Imitate Me! Scripture Reading Philippians 3:1-4:1.

Imitate Me!Imitate Me!

Scripture ReadingScripture Reading

Philippians 3:1-4:1Philippians 3:1-4:1


It’s hard being a parent!It’s hard being a parent!

Lack of sleepLack of sleep

Ever changing scheduleEver changing schedule

Not to mention the other things Not to mention the other things you need to changeyou need to change


It’s a hard being a good parent!It’s a hard being a good parent!

You are responsible for this You are responsible for this dependant little person!dependant little person!

You have been entrusted to care You have been entrusted to care for and help shape this little for and help shape this little

person.person.


Rob, Jennifer and I were talking Rob, Jennifer and I were talking about this this past week:about this this past week:

You now have two little eyes You now have two little eyes drinking in all that you do.drinking in all that you do.

As they grow, they will quickly As they grow, they will quickly imitate what you say and do.imitate what you say and do.


But it gets more weighty:But it gets more weighty:

Our children get to know God Our children get to know God through us as parents!through us as parents!

Not just by what we say.Not just by what we say.

But by what we do!But by what we do!


Story of Dr. James Dobson’s toddler Story of Dr. James Dobson’s toddler being asked to pray at the dinner being asked to pray at the dinner table for the first time. [while he table for the first time. [while he

was away]was away]

““I love you Daddy. Amen”I love you Daddy. Amen”

To that young child, To that young child, his dad was God!his dad was God!


Story of young man who Story of young man who couldn’t commit his life to God.couldn’t commit his life to God.

He went through the pre-He went through the pre-confession classconfession class

He wanted to confess his faith He wanted to confess his faith but he always stopped short.but he always stopped short.


I asked him what his picture of I asked him what his picture of God was.God was.

He replied:He replied:

““Someone who was always Someone who was always ready to trip him up.”ready to trip him up.”

““Someone who wanted him to Someone who wanted him to fail and then punish him.”fail and then punish him.”


I wondered where in the Bible I wondered where in the Bible he would have gotten that idea he would have gotten that idea

of God.of God.

Then I realized that he hadn’t Then I realized that he hadn’t got his picture of God from the got his picture of God from the

Bible but from his parents.Bible but from his parents.


““What was your relationship like What was your relationship like with your father?”with your father?”

His dad made him feel worthless.His dad made him feel worthless.

He expected him to fail.He expected him to fail.

And then he would rub his nose And then he would rub his nose in his failures.in his failures.


His view of God was simply a His view of God was simply a magnification of his view of his magnification of his view of his

dad!dad!That was why he couldn’t That was why he couldn’t

believe in the loving God of the believe in the loving God of the Bible!Bible!

That was why he couldn’t That was why he couldn’t commit his life to him!commit his life to him!


Like it or not,Like it or not,Our basic image of God is shaped by Our basic image of God is shaped by

our parents our parents in our formative years.in our formative years.

Some would say, esp. by our dads.Some would say, esp. by our dads.

This image continues to be shaped This image continues to be shaped by the Bible and our personal by the Bible and our personal

experiences of God.experiences of God.


Stepping away from our Stepping away from our parenting discussionparenting discussion

Does this make sense to you?Does this make sense to you?

Does this possibly explain some Does this possibly explain some things in your life?things in your life?

Why you feel distant from God?Why you feel distant from God?


Woman who were abused by Woman who were abused by their fathers,their fathers,

often find it incredibly hard to often find it incredibly hard to trust in God, trust in God,

cringing when God is referred to cringing when God is referred to as our Father.as our Father.


How about you?How about you?

Do you find it hard to get close Do you find it hard to get close to God? to God?

Did you have a distant dad?Did you have a distant dad?


Doesn’t all this Doesn’t all this

make the our task make the our task

as Christian parents as Christian parents

all that more important?all that more important?


Christian parenting is not justChristian parenting is not just

- Passing on a few good moralsPassing on a few good morals- reading a few bible storiesreading a few bible stories

- sending them to Sunday School sending them to Sunday School and Christian schoolsand Christian schools


We represent God to our We represent God to our children!children!

Our words Our words

and our actions and our actions

impact how our children impact how our children

see God!see God!


This fits another biblical This fits another biblical conceptconcept

Being made in the image of Being made in the image of God, God,

we are to image God we are to image God

to the world.to the world.


I Peter 2:9I Peter 2:9

““But you are a chosen people, a But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you people belonging to God, that you

may declare the praises of him who may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his called you out of darkness into his

wonderful light.” wonderful light.”

I Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives I Peter 2:12 “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God see your good deeds and glorify God

on the day he visits us.”on the day he visits us.”


We often seeWe often see

being the image of Godbeing the image of God

or imaging God to othersor imaging God to others

as related to representing as related to representing Christ to our friends and Christ to our friends and

neighbours.neighbours.

But it applies to our parenting.But it applies to our parenting.


As Christian parents our As Christian parents our primary task is to represent God primary task is to represent God

to our children.to our children.- to assist in the spiritual to assist in the spiritual

development of our childrendevelopment of our children- to lead them into a living to lead them into a living

relationship with Jesus.relationship with Jesus.


By now you and I may be By now you and I may be squirming in our seats, squirming in our seats,

thinking,thinking,

““Me represent God to my kids?”Me represent God to my kids?”

““That’s too big a task.”That’s too big a task.”

““I’m not qualified for that.”I’m not qualified for that.”


Let’s look at our passage.Let’s look at our passage.

Paul is in effect the spiritual Paul is in effect the spiritual father of the believers in father of the believers in

PhilippiPhilippi

He realizes that as young He realizes that as young Christians they look to him as Christians they look to him as

God’s representative.God’s representative.


Paul says to them:Paul says to them:

““Join with others in following Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”to the pattern we gave you.” Phil Phil

3:173:17

In other words: “Imitate me!”In other words: “Imitate me!”


How many of us dare say to our How many of us dare say to our kids, kids,

““Imitate me.” Imitate me.”

““Live like I live.”Live like I live.”

Or do we say,Or do we say,

““Do as I say, not as I do.”Do as I say, not as I do.”


Paul is not claiming to be Paul is not claiming to be perfect here.perfect here.

He says:He says:

Not that I have already Not that I have already obtained all this, or have obtained all this, or have

already been made perfect, but I already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of which Christ Jesus took hold of

me.me. v.12 v.12


The Bible in not asking us to put The Bible in not asking us to put on a false front,on a false front,

pretending to be perfect.pretending to be perfect.

Our kids see through that in a Our kids see through that in a heart beat!heart beat!

Saying one thing and doing Saying one thing and doing another is so damaging.another is so damaging.


The Bible is calling us to the The Bible is calling us to the way of discipleship.way of discipleship.

Hear Paul again:Hear Paul again:““Not that I have already obtained all Not that I have already obtained all

this, or have already been made this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took of that for which Christ Jesus took

hold of mehold of me.” v. 12.” v. 12


““Join with others in following my Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of example, brothers, and take note of

those who live according to the those who live according to the pattern we gave you.pattern we gave you.” v. 17” v. 17

In effect Paul, as their spiritual In effect Paul, as their spiritual father, is saying, father, is saying,

““Follow me as I follow Jesus.”Follow me as I follow Jesus.”


As imperfect as we are, As imperfect as we are, we are to be living examples ofwe are to be living examples of fully devoted disciples of Jesus.fully devoted disciples of Jesus.

That means,That means,We need to be authentically We need to be authentically

learning from Jesus and living learning from Jesus and living more and more like Jesus.more and more like Jesus.


All this can be very All this can be very discouraging.discouraging.

Who can possibly do this?Who can possibly do this?

At least do it well?At least do it well?

Nobody!Nobody!

Nobody on their own!Nobody on their own!


To do this, we need God!To do this, we need God!

I love the way Paul makes the I love the way Paul makes the contrast.contrast.


““For, as I have often told you before For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, and now say again even with tears,

many live as enemies of the cross of many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind glory is in their shame. Their mind

is on earthly things. is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. But our citizenship is in heaven.

And we eagerly await a Savior from And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring the power that enables him to bring

everything under his control, will everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.they will be like his glorious body.

vv. 18-21vv. 18-21


““Therefore, my dear friends, as you Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, salvation with fear and trembling,

for it is God who works in youfor it is God who works in you to will to will and to act according to his good and to act according to his good

purpose.purpose.””

Philippines 2:12-13Philippines 2:12-13


Parenting is an important task.Parenting is an important task.

Our children will learn about God Our children will learn about God through us.through us.

Our children will imitate us.Our children will imitate us.

Let’s have them imitate us Let’s have them imitate us

imitating Christ,imitating Christ,

depending on God.depending on God.

Imitate Me! Scripture Reading Philippians 3:1-4:1.

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Transcript of Imitate Me! Scripture Reading Philippians 3:1-4:1.