Welcome to the podcast of the White Church in Adelaide, South
Australia. Thank you, Leon.
For praying. Thanks, Stan.
For those who are new. Yeah, my name is.
Justin, we've actually been here for a year now, which is pretty
phenomenal, which is super cool. It is a testimony to God's grace
and His goodness. Obviously we have our four young
children. One of them was born into.
The church, which is very. Cool and our three that love
this house. They pray continually whenever
we ask. And what are you going to pray
for? And they're like, we're going to
pray for church. We're going to pray for Dave and
Hillary. We're going to pray for the
people they call you guys by name.
When we're praying, even in our community group, they'll be
like, we're going to pray for the.
When we take them to bed, they're like, we're going to
pray for Karen. And we're going to pray for
Michael. We're going to pray for Colin
and for Pete and for Karen and the other Karen.
Yeah. There's too many Karens in our
community group. But they love this.
And so we have the privilege of being.
I guess what I would term a double time elder otherwise
other people I call it bivocation world or whatever.
Effectively we. Have two full time jobs.
I work. For local government in IT.
And we serve full time here as elders as well.
Which is an absolute privilege I was sharing at the pre service.
Prayer meeting just the the. Privilege of being.
Called into God's house, and to serve him, we.
Have been preaching out of Ephesians 310.
You know his. Intent is through the church and
there's nothing. More I consider there's nothing
more worth. My time and my effort than to
give to what he is building and Paul writes in one Timothy 112.
He says I thank him who has given me strength.
Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful,
appointing me to his service and I just that's one of my life
verses kind of going man. I mean, I don't think I consider
myself that faithful, but for some reason he does.
And he called me into his service.
And I, I marvel at that every time we stand up here, every
time we rock up here, every time we we read his word, I'm like,
you've called me into your service.
I probably. Wouldn't choose me.
I know my faults and He knows more of my faults than I know,
and yet He called me into his service and it's by His grace.
Isn't that amazing? Aren't you glad that you're
here? This.
Morning part of his service. Not part of any man's service,
any man's organization or building or structure.
We're part of what he's doing and what a.
Privilege that the. Almighty God of all creation
would look down and say I choose you to be part of what I'm doing
in the earth. I choose you to be a Co labourer
with me. Not just to walk.
With me, but to work with me in what I'm doing in the earth.
What a privilege. Hey, what a privilege.
And we received a message yesterday from the church that
released us to come here and and partner with you guys.
And as I say, it was. One year didn't.
Realize that at the time, but she messaged you said, man, I'm
praying for your community this morning.
I'm praying for what God is doing here for the fruitfulness
of God over this house a year after we've left and she's kind
of I'm still praying that God would bless what he what you
guys have put your hands to. He would bless his community
here. She's this fruitfulness coming
to us that's. Awesome.
Hey, like the Church of God praying across our city.
For what he's doing in different areas, which is awesome.
So. Why don't you open your Bibles
with me to Ephesians 5 verse one?
We're going to put them up on the screen as well.
I'm reading going to be reading out of the English standard
version, but your. Versions might be slightly
different as we go along, but yeah, if we can have that
scripture up, brilliant. Therefore, if you want to know
what the therefore is, therefore go back and read Ephesians. 1:00
to 4:00. We've just finished that in our
community group. But those up in my community
group. This is your next verse for next
Friday. Therefore be imitators of God as
beloved. Children be imitators of God as
beloved children. We'll leave that up there for
now. One of the callings of a
Christian. One of the callings.
Of a believer is that we would be imitators of him.
Jesus said in John 14. 9. If you've seen me.
You've seen the Father and. Paul's writing to us.
Here, he's saying. That should be your.
Heart's cry as well. If you've seen me, you've seen
him. I, I hope that as you look at
me, you kind of go if I've seen, if I've seen Justin or I've seen
his family like. I've seen something of the
Father, I've seen something of what God is like and.
You know, in Acts 1126, it says that the the Christians were,
they were first called Christians in Antioch.
In other words, they were so associated and like Christ.
The best way that we could describe this was you're
Christians, you're like Christ, you're associated with Christ.
We've got no other word for you. Then you're of these people
that. Belong.
To Christ and Paul in Philippians 3/8.
To 11. We won't put this up because
it's a big passage. But Paul speaks of what it means
to gain. Christ, he's going.
I consider everything else rubbish, but I want to gain
Christ and he gives. Us three things and he says.
I want to know Christ. I want to be found in Christ, it
goes. And lastly, I want to become
like Christ, because that's. What it means to gain?
Christ is that I would know him, that I would be found in Him,
but that I would also become like Him.
And so I want to encourage you one of your calls.
As a Christian, we have. Specific calls of God over our
lives for this season, we've got a calling to be elders in this
house, but there's also the broad general calls of God and
one of those broad. General calls over us as every
believer. Is that we would be.
Imitators of him that we would be imitators of God, that our
lives would represent Him elsewhere It calls us
ambassadors in Second Second Corinthians.
It calls us that you are an ambassador of Christ, as though
He were making his appeal through you.
Secondly though, there's there's another calling that we.
See that happens. That's very.
Closely linked to this idea. That we are called to imitate
Christ. And this can be found in One
Corinthians 11/1. And this is Paul writing to the
Corinthian church. It says be imitators of me.
As I imitate Christ. And so we see there's two
callings. There's one that I'm called to
imitate Christ myself, but then I'm also called to imitate those
who example Christ to me. Does that make sense?
Like it's kind of the best kind of.
Role model you can find. Right.
I don't know if you've got role models movie.
Stars or Friends or Family or whoever that you might appeal.
To be like, right, But Paul's saying actually like, there's a
really good kind of role. Model and that is.
Those who example. Christ to you, He's going to go
and find those people. Find those people who example.
Christ to you, and imitate them in.
Hebrews 13 seven it says to tells us to remember your
leaders, those who speak the word of God to.
You. Consider the outcome of their
way of. Life and imitate their faith.
So again, Paul or we, we think it might be Paul, it could be
somebody else who wrote the book of Hebrews, but.
It's kind of going back. Find people who example Christ.
And imitate them. And so there's, there's kind of
these two things that we're to do as believers, as a general
people of God. It's #1 imitate him directly.
Look read the. Word and kind of say.
What do you? Like and I want to be like you.
But he's also saying find. People, I hope.
I hope I'm one of those. People maybe find those people
that example. Christ to you.
And imitate them in the way that they live.
Find aspects of going. To go, I'm going to copy what
you do because I see something of Jesus in that.
And I'm going to become like that and.
What's amazing is I want us to turn, we're going to turn to 1
Thessalonians. If you want to flick there just
in the 1st chapter, but I'll give you some.
Background we're. Going to look at a church, the
Church of the Thessalonians and. They are a church that did this.
They're a church that both imitated God and they imitated
Paul. And when we see something quite.
Remarkable that took place, and for some.
Historical context or some context of where this church
kind of came from? Acts chapter 16.
Paul and Silas are in a place called Philippi.
They receive some persecution, they get thrown in prison.
This is the great chapter where they're praising.
God at midnight and the. Chains fall off and they're
delivered and the jailer gets saved.
His whole family remarkable story, and then they leave
Philippi and they go to a place Thessalonica, like the church
and the Church of the. Thessalonians starts and Paul
comes and he preaches. And if you read the book of 1
Thessalonians, what you'll find out is that these people, when
they heard Paul's word, they received it as the word.
Of God. I hope that's how we respond
when people stand up here and they preach to us and they share
the Word of God, that we don't just hear man's word, but we
actually receive. The word of God.
And that that's what this church did.
They kind of went well. Paul's preaching and Paul writes
in One Thessalonians. I think it's chapter 2:00-ish
where he says you received my words, not just as my words, but
actually directly as the words of God, and you took hold of
that. And you changed your life.
You. You turned away from darkness,
and you turned to serve. The living God and.
It's it's incredible. And he's basically, he's saying
you're a church that gets it. You know those, you know when
you say something and you're like, do you just get it?
And they're like, yeah, I get it, right.
You're trying to explain something, and you're like, you
know, you just got to get it. And Paul's basically saying of
this. Church, you guys got it.
He's going you. Guys, got it.
I came to you later on in One Thessalonians.
It's like I want to write to you about brotherly love, but you're
already doing it. He's going.
I want to write to you about this other thing over here, but
you're already doing it. Because you guys just got it.
The minute I shared something. You're like, yeah, exactly.
We're going to do this. And so this church, we're going
to read kind of Paul's. Accolade of them in one
Thessalonians, one verse six to seven, Yeah.
Brilliant, he goes. You became imitators of us,
remember imitators of Paul and of the Lord.
So our two kind of callings there we imitate God and we
imitate. Those who example Christ.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you receive.
The Word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit
you've received. This by conviction you've let it
change your life verse 7 so that you became an example to all the
believers. In Macedonia and into ACHA.
We'll leave that up there if we can, Pete.
So that you became an. Example.
This morning I want to talk to you about becoming an example
Christian or becoming a model Christian.
Other versions might say, so you became a model.
In other words, this church in the Church of the Thessalonians,
Paul's saying you. Became a model to everyone else
about how to walk this thing out.
So I can imagine Paul's in Macedonia or ACHA and he's there
and he's teaching. And these people are like, Paul,
we hear what you're saying, but can you show us what how to live
this out practically? You know when some sometimes
when somebody speaks, you kind of go, I kind of get it, but
I've got to see it. As well.
All right. And I can imagine Paul, he's
he's in Macedonia or at China, he's kind of going, oh, you want
to know what this looks like, go look at the Church of the.
Thessalonians, go look. At what the church in
Thessalonica are doing. Because they're a model church,
they're an example of what this thing looks like.
And so he's kind of going, you've, you've imitated us,
you've imitated God to the point that you have now become an.
Example for everyone else. I hope that's part of the.
Desire of your heart it's. Certainly the the desire of my
heart, desire of Maya Bianca's and our family is that people
would be able to say the same thing of us that if somebody was
going to go man. What is God like?
The people would be able to say, you know what?
Go. Spend some time with Justin and
Bianca. Why?
Because they're an example Christian.
They're a model Christian. We've got a way to go, but I
hope that's that's the same. Desire of your heart.
That is, you imitate him and as you find good positive role
models at example. Christ, you're saying, man, you
know what? I want to be an example
Christian or a model Christian. That others kind of say.
Hey go see Leon and Pat because they example Christ.
Go spend some time with them. Why?
Because. They're an example of how to
live this thing out in longevity, how to stay true and
faithful to God in multiple countries and multiple nations,
serving multiple churches. Go see what?
Go speak to them. About how to walk this thing out
I. Hope that's part of your.
Desire to be like I want to be a model Christian or an example
Christian to others. And so we're going to be talking
this morning. Around.
What does it mean to? Become a model Christian we're
going to look at. A few different things and we'll
see how far we get with time, but we'd see throughout the
scriptures there's several examples for us.
There are several people in in the scriptures.
As well. That give us examples with the
first. One, obviously our greatest role
model is Jesus. So we're going to turn to John
chapter 13. Remember talking about what it
means to be in a model. Christian John, chapter 13.
And it's quite a big passage. So what I'll do is I'll just
kind of summarize it. John 13 one through to. 20
really. Is this bulk?
Passage if you've got a. Bible like mine, it will tell
you that it's Jesus washing the. Disciples feet you.
Know what? We'll start in verse one.
It says now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew
that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father,
having loved his own, who in the world he loved them to the end,
and during supper, when the devil had already put into the
heart of. Judas Iscariot, Simon's son to
betray him. Jesus.
Knowing that the father had given all things into his.
Hands and here to come from God, I find this.
Amazing knowing he's got everything.
He's got absolutely everything. All reason to be there, like all
power. Jesus, knowing all of this, rose
from supper. He laid aside his outer garments
and taking a towel, tied it around his waist, and then he
poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet
and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
We'll skip down to verse 12. Says when?
He had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and
resumed his place. He said to them, Do you
understand what I've done to you?
You call me teacher of Lord and you're very right.
I am your teacher of Lord. If then your Lord and.
Teacher, have washed your feet. You also ought to wash one
another's feet. Verse 15 is our key verse.
For I have given you. An example that you also should
do, just as I have done to you. Now here's a here's a question
for you I. Guess I've.
Only ever had one person. Wash my feet.
In the physical, somebody who's. Actually wanted to to
demonstrate that if that's. What Jesus was teaching, that's
very poor that only one person's done that.
But I don't know if Jesus was teaching us that we need to
physically wash people's feet. There's more of a cultural thing
here that the people. They wore sandals.
All the time I wear shoes. My feet don't get that.
Dirty. In the time and day of this,
people wore sandals. There it was dusty.
Their feet were so dusty, but the.
Job of washing the feet was. Not the master's job.
The. Job of washing the feet was the
servant's job. And so my first point.
Of how we'd be a model Christian how do we.
Demonstrate what it means to be a model Christian.
We demonstrate it in the way that we serve, in the way that
we serve, Jesus said. I've given you an.
Example Do you know what Jesus example was?
You can't wash feet. Standing up like this.
I wrote down 3 words. Right.
The only way you can wash feet is if you get down low.
If you get down low. A guy called Will Murray, I saw
a quote during the week from him.
He serves in another team around the world and his quote was
this. Aim high, stay low and glorify
Jesus. Aim high, stay low, glorify
Jesus, we are called. In the way that we.
Serve to get down low. In Matthew 2311, Jesus teaches
and he says. They say if any of you want to
be greatest. In the Kingdom you must.
Become the servant of all. You must become the.
Servant of all. What does it mean to be a model?
Christian means to serve the way that we serve.
John, 330. 5 John the Baptist people are are.
Running to Jesus. All of John's disciples are
leaving him and going to Jesus. All the people are going to
Jesus. They're like John, aren't you
concerned by this? And John goes no, no, no, not
concerned at all. He must become greater.
I must become less. That should be the cry of all of
our hearts. He must become greater.
I must become less. How low can you go or you can
keep going low, aim high, stay low.
We are called to serve in the way that we.
Serve Philippians 2-3 to. 11 This is remarkable.
Philippians 2, verse 3. Do nothing from selfish ambition
or conceit, but in humility count others more significant
than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to
his own interests, but. Also to the interests of others,
have this mindset among yourselves, which is yours in
Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form
of God, did not count equalities.
With God as something to be grasped, but He emptied himself,
taking the very form of a servant being born in the
likeness of men and being. Found in the form of a human.
He humbled himself, I mean. Can you just, if we stop here
and we say this is the God of the universe #1 he's made
himself human, but he almost went.
That's not far enough. So far enough that I'm just
human, goes on. He says he humbled himself by
becoming obedient. To the point of death.
You know it wasn't just enough for Jesus to become human.
He was completely submitted to the will of God.
How low can you go get down? Low the example that Jesus
displayed for all of us. Is that we would be found low
and serving. If you want to be great in the
Kingdom, you must serve and the way that we can become a model
Christian, the way that we demonstrate what it.
Means to be a model. Christian is by serving him and
by serving each other. I'll ask you how's your serving?
Because this is the example that Jesus gave us to be a model
Christian is to serve. So our first point serve.
Secondly, 1 Corinthians 10, verse 6.
This is one of those examples, kind of not a.
Very good example, but you can learn from bad examples.
Now these things took place, so 1 Corinthians 10 is talking.
About the Israelites in the desert.
Now these things took. Place as examples for us that we
may not desire evil as they did. My first point is how we serve.
Second thing, how we avoid sin to be a model Christian is
demonstrated by our attitude towards sin.
Yeah, it's quite remarkable. This is it, These things, these
people. They kind of entertained sin.
They they kind of. Let it just kind of.
Stay there. They didn't ruthlessly deal with
sin in. Two Timothy 222 Paul writes Flee
from your youthful. Desires run.
One Corinthians 618 flee. From sexual immorality.
Genesis 3911 to 12, The story of Joseph.
We see him and Potiphar's wife. What happens?
Joseph doesn't stay there and say, well, let's wait for
Potiphar. He runs, he gets out, gets away.
From sin as quickly as he can to become a model Christian is
demonstrated in the way that we avoid sin this can.
Be challenging at times. Because you can kind.
Of go, yeah, yeah. But like, I can resist the
temptation. It's fine.
I can resist. It but the Bible tells us
actually to become a model Christian is to run from sin.
How do you handle sin? Do you kind of stand there?
You say it's. Fine, it's OK, it's OK.
You know, stuff on social media I'm.
Very quick to go. Now that needs to go off.
I can't do that. Why?
Because I got to run from it. I don't trust myself, my, my
flesh. I, I can't trust myself.
And so I run. To be a model Christian is
demonstrated in the way that we avoid sin.
So I would encourage you as people number one, serve #2 run
from sin. To be a model Christian is
demonstrated in service and fleeing from sin and #3 we're
going to look at. We're actually going to look at
1:00. 55 Kind of in one verse in one Timothy 4 verse 12.
Written to a young Apostolic leader.
I think he's an Apostolic. Leader or he's?
Part of the church in Ephesus left by Paul.
Paul's trained him up and said you go back to Ephesus.
Work out of Ephesus. Train people up, release people,
send people. And he writes this at the end of
his first letter to Timothy in One Timothy. 4 verse 12.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an
example. Set an example in speech, in
conduct, in love, in faith and impurity, now, before.
Some of you older people. Switch off and be like well.
That's fine, that's for you young guys.
Then no one despise you for your youth.
The preceding verse Paul says Timothy.
Teach these things to all the people in the church he's going
and into Timothy, he says. Go find faithful men and teach
them. So yes, he's writing to Timothy
as a young. Man, but he's saying.
Actually, you need to demonstrate these and you need
to teach people how to walk. These things out.
So it's not just we get to kind of say and it's often quoted.
You know, to young people, hey, don't let anyone look down on
you because you were young. But it's not just for young
people. This verse is for all of us.
Set an example. In speech.
In conduct, in love, in faith and impurity.
So I want to we'll just tackle these quickly.
First one is how we. Serve.
Second one is how we avoid sin. Third one from this verse, how
we speak. Ephesians 429 We read this in
our community group Let no unwholesome talk.
How much none. Let no unwholesome talk come out
of your mouth, but only. What is useful for building
others up? And I said that when that is
probably one of the most challenging scriptures I ever
read in my Bible. Let no unwholesome talk come out
of your mouth. But only such is as good for
building up as fits the occasion.
No unwholesome talk. We know that James, the book of
James in chapter 3 one to 12 talks around the power of the
tongue, that it can steer an entire ship and proverbs. 1821
tells us the power of life and. Death is in the tongue.
You know how we demonstrate being a model Christian?
Is the way that we speak. No point in me saying hey look
at the way that I live. But then out of my mouth comes
absolute garbage. Let no unwholesome talk come out
of your mouth. Some of these things can be
challenging for us, but I hope the desire's there.
To be like actually I want to be an.
Example that people can point to and say you want to know what
Christ is like, go look at this person and go.
Hear them speak, because. When they speak, they speak.
Jesus, when they speak, it's encouraging, it's uplifting.
You won't hear anything coming out of their mouth.
That's unhelpful. Let no unwholesome talk come out
of your mouth. Next one that we see is.
The way that we live. He says set the believers an
example in speech and in conduct. 1 Corinthians 10/31
says do everything for the glory of God and Ephesians 31.
Philippians 120. Seven says that we are.
Called to walk or. Live in a manner worthy of the
calling of God. We did again.
We talked about this at our community group on Friday night.
Is the way that I live worthy of the debt price that he paid?
Is the way that I live worthy of the price that he paid?
Some areas, maybe, other areas really not so much, But we are
called as people to. Model.
Jesus, by the way that we live. I hope and that's that's.
Every area for me. Leading or being an elder in a.
Church I study the scriptures and I have to.
Because I have to say, what does a model elder look like?
Because I want people to look at that.
And so that's that's Jesus and I find.
Example good elders out there and I kind of go, I want to I
want to imitate you because I'm called to example.
The way that I live. I'd want to say that people can
look at my bank accounts and then kind of go with the way
that you handle money. Man, that's a good example of
Christian conduct, the way that you handle your money.
The way that you lead your wife and your kids.
Man, that's a. That's a model.
That's an example. I'd love we we do have a model
in our life. It's my younger brother.
We were Bianca and I were talking about this, so about.
Who? Who are the people that we look
up to? It's funny when you say you look
up to. Your younger brother.
But we're just talking about them, and we caught up with
them. Yesterday for breakfast and
again we walked away went man. Just the way that he handles his
business, the way that they. Serve in the church.
The way that they raise their kids.
Like. Man, if we could be more like
them, that would be amazing. But it's because they example
Jesus to us and we say, man, we've got to be people.
Who in the way that we live, people could say, you know, you
want to know how to live, what a good Christian looks like.
Go look at the way that those people live.
I hope that's true as well in us as our.
Togetherness like it's where? There's going to be an
individual thing, but it's also in the body.
Like the Paul writes to the Thessalonian church, it says as
a group of believers, as a church, you've become an example
to other people. And we read in the Scriptures
what it means to be a good church.
We have many examples of what it means to be a good church, what
it means not really to be a good church.
Paul's letter to 1 Corinthians kind of has a bit of correction
in it. But hopefully that's our
collective. Desire as well.
There's a kind of going. The people down the road will
say what's a good church to go to go to the way church.
Why? Because they're a model church.
They're an example to everyone else.
Around what it means. To be a church.
What it? What it looks?
Like to be a biblical, Apostolic, prophetic church I.
Hope that's your heart. For this house, for this people,
the way that we live. The next one.
It says in speech and conduct, in love the way that we love.
John 1513 Jesus says greater love has no man than this and to
lay down his life for his friends.
No greater love than that we'd obviously it's demonstrated in
Jesus that he would lay down his life for us.
I want to ask you, how's your love for the people in this?
Room, because that's the example.
We have greater love has no man than this, that he would lay
down his life for his friends. How's your love for the people
sitting next to you right now? Can you?
Honestly say in your. Heart.
I would die for you. I would die for you.
Why? It's probably easier if you're
married to say that. What other?
Person next to you you're not married to?
Would you say you know what? I love you so much.
That I would die for you because that's the example Jesus sent
me. And Can you imagine a church?
That is staying so low and so not of themselves.
That is so just prepared to die. For each other, you kind of go,
you know? What you are way more.
Important than I am, I'm getting out of the way and I would I
would die for you. I'm going to put.
My life on the line for you, for your success, for you to know
him. More that's that's the example
of love that we see in the. Scripture.
It's not just friendship, kind of different love.
If you chat to Leon, he'll give you all the different Greek
words around love. And he'll give you the.
Expounded way better than I. Can, but it's this kind of.
It's this word. Agape love this, love that.
Is just not just. Friendship.
It's not just mateship, high fiving, it's not like I love
pizza. It's I love you so much that I'm
going to put my life on the line.
For you, I hope you can say that of the people next to you.
To be a model Christian is to be a group of people that say I.
Love you so much. That I would put my life on the
line for you. Can you imagine a church like
that? That is not just we're high
fiving in the hallway, but we genuinely love, genuinely love
with the love of Christ the same.
Love that he loved. Us with, we're showing to each
other. We're saying, man, I love you so
much. I love you like he loves you
because that's what we're called to.
We've got a couple more and then we'll close.
The next one he says in speech and.
Conduct in love in faith Hebrews 11/6 without faith is impossible
to please God. There's two elements here that I
think there's both Living faith full.
And living faith filled the way that we.
Model what a good Christian is like is number 1 to live
faithful faithful to what God has called us to do you know
Luke 1610 tells us that if you've been faithful with
little. You can be faithful.
With much, but if you're not faithful, if you're dishonest
with little, you'll be dishonest with.
Much. There's an element to be a
model. Christian is to live faithfully.
I love that there are people in here who have been serving Jesus
way more than I've been alive. And living faithfully to God.
We've got nothing else. We'll just keep doing what he's
saying. We'll just keep obeying his
words. Does do we see the fruit for it?
I love like we see in the Scriptures.
People like Abraham, Hebrews of the faith in Hebrews 11 when it
says Abraham, they he didn't see what God had promised him, but
he lived faithful. He just trusted God every every
day. He just trusted God.
He got up and he's just like, I'm trusting God again.
Yeah, but you haven't seen any results.
Doesn't matter. I'm living faithful, I'm living
faithful. I'm living faithful.
I'm living.
Faithful. Do I feel like it?
No, but I'm living. Faithful, I'm living faithful
I'm living faithful and. We've got examples in this
church. Of people who have done that for
years and decades living faithful living faithful living
faithful that's a model Christian I live faithful I live
faithful I live faithful but also.
The other element of faith. Is that we don't just live
faithful, but we live faith filled because, you know, I can
live faithful to God. I'm like, yeah, just I'm
following his word. Yeah.
I'm doing the same thing. Yeah, I'm following him.
No, I'm going to go. I'm faith filled.
I've got my eyes fixed on eternity.
There's a reward. I'm doing this for eternity.
I'm doing. This for Him.
I'm not just faithfully obeying His word, but I'm filled with
faith that He will fulfil His word.
He will fulfil His promises whether I see them or not.
I'm faithful because He is faithful and He will.
Do what he has said that's a model Christian that we.
Would both live faithfully, but that we would also live.
Faith filled and so to be a model Christian, we serve it's
the way that we serve it's the way that we.
Avoid sin. It's.
The way that we speak, the way that we live, the way that we
love, the way that we outwork faith.
The last one we're going to land on.
It's purity the way that we think.
This is interesting because this is one that people can't.
See. But it's so important because
you can see or you can hear the way that I speak.
You can see the way that I serve.
You can see the way that I live. You can see the way that I love.
But you can't read my mind. And yet Paul writes to Timothy
and says, set an example in purity.
And I just kind of go, this is the way that we think because
Jesus says in Matthew 5/22, he says if you even think in your
heart lustfully towards another woman, you've committed
adultery. Later on in verse 28 is going if
if you're in your heart, you've said I hate my brother.
You don't even have to say it, but if you.
Think it You've committed murder.
Sure, that's challenging. Hey, to be like to be a model
Christian isn't just in what I can do and what you can.
See, but it's actually in the way that I think and I'm
challenged so often by the Holy Spirit just feel like, hey, is
that is that a thought that's actually modelling who I am?
Is that thought actually in line?
It's. It's in one of the.
Letters of the Corinthians that says Take every thought captive
and make it obedient to Christ. Why?
Because what we think is so important for rights in
Philippians 4. Verse 8.
Finally, brothers. Apartment for my final point.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true.
Whatever is honourable, whatever is.
Just. Whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable. If there is any excellence, if
there's any worthy of praise. Think about these things, think
about these things and say people can see what I can.
Do, but Jesus also calls. Me to be a model in the way that
I think someone encourage you this morning the.
Two things that we started. With is we are called to.
Both imitate Christ and find. People who imitate Christ to us
and imitate them. And I would encourage you as as
people. To take these.
Points and say God help me to model you.
Help me to model you in the way that I serve to show me areas
where. I've got to go lower or I've got
to get down and I've got to wash some people's feet.
The people that I don't. Like help me to serve them.
Help me to run from sin if you are If you are.
Battling with sin, I'd encourage you go to God and say, God help
me to run, help me to flee from sin because I want to.
I want to represent you well. And the way that I do that is I
run from sin. God help help the way that I
speak. Let it be.
Let it be always so anointed. Let it always be upbringing.
Let no unwholesome talk. Come out of my mouth.
Lord, let my life line. Up to your word, Let me love
with a love that puts everything on the line.
Let me live faithfully. And let me live filled with
faith. And God changed the way I think,
so that I think more in line with what you think than what I
want to think. Amen.
Thank you, Justin. There's some challenging things
happening there. Hey, like I'm sitting there
going, Oh yeah, speech, you know, are people hearing Jesus
when I speak in my way, I live my life like, you know, finance
is a big thing. God's really, you know, helping
me work on finances. Can my workers around me see
that? Because they go, well, you get
this much and I keep it up. But a tithe, they're like,
what's that? I'm like, well, I give a 10% to
the church, but ultimately to God.
And they're like, well, that's weird.
So there's these things that we do that people are very much
watching our lives. They're watching our conduct,
they're watching our speech. And I was challenged by that
right there going God, there's more like you said, aim high,
get low. There's always more that the
Holy Spirit is trying to work in and through us.
So let's just stand guys, you're doing your work today.
Holy Spirit in our hearts and we acknowledge that Lord in those
areas of our lives, whether it is serving, fleeing from sin or
the five ways we conduct our lives speech, our love.
Our purity and in our faith, Lord, you're, you're speaking to
our hearts right now. We may be people that want to do
it all at once, Holy Spirit, but you are the 1.
Little by little then we see this transformation in our
lives. So that's why we ask, empower us
in those areas, Holy Spirit, give us what we need each day to
live a little more like Jesus, to live as examples of Jesus in
our homes, in our marriages, in our workplaces, in just our
day-to-day conversations. Whatever we're involved in,
Lord, we want to be imitators of you.
And Lord, help us find people around that imitate you, that we
can learn and clean and grow as they've imitated you, as they've
had people before them. Lord, lead us in that Holy
Spirit today and in every other thing that we do.
Lord, may you be glorified. May we it be exampled that we're
doing this for you. Amen.
Thank you for joining us for today's message.
For more information about The Way Church, please visit
ourwebsite@thewaychurch.com dot AU.
Have a blessed day.