1 Cor 4:14-17
14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Cor 11:1
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
It is not easy for Paul to say this, but it is necessary. He needs to live what he says.
• If you are a teacher, you need to live what you teach.
• If we are followers of Jesus Christ, people must be able to see Christ in us.
• Paul has been a spiritual father to the Corinthian believers. They are his spiritual children.
• They are going to learn from him, not just what he says but how he lives.
Paul is aware that all eyes are on Him. Many are watching him, either to imitate or to criticize.
• For this reason, he tries - by the strength God gives - to live a life that is pleasing to God.
• He seeks to imitate Christ and urges others to follow his example.
He said the same to the believers in the other churches.
• To the believers in Thessalonica, he says in 2 Thess 3:7 he says “…you ought to follow our example.”
• And then to the Philippians, he said in Phil 4:9 [turn to it] “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
• He said whatever you have learned, received, heard, or seen in me… This is not easy, but it is necessary. He has to live what he teaches.
We have to live what we teach.
• Imitation is actually part of our human nature. People are imitators.
• We follow people we admire, like successful sportsmen or famous celebrities.
• Many youth today like to imitate their favourite idols or celebrities.
• They copy the way they sing, dance, and dress. They imitate their style, fashion, attitude, language, and physical appearance.
LEARN QUICKER BY OBSERVING
An octopus has two large, complex eyes that are camera-like in structure and their vision is sharp. They learn very quickly by observing the surrounding.
In an experiment, octopuses were trained with food rewards to attack specific colour balls. Another group of octopus observing from an adjacent tank were released. Those watching the activity with red balls attacked red balls and those which had seen white balls attacked those.
The responses based on observation were faster than those which had been trained. They learn faster by observing with their eyes.
People are the same. What we see influences us.
• We learn more and quicker from observing than from listening.
• Observation has the power of influence. It can affect us in two ways. (1) We are influenced by what we see; and (2) We are influencing others by the way we behave. Others are affected by what they see in us.
(1) We are influenced by what we see
Firstly, what we see influence our thoughts.
• Whether it is television, movies, rock concerts, the actions of co-workers or classmates, we tend to imitate what we see. Even if we do not duplicate the action, we become less opposed to it and "don’t see anything wrong with it."
• The continual seeing of a thing creates greater and greater acceptance. The more we see violence on the television, the less we are bothered by it and the more we tend to accept it.
Therefore Paul says in Phil 4:8 “Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”
• Only then he mentions verse 9 (“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice.”)
(2) We are influencing others by what they see
Secondly, we affect those who are watching us.
• This is true in all areas of human experience: parents and child, husband and wife, a boss and his staff.
• Others are watching what we do, and the more they value us the more they will imitate us.
• Children especially, they are natural mimics. They simply imitate everything they see, whether good or bad.
The President of USA, Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) invited some kids to a meal at the White House. Since they did not know how to behave at such an occasion, the kids thought the best thing would be just to do what the President did.
After the meal, the time came for serving tea. The President poured his tea into a saucer. As soon as the kids saw it, they did the same. The next thing the President did was to pour some milk and add a little sugar to the tea in the saucer. Most kids did the same. They thought for sure that the next step would be for the President to take the saucer with the tea and begin sipping it.
But the President didn’t do so. He leaned over, placed the saucer on the floor and called the cat.
Whether it is intended or not, children learn and pick up from us the words we use, the things we do, and the way we relate to people.
• If the dad comes home and kicks the dog, the child may think that it is acceptable behaviour, and will soon do the same.
• You don’t need to be in a classroom to teach them. Life itself is that classroom. Someone said, “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
• Our action speaks louder than words.
The former prime minister of Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was boasting and giving colourful advice to the reporters and voters. A reporter challenged him one day, when he noticed that the prime minister said one thing but did another.
The prime minister response was: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
That is hypocrisy. Paul comes against such behaviour. He insists that word and deed go together. He insists that what you do backs up what you say.
A number of years ago, the American Cancer Society in Hollywood organised a fund-raising event to promote healthy living. It was to be a tennis tournament.
The staff unthinkingly accepted a major tobacco company as the sponsor for the event. The officials of the Society found out too late. They have sold 500 tickets to an event that was named after a well-known brand of cigarettes.
The publicity poster portrayed a young woman with a tennis racket in one hand and a cigarette in the other. What kind of message are they giving?
It reminded me of an incident I saw a few months back. A mom and her primary one or two daughter were waiting to cross the road at the traffic junction. The mom was puffing away, almost blowing it into the face of this young girl. What kind of message is she giving her?
Paul is right. He made his life an example for others to follow.
• His life becomes a witness. He preaches and teaches very well, but he model Christ very well too.
• When we look at him, we understand what the Christian life ought to be.
• He may not be perfect in every way, but his life points us to Christ.
Today, every one of us has the same responsibility. People are watching us.
• Every one of us in this sanctuary today can make an influence in someone’s life. Many of you are leaders in our ministry, as elders, or deacons, or Sunday School teachers.
• Many of you are leaders in your home. Your children are watching you and, whether you like it or not, they will imitate you.
• Others of you are leaders for your friends, your classmates, or your colleagues.
• In you they see not only what Christians are like, but what Jesus Christ is like. That is a high calling!
Paul says we are to be like Christ, so that others will learn from us.
• This should be the goal of every Christian.
• By God’s grace, we can truly grow to be like Christ. This is the pattern for our life. We are to be Godly role models on a daily basis.
• If we do the right thing, over and over again, it becomes a part of our being; it will become our daily habit.
Paul tells the Philippians 4:9 “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
• Paul is talking here, not about particular actions, but a way of life.
• If there are things in our life that people should not copy, then we need end it.
• Rom 14:13 says “Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”
Are you living a life worthy of imitation?
• Do you want your children, your friends, or your colleagues to imitate you? Should they?
• What attitudes will learn from you? Will they see Christ in us?
A missionary wanted to reach the Chinese for Christ but he could not speak Mandarin well. Someone commented, “How could you be effective for God when you can’t even speak a language correctly?”
The missionary replied, “Even in my halting, inadequate Chinese, I can share something that the angels cannot share. I can share what it is like being forgiven, and an angel has never experienced forgiveness. That is why God can use me, in ways that an angel could not be used. I know first-hand grace. I know first-hand forgiveness.”
We know what it means to experience God’s grace.
• We know what it means to get a new life from God, after we have blown it, have failed and sinned.
• God needs us to live out this life of grace, this life of hope.
• God needs people like you and me to tell others about His love.
• No, we are not perfect. We have sinned greatly. We have missed the mark.
• But we also know the love of Christ and the grace of God.
When people see us and turn to God, then we have become the best messengers of God’s love.
• This is a life worthy imitating. Live in such a way that people can see the beauty of Christ in you.
• 1 Cor 4:9 “We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men.”
• Let God be glorified through you.
Remember, people are watching us and they are learning from us.
