May 7, 2024 • 32 mins
Have you ever considered the ripple effect of your actions within your community? This podcast is an audio recording of my latest sermon at the Columbiana Church of Christ. I sincerely hope that your spirit is uplifted by the teachings found in this sermon! Let us be examples for good, not for evil!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone.
What you are about to hear is aSunday morning sermon that I
just recently preached at theColumbiana Church in Columbiana,
ohio, where I am currently aminister.
The reason for this is I wantedto see if my new wireless
microphones that I purchased hadsome good utility, and I
(00:24):
thought there's no better way totest that out than to put it on
my lapel while I preach, and soI will be adding a few of my
sermons on Sunday morning to thepodcast here and there, and so
I hope you enjoy them, give mesome feedback on what you think
about them, about the soundquality and such, and I hope
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this lesson is a blessing to you.
Good morning, everybody.
It's good to see everyone outwith us this morning.
We have some visitors, and forthat we are thankful.
We want you to know that youare our honored guest, and we
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would invite you to be back atany point that you have the
opportunity.
We also invite you to ask anyquestions that you feel that you
need to ask.
If you need anything to come upto me or one of our elders or
one of our deacons, we will doall that we can to assist you
and to be there for you.
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We're going to be looking at theidea of an example this morning
.
Of course, examples can be atwo-edged sword you could be a
good example or you could be abad example.
There are some examples forgood and there are also some
examples for evil.
A quick illustration of this isobviously Jesus.
If we had to classify him as anexample, he would be an example
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for good, whereas Judas wouldbe an example for evil.
And when I say that you shouldfollow examples and when you
tell others that you shouldfollow examples, clearly you
mean that you should follow goodexamples.
You should follow people likeJesus and not people like Judas.
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However, sometimes it's notalways easy to observe an
example and then to follow it,but in my opinion, it's easier
than simply reading somethingoutright.
I think a good example is kindof like a tutorial.
I can't tell you how many timesI have tried to build something
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, or I bought something and I'vetried to put it together and I
get frustrated because I don'twant to read the directions.
And then sometimes I do readthe directions and I still don't
understand it, and so what I dois is I get on YouTube and I
look up a tutorial, and thatalmost always works, because I
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look at these pamphlets and theygot 20 different languages on
them and they got pictures here,left and right and things that
are called this, and that it'smuch easier for me to type on
YouTube how to build such andsuch and I see somebody doing it
with their own hands and Idon't have to read anything.
I just simply follow alongBecause that person becomes my
guide and that's really kind ofhow a good example is for us.
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It's like a tutorial.
I think we can all appreciatethe importance of a good example
.
When you want to learn how toplay something like a guitar,
it's much easier if you findyourself a guitar teacher, one
who can show you how to playthings as they're being played,
as opposed to simply picking upa book and reading how to play.
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It would be much easier towatch someone else as an example
for you as to how you shouldplay and how you should not play
.
You can tell someone what to do.
You can tell someone what to do, but showing them is much more
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effective.
How many times do you tellsomeone to do something after
showing them?
Often it is something that getsdone with more efficiency In
our text this morning.
In Philippians 3, verses 17-19,.
We see that Paul speaks thereabout following the example that
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he has laid out for thePhilippians, but in other places
in the Scripture he also talksabout being a good example.
One of these places is in 1Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse
16.
Here Paul says therefore, Iurge you.
Therefore, I urge you.
This is an urgent message.
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This isn't a request, thisisn't a recommendation.
Paul says I urge you, beimitators of me.
1 Corinthians, chapter 4, verse16.
And then again in the very samebook, in chapter 11, in verse 1
, he says Be imitators of me,just as I also am of Christ.
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And also in 2 Thessalonians 3,verses 7-9,.
This is what he has to say Foryou.
Yourselves know how you oughtto listen to this.
Follow our example, because wedid not act in an undisciplined
way among you, nor did we eatanyone's bread without paying
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for it, but with labor andhardship we kept working night
and day so that we would not bea burden to any of you, not
because we do not have the rightto this, but in order to offer
ourselves as a role model foryou, so that you would follow
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our example.
I think it's safe to say fromjust the reading of these
passages that Paul believed itwas important to be a good
example.
Paul believed that it wasimportant to be a good example,
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and so in this lesson I'd likeus to dive into Philippians 3,
and I'd like for us to see theproper reaction to a good
example in the church and anexample of evil in the church.
So let's go to Philippians,chapter 3, and we are going to
first observe an example forgood.
Philippians, chapter 3, verse17.
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Here we see an example for good.
Paul here says brothers andsisters, join in following my
example and observe those whowalk according to the pattern
you have in us.
We should not merely observe agood example, but rather we
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should follow it, and we shoulddo so together.
Now, depending on yourtranslation, some of your
translations might say the wordtogether in the text.
Mine simply says join.
But we have to understand theimplication of this.
You can't join yourself.
When it says to join, it meansthat necessarily at least two
people and probably more.
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Paul here is speaking of thewhole church.
What does he say?
He says join, join in followingmy example.
So what this means is is thatthe church here is commanded to
come together and work togetherto help each other.
Follow the example of theApostle Paul.
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This is not something that Godexpects us to do our own.
Paul didn't expect them to doit on their own, and there are
little things in life that wecan do on our own, but when we
come together as a people of God, we can do much, much more.
So he says join together, joinin, following my example.
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And we need to understand thatwe should not merely observe a
good example, but that we shouldfollow it.
So simply observing a goodexample without following is
akin to hearing the word but notbeing a doer of the word.
James, chapter 1, verse 22.
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There, james tells us to proveyourselves as a doer of the word
and not just a hearer only whodeceives himself.
We should not simply be ahearer of the word, of course,
we should be a doer.
What does that mean, hunter?
Well, it's good that I was heretoday because I heard the word
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of God Amen.
Would you say amen to that?
Okay, however, we can't stopthere.
It's good that I was here todayto hear the Word of God?
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Yes, but what is utmost ofimportance is are we doing the
Word of God.
We can hear and we should hear,but we must also do.
You see, sometimes the devil,he will trick us into believing
that all we need to do is hear.
Well, I've come to church andI've heard the good word, so I'm
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done for the week.
We got to be careful becausethe Bible tells us not to hear
only, but to do, and we must do.
And simply observing a goodexample and not following that
example is akin to what Jamessaid in James, chapter 1, verse
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22?
.
How many times will we look andobserve a good example rather
not follow that good example?
Someone might say.
They could say any number ofnames.
They could say I see whatyou're doing, I appreciate what
you're doing, I support whatyou're doing and I tip my hat to
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what you're doing.
I support what you're doing andI tip my hat to what you're
doing.
And basically, what they'retelling you is that I see it,
I'm observing it, I support it,but they won't follow it, they
won't do it themselves.
So they say I see what you'redoing and you keep on doing that
and you keep on pushing right,but they won't do it themselves,
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they won't follow it.
You see, that's not what Paultaught us in Philippians.
Paul said yes, we have toobserve.
However, let's also follow.
Brothers and sisters, we comeevery morning not every morning,
rather every Sunday morning tothis building, and every Sunday
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morning I open these scripturesto you and I teach you of the
example of Jesus the Christ.
And every morning you open yourscriptures and you observe the
example of Jesus Christ.
And on Sundays we come togetherand together we observe this
example.
We observe it.
But we must do more thanobserve this and we must do more
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than read this, and we must domore than hear this.
We must also join it, we mustalso follow it.
And it means very little if youcome to the services and hear
the word of Christ and see theexample of Christ your whole
life, but you never follow it.
It means very little if youcome to the services and hear
the word of christ and see theexample of christ your whole
life, but you never follow it.
It means very little.
And so, friends, paul says donot merely hear, do not merely
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listen, rather follow my example.
And so it would be apt at thisjuncture I to consider what is a
good example in the church.
Obviously, we are to follow theexample of Jesus Christ.
We are to follow the example ofthe apostles.
However, he also says look atverse 17 again.
Therefore, all who are matureI'm sorry, I was in verse 15.
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Verse 17.
I'm sorry, it was in verse 15.
Verse 17, brothers and sisters,join in following my example
and observe those who walkaccording to the pattern you
have in us.
So follow my example.
Remember other places.
He will say imitate me as Iimitate Christ.
Paul's not trying to gain anydisciples for himself here.
He's merely saying use me as anexample of how you are to walk,
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because I use the example ofChrist, example of how you are
to walk, because I use theexample of Christ.
Okay, so we are to followChrist and the apostles?
Yes.
However, paul also says lookaround you and observe those who
are also walking in that samepattern that you have seen me
and the other apostles walk in.
Mark them.
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Some of your translations willsay take note of them or observe
, like my translation saysobserve them, mark them, take
note of them and join along withthem.
And so what are some examples,good examples of a good example
in the church today?
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I could probably spend the restof my lesson on just this
aspect, but I'm only going tomention a few things.
Number one a good example of aChristian today who I think we
should follow an example that weshould follow is one who
attends services faithfully.
Now, everybody is going to missfrom time to time, and
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sometimes you have work andsometimes you're sick, and other
times you might be injured oryou're traveling or whatever it
may be.
However, I think that all of uswould understand that it's
commonsensical to point tosomeone who faithfully attends
worship and say they are a goodexample.
And I know that's the casebecause I've been to many and
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many and many a funeral wherethat is an aspect of a person's
life that's brought up.
Haven't you Boy, sisterso-and-so, or brother so-and-so?
They hardly ever missed aservice.
Now, we need to understand thatthat is not going to get us to
heaven.
However, that is a good examplefor our brothers and sisters in
Christ.
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And so if we want to be a goodexample and if we want to
observe a good example in thechurch, look around you to those
people who rarely miss.
They're always here becausethey want to be here and they
want to serve Christ.
That's a good example.
Number two one who brings theirBible and follows along through
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worship.
Now you say, hunter, this isn'tfair.
You know I can't read very well, or I use my phone, something
like that.
Okay, obviously, witheverything I say up here there's
caveats.
Okay, there are other pathsthat you could take.
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Obviously, with almosteverything that I say up here,
let's not look at the extremescenarios and look at the
general scenario.
Generally, do you think it's agood idea to bring a personal
copy of the word of God toworship?
Yes, now are there outliers andinstances where you say, well,
listen, I, you know, maybe, youknow, maybe I'm getting eye
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surgery.
I can't read right, I'm not.
You know, I'm not that good atreading from pages and I need to
use a phone or whatever.
That's fine, but generallyspeaking, I gather much
encouragement when I hear peoplein the pews doing this,
flipping through pages.
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I gather a lot of encouragementfrom that as a preacher, because
I know that to the very best ofyour ability, because I know
sometimes I can shotgun versesout from behind this pulpit and
I'm fast sometimes, but to thebest of your ability, you're
following along.
You know how encouraging wouldit be to a high school teacher
if she says turn to 195, page195, and the whole class is just
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standing there staring at theteacher and they don't get their
books out.
The teacher might say well, areyou guys even going to learn
anything?
Are you following along at all?
How could you learn if you'renot following along?
Get out your textbook.
And here's what I'm saying.
This is our textbook andcertainly generally it is better
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to have it than to not have it.
And not every verse needs to belooked up certainly not.
But it is a good idea and it isa good example to follow along
and this isn't something aboutme.
It's good to follow along withit.
If someone gets up on the tableand turns to a passage of
scripture, it would be good tofollow along.
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If you've heard something thatmaybe you're not accustomed to
hearing, it's good to get inyour own bible and follow along.
It is good to read our ownbibles.
It is a good example for othersand I think it's something that
we should do Now.
Again, there are other cases andthere are outlying cases, but
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we have to remember thatChristians didn't always have
what we have.
They didn't always have apersonal copy of the word of God
, and we are very, very blessedto be able to have this personal
copy of the word to where thesermon here is going to end.
You know, I don't know 15, 20minutes, I don't know how long
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I've been up here.
The sermon will eventually endthis morning.
But guess what you can do?
You can go home if you'd like,and you could open up this thing
and you could study for therest of the day.
Your hearing of the word of Godis not confined to just coming
into this building.
Rather, you can go home and youcan hear God's word the rest of
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the night if you want to.
What a beautiful thing that is.
The Jews didn't have that inJesus' day.
If they wanted to hear the wordof God, they had to go to a
synagogue.
They didn't have their ownpersonal copies of the
scriptures like we do.
We are blessed brothers andsisters and I would suggest to
you that it is a great examplefor others in the church when
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they see you flipping throughthe pages of your own Bibles and
they see you following along tothe best of your ability.
Number three one who activelyfellowships with their brothers
and sisters.
They are a good example in thechurch, one who actively
fellowships with their brothersand sisters.
That is a good example.
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That's someone that I would behappy when I have kids one day,
that I would be happy to talk tomy kids and say, look at that
person in our church, look atthat person and look at what
they're doing, and that's whatyou should do as well.
You know, people who fellowshiptogether with their brothers
and sisters typically genuinelycare about their brothers and
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sisters, and that is a goodexample for the church to have.
How are we going to, as Paulsaid, join For the church to
have?
How are we going to, as Paulsaid, join?
How are we going to jointogether to follow his example
if we never fellowship or if wenever want to fellowship?
You see, we have to be togetherand there are times where we
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might need some alone time.
You know Jesus had that, didn'the?
Sometimes Jesus needed to gooff alone and pray by himself on
the mountain.
Sometimes Jesus needed to be alittle bit away from his
apostles while he was praying inthe garden, but he still asked
that they would pray for him,but he needed to be a little bit
alone at that time.
Sometimes we need some alonetime.
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Sometimes we need some alonetime.
Sometimes we need someisolation, and that's healthy
and good, but we can't staythere.
We also need desperately thefellowship and the love and the
care of our brothers and sistersin the church, and when I see
someone in the church who'senthusiastic and who desires
fellowship and who's outgoingand who's very friendly and
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wants to genuinely get to knowpeople, I see that as a good
example.
It's something that I believethat I could use work in and
that I should follow A fourthone who seeks to serve the Lord
by participating in theactivities of the church, one
who is willing to step outsideof their comfort zone.
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You know, if someone asks youto do a prayer, someone asks you
to read a scripture, it may beuncomfortable for you but
because you care about the Lordand because you really want to
try to do your best to serve him, you say I'll do it.
It's outside of my comfort zone, but I want to participate, I
want to do something, I want tobe available, I want to help in
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some way, and it's certainly notjust the things that are done
here in corporate worship, butthings that happen throughout
the week, events that we mayhave, campaigns that we may have
, if we ever do, door knockingthings, or perhaps visiting
other congregations at gospelmeetings and being active within
the work of the church andparticipating and not just
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participating but raising yourhand.
Remember what the bible sayshere am I send me, here am I
send me?
We need to get back to thatsort of idea.
Here am I send me?
We need to get back to thatsort of idea.
Here am I, lord, send me?
Not there they are, send them.
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Or we pay that guy to do it,send him.
Right, we got to get away fromthat we have to get back to.
Here am I send me.
I would suggest to you that ifyou raised your hand more and
said here am I send me, I'mwilling to do it, that that
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would cause a great growth inthe church.
I'm not saying that the churchthe next Sunday would have 20
more members.
I'm saying, spiritually therewould be a great growth in the
church and the more we activelyparticipate together, the
stronger we grow and the betterexamples we set for one another.
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That's what it's all about,brothers and sisters.
We need to do our best toconsider what the apostle here
is saying, to join together, toconsider Jesus' example, to
consider the apostles' exampleand to observe others who are
keeping these examples and tohold them up.
And not to give them praisethat's due to God but to hold
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them up and to thank them fortheir great example that they've
set, to join in with them andto actively work with them.
When we see a good example inthe church, we are to take note
of it or mark it and then followit.
Now, here, I think, is prettymuch ties in my whole lesson,
that these are the threeprinciples we get from this
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verse, just one verse alone.
We get these three principles.
Number one the principle thatwe should follow Christ and the
apostles as examples.
We need to follow them asexamples.
I wish that I could stand herebefore you this morning and tell
you, as Paul did, to follow meas an example.
But I am not the apostle Pauland I don't want you to follow
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me.
I want you to follow Christ andI want you to follow Christ and
I want you to follow theapostles.
I want you to look into yourscriptures and follow them.
So that's the first principle.
The second principle is that weshould observe the good examples
of those who are in the church.
When we come to church, let'slook around us, let's get active
and involved and observe whoare the good examples and who
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are doing the good things.
And then, number three, weshould join together in
following it.
So sometimes examples are hardto follow, but if we are
actively together with otherswhile we're doing our best to
follow it together, good Well,then we'll be there to pick
someone else up when they falland they'll be there to pick us
up when we might not perfectlyfollow that example as well.
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All those teachings andprinciples we get in that one
verse.
It's very helpful for ourdiscipleship and for our growth
and work as a church.
Now look at verses 18 and 19.
And I've gone longer than Ithought I'd ever go on that
first point, so we will notbelabor this.
But look at verses 18 and 19.
He says For many walk, of whomI have often told you and now
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tell you even as I weep, thatthey are the enemies of the
cross of Christ, whose end isdestruction, whose God is their
appetite and whose glory is intheir shame, who have their
minds on earthly things.
Now there are even those in thechurch who serve as examples of
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evil.
There are good examples, andthen there are some who serve as
examples of evil, and this iswhat Paul was warning the
Philippians about.
Those who wish to hear their owntruth instead of the truth
serve as an example of evil.
Remember, paul told Timothy Icharge you in the presence of
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God and of Christ Jesus, who isto judge the living and the dead
by his appearing in his kingdom.
Preach the word, be ready inseason and out of season,
reprove, rebukeke, exhort withall complete patience and
teaching why he says.
For the time is coming when menwill not endure sound doctrine
but, having itching ears, theywill accumulate for themselves
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teachers to suit their ownpassions and they will wander
away from the truth and followunto fables or unto myths.
That is the sad case of some inthe church.
Instead of following the truth,they want to follow their truth
, and that is something wecannot do.
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And when we see an example likethat, we need not follow it,
but we also need not ignore it.
We must correct it.
We must correct it.
See, there are some goodexamples in the church, but
there are also some bad, and wemust understand that these
examples need corrected and insome cases they need to be taken
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away.
Those who are unspiritual andcare more for the things of the
world serve as an example ofevil.
Paul says this that their Godremember.
Their God is their stomach,verse 19,.
Their end is destruction.
Whose God is their appetite ortheir stomach?
The Greek word there literallymeans belly.
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Their God is their belly.
The Solomon the wise man said inEcclesiastes that all of man's
toil is for his mouth, yet hisappetite is never satisfied.
So all of man's toil and workis for his mouth, that is, for
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the things that he can gain, yethis appetite is never satisfied
.
And there are people like thisin the church as well, who mask
their spirituality with theirmaterialism and they really
don't care about Christ in aspiritual way and they're really
not that spiritual, but reallythey just care more about the
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material things in life.
And these are the people thatwill leave Christ for the
material things in life.
Paul says these people, theirend is destruction.
And you must be wary, you mustbe careful, because there are
some of whom I have told you,who walk as enemies of the cross
of Christ, because they are notconcerned with the truth,
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because they care more about thematerial than they do about the
spiritual.
And then number three those whoteach false doctrine, those who
are enemies of the cross ofChrist, who would teach you
something that you wish to hearrather than something that you
need to hear.
And I'm going to tell you rightnow, brothers and sisters, that
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there might be some times whereyou don't like me very much.
You know, jesus said it himself.
Woe to you if all men speakwell of you, because I'm going
to get behind this pulpit andI'm going to say some things
that might be a little bitgrating on your ears, and you
might hear me say some thingsthat you don't quite like, and I
don't wish to ever make anenemy, but I might make some
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enemies by doing it, and if thathappens, then God be praised
and so be it.
At least I'm not up herepreaching to you what you want
to hear and said I'm going totry to do my best to preach what
you and I both need to hear,and that's what the scriptures
teach and that's what Paul sayswe should do.
Be very careful about anypreacher who would water down
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any truth, so that way he willnot offend others.
Be very careful.
We have to listen to the truth.
There are good examples in thechurch there are some examples
that can lead people into eviland into destruction, and we
need to mark those examples, tocorrect them and to do our best
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to bring that bad example from abad one back into a good one.
Well, I hope this morning thatyou have been edified and
encouraged by this lesson andperhaps you might have learned
something.
I hope so, but all in all, Ihope that we can all do our best
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to, together, as a church, workand be the best examples that
we can be for each other.
And I think the proper questionthat we need to ask is the
question that the sermons titledthat you saw on the screen just
a few moments ago and ask thatquestion, and I'll ask that
question for me too.
Are you, am I an example forgood or for evil?
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And that's a question that wemust answer in our hearts.
Let's, before we have ourinvitation, bow to God for a
word of prayer.
Father, thank you for yourchurch and thank you for
allowing us to be a part of it.
Father, we simply pray that youwould give us the strength to
do what is right.
We thank you for all the greatexamples in this church.
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Here we are thankful for thosewho do things that are noticed
by no one else but you, father.
We pray that we may be acontinual encouragement to these
folks and we pray, father, thatyou may give us the strength
and the boldness and theoutgoingness to join in with
their example and help them inthe work that they do, and that
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we may serve your kingdom andultimately do our best to grow
it with their example and helpthem in the work that they do,
that we may serve your kingdomand ultimately do our best to
grow it until the day your soncomes back to receive it.
As we're about to extend theinvitation, father, we just pray
that you would infiltrate thehearts of those who need this
lesson, of those who need yourword, and we pray, father, that
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you would soften the hearts thatneed to be softened.
Father, it's all this we ask inyour Son's name, amen.
If you're here this morning andyou need to come forward, we
invite you to do so.
If you are not a Christian, youneed to hear the gospel, and
you've heard the word proclaimedto you this morning Believe in
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Christ, repent of your sins andbe baptized in the waters of
baptism.
If that's something that youwish to do, that's something
that we would be happy to do foryou.
Or perhaps you just need tocome forward for prayers of
something.
Maybe you're just struggling inlife, maybe it's with sin, or
maybe it's not with sin, it'swith health or something else,
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and you would simply like theprayers of the church.
We would be very happy to prayfor you and to encourage you and
do our best to be there for you.
If you have the need thismorning to come forward for any
of those reasons, we ask you todo so now.
Together we stand and sing.
Hello everyone.
What you are about to hear is aSunday morning sermon that I
just recently preached at theColumbiana Church in Columbiana,
ohio, where I am currently aminister.
The reason for this is I wantedto see if my new wireless
microphones that I purchased hadsome good utility, and I
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thought there's no better way totest that out than to put it on
my lapel while I preach, and soI will be adding a few of my
sermons on Sunday morning to thepodcast here and there, and so
I hope you enjoy them, give mesome feedback on what you think
about them, about the soundquality and such, and I hope
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this lesson is a blessing to you.
Good morning, everybody.
It's good to see everyone outwith us this morning.
We have some visitors, and forthat we are thankful.
We want you to know that youare our honored guest, and we
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would invite you to be back atany point that you have the
opportunity.
We also invite you to ask anyquestions that you feel that you
need to ask.
If you need anything to come upto me or one of our elders or
one of our deacons, we will doall that we can to assist you
and to be there for you.
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We're going to be looking at theidea of an example this morning
.
Of course, examples can be atwo-edged sword you could be a
good example or you could be abad example.
There are some examples forgood and there are also some
examples for evil.
A quick illustration of this isobviously Jesus.
If we had to classify him as anexample, he would be an example
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for good, whereas Judas wouldbe an example for evil.
And when I say that you shouldfollow examples and when you
tell others that you shouldfollow examples, clearly you
mean that you should follow goodexamples.
You should follow people likeJesus and not people like Judas.
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However, sometimes it's notalways easy to observe an
example and then to follow it,but in my opinion, it's easier
than simply reading somethingoutright.
I think a good example is kindof like a tutorial.
I can't tell you how many timesI have tried to build something
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, or I bought something and I'vetried to put it together and I
get frustrated because I don'twant to read the directions.
And then sometimes I do readthe directions and I still don't
understand it, and so what I dois is I get on YouTube and I
look up a tutorial, and thatalmost always works, because I
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look at these pamphlets and theygot 20 different languages on
them and they got pictures here,left and right and things that
are called this, and that it'smuch easier for me to type on
YouTube how to build such andsuch and I see somebody doing it
with their own hands and Idon't have to read anything.
I just simply follow alongBecause that person becomes my
guide and that's really kind ofhow a good example is for us.
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It's like a tutorial.
I think we can all appreciatethe importance of a good example
.
When you want to learn how toplay something like a guitar,
it's much easier if you findyourself a guitar teacher, one
who can show you how to playthings as they're being played,
as opposed to simply picking upa book and reading how to play.
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It would be much easier towatch someone else as an example
for you as to how you shouldplay and how you should not play
.
You can tell someone what to do.
You can tell someone what to do, but showing them is much more
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effective.
How many times do you tellsomeone to do something after
showing them?
Often it is something that getsdone with more efficiency In
our text this morning.
In Philippians 3, verses 17-19,.
We see that Paul speaks thereabout following the example that
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he has laid out for thePhilippians, but in other places
in the Scripture he also talksabout being a good example.
One of these places is in 1Corinthians, chapter 4 and verse
16.
Here Paul says therefore, Iurge you.
Therefore, I urge you.
This is an urgent message.
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This isn't a request, thisisn't a recommendation.
Paul says I urge you, beimitators of me.
1 Corinthians, chapter 4, verse16.
And then again in the very samebook, in chapter 11, in verse 1
, he says Be imitators of me,just as I also am of Christ.
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And also in 2 Thessalonians 3,verses 7-9,.
This is what he has to say Foryou.
Yourselves know how you oughtto listen to this.
Follow our example, because wedid not act in an undisciplined
way among you, nor did we eatanyone's bread without paying
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for it, but with labor andhardship we kept working night
and day so that we would not bea burden to any of you, not
because we do not have the rightto this, but in order to offer
ourselves as a role model foryou, so that you would follow
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our example.
I think it's safe to say fromjust the reading of these
passages that Paul believed itwas important to be a good
example.
Paul believed that it wasimportant to be a good example,
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and so in this lesson I'd likeus to dive into Philippians 3,
and I'd like for us to see theproper reaction to a good
example in the church and anexample of evil in the church.
So let's go to Philippians,chapter 3, and we are going to
first observe an example forgood.
Philippians, chapter 3, verse17.
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Here we see an example for good.
Paul here says brothers andsisters, join in following my
example and observe those whowalk according to the pattern
you have in us.
We should not merely observe agood example, but rather we
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should follow it, and we shoulddo so together.
Now, depending on yourtranslation, some of your
translations might say the wordtogether in the text.
Mine simply says join.
But we have to understand theimplication of this.
You can't join yourself.
When it says to join, it meansthat necessarily at least two
people and probably more.
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Paul here is speaking of thewhole church.
What does he say?
He says join, join in followingmy example.
So what this means is is thatthe church here is commanded to
come together and work togetherto help each other.
Follow the example of theApostle Paul.
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This is not something that Godexpects us to do our own.
Paul didn't expect them to doit on their own, and there are
little things in life that wecan do on our own, but when we
come together as a people of God, we can do much, much more.
So he says join together, joinin, following my example.
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And we need to understand thatwe should not merely observe a
good example, but that we shouldfollow it.
So simply observing a goodexample without following is
akin to hearing the word but notbeing a doer of the word.
James, chapter 1, verse 22.
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There, james tells us to proveyourselves as a doer of the word
and not just a hearer only whodeceives himself.
We should not simply be ahearer of the word, of course,
we should be a doer.
What does that mean, hunter?
Well, it's good that I was heretoday because I heard the word
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of God Amen.
Would you say amen to that?
Okay, however, we can't stopthere.
It's good that I was here todayto hear the Word of God?
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Yes, but what is utmost ofimportance is are we doing the
Word of God.
We can hear and we should hear,but we must also do.
You see, sometimes the devil,he will trick us into believing
that all we need to do is hear.
Well, I've come to church andI've heard the good word, so I'm
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done for the week.
We got to be careful becausethe Bible tells us not to hear
only, but to do, and we must do.
And simply observing a goodexample and not following that
example is akin to what Jamessaid in James, chapter 1, verse
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22?
.
How many times will we look andobserve a good example rather
not follow that good example?
Someone might say.
They could say any number ofnames.
They could say I see whatyou're doing, I appreciate what
you're doing, I support whatyou're doing and I tip my hat to
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what you're doing.
I support what you're doing andI tip my hat to what you're
doing.
And basically, what they'retelling you is that I see it,
I'm observing it, I support it,but they won't follow it, they
won't do it themselves.
So they say I see what you'redoing and you keep on doing that
and you keep on pushing right,but they won't do it themselves,
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they won't follow it.
You see, that's not what Paultaught us in Philippians.
Paul said yes, we have toobserve.
However, let's also follow.
Brothers and sisters, we comeevery morning not every morning,
rather every Sunday morning tothis building, and every Sunday
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morning I open these scripturesto you and I teach you of the
example of Jesus the Christ.
And every morning you open yourscriptures and you observe the
example of Jesus Christ.
And on Sundays we come togetherand together we observe this
example.
We observe it.
But we must do more thanobserve this and we must do more
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than read this, and we must domore than hear this.
We must also join it, we mustalso follow it.
And it means very little if youcome to the services and hear
the word of Christ and see theexample of Christ your whole
life, but you never follow it.
It means very little if youcome to the services and hear
the word of christ and see theexample of christ your whole
life, but you never follow it.
It means very little.
And so, friends, paul says donot merely hear, do not merely
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listen, rather follow my example.
And so it would be apt at thisjuncture I to consider what is a
good example in the church.
Obviously, we are to follow theexample of Jesus Christ.
We are to follow the example ofthe apostles.
However, he also says look atverse 17 again.
Therefore, all who are matureI'm sorry, I was in verse 15.
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Verse 17.
I'm sorry, it was in verse 15.
Verse 17, brothers and sisters,join in following my example
and observe those who walkaccording to the pattern you
have in us.
So follow my example.
Remember other places.
He will say imitate me as Iimitate Christ.
Paul's not trying to gain anydisciples for himself here.
He's merely saying use me as anexample of how you are to walk,
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because I use the example ofChrist, example of how you are
to walk, because I use theexample of Christ.
Okay, so we are to followChrist and the apostles?
Yes.
However, paul also says lookaround you and observe those who
are also walking in that samepattern that you have seen me
and the other apostles walk in.
Mark them.
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Some of your translations willsay take note of them or observe
, like my translation saysobserve them, mark them, take
note of them and join along withthem.
And so what are some examples,good examples of a good example
in the church today?
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I could probably spend the restof my lesson on just this
aspect, but I'm only going tomention a few things.
Number one a good example of aChristian today who I think we
should follow an example that weshould follow is one who
attends services faithfully.
Now, everybody is going to missfrom time to time, and
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sometimes you have work andsometimes you're sick, and other
times you might be injured oryou're traveling or whatever it
may be.
However, I think that all of uswould understand that it's
commonsensical to point tosomeone who faithfully attends
worship and say they are a goodexample.
And I know that's the casebecause I've been to many and
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many and many a funeral wherethat is an aspect of a person's
life that's brought up.
Haven't you Boy, sisterso-and-so, or brother so-and-so?
They hardly ever missed aservice.
Now, we need to understand thatthat is not going to get us to
heaven.
However, that is a good examplefor our brothers and sisters in
Christ.
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And so if we want to be a goodexample and if we want to
observe a good example in thechurch, look around you to those
people who rarely miss.
They're always here becausethey want to be here and they
want to serve Christ.
That's a good example.
Number two one who brings theirBible and follows along through
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worship.
Now you say, hunter, this isn'tfair.
You know I can't read very well, or I use my phone, something
like that.
Okay, obviously, witheverything I say up here there's
caveats.
Okay, there are other pathsthat you could take.
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Obviously, with almosteverything that I say up here,
let's not look at the extremescenarios and look at the
general scenario.
Generally, do you think it's agood idea to bring a personal
copy of the word of God toworship?
Yes, now are there outliers andinstances where you say, well,
listen, I, you know, maybe, youknow, maybe I'm getting eye
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surgery.
I can't read right, I'm not.
You know, I'm not that good atreading from pages and I need to
use a phone or whatever.
That's fine, but generallyspeaking, I gather much
encouragement when I hear peoplein the pews doing this,
flipping through pages.
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I gather a lot of encouragementfrom that as a preacher, because
I know that to the very best ofyour ability, because I know
sometimes I can shotgun versesout from behind this pulpit and
I'm fast sometimes, but to thebest of your ability, you're
following along.
You know how encouraging wouldit be to a high school teacher
if she says turn to 195, page195, and the whole class is just
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standing there staring at theteacher and they don't get their
books out.
The teacher might say well, areyou guys even going to learn
anything?
Are you following along at all?
How could you learn if you'renot following along?
Get out your textbook.
And here's what I'm saying.
This is our textbook andcertainly generally it is better
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to have it than to not have it.
And not every verse needs to belooked up certainly not.
But it is a good idea and it isa good example to follow along
and this isn't something aboutme.
It's good to follow along withit.
If someone gets up on the tableand turns to a passage of
scripture, it would be good tofollow along.
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If you've heard something thatmaybe you're not accustomed to
hearing, it's good to get inyour own bible and follow along.
It is good to read our ownbibles.
It is a good example for othersand I think it's something that
we should do Now.
Again, there are other cases andthere are outlying cases, but
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we have to remember thatChristians didn't always have
what we have.
They didn't always have apersonal copy of the word of God
, and we are very, very blessedto be able to have this personal
copy of the word to where thesermon here is going to end.
You know, I don't know 15, 20minutes, I don't know how long
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I've been up here.
The sermon will eventually endthis morning.
But guess what you can do?
You can go home if you'd like,and you could open up this thing
and you could study for therest of the day.
Your hearing of the word of Godis not confined to just coming
into this building.
Rather, you can go home and youcan hear God's word the rest of
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the night if you want to.
What a beautiful thing that is.
The Jews didn't have that inJesus' day.
If they wanted to hear the wordof God, they had to go to a
synagogue.
They didn't have their ownpersonal copies of the
scriptures like we do.
We are blessed brothers andsisters and I would suggest to
you that it is a great examplefor others in the church when
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they see you flipping throughthe pages of your own Bibles and
they see you following along tothe best of your ability.
Number three one who activelyfellowships with their brothers
and sisters.
They are a good example in thechurch, one who actively
fellowships with their brothersand sisters.
That is a good example.
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That's someone that I would behappy when I have kids one day,
that I would be happy to talk tomy kids and say, look at that
person in our church, look atthat person and look at what
they're doing, and that's whatyou should do as well.
You know, people who fellowshiptogether with their brothers
and sisters typically genuinelycare about their brothers and
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sisters, and that is a goodexample for the church to have.
How are we going to, as Paulsaid, join For the church to
have?
How are we going to, as Paulsaid, join?
How are we going to jointogether to follow his example
if we never fellowship or if wenever want to fellowship?
You see, we have to be togetherand there are times where we
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might need some alone time.
You know Jesus had that, didn'the?
Sometimes Jesus needed to gooff alone and pray by himself on
the mountain.
Sometimes Jesus needed to be alittle bit away from his
apostles while he was praying inthe garden, but he still asked
that they would pray for him,but he needed to be a little bit
alone at that time.
Sometimes we need some alonetime.
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Sometimes we need some alonetime.
Sometimes we need someisolation, and that's healthy
and good, but we can't staythere.
We also need desperately thefellowship and the love and the
care of our brothers and sistersin the church, and when I see
someone in the church who'senthusiastic and who desires
fellowship and who's outgoingand who's very friendly and
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wants to genuinely get to knowpeople, I see that as a good
example.
It's something that I believethat I could use work in and
that I should follow A fourthone who seeks to serve the Lord
by participating in theactivities of the church, one
who is willing to step outsideof their comfort zone.
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You know, if someone asks youto do a prayer, someone asks you
to read a scripture, it may beuncomfortable for you but
because you care about the Lordand because you really want to
try to do your best to serve him, you say I'll do it.
It's outside of my comfort zone, but I want to participate, I
want to do something, I want tobe available, I want to help in
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some way, and it's certainly notjust the things that are done
here in corporate worship, butthings that happen throughout
the week, events that we mayhave, campaigns that we may have
, if we ever do, door knockingthings, or perhaps visiting
other congregations at gospelmeetings and being active within
the work of the church andparticipating and not just
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participating but raising yourhand.
Remember what the bible sayshere am I send me, here am I
send me?
We need to get back to thatsort of idea.
Here am I send me?
We need to get back to thatsort of idea.
Here am I, lord, send me?
Not there they are, send them.
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Or we pay that guy to do it,send him.
Right, we got to get away fromthat we have to get back to.
Here am I send me.
I would suggest to you that ifyou raised your hand more and
said here am I send me, I'mwilling to do it, that that
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would cause a great growth inthe church.
I'm not saying that the churchthe next Sunday would have 20
more members.
I'm saying, spiritually therewould be a great growth in the
church and the more we activelyparticipate together, the
stronger we grow and the betterexamples we set for one another.
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That's what it's all about,brothers and sisters.
We need to do our best toconsider what the apostle here
is saying, to join together, toconsider Jesus' example, to
consider the apostles' exampleand to observe others who are
keeping these examples and tohold them up.
And not to give them praisethat's due to God but to hold
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them up and to thank them fortheir great example that they've
set, to join in with them andto actively work with them.
When we see a good example inthe church, we are to take note
of it or mark it and then followit.
Now, here, I think, is prettymuch ties in my whole lesson,
that these are the threeprinciples we get from this
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verse, just one verse alone.
We get these three principles.
Number one the principle thatwe should follow Christ and the
apostles as examples.
We need to follow them asexamples.
I wish that I could stand herebefore you this morning and tell
you, as Paul did, to follow meas an example.
But I am not the apostle Pauland I don't want you to follow
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me.
I want you to follow Christ andI want you to follow Christ and
I want you to follow theapostles.
I want you to look into yourscriptures and follow them.
So that's the first principle.
The second principle is that weshould observe the good examples
of those who are in the church.
When we come to church, let'slook around us, let's get active
and involved and observe whoare the good examples and who
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are doing the good things.
And then, number three, weshould join together in
following it.
So sometimes examples are hardto follow, but if we are
actively together with otherswhile we're doing our best to
follow it together, good Well,then we'll be there to pick
someone else up when they falland they'll be there to pick us
up when we might not perfectlyfollow that example as well.
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All those teachings andprinciples we get in that one
verse.
It's very helpful for ourdiscipleship and for our growth
and work as a church.
Now look at verses 18 and 19.
And I've gone longer than Ithought I'd ever go on that
first point, so we will notbelabor this.
But look at verses 18 and 19.
He says For many walk, of whomI have often told you and now
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tell you even as I weep, thatthey are the enemies of the
cross of Christ, whose end isdestruction, whose God is their
appetite and whose glory is intheir shame, who have their
minds on earthly things.
Now there are even those in thechurch who serve as examples of
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evil.
There are good examples, andthen there are some who serve as
examples of evil, and this iswhat Paul was warning the
Philippians about.
Those who wish to hear their owntruth instead of the truth
serve as an example of evil.
Remember, paul told Timothy Icharge you in the presence of
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God and of Christ Jesus, who isto judge the living and the dead
by his appearing in his kingdom.
Preach the word, be ready inseason and out of season,
reprove, rebukeke, exhort withall complete patience and
teaching why he says.
For the time is coming when menwill not endure sound doctrine
but, having itching ears, theywill accumulate for themselves
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teachers to suit their ownpassions and they will wander
away from the truth and followunto fables or unto myths.
That is the sad case of some inthe church.
Instead of following the truth,they want to follow their truth
, and that is something wecannot do.
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And when we see an example likethat, we need not follow it,
but we also need not ignore it.
We must correct it.
We must correct it.
See, there are some goodexamples in the church, but
there are also some bad, and wemust understand that these
examples need corrected and insome cases they need to be taken
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away.
Those who are unspiritual andcare more for the things of the
world serve as an example ofevil.
Paul says this that their Godremember.
Their God is their stomach,verse 19,.
Their end is destruction.
Whose God is their appetite ortheir stomach?
The Greek word there literallymeans belly.
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Their God is their belly.
The Solomon the wise man said inEcclesiastes that all of man's
toil is for his mouth, yet hisappetite is never satisfied.
So all of man's toil and workis for his mouth, that is, for
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the things that he can gain, yethis appetite is never satisfied
.
And there are people like thisin the church as well, who mask
their spirituality with theirmaterialism and they really
don't care about Christ in aspiritual way and they're really
not that spiritual, but reallythey just care more about the
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material things in life.
And these are the people thatwill leave Christ for the
material things in life.
Paul says these people, theirend is destruction.
And you must be wary, you mustbe careful, because there are
some of whom I have told you,who walk as enemies of the cross
of Christ, because they are notconcerned with the truth,
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because they care more about thematerial than they do about the
spiritual.
And then number three those whoteach false doctrine, those who
are enemies of the cross ofChrist, who would teach you
something that you wish to hearrather than something that you
need to hear.
And I'm going to tell you rightnow, brothers and sisters, that
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there might be some times whereyou don't like me very much.
You know, jesus said it himself.
Woe to you if all men speakwell of you, because I'm going
to get behind this pulpit andI'm going to say some things
that might be a little bitgrating on your ears, and you
might hear me say some thingsthat you don't quite like, and I
don't wish to ever make anenemy, but I might make some
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enemies by doing it, and if thathappens, then God be praised
and so be it.
At least I'm not up herepreaching to you what you want
to hear and said I'm going totry to do my best to preach what
you and I both need to hear,and that's what the scriptures
teach and that's what Paul sayswe should do.
Be very careful about anypreacher who would water down
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any truth, so that way he willnot offend others.
Be very careful.
We have to listen to the truth.
There are good examples in thechurch there are some examples
that can lead people into eviland into destruction, and we
need to mark those examples, tocorrect them and to do our best
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to bring that bad example from abad one back into a good one.
Well, I hope this morning thatyou have been edified and
encouraged by this lesson andperhaps you might have learned
something.
I hope so, but all in all, Ihope that we can all do our best
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to, together, as a church, workand be the best examples that
we can be for each other.
And I think the proper questionthat we need to ask is the
question that the sermons titledthat you saw on the screen just
a few moments ago and ask thatquestion, and I'll ask that
question for me too.
Are you, am I an example forgood or for evil?
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And that's a question that wemust answer in our hearts.
Let's, before we have ourinvitation, bow to God for a
word of prayer.
Father, thank you for yourchurch and thank you for
allowing us to be a part of it.
Father, we simply pray that youwould give us the strength to
do what is right.
We thank you for all the greatexamples in this church.
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Here we are thankful for thosewho do things that are noticed
by no one else but you, father.
We pray that we may be acontinual encouragement to these
folks and we pray, father, thatyou may give us the strength
and the boldness and theoutgoingness to join in with
their example and help them inthe work that they do, and that
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we may serve your kingdom andultimately do our best to grow
it with their example and helpthem in the work that they do,
that we may serve your kingdomand ultimately do our best to
grow it until the day your soncomes back to receive it.
As we're about to extend theinvitation, father, we just pray
that you would infiltrate thehearts of those who need this
lesson, of those who need yourword, and we pray, father, that
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you would soften the hearts thatneed to be softened.
Father, it's all this we ask inyour Son's name, amen.
If you're here this morning andyou need to come forward, we
invite you to do so.
If you are not a Christian, youneed to hear the gospel, and
you've heard the word proclaimedto you this morning Believe in
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Christ, repent of your sins andbe baptized in the waters of
baptism.
If that's something that youwish to do, that's something
that we would be happy to do foryou.
Or perhaps you just need tocome forward for prayers of
something.
Maybe you're just struggling inlife, maybe it's with sin, or
maybe it's not with sin, it'swith health or something else,
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and you would simply like theprayers of the church.
We would be very happy to prayfor you and to encourage you and
do our best to be there for you.
If you have the need thismorning to come forward for any
of those reasons, we ask you todo so now.
Together we stand and sing.
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