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"A Time to Follow"
Message
summary:
Today let us
consider what
and whom we
are to follow.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
Yesterday we attended a Celebration of Life service for Cindy, a good friend of ours who, after an 8 month courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, died in her sleep on June 1st. Her vibrant faith was visible to all and the service was most uplifting. One friend told me at the end of the service he was ready to go. I initially thought he meant he was ready to go home after the service but he clarified and said, "No, I mean I'm ready to go home to heaven".
Attending
a celebration
service
(funeral) for
one who lived
a life of
faith in
Christ and
died well
provides for
us that
essential
reminder that
indeed we are
not home yet.
But we do
often meet
some
interesting
people on our
life's
journey.
After
the service
the church
provided a
meal and we
sat next to
the Brubakers
(best we
recall that
was their
name), an
older couple
who told us
they had been
Cindy's youth
leaders, back
in the day.
They were both
89 so that's
18 years older
than Cindy.
They likely
led the group
when they were
in their early
30's some
sixty years
ago, so they
lost touch
with many of
the youth.
As
we talked at
the table
several others
from their
youth group
came over to
greet them.
These youth,
now in their
70's, had to
identify
themselves to
the Brubakers.
What love and
esteem these
people showed
toward them as
they had
followed in
the footsteps
of their youth
leaders which
brought great
joy to the
Brubakers'
hearts much
like the
beloved
disciple John
who wrote, "I
have no
greater joy
than to hear
that my
children walk
in truth" (3
John 1:4).
The photo
above shows
the Brubakers
with Denise
(standing
left), who
served many
years as a
missionary to
Latin America.
Yesterday
our message
dealt with
fleeing. Today
let us
consider what
and whom we
are to follow.
The Biblical
pattern for
the
transmission
of the faith
is for one
generation to
faithfully
pass on the
faith and
truth to the
next. This is
relationship-based.
In the family
this would be
parents to
children and
grandchildren
from
generation to
generation. It
also applies
to ministry
such as youth
leaders like
the Brubakers.
Moses
passed faith
and truth to
Joshua, Elijah
to Elisha and
of course Paul
to Timothy and
others. It
remains the
pattern
through the
church age.
Paul
elaborated on
this in 2
Timothy 2:2.
These are
based on
knowable
relationships.
We are
appreciative
of those who
find value in
our written
ministry but
we know very
few of you. Make
sure you have
people in your
life that you
know
personally.
In our daily
text Paul
commands the
man of God to
follow after
these six
virtues: “righteousness,
godliness,
faith, love,
patience, and
meekness”.
Certainly
there are many
other virtues
mentioned in
Scripture for
the follower
of Christ,
including the
nine fruit of
the spirit
listed in
Galatians
5:22,23 and
the ladder of
virtues listed
in 2 Peter
1:5.
Being a model
Christian
would be so
easy if we
simply said a
prayer and
told God that
we want these
virtues to be
demonstrated
in our lives.
But that’s not
how it usually
works in the
lives of
believers. In
addition to
prayer and
obeying the
Bible we
develop these
virtues
through
relationships,
everyday
experiences,
the trials of
life, even the
human
weaknesses
that prevail
in settings
where we least
want to
display them.
It isn’t
always the
perfection of
these virtues
flowing from
our lives that
speaks to
others. At
times it is
our
imperfection
made right by
the Spirit of
God that
speaks in a
greater
measure to
others than if
we were by
nature “Super
Christians.”
Let us be
sensitive to
the Spirit so
that the
character of
Jesus may be
made manifest
in what we
say, what we
do, and who we
are.
As you nurture
real
relationships
with others in
your life the
Lord will use
these to
develop your
character.
Invite God to
perfect that
which is
imperfect so
that He is
glorified as
we daily live
for Him. Today
we encourage
you to “follow
after
righteousness,
godliness,
faith, love,
patience,
meekness”
and the many
other virtues
listed in
Scripture.
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
we don’t pray
for a life of
ease since we
know that the
virtues listed
in Scripture
are often
refined in our
lives through
the
challenges,
the
overcomings,
and the
shortcomings
common to all
believers.
That's why we
make it our
daily prayer
that the
nature of
Christ be made
more visible
than our human
nature so that
we are truly a
reflection of
Your image. We
desire to
“follow after
righteousness,
godliness,
faith, love,
patience and
meekness” so
that we are
truly fruitful
in our pursuit
of holiness.
Amen.
Brooksyne’s
Note: We
wrote “It
isn’t always
the perfection
of these
virtues
flowing from
our lives that
speaks to
others. At
times it is
our
imperfection
made right by
the Spirit of
God that
speaks in a
greater
measure to
others than if
we were by
nature Super
Christians.”
I wrote the above paragraph based upon a time when God did a supernatural work in my attitude. I had been wronged by a fellow believer numerous times as she challenged my role as her new pastor’s wife. She had been lying to others about our ministry and causing division in the body. And yet there came a blustery winter day when I had no one nearby to call upon except her during a heavy snowstorm. Stephen was out of town with our only car and Ester who was only five years old needed to be picked up from school. I had planned to walk but the surprise snow storm prevented that.
I
was humbled as
I called the
woman who was
causing us
trouble and
embarrassed as
she initially
turned me
down. A few
minutes later
she called
back and
agreed to help
me in my
dilemma. The
following
Sunday evening
during
testimony
service the
Spirit of God
strongly
prompted me to
share with the
congregation
the kindness
extended to us
from this
individual.
(To be honest
I fought with
God on this as
other images
of her
behavior kept
flashing in my
memory bank
but I chose to
obey.)
Following the service another sister approached me and said, “I really appreciated what you did tonight. You wouldn’t know this but I’m aware of how _______ has been treating you yet you chose to speak kindly of her. Your actions really spoke to my heart in the way I should deal with those who oppose me.” I learned this from my sister's words of commendation: When we obey God we not only grow in godliness but we impact others for the kingdom as well.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Homesick For Heaven" Watch on YouTube Phil Wickham
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Tomorrow I will share photos of our visit to Steamtown USA in Scranton to see the Big Boy!
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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