Series: Imitators
Summary of last week: The key verses from last week were1 Thessalonians 1: 6-8a: 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
The Thessalonians became role-models for the Mediterranean region of the world and their faith, hope and love imitated Jesus so much they became examples to many other s of what it means to be a Christian. They impacted 1,000 of people with their godly lives and their church became known as a church that everyone admired and respected.
The question could be asked Why?
This poem tells why?
Poem “Sermons We See” – written by Edgar A. Guest was born in Birmingham, England, became a United States citizen in 1902. His poem drives home the urgency of being a good, Christ-like role model for others to follow like the Thessalonians were:
I’d rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I’d rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.
The eye’s a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example’s always clear;
And the best of all the preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it
if you’ll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.
When I see a deed of kindness,
I am eager to be kind.
When a weaker brother stumbles
and a strong man stays behind
Just to see if he can help him,
then the wish grows strong in me
To become as big and thoughtful
as I know that friend to be.
And all travelers can witness
that the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them,
but the one who shows the way.
One good man teaches many,
men believe what they behold;
One deed of kindness noticed
is worth forty that are told.
Who stands with men of honor
learns to hold his honor dear,
For right living speaks a language
which to everyone is clear.
Though an able speaker charms me
with his eloquence, I say,
I’d rather see a sermon
than to hear one, any day.
(The quote is from sermoncentral.com by David Reynolds)
Sermon: Be His Image!
Introduction: What does it mean to be an imitator of some else? What is meant is that we admire someone so much we want to be like them. Kids are great at doing this! My twins Ayden and Keagan love to imitate two specific super heroes “Spiderman, and Iron Man.”
Prop table: The table is filled with super hero stuff on it. The illustration is for a reference point on how people admire or imitate others. Share about who the boys imitate and hold up their costumes and gadgets. This is the boy’s super hero stuff, they love to imitate two heroes and pretend they are them. Why do they admire them and love them so much and always want to imitate them? They see these two super heroes saving and protecting innocent people from bad guys. Therefore they admire and want to be like them! But also have the cross in corner, with a robe draped over it and a crown on the rocks with the nails and remind the church that in essence Paul is complimenting the Thessalonians for imitating Jesus so well. We too should be doing the same with our lives – the symbols of the cross, the crown of thorns, the nails and the rocks should remind us that we need to remember the spiritual mile marker of the cross and imitate our Lord and Savior. He too has literally rescued many people from the bad guy.
Quote by Jeff Strite from sermoncentral.com: “Lily Tomlin is a famous woman comedian. Once she said, "I always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific."
The Bible is being specific about who we should be imitating and patterning our lives after. But it is also imperative that we are genuine imitators of Jesus and not cheap replicas.
The following thoughts are from sermoncentral.com a message by Jonathan Busch -- “Imitation or Imitators?”
Now when you think of the word imitation I am sure all kinds of cheap replicas come to mind as well…
Imitation Wood Grain
Imitation Leather
Imitation Orange Juice
Imitation Butter
Imitation Picasso’s
Imitation Rolodex’s
Imitation Sugar
Imitation Gucci’s
When we buy imitation pieces we usually do so because of the price. The cost is less, and so at first glance people might be sold on the idea that it is real and just as good. But if you hang around imitation stuff long enough you soon find that it is simply a cheap replica of something greater. It breaks quickly, it wears out sooner, it comes a part, it is just not as good as the real deal.
In our passage of Scripture and in our example from 1 Thessalonians 1 God is calling each one of us to be greater than we ever thought we could be. The best way to do this is for us to imitate Jesus but we have to make sure that we are not a cheap replica of Jesus but the genuine article like the Thessalonians were
Story about imitating:
Pastor Mark Thompson of Faribault, Minnesota, suffered terrible knife wounds from an assailant in his home, in October 1988. One of the many consequences of his difficult recovery was being forced to miss watching his son Chris run in the state cross-country championship meet. Pastor Thompson commissioned his brother Merv to go in his stead.
According to the account in the St. Paul Pioneer Press & Dispatch, Mark told his brother, "I can’t be there to see Chris run. So I want you there at the beginning of the race. Holler a lot. ... Then at the end, I want you to really cheer loudly. And I want you to make your voice sound like mine." Merv heeded the advice, and Chris ran a strong race, finishing second. Merv, also a pastor, discerned the theological truth in the story. "That’s what Jesus wants us to do." he said. "Make your voice sound like mine."
I add, “Let your life be like my life, be my image in this fallen world and cheer people on to victory with my words.”
Ephesians 5:1 says… Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
The Scriptural command to be imitators is clear from Scripture but how do we practically do that?
Pastor Tiffany is going to share what it means to imitate Jesus.
Jesus’ Disciples were commanded to be imitators of Christ…
Matt 10:5-15: Jesus asked them to do several things which imitated what he had been doing:
1) Preach the message: “The Kingdom of Heaven is Near”
2) Heal the sick
3) Raise the dead
4) Cleanse those who have leprosy
5) Drive out demons.
6) Freely you have received, freely give away the Gospel.
7) Trust God to provide for you: Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
Pastor Dan comes out as a mime at this point in the message during the points above right after Pastor Mike gets up after Pastor Tiffany is done.
The mime sets up the following statement:
Greek word “imitate” means to mime!
Imitators of God (mimētai tou theou). This old word from mimeomai which Paul boldly uses means if we are to be like God, we must imitate him.
From Holman Bible Dictionary: IMITATE ---To mimic; to do what is seen to be done by another; sometimes it approximates, “be obedient.” Paul’s uses can be divided into three groups: (1) To call attention to a comparison even when no conscious mimicking is in mind. The Thessalonians shared suffering at the hands of their compatriots comparable to that experienced by the earliest Judean Christians (1 Thess. 2:14). First Thessalonians 1:6 perhaps belongs here. (2) To follow an example (Phil. 3:17; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9 where Paul’s example of self-support is in view). Obedience may also be in mind as references to tradition (2 Thess. 3:6) and command (3:10) demonstrate. (3) An equivalent to be obedient. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to follow him not primarily by following his personal example but by following his “ways in Christ” which he taught “everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:16-17). The Corinthians were to follow Paul’s example by heeding his counsel to do all for the glory of God without causing offense (1 Cor. 11:1; compare 10:23-33). In Ephesians 5:1 the command to be imitators is again linked with the previous series of commands, especially that of forgiveness (4:25-32). The image of children obedient to parents is common where the thought of imitation as obedience is primary (1 Cor. 4:14-16; Eph. 5:1). Hebrews urges imitation of the faithfulness and patient endurance of those who inherited the promises (6:12) and the faithfulness of church leaders (13:7). The command of 3 John 11 is general, though specific examples of good (Demetrius) and bad (Diotrephes) are in view.
T.S. - Let’s look today at 1 Thessalonians 2 and see the importance of being like Jesus with our lives.
Scripture Text: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
1You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
2We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
4On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
5You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.
6We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you,
7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
14For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,
15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
17But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.
18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.
19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
T.S. – To imitate Jesus means we may suffer persecution like Him for being and doing what God has called us to do.
Thesis: Being an imitator of Jesus means we view things differently than the world. This means we answer questions differently about significant goals in life. We have different priorities in our life than a person who does not know Jesus. We strive not to please people but God. We have a joy that is empowered by the Holy Spirit not by temporal things. And it means we imitate Jesus by investing in the lives of others!
1. How do you define failure or success in the spiritual realm of life?
a. The world’s view of success and failure is very different than God’s view of things
i. Success for the world is:
1. Get rich quick – fortune
a. Quote: For example, most people tend to equate success with money. That is, the more money you make, the more successful you are. But under this definition one could argue that a drug dealer who makes millions of dollars annually is a very successful person. I don’t agree with this. I could argue with you that such a drug dealer is a savvy businessman, but I wouldn’t call him successful, because the impact he has on the life of other people is actually a very negative one. The same thing could be said about online spammers, scammers and so on. Quote from What Is Success? by Daniel Scocco
2. Become very famous –fame
a. We live in the age of the celebrity! Everyone wants to be a celebrity!
3. Be a powerful person of influence – power
a. This is the ability to influence people, to influence nations and control other people.
i. New York’s ban on super gulp drinks?
4. Be your own boss
a. Work for you and you alone –make money off others-do you own thing answer to no one.
5. Retire early and party
a. The goal is to retire and then party until you drop!
ii. No the world defines failure differently than God does too–
1. It is defined as:
a. The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: the failure of an experiment.
b. One that fails: a failure at one's career.
c. The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short: a crop failure.
d. A cessation of proper functioning or performance: a power failure.
e. Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission: failure to report a change of address.
f. The act or fact of failing to pass a course, test, or assignment.
g. A decline in strength or effectiveness.
h. The act or fact of becoming bankrupt or insolvent.
i. From thefreedictionary.com
2. People have actually insinuated that I am a failure as a pastor because I do not pastor a mega church. If I was a successful pastor our church would be in the thousands.
a. But does God measure success by numbers?
b. In the Bible every time Jesus gets a big crowd he says something that offends them then they leave. In the end there were very few people following Jesus at the cross, did that make Him a failure?
3. People in the world would have labeled Jeremiah as a failure because he never achieved one convert –he did not turn the nation back to God.
a. But Jeremiah did what God wanted Him to do and that made him a success in the eyes of the Lord.
b. God’s view of success and failure is different than the world and we need to imitate it not the worlds value system:
i. George Barna from his book Turning Vision Into Action states, “Abraham was successful until God showed him that material wealth was poverty in eternity. Moses had it made as the adopted son of the Egyptian pharaoh, but he discovered that the finest clothing, the best education and a daily regimen of well-prepared meals were meaningless unless life was devoted to God’s desires. Paul was a social climber in the ranks of the religious leaders, but his encounter with God taught him that success was not based on routine, tradition, contacts, forensic skill or intelligence” (page 71)
ii. He also adds, “God’s vision defines success as radical obedience to His special direction for your life...He is less concerned with what you are capable of accomplishing for Him than He is with your passion and commitment in pursuing the vision” (page 17).
1. Barna, “God plays by different rules and seeks different outcomes than human beings do. He doesn’t care about wealth, prestige, innovations, records, posterity or human desires. He cares about holiness and obedience (Jeremiah 9:23, 24).
iii. Scriptures to support this teaching:
1. Psalm 25 - Of David.
1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;
2 in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
13 He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
19 See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!
2. Proverbs 3:5, 6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
3. Jer. 29:11-13: 11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
4. Eph. 2:10: 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
a. All these verse and truths remind us that God measures success in failure in life differently than man does.
c. 1 Thess. 2:1-18 (see the Bible)
i. According to the historical theologians Paul was being accused of being a church planting failure in Thessalonica because they were only there about 3 ½ weeks then driven out.
1. To be driven out of a place for preaching the Gospel – to not see all the fruit? To suffer persecution? Some would say this was a failure!
a. Some would define this as a failure!
b. Paul did not produce the big numbers!
2. Nothing went smoothly! Everything went wrong! But it played out just as God had planned it.
a. But some assume because it is difficult and hard God must not be in it!
3. Some started asking Paul and Silas “What did you do wrong, is there sin in your life? Because God is punishing you with this persecution for your wrong doings?”
a. If you were right with God this would all go smoothly!
i. Not so! Maybe you are doing exactly what God wants you to do and the devil hates that, like he did Jesus.
b. But sadly this is the thought and feelings of some people today when comes to defining what is a successful church and what is not a successful church.
i. Most of time it’s about getting the crowd and the money! But this is not the true measurement of success in failure in the church realm.
ii. I measure success by the following means:
1. How many people had a divine encounter with the Lord this week through the ministry of Christian Hills Church?
2. How many people are saved?
3. How many people are baptized?
4. How many people are being discipled by the church each year?
5. How many people are living transformed lives?
6. How many people are praying?
7. How many people are being sent out into the ministry?
8. How many people are reproducing themselves for the Kingdom?
d. John Maxwell in his book “Failing forward” gives us some quotes we should think about when comes to imitating Jesus on what is success and failure in life.
i. John Maxwell in his book tells us to get a new definition of failure and success.
1. He states this about failure one of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind (page 1).
a. Failure he says is not:
i. People think failure is avoidable-it’s not!
1. Everyone makes mistakes and some will accuse you of making a mistake when in reality it’s not a mistake but a God given mission to fulfill.
a. Christa’s teachers and guidance counselor in HS came and talked to me about her career choice.
b. He was positive she was making a mistake in her career choice of being a missionary.
ii. People think failure is an event-it’s not!
1. The thesis of the book is that success is not a destination-not a place where you arrive one day. Instead, it is the journey you take. And whether you succeed comes from what you do day to day. In other words, success is a process. Failure works the same way. It’s not someplace you arrive. Just as success is not an event, neither is failure. It’s how you deal with life along the way. No one can conclude that he has failed until he breathers his last breath. Until then, he’s still in process, and the jury is still out (page 14).
a. The New Testament attest to this thought by Maxwell.
iii. People think failure is objective- It’s not!
1. Maxwell, “You are the only person who can really label what you do a failure. It’s subjective. Your perception of and response to your mistakes determines whether your actions are failures” (page 15).
iv. People think failure is the enemy – It’s not!
1. Maxwell, “Most people try to avoid failure like the plague. They’re afraid of it. But it takes adversity to create success” (page 15).
v. People think failure is irreversible-It’s not!
1. Anything can be turned around for good, and become a positive with God.
vi. People think failure is final-It’s not!
1. It’s not and it all comes down to how you look at things, it’ about our perspective of the event.
2. God looks at things from the big picture and see through the current situation and therefore we too need to hear the mind of the Lord on our current situation.
3. Maxwell states, “If you tend to focus on the extremes of success and failure and to fixate on particular events in your life, try to put things into perspective. When you do, you’ll be able to share the philosophy of someone such as the apostle Paul, who was able to say, ‘I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. And that was saying a lot, considering that Paul had been shipwrecked, whipped, beaten, stoned, and imprisoned. Throughout everything, his faith enabled him to maintain perspective. He realized that as long as he was doing what he was supposed to do, his being labeled success or failure by others really didn’t matter” (Page 17).
ii. So as imitators of Jesus we need to make sure we define success and failure according to God’s definitions of it.
T.S. – To be an imitator of Jesus means we look at success and failure differently and we also make sure that we are pleasing God and not men or women.
2. Who are you trying to please? Imitators of Jesus seek to please God first and foremost.
a. The world’s view of who they seek to please differs from Jesus view – usually the world seeks to please someone who they get something in return from. For example:
i. Fortune - A raise, more money motivates people to please their bosses or someone who will help them becomes rich.
ii. Sex – A person please someone for the purpose of sexual gratification.
iii. Fame – A person will please someone so they can become famous in return.
iv. Power – A person will seek to please people so to get power.
v. A party – A person will please someone so they can be a part of the a party.
b. Paul reminds us as Christian who it is we are to please with our lives 1 Thess. 2:4: 4On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
i. The book of Acts also reminds us what Peter said about pleasing man or God.
1. Acts 4:18-22: 18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
a. Not pleasing man but instead God should be a focal point for the Christian.
b. Jesus did this with his life and so should we if we want to imitate Him.
c. Quote: How many Christians seek to fit in to blend in with the crowd with the world, not wanting to be different, wanting to be accepted to the point where they hide their identity choosing to hide the light from the world. But that’s not what we are called to be, I would say not what Jesus died for so let’s discover what it might mean to be like Jesus to live like him. From sermoncentral.com Richard Francis
T.S. – We have learned that to imitate Jesus requires us to be God pleasers and as we please God and do what He has instructed us to do we then get blessed with an internal joy that helps us to endure the repercussions for serving the Lord with our life.
3. What brings you joy in your life?
a. What the world thinks brings joy to their life really does not.
i. Your football team will win and lose.
1. Case in the point the Bears this last Thursday night.
ii. Your life will go through hard times and good times.
1. It’s part of life!
a. Unemployment hits.
b. You income drops due to inflation.
c. Gas prices soar.
d. Taxes go up.
e. You car breaks down.
f. Your health fails.
g. Your stress soars.
h. You can fill in the blank?
iii. Your house will lose its value.
1. My house dropped $62,000 in value in the last 3 years! And my taxes increased about 40%!
a. But is my joy wrapped up in the value of my house?
iv. Your investment will lose money due the stock market or whatever.
1. A comment by Pastor Tom at City Church in Madison – How does God look at our money?
a. No really think about it!
b. Is he concerned over it?
c. Is He fretting over it?
d. Is He panicking over it?
i. No God looks at our money system like we look at a monopoly board, it does not mean a thing it’s monopoly money!
1. Think about it!
b. Let’s get back to my question, “I am not asking what makes you happy but what gives you eternal joy?”
i. Cymbala’s quote: In the late eighties, Bobby McFerrin wrote and performed a little song called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The song had a Caribbean feel to it, but instead of using instruments to accompany his voice, McFerrin recorded it a cappella. All of the “music” came from over-dubbed vocals, whistling, and other sounds made by McFerrin. The song hit number one on the charts, and people enjoyed singing along with the happy little tune. Of course, the message offered a great psychological boost too. Don’t worry. Just be happy. Let go of your anxieties and enjoy life. It made sense. Being happy is probably something we’d all like to do more. But that leads to a simple question: how?
1. Cymbala, Jim (2012-02-21). Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit (Kindle Locations 1176-1177). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
ii. Cymbala states, “Happiness ebbs and flows based on our changing circumstances.”
1. Cymbala adds, “Happiness is circumstantial and elusive, but joy is not circumstantial. We can have joy even when we’re not happy. Some may hear Christians talking about joy and think that joy is just a religious word for happiness. But joy differs from happiness. If the situation is right, anyone can experience happiness. Even people who don’t know God or who curse God can be happy. But they don’t have joy, for that blessing in life has a totally different source. According to Scripture, the Holy Spirit produces joy. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5: 22– 23, emphasis added).”
c. In our first two chapters of 1 Thessalonians we see a word popping up over and over it’s the word joy. Let’s look at it in two different references:
i. 1 Thess. 1:6: 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
ii. 1 Thess. 2:19, 20: 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
1. Paul reminds the church about their joy and where joy comes from.
2. Why does Paul do this?
a. Because he wants to remind them and us that joy comes from the word of God, the presence of God and the mission of God.
d. The joy of the Holy Spirit is what enables us all to press on in hard times, or in times of persecution and oppression.
i. Jim Cymbala states, “If joy is a gift, we should expect to see more of it in the church, yet we’re often surprised when we do. However, when we recognize that true joy doesn’t come from our circumstances but rather from God, we begin to see joy as a blessing for everyday life. And that joy from the Spirit will make us distinctive to the culture around us.”
ii. What brings you true joy?
1. Is it the Joy of discipling another person?
2. Is it winning someone to Jesus?
3. Is it experiencing the presence of the Lord?
4. Is it knowing that you are doing what God called you to do?
5. Joy comes from Him and we should be expressing that joy through our lives even when times are hard and oppressive.
Conclusion:
Becoming an imitator of Jesus means we start defining success and failure differently from the world’s view. It means we seek to please God over man every time. It means we have a joy that sustains us and helps us to endure the persecution we face for being an imitation of Jesus to a world who does not embrace Him.
So do you need joy?
Then come to the front so we can pray for the joy of the Holy Spirit to encourage you and lift you up today!
