Be a Copycat
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I want you to think about something today as I speak for the next several minutes. Now, that doesn’t mean daydream. And it doesn’t mean I don’t want you to listen.
It means that I want you to really consider your own situation in light of the things I am going to say here.
That should be what we do each week in this service. We should be coming into this place with the hope — no, with the very expectation — that God will use our time of worship and the message He has brought us to reveal something to us about our own spiritual situations.
This is true of me as much as it is of you. God speaks to me through His Word and His Spirit, revealing spiritual truths I need to apply to my own life — and oftentimes I share those revelations with you by way of my Sunday sermons.
But I’m not that different than anybody else here. Sometimes I hear the sermon (or read the Word) simply as a speech, and I miss whatever it is that God wants me to see or hear in it.
So today, I want you all to be very intentional about considering your own spiritual situations as we move through this sermon.
Let’s stop right here and ask for help from the Holy Spirit in doing just that.
PRAYER
Now, here’s what I want you to think about: What is it that you passionately pursue in life? What is the thing that commands the bulk of your time and attention?
For some people, that might be their family. Family commitments for them trump just about everything else in life. Their plans tend to revolve exclusively around family, their energy is directed toward — and generated by — family, and even their worldview is shaped by their understanding of family.
I have known people whose passionate pursuit was keeping a beautifully landscaped yard. These people spend many of their waking hours cutting, pruning, raking, bagging, clipping and manicuring.
I think such people are aliens. My version of the perfect yard includes astroturf and artificial flowers. But that’s just me.
I know a man whose passionate pursuit is the NY Yankees. He has dedicated his entire garage to Yankees memorabilia. He never misses a game, and he has been to multiple fantasy baseball camps, where he gets to wear Yankees uniforms and play on a field he considers to be hallowed ground.
When I was in my 20s and 30s, my passionate pursuit was live music, especially what’s called jam bands. I drove thousands of miles to see the Grateful Dead and Phish and to go to Woodstock-like festivals where dozens of bands would play during the course of three or four days.
I would camp in the rain, sit in traffic for more than 24 hours and spend all of my disposable income (along with some that wasn’t so disposable) in order to “share the groove” with like-minded hippies.
I read all the books, listened to all the CDs, downloaded all the shows and generally did everything I could do to learn more about this music and the people who created it.
I still have friends for whom this is their passionate pursuit, though I left it largely behind when I came to Christ.
So as we prepare to engage with God’s Word here, I want you to prayerfully consider this: What is your passionate pursuit? Is it politics? Is it gardening? Is it travel? Is it relaxation? Is it something else?
None of these things is intrinsically bad. But as we’ll hear from the Apostle Paul today, if we are followers of Jesus Christ, our true passionate pursuit should be to know Him better.
And as we know Jesus better, the result should be that we are becoming more like Him, which means having the same mind as Him and the same desires as Him.
Turn with me to Philippians, Chapter 3. We’re going to pick up in Verse 15, but let me give you a brief sketch of the argument Paul is making to the church in Philippi.
This letter is largely about the joy we can have as those who follow Christ in faith.
Writing from prison, probably in Rome, Paul describes the joy he has in knowing that this first church that was planted in Europe had continued sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He wrote that, even as he was praying for his release, he was rejoicing in the opportunity he had to preach to the praetorian guard about the sacrifice of Jesus on a cross for the sins of mankind, of His resurrection from the dead and of the confidence that those who follow Christ have of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Then, in Chapter 3, after reminding them once again to “rejoice in the Lord,” he describes his passionate pursuit:
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Now, this is the Apostle Paul who is writing this letter. This is the man to whom Jesus had spoken when Paul was on the way to Damascus. This is the man who had been appointed to be a special messenger to the Gentiles.
This was the Paul who would write spiritual truths that to this very day have theological experts shaking their heads in wonder. This is the Paul who had truly suffered for the cause of Christ.
And this very Paul who clearly had such a close walk with the Lord said his goal — his passionate pursuit — was to know the Lord better, to have a closer fellowship with Him.
This was Paul’s goal, and he writes that he was pursuing it like a runner pursuing the reward that comes with victory in a race, “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”
So, having shared with the Philippians his own passionate pursuit, Paul then has a suggestion: Be like me. Do what I am doing.
15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;
That word that’s translated there as “perfect” means “mature.” So the idea here is that if you are a Christian whose faith has some miles on it, you should have the same attitude that Paul has.
You should STILL be seeking to know God better, to love Jesus more, and to submit yourself more completely to the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
The fact is that this is also true of believers who are NOT mature in their faith, and it seems likely that’s who Paul was really addressing in this verse, because truly maturing believers would already have understood this point.
In other words, it’s possible he was being ironic by addressing as “mature” those who considered themselves thus but were actually immature.
Either way, Paul also suggests that if we keep ourselves teachable and responsive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Lord will help us to mature in our faith. And then he tells them to remain steadfast against false doctrines.
16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
What’s written here has the sense almost of a military drill — of a disciplined unit marching in step together and “seek(ing) to implement in their own lives what they already knew to do … knowing Christ and looking forward to the resurrection” (Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 141.).
seek to implement in their own lives what they already knew to do.59 That included knowing Christ and looking forward to the resurrection.
Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 141.
And the military analogy is fitting here because of what Paul is about to say:
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
Think about when we hear of scandals in the military and times when there is a breakdown in military discipline. Who is ultimately held responsible for those scandals?
When a US Navy ship smashes into a freighter, what happens to the captain of the Navy ship? That’s right; he or she loses the job and often the rank of captain, even if he or she was asleep at the time of the crash.
We hold the captains of such ships and the commanders of other military units responsible for many of the actions of those under them because they are expected to have set an example to those in their charge.
Looking at this from the other direction, if you want to do well at something, watch (and follow) those who are doing well at it. If you watch those who are doing poorly, you will probably also do poorly.
There is a story a comedian tells about growing up with his overprotective mother. On his first day of kindergarten, his mother went with him to school and then inside to speak to his teacher.
“If little Sam acts up,” she said, “be sure to punish the boy NEXT to him.”
“Why?” asked the teacher.
“Because Sam learns by example.”
Now that might not be a great application of it, but the principle is sound: Most of us learn best by example.
The same principle applies to following Christ. We should all ultimately, of course, be working to be more like Jesus. But we would do well to find others to study whose faith is more mature than ours. The key is to be discerning about identifying mature faith.
Paul and the other apostles had seen Jesus, and they were seeking to follow Him closely. By calling their churches to be imitators of them, they were also calling them to imitate Christ.
Paul wrote nearly the same thing to the church in Corinth.
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
Peter, speaking to the elders of the churches scattered across Asia Minor wrote the same thing from the opposite perspective, calling the overseers there — the biblical elders — “to be examples to the flock.”
1 Pet 5
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
Indeed, the word “pastor” comes from the Latin word for shepherd. Shepherds are called to take care of their sheep. But what are sheep supposed to do?
That’s right: Sheep are supposed to follow the shepherd, and in the case of churches, that means following the under-shepherds — the pastors and other biblical elders who are ultimately responsible to the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews puts this very bluntly:
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
This is an important concept when it comes to choosing church leadership, whether we’re talking about pastors or biblical elders or deacons or Sunday school teachers or any other level of church leadership.
This is what Paul is talking about in Verse 17, when he writes that the people in Philippi should “observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”
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17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
The most important consideration when choosing leaders in the church should be their walk with the Lord.
Do they have their eyes firmly set on Christ? Do they, like Paul, exhibit the trait of spiritual maturity that recognizes they still have far to go? Are they following the path that Paul and the apostles were following, heading ever more toward Christ?
Are they taking whatever opportunities they can to learn more about their Savior? Do they go after Christian discipleship as if it is their passionate pursuit?
The world chooses leaders based on money or fame or success in business or the community. The church must not choose its leaders this way, because these are not the hallmarks of people who are closely following Jesus Christ.
And when the church chooses its leaders based on worldly ideals, things can turn bad very quickly. That’s what Paul is warning about in the next couple of verses.
18
18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
The concern was that the same thing would happen in Philippi that had already happened at the church in Corinth — that worldly people and other false teachers, enemies of the cross — would infiltrate the leadership of the church.
The concern was that the same thing would happen in Philippi that had already happened at the church in Corinth — that worldly people and other false teachers, enemies of the cross — would infiltrate the leadership of the church.
The concern was that people would wind up leading the church who were proud of the very worldly things that should have been their shame.
Their minds were set on earthly things — on the wisdom of the world, rather than the wisdom of God — and all they could do would be to bring down the work of the true church.
Brothers and sisters, we are called to be discerning. Paul makes that very point earlier in this letter to the Philippians.
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
Note what he says here: Our love grows as our knowledge grows — and here he is talking about the knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ. But our love grows also as our discernment grows.
Note what he says
And as knowledge and discernment create more love, then “you may approve the things that are excellent” (Phil 1:10a).
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
So our knowledge and discernment help us to recognize what is good and excellent and to turn away from those things that are not.
Submitting to our spiritual leaders and passionately pursuing Jesus Christ at the expense even of family and business relationships, at the expense of a well-manicured lawn or an obsession with your favorite sports team, are not actions that make sense from the world’s perspective.
The world is perfectly happy for us to call ourselves Christians as long as we still act as if we’re part of the world.
But we who follow Jesus Christ the King are citizens of a different Kingdom.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
Our risen Savior, as He stood on the mountain with His disciples, gave them their marching orders — to go and make disciples.
But first, He told them that He had been given ALL authority in heaven and on earth.
All things are now subject to Him and His power, and by His power, we who follow Him will be raised into the clouds with Him when He returns, and we will be given glorified bodies like His. We will spend eternity with Him and with His Father and with the Holy Spirit.
But we will also be judged and rewarded based on how passionately we pursued Him in our mortal lives.
No other pursuit can compare to this. No other pastime or person should be allowed to throw you off your course.
These goals — to know Jesus better and to follow Him more closely — should be the ones that define your lives as Christians.
What is your passionate pursuit? Today, I want to encourage you to make it Jesus Christ.
And now, shifting gears only slightly, we turn to a joyful occasion within this church — the ordination of a new deacon.
When we think of leaders in this age of Twitter, the quiet and reserved men and women of the world are not the ones to whom our minds are drawn. Our worldly leaders are more often the ones who make brash statements, the ones with the take-charge attitudes and the big egos.
But the church is called to find leaders with a more Christlike bent. And that is the kind of man I have found Bobby Cain to be — compassionate, reserved, humble, and fully submitted to God through Jesus Christ.
For the longest time, I thought he was a member of this church. He and his family had been faithfully attending since before I came back from Haiti, so I just figured they had joined while I was gone. When I learned a few months ago that they were not, I set out immediately to remedy the situation.
Liberty Spring Christian Church needs people like the Cains who are passionately pursuing Jesus Christ, and I am so glad they agreed to officially become a part of this fellowship.
When I met with Bobby and Kathy over dinner one night, I found a man eager to serve the Lord and looking for a way to do that through the church.
Today, we will ordain Bobby to join the rest of the deacons in service to the church. He has been examined in light of the call to be “of good reputation,” to be full of the Holy Spirit and to be full of wisdom. He has been examined in light of the requirements from , and he has been found to be worthy of this calling.
His duties as a deacon will be to serve the church. At Liberty Spring, we give our deacons some administrative and church leadership duties, as well, but deacons are and always have been servants.
Bobby, will you join me here on the dais?
Will you, church, accept Bobby Cain as a deacon, a servant of the church?
Excellent.
Deacons are great in the Kingdom of God, not because they have achieved much, but because they have served well.
Deacons are great in the Kingdom of God, not because they have achieved much, but because they have served well.
They are the ones whom the church calls when there is a need to be met. They are the ones the church calls when someone is suffering. They rejoice with those who rejoice, and they mourn with those who mourn.
Deacons must be strong in the spiritual disciplines. They must be committed to reading Scripture and to prayer. They must be ready to teach by their words and their deeds. They must be completely committed to fulfilling their responsibilities to the church. And they must be passionate pursuers of Jesus Christ.
But the church also has responsibilities to its deacons, especially in light of the leadership structure at Liberty Spring, where deacons also hold the biblical role of elders.
NASB9517 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
You’ll recognize this verse from today’s sermon.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
As leaders of the church, the deacons and elders will be called to give an account to the Lord regarding their service. They help “keep watch over your souls.” This is a hard responsibility, and you can help them with it.You can submit to their leadership joyfully. That will be profitable for you and for them. You can pray for them, asking God to give them wisdom and discernment in the spiritual and administrative matters of the church.And you can practice your own call to be servants, seeking for ways to help them and your brothers and sisters in the church.If you will commit to doing these things, please signify so by saying, “We will.”I have been privileged to get to know these two men during the past year or so. I know they both love the Lord, and I know they both love His church and will serve it well.Now, I am going to ask each of you a few questions. If you agree to the responsibilities I describe, answer by saying, “I will.”David Chipman, will you commit yourself to servant leadership of Liberty Spring Christian Church in the role of deacon?Will you commit to faithful participation in the worship ministries of the church?Will you commit to faithfully working in the service ministries of the church to its members?Will you commit to fervent prayer for the church and for its other leaders?Will you commit to a pursuit of holiness in your personal, public and spiritual life?Thank you.Michael Harris, will you commit yourself to servant leadership of Liberty Spring Christian Church in the role of deacon?Will you commit to faithful participation in the worship ministries of the church?Will you commit to faithfully working in the service ministries of the church to its members?Will you commit to fervent prayer for the church and for its other leaders?Will you commit to a pursuit of holiness in your personal, public and spiritual life?Thank you.Now, I would like to ask Jane Chipman and Cynthia Harris to join us here, along with any others here today who have been ordained in the past.Laying of handsPrayerThank you. You may all be seated.
As leaders of the church, the deacons and elders will be called to give an account to the Lord regarding their service. They help “keep watch over your souls.” This is a hard responsibility, and you can help them with it.
You can submit to their leadership joyfully. That will be profitable for you and for them. You can pray for them, asking God to give them wisdom and discernment in the spiritual and administrative matters of the church.
And you can practice your own call to be servants, seeking for ways to help them and your brothers and sisters in the church.
If you will commit to doing these things, please signify so by saying, “We will.”
Now, Bobby, I am going to ask you a few questions. If you agree to the responsibilities I describe, please answer by saying, “I will.”
Bobby Cain, will you commit yourself to servant leadership of Liberty Spring Christian Church in the role of deacon?
Will you commit to faithful participation in the worship ministries of the church?
Will you commit to faithfully working in the service ministries of the church to its members?
Will you commit to fervent prayer for the church and for its other leaders?
Will you commit to a pursuit of holiness in your personal, public and spiritual life?
Now, I would like to ask Kathy Cain to join us here, along with any others here today who have been ordained in the past.
Laying of hands
Prayer
Thank you. You may all be seated.
This is my third deacon ordination ceremony as interim pastor of this church. I will tell you now that the thrill is not diminished by repetition.
Seeing people accept the call of Jesus Christ to serve His church is a special thing for a pastor, and I think it will never grow old.
God is good.