in
his sufferings
and becoming
like him
in his death.
And this
is a very
strange one.
I've often
wondered in fact
does Paul
write these
things because
he himself
was perhaps
an eyewitness
to the death
of Jesus.
He was an
eyewitness to
the death
of Stephen
just a short
few months
later.
And I've
often wondered
was he an
eyewitness to
the death
of Jesus.
But there's
something about
the death
of Jesus
that sticks
with Paul
and that's
important to
him.
Not simply
for the means
of his
salvation.
Paul's very
clear on this.
we get
saved by
the death
of Jesus
because he
takes our
sin upon
himself and
our punishment
and he dies
for us.
But when Paul
says I want
to become like
Jesus in his
death he's
not talking
about bearing
other people's
sin.
We can't do
that.
We're not
making up
somehow a
little bit
extra to
take people
over the
line where
Jesus maybe
doesn't manage
to take
them themselves.
But instead
he's talking
about the
manner of the
death of
Jesus.
the humility
with which
he went
to that
death.
The humility
in obeying
the father's
call.
He'll have
been told
by the
other disciples
about the
garden of
Gethsemane.
About the
prayer of
Jesus the
night before
he was
betrayed when
he prayed
and said
father if it's
possible that
this cup would
pass from
me but not
my will but
yours be
done.
That
reconciliation
with the
father's
purposes in
his life
that took
him to the
cross.
God
is a
strange thing
for us to
acknowledge
but that
God uses
suffering in
the lives of
Christians to
shape and
mold and
transform their
character.
It's these
times where
you're lying in
hospital that
God often
uses to
chip away so
often the
flaws in our
own heart where
we don't trust
him.
The bits in
our hearts that
say I want to
hold on to
my own
autonomy.
I want to
hold on to
my own
rights.
I want to
hold on to
my own
self.
God's
saying no
what you
need to
learn is
to trust
me.
You trust
him in
the midst
of suffering.
You trust
him with
Jesus going
through the
suffering.
Not you
trust him so
that he takes
the suffering
away but
you trust
him so that
the suffering
is used
for God's
purposes in
the unfolding
of your
life and
drawing you
closer to
himself.
Now that
suffering can
take many
forms.
I mentioned
Lyman in
hospital.
That's often
physical.
But it can
take many
forms.
It can be
psychological.
There can
be an
emotional,
mental
suffering and
struggle in
our lives.
God's
teaching us
through that.
It can be
relational.
There can be
tense,
difficult
seasons in
your life
where you're
at pain
because
something in
your marriage
is just not
working or
because something
in your
relationship with
your boss or
your colleagues
isn't working
or because
something in
your relationship
with your
children isn't
working.
There's a
pain associated
with that.
We come to
God in all of
these situations.
We rely on
him.
We trust in
him.
We set an
example,
therefore,
to others of
how you walk
with Christ,
sharing in
Christ's
sufferings as
you go through
these experiences.
And I would
say that today
to those of
you who are
not yet
believers.
The Christian
life is not
one where
suffering is
going to be
removed from
you.
The Christian
life is not
one where
God says,
well,
that's it,
there's no
pain for
you now,
nothing
difficult in
your path,
you'll just
be carried
to heaven
on angels'
wings.
And that's
not the
reality.
But the
reality is that
in that
suffering,
Christ is
with you.
The Holy
Spirit empowers
you.
And the
Father's love
towards you
remains clear
and steadfast.
And so we
need examples
in our lives,
not of the
comfortable
Christian,
because that's
likely someone
who's not
garnering much
attention from
the evil one
anyway,
but of
Christians who
have gone
through suffering
and who have
the humility
not to become
bitter and
cynical by
these experiences,
but who have
been made
more
Christ-like.
And so
follow the
example of
those who
have accepted
suffering
with Christ.
So gain
Christ's
righteousness,
run towards
the prize,
accept
suffering.
Fourthly,
follow
citizens of
heaven.
Paul again
is very clear
on this.
In this
passage,
he explains
that our
citizenship
is in
heaven,
not in
this world,
and from
it we
await a
Savior,
Christ Jesus
the Lord.
Philippians 3
verse 20.
What he
means there
is that
we are
people who
live not
for this
world.
The
Christian is
someone who
does not
live for
this world.
The Christian
is someone
who lives
for Christ,
lives for
Jesus.
And Jesus
is in
heaven.
Jesus is
enthroned in
glory today.
And so
we need
Christians
who will
pursue
that
future.
That future
expression of
citizenship.
Christians
who will
cross the
channel.
It's a
strange way
of putting it.
It's topical
though.
There's people
who want to
come to this
country because
they think
this country
is a place
where they
will be
safe,
where they
will be
respected,
where they'll
find hope.
They want to
be citizens
of this
country.
And that's
what we need
in Christians.
You know,
Christians who
want to
experience
the citizenship
of heaven.
Who want to
experience
the assurance
and the
blessing of
God on
their lives
and who
will
overflow
therefore
in showing
the
citizenship
of heaven
in how
they live
right now.
I think
sometimes what
that means
is,
especially if
you want
to be an
example to
younger
Christians,
simply this.
Do not
set the
example of
saying the
old days
were better.
They
probably
weren't.
The reason
I say that
is because the
world has
always had
its own
appeal.
The world
had its own
appeal when
you were
young.
It has its
appeal today.
It will
have its
appeal tomorrow.
And the
Christian of
any age will
struggle against
these things and
will need to
battle through to
understand their
citizenship in
that context.
And the
struggles today for
young Christians are
different to the
struggles you had as
a young Christian
50 years ago.
But it wasn't
easier 50 years
ago.
It's probably
just the same.
people who
are
not who
yearn for
better days of
the past,
but for
people who
are today
trained as
citizens of
heaven and
who recognize
what their
role in the
world is,
what they're
doing in
this place
as ambassadors
of Jesus,
citizens from
that other
place.
families.
Finally, if
you want
examples to
look for,
and examples
that you will
follow after,
look for those
who will
encourage you
and love
you.
That's what
Paul says at
the end of
this section.
Therefore,
my brothers,
whom I love
and long for,
my joy and
crown, stand
firm in the
Lord.
Find examples
of people who
are going to
build you up.
There are
plenty of
people in
the world
who will
tear you
down.
There are
plenty of
people in
the world
who will
be nothing
but critical.
There are
plenty of
people in
the world
who will
express that
criticism in
all sorts of
different ways,
and sometimes
it's entirely
justified.
But there's
not enough
people who
will love
you.
If you're
an older
Christian,
love and
long for
young Christians
to do better
than you.
If you're
an old
Christian,
remember the
world that
the young
Christian of
today is
going into
is a world
that's very
different to
the world
you grew
up in.
It's a
world where
now we've
decriminalized
abortion to
birth.
It's a
world where
now we've
approved or
are about to
approve a
law allowing
assisted suicide
in our health
service.
It's a world
where the
biblical norms
that shaped
your life
50 years
ago
are gone.
And the
great privilege
that belongs
to older
Christians
today is
to love
young
Christians,
to love
them and
to encourage
them in the
day they're
in,
to encourage
them in the
battles of
this moment,
to encourage
them in
learning how
to witness
in this
moment,
to encourage
them in
new things.
Perhaps it's
using social
media,
perhaps it's
using different
sets of
gifts,
but whatever
it is,
it's using
all to the
glory of
God.
And so
find people
who will
love you
and encourage
you in
using these
things.
Quite simply
today, I
would leave
you with this
question.
are you
looking for
the best
example in
how you
live as a
Christian?
Are you
looking for
people who
will show
you how
justification
works?
Are you
looking for
people who
will show
you how to
gain God's
favor and
righteousness
to stand
before?
are you
looking for
people who
will also
run towards
the prize,
racing towards
the upward
call of God
in Christ
Jesus?
People who
along the way
accept that
suffering is
going to be a
feature of
that life,
but who do
so as
citizens of
heaven and
long to
encourage those
with them.
let's pray
to God
just now.
Heavenly
Father, as
we look
upon our
church, as
we look on
our congregation,
I pray, Lord,
that you would
fill our
church with
people who
express these
characteristics.
We need
mature
Christians who
are going to
be worthy
examples to
the young,
who are going
to set an
example in
how to
thrive and
flourish as
Christians in
all of these
different ways.
And so, Lord, I
pray that you
would continue to
raise up men
and women who
are worthy
examples to
us.
And those of
us who are
younger, may
you fill us
with a desire
to know that
walk better,
fill us with a
desire to follow
in that example
and in these
footsteps.
And we ask and
pray these things
in Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to
sing in
conclusion,
sing psalms,
psalm 73a,
page 95.
We're going to
sing the last
three stanzas of
the psalm.
The tune is
eventide,
verse 23 onwards,
yet I remain
with you
continually.
By my right
hand you hold
me as my
guide.
You'll lead me
with your
counsel to the
end and take
me into glory
to abide.
That is the
prize, the
goal of the
Christian life
and that we
are moving
towards.
Let's stand
to sing,
Yet I Remain
With You
Continually.
Yet I
remain
with
you
continually
by
my
right
hand
you hold
me as my
guide.
You'll lead
me with
your
counsel to
the
end and
take me
into glory
to
the
you
in
heaven
will
have
I
but
you
alone
on earth
there's no
walk
else
whom I
adore.
love.
Although
my heart
may feel
and pleasure
growing,
God is
my strength
and portion
evermore.
those who
are far
from you
will be
gathered
of
those who
are
unfaithful
you
need
brought
more.
But
I'll
draw
near
and
shelter
in
my
goal.
Near
Thee,
O Lord,
I
will
be
and
praise
for
him.
Now the
grace of
the Lord
Jesus
Christ,
the love
of God
the Father
and the
fellowship
of God
the Holy
Spirit
be with
each one
of us
now and
always.
Amen.
Thankyou,