The Book of Hebrews - "Imitations, no. Examples, yes."
Hebrews · Vern Peterman · Jun 8, 2014
Hebrews, No. 55
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4926430483779

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Last Sunday we began this series in parenting. We dealt from the passage Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 4 and in that fourth verse there were two, I'll call it, tools for parenting that were brought out and one of them was discipline. We won't go over the details on that yet, but just simply to say discipline was one of the tools that was actually focused upon the father as being the primary, the one with the primary responsibility regarding the children.

And the other tool was instruction. And interestingly enough, this isn't the word for teaching per se, but it means to place it in the mind. And this is a key insight. So there are those two tools that were brought out to bring up the children. And so those are presented in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 4.

Today, we're going to present a third tool to go along with discipline and instruction, and instruction being not specifically just teaching, but placing it in the mind, which also gives a responsibility to the parent to have the child understand, not just deliver the message, but have the child understand. So this third tool we're going to introduce today is one to be added to that because we want you to have a full tool chest when it comes to parenting. We'd like you to have the full set of tools, everything. And so at any rate, we're going to introduce that, and you'll see the validity and importance of this passage that we're going to be looking at. To let you know just kind of the big picture here, two words in the Greek New Testament that speak of copying the life of another. And there's two halves of that.

One of those is mimitis, is the Greek word. And the only reason I would bring that out here is our English word mimic. comes from that Greek word. The meaning of the Greek word is to imitate, or you would sometimes see it as follow, the behavior of another in a positive way. So that's the meaning of one word.

We're going to be tracking with that and see how that relates to parenting. The other is tupos. And again, we get an English word from that type. It means to be a pattern or an example. and the word was actually used of a stamping die where they would have a stamping die to make some kind of a shape or form or impression, typically on metal, and then they would hit it with a hammer. We'll see an example of that.

Here is the coin that was presented to Jesus when they asked him, would you pay taxes to Caesar? And so he said, show me the coin. So this is the coin, the denarius coin. So he, Jesus, said to them, whose likeness and inscription is this? Well, the likeness and inscription was put on there by this tupas. They'd take a slug of silver, and on one side they'd go bam, and they'd stamp it and get the face, and then they'd turn it over and take another stamp to get the impression on the back. So you'd have a likeness, the image that's on there, and then the inscription, of course, is the words. So that's what Jesus was talking about, and it was made by a tupos. So there's the idea of the example that comes out. So let's see how this applies here. Here's the passage we had Courtney read, and the reason for having them do that is so you get the full context of what took place.

We're actually going to zero in on the middle part of that, starting with the end of verse 5 and going into verse 7. So that's going to be our focus here today. So it'll be the end of verse 5, and they typically break up the little phrases and whatnot with a letter, so 5C, into verse 7. So just that brief little passage here is what we're going to be looking at. So we'll break it up just like this. The last part of verse 5, then verse 6, and then verse 7.

And that's what you have also on the handout. Now, one of the things to note is while imitators is in verse 6, example is in verse 7, what verse 5, the end of verse 5, is wanting to communicate is another intentional, deliberate example. We'll talk about that in a minute here.

The other thing to point out is this is not just a teaching in this passage. You have in your handout, as well as on the screen, the listing of New Testament passages. And there are many, as you see. And while it's substantially from the writings of Paul, it's not only from the writings of Paul.

We saw this before in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 12. There is a pattern of using the word mimitis, or imitate, follow. And then there's a pattern of example. And then there's just with that we'll be looking at 1 Thessalonians 1, 5 through 7, which happens to have at one occurrence this imitate. And then it also has the word that's translated example. Both of those are included.

And that's true of the Philippians 3.17, which we'll be looking at shortly, and this 1 Thessalonians passage as well.

Now, here's one of them that was listed, 1 Corinthians 1.11. Paul says to the believers at Corinth, Be imitators of me, just as I also am, and implied in there is an imitator of Christ. Now, that's something we're going to have to look at. How do I imitate Christ?

Then we have here in Ephesians 5, 1 and 2. Therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. This is also one that points particularly to the parent-child relationship. Just as the children are to be imitators of the parents, we as children of the Lord are to be imitators of Him.

And then it says, and walk in love, walking is ordering your life step by step, one step at a time, just as Christ also, and then this love and gave combination, this starts in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that He gave, loved and gave, His only Son.

We have it again in Galatians 2.20, loved and gave, and then here in this chapter twice, This is one of them, loved and gave. And then later on in verse 25 once more. So what you see here when it says be imitators of God, that's an urging, isn't it? It's a calling to be imitators of God. Why? As beloved children, based on the position you already have. And walk in love, there's another urging. Just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, that's our position.

Now, here's the Philippians 3.17 passage, the other one that uses both imitating and example in the same passage or verse. Brethren, join in imitating me and observe those who walk according to the example that you have in us. You see that? There's an example given and then the urging for them to imitate. We need to talk about what biblical imitation is not. Biblical imitation is not asking, what would Jesus do? It's not asking, what would Jesus do, and then deciding to do it. That's not the point. Now, why would I say it's not, what would Jesus do?

Well, first of all, where did Jesus send his disciples? Matthew chapter 10, he sent them only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Is that what you should do? Go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel? Jesus even said, don't go on a road that leads to the Gentiles. Well, if that's the case, we're in trouble. We're already way off track. So that would be one example. Jesus had a particular mission to the Israelites. And aside from his short time in Egypt as an infant, He spent his entire life in Israel, or land that should have been Israel's.

So it's not what would Jesus do, and it's certainly not what would Moses do. So we're not going to do that. Now, biblical imitation is not just trying to act like a Christian. The Bible does not say try to be a good Christian. The Bible doesn't say that. As a matter of fact, God will not be pleased if you try to be a good Christian. Isn't that amazing?

And there's a reason why, and we'll see in a minute here. We can ask the question, does God give an A for effort? Does God give an A for effort? The answer, no. God does not give an A for effort. Why? Because it is His life and work lived through us that God intends for us. It's His life and work lived through us that God intends for us, not our best efforts. If we, at the end of life, come to the Lord and say, Lord, boy, I really tried hard to be a good Christian. He'll say, oh, no. There's a song out there that says, Only one life till soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. Terrible song. And you know why? You know why it's a terrible song? Because only what's done for Christ will be worthless.

Let me change the words. It's real simple. Only one life till soon be past. That's not a bad perspective. Only when life will soon be past, only what's done by Christ will last. Just a pair of words, a pair of letters even, switched. Switched out makes all the difference here. Now biblical imitation is not superficial mimicking nor is it like theatrical acting.

21 years ago this movie was released called Shadowlands. It was a movie that was done to reproduce C.S. Lewis and a lady friend that he had developed a relationship with. She was, however, terminal. Now what's interesting is that the movie was directed by Richard Attenborough. The actor was Anthony Hopkins. He played C.S. Lewis. And the lady that he was having a relationship with was played by Deborah Winger. Now, I don't believe that Attenborough or Hopkins or Winger, any of them, are saved. But Anthony Hopkins played an outstanding Christian. I highly recommend the movie. He did a great job.

The only problem is I think right now he's still on his way to hell. So even if you do a great job and get all these awards that they go and thank each other for, it still doesn't get you there. That's not what God is looking for. He's not looking for a great acting job. I think the people at the Academy Awards were quite pleased with Anthony Hopkins' performance as a Christian. I don't think God's impressed at all.

Now, as we see another believer walking in fellowship with Christ, abiding in Him, and depending upon and trusting in God, moment by moment, imitate that. Now, in this imitation and examples, there are two applications to parenting, not just one, but two. The parents are to be the example for their children to follow, that is to imitate. The parents are to be the example for the children to follow, that is to imitate. And let me make an important point, not in the handout here, but very important.

The priority in what is exampled and the priority in what is imitated centers upon spiritual matters first. Spiritual matters first. If the kids look at you and they learn how to brush their teeth properly and how to cook the eggs and things like that, that's all good. But the priority is spiritual.

That's the most important message to get across by example. Children imitating the examples of parents is one way for them to learn. Remember, we said discipline. We said instruction. And here, it's example and imitation. The third tool that parents have to get across what a walk with the Lord is all about. The other way that imitation and example applies to parenting is that if we have an area where we have no example in life, you say, boy, you know, my dad wasn't around, or my mom wasn't around, or they were just gone, or the example that we had was not good, okay, we need to take a look at this here, and we'll look at it more than once. A couple of years back, I was teaching a marriage seminar in Northern California at a church. And so we had three one-hour sessions for this marriage seminar.

And immediately after the last one, a guy came running up to me, and I mean running. He says, what if all the examples that you had were bad? Then as soon as he got that out of his mouth, his wife came up and she was asking the same thing. What if all the examples you had were bad?

And so we're going to address that here briefly. We can see good examples in the church body. And that's not the full answer. We'll be getting to it. But we can look for good examples in the church body. Oh, that's how that happens. That's how that's done. So let's take a look at this first part. This is the end of verse 5.

Just as you know what kind of men we prove to be among you for your sake. So here's the Apostle Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica and he said we prove to be of the sort of men that would be a good example for your sake. That's why I have the word example off to the side here. It's not in the Text but that's what he's talking about. Okay, we were an example to you So let's look at this deliberate visible example So the kind quality and character of men and by the way, the word doesn't focus on men per se it's masculine But the focus is on that kind quality and character of men that Paul and his fellow teachers were among all the believers in Thessalonica was deliberate We did it on purpose. We did it intentionally. It was evident, and he would even write in such a way that he knows that they know. Paul and his fellow teachers were also not aloof and distant, nor did they stand high above the people with whom they ministered.

They were among them. Among them. That's key. When Peter writes to the churches that he's writing to in 1 Peter, in chapter 5, first four verses, he talks to the elders and said, you're to be a shepherd among them. Among them, you elders are not to lord it over, but instead to be an example. This word, an example.

And so Paul and his fellow teachers were not aloof and distant, but they were among the people. They mixed with them and spent time with them personally. They were among them and their lives were intentionally visible. Intentionally visible. And then the last part there says, for your sake. That's the way love is.

It seeks to benefit someone else rather than to seek gain for oneself. And boy, parenting is like that too. If you're into parenting for short-term gratification, forget it. Not going to happen. The gratification might come, there might be a few points, but the gratification frequently doesn't come until about a quarter century later. So parenting is definitely a delayed gratification game, right?

We parent for the benefit of our children because we love them. Not because we're looking for kudos in the short term. Definitely not. So deliberately and visibly being an example to imitate among our children is for their sakes and not our own. You do it for them, not for yourself.

Let's take a look at verse 6. So you also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word and much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit." So, imitators of us. Here's a key and central phrase here. Just like the Thessalonians were imitating Paul's and his co-workers' deliberate and visible example, children are to imitate the examples of their parents, and parents can even point out what is being learned.

Did you see me do this? Did you notice this? And talk about what this example is doing. So you then bring along the instruction, place it in the mind, alongside this example. Talk about the example that you are. It's fine to do that. Paul's doing that in this letter. Talk about the example. Talk about what you want them to get from it. That's fine. Talk about what you want them to get from them.

What do you want them to learn? You've got a tool. You don't want to just use the tool on them and have them go, huh? What was that? So you want to actually talk about it. Talk about what was learned. Just like the Thessalonians, our kids will probably receive the Word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit. I think so. Now, how about this?

Imitators of the Lord. So how does one imitate the Lord? Do we rain down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Genneson? Do we bring ten plagues on Egypt? I'm sure they'd love that. No, we imitate His character, His love, His grace, His mercy, His patience, His forgiveness, His righteousness. We imitate, and not in a superficial way, We imitate His character. So, how do we go about imitating the Lord's character? So, do we imitate Christ's character by trying to be infinite? Let me tell you about a way that I tried to be infinite.

When I was in high school, this was the start of breakfast. A dozen eggs. I add to that a loaf of bread. A pound of bacon. Significant-sized steak, sometimes larger than this. About two pounds of hash browns. A pitcher full of orange juice, pitcher full of milk, and sometimes topped it off with peaches and cream. And that was just breakfast. Now, I never did get infinite, although my dad thought that the grocery bill was.

The reality is trying to be infinite is not going to get us there. Not going to work. Do we imitate Christ's character by getting crucified like Christ? And I would say, ah, not so much. That's not how it's done. Do we imitate Christ's character by saying, Father, forgive them at election time?

The other thing is, in trying to imitate the Lord's character, we're tempted to do things for Christ, like that song talks about. And then we're tempted to help Him. Does God want us to do things for Christ or to help Him? Our sequence is we attempt to do things for Christ and then we want to help Him. When we finally realize we just have to get out of the way, right? We imitate the Lord's character by the very life of Christ lived in and through us moment by moment and day by day. This is not an external imitation. But this is being an example by Christ's very life.

Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ. That gets me out of the way pretty much, doesn't it? It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And we'll expand on this in a bit. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. Do kids see that example? The kids see that example.

Even when our Lord walked the earth, what did He do? He constantly talked of His dependence upon the Father. The Father who sent me. The Father who sent me. The Father said this. His continual dependence upon the Father was an example to be followed as well.

Now let's take a look at verse 7. so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. So, imitators who learn from your example can become examples. See that? They can turn around and be examples. What this passage shows is that the Thessalonians followed Paul's example and then turned around and became examples for other believers in the region to follow. Ah, so we're starting a series, a sequence, aren't we?

It's not just the parent being the example and the kids being imitators. I'm talking deep imitators, not superficial. But it also turns around that those kids then, having seen a good example, can turn around and themselves be an example for others. Believing parents have a similar opportunity to what was demonstrated between Paul and the Thessalonians.

The parents, as examples, teach the children in part by example. Remember, we got the other two tools, right? Who in turn become examples for their children and for others. Now, you have on the top of page three in your handout, this slide picks up half the page. You might look at it and say, wow, that's a bunch of arrows and words. What does that mean? Well, let's go through it one bit at a time.

What this shows here is the man, who is also a husband, a father, and an adult son, demonstrates by example the identity, and I would add the role, of what's a man? The father is helping his son, that's what you see in line, son or sons, to understand what is a man. Definition, what's a man? Our culture has gotten very confused about what's a man. According to some sociologists, we have 11 genders right now, and some would even say, no,

13. The Bible says we've got male and female. You've got a man and a woman, that's it. So our culture is very confused and does not see that as distinct.

It becomes then all the more important that the believing father define for his sons and daughters, right? But here we have demonstrated just a son. Define, what's a man? Because they're not going to get it anywhere else. Our culture increasingly is running headlong into complete gender and sexual confusion.

They've got to see what's a man, and they've got to see the definition of it lived out. Oh, that's a man. Everybody else may be confused, but I'm not, right? That's what they need to see. There is then the spousal role of a husband. Defining for them, this is what a husband looks like. This is what a husband does. This is what a husband doesn't do. There is then also the father role. So not only is he exampling, this is how I be a husband, but he's also saying, this is how I be a father and give definition to that in the relationship with his son. Then we have the adult son.

One of the things that has happened in our family is that Nancy's folks are both home with the Lord. And Nancy's dad went home with the Lord rather suddenly. It was instant. He was just putting away the lawnmower and all of a sudden he just dropped. Nancy's mom shortly thereafter gave me a call. But Nancy's mom required support and assistance all the way to the very end. And so it was a matter of exampleing for me as the husband of Nancy, here's what it looks like. Now, my parents are both still alive, but they both needed help.

And so exampleing what does that look like to be an adult son is happening with my folks now. So here is an example, and this relates to the living long in the land that we saw in the Ephesians 6, 1-4 passage, being long on the earth. So the man, husband, father, adult, son is carried out, exampled, and displayed to the son or sons. So that's the first set of examples there.

The next one is you have the woman and her identity. What's a woman? And again, we have great gender confusion in our culture. So defining that, living it out, oh, that's what a woman looks like. And then the spousal role, this is what a biblical wife looks like, lived out. The parental role then of mother, is then lived out and shown. And then finally, an adult daughter relationship to elderly parents. So to the daughter, the woman, wife, mother, and adult daughter has an example there of being a woman, a wife, a mother, an adult daughter to her daughter or daughters. Now, there's one that I haven't talked about. We'll get there in a minute. It's value and worth. We'll talk about that, and here's why.

It's evident from Scripture. I'm talking Old Testament passages where the sons were always looking for the blessing from the father, right? And even on into the New Testament, Christ died for you. What does that convey? That conveys value and worth. That conveys value and worth. The man, husband, father, adult, son conveys value and worth to the daughter. This is a key thing. The man is the primary communicator of value and worth in the family. The primary communicator of value and worth in the family. And it needs to be done intentionally. It needs to be done intentionally. Let me back up here. The man, husband, and father, and adult son, all those examples, convey a complementary role to the daughter.

She learns, oh, that's what a man is. She learns, that's what a husband is. That's what a father is from watching her dad. She watches her dad and learns that's what a man is and therefore that is going to help her later in life when she's looking for a man and a husband and someone to be the father of her children.

She's had definition and example. Now, the same complementary role relationship is there. The woman, wife, mother, and adult daughter is giving the example, That's what a godly woman looks like. That's what a wife looks like. That's what a mother looks like. So she's conveying that complementary role. So there's value in both directions.

So finally, this is how this otherwise confusing chart makes some sense here. The key thing here is it's conveying a role directly from the father to the son, conveying a role directly from the mother to the daughter, and then conveying a complementary role for both the son and the daughter in their relationship with father and mother.

Okay, now we address the question again, what if all I've seen is no example or a bad example? either realistically the father or the mother was just not there, or might as well have not have been, in terms of what's conveyed there. And so, you see, believers have a special advantage that the rest of the unbelieving world does not have. See, the unbelieving world doesn't have any of these advantages I'm about to tell you about. Only believers in the body of Christ have this advantage, and it's a triple advantage.

It goes like this. We can fill in the blanks where we had no example, or we can correct the bad examples. And this is what I had to tell the couple that came running up after the marriage seminar. I said, you can fill in the blanks or correct the bad examples in our lives by three God-given means.

Believers have the Word of God to spell out what's true. That in fact, we ought not to be aiming for 11 or 13 genders, but in fact, it's male and female is the way God created them, right? And we have insights like these three tools, we've been talking two last week and one this week, in order to convey the truth and bring our children up in those things.

Next, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead us to the truth. And I'm going to add this since last week, we have the indwelling Christ to live out what we don't have ourselves by ourselves. So you have those advantages together. The indwelling Holy Spirit to lead us to the truth and to empower us. We have the indwelling Christ to have His life living out among us. If His life is living out, in our lives, are we going to blow it? No. Christ doesn't blow it. So dependence upon Him and fellowship with Him and His life being lived out is key.

And the third one is examples and resources in the body of Christ. Looking around and say, oh, that's what that's supposed to look like. And so we see examples in the body of Christ. In what marriage is supposed to look like, we see examples in the body of Christ.

Or even, this is how I deal with a big, heavy, weighty thing that happened in my life. And that's something for kids to see too. What happens when the equivalent of mom or dad gets hit by a freight train? What happens? How do they react? And even being able to see, oh, that's how he deals with it. So we have those things and the world knows none of those. The world has nothing of any of these, but we have these resources as believers in the body of Christ. There's something else to remember. The Apostle Paul came from a really, really, really bad background. He was a bad dude. First Timothy, here's Paul writing to Timothy. Now Timothy is a guy he spent a lot of time with. Now he's writing him a letter. And he is just flat out honest.

I was formerly, and get this, three things, a blasphemer. Now to the Jews, being a blasphemer is as bad as you can get. If you're a blasphemer in the Jewish culture, you get to study rocks up close. And people will help you study rocks up close. So a blasphemer in the Jewish culture was just the worst thing you could do. He says, I did it. Who is he blaspheming against? Jesus. Jesus. And then a persecutor. What of the church?

You see in the account earlier in Acts, we see how Paul was converted. When Paul writes or speaks later in the book of Acts, he says, I voted for death. I voted for death. kill them all Saul. He voted for death every chance he had. Is death a possibility? Go for it. So he did the worst thing against the Jews as a blasphemer. He did the worst thing against the church by killing Christians every chance he had. He wanted them dead.

This last one I'm going to bring it out. It says a violent aggressor. The reason that I need to bring it out is because it takes about 20 words to say what that one word means. It's hubris. It means two things. You shake your fist at God and you take pleasure in the suffering of your fellow man. That's that word. And believe it or not, that was the worst thing in the Greek culture. So he did the worst and most offensive thing in the Jewish culture, he did the worst and most offensive thing with the Christians, and he did the worst and most offensive thing with the Greek culture. He says, I was a triple bad dude. That's his message here.

Yet, verse 16, yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate his perfect patience as an Example ah is this word for those who would believe in him for eternal life Now it's a different kind of example here. This isn't Paul being an example It is as he was with the church of Thessalonica. This is he is an example of God's transforming grace and mercy God can change me. I'm the worst of the worst he even calls himself a the worst of sinners in this passage. And yet God made him into an example for others to imitate and follow and learn from. That's transforming grace. Here is hardline law, hardline law Saul turned to maximum grace Paul.

Now, this picture here is just to get Courtney's attention, okay? As Christians, we have spiritual insight into the sources of the behaviors. This is from Ice Age, the fang-toothed squirrel. At any rate, he's holding a Bible for some crazy reason. Bad behavior comes from the flesh, which is the sin nature as it acts through the body. Bad behavior comes from the flesh.

Parents make a mistake if they fail to realize the Christian and biblical distinction and simply focus on behavior. Good luck getting the flesh to act well. Good luck getting the flesh to act well. Getting that distinction is my child and am I walking in the flesh in the dependence upon the flesh or am I depending upon the Lord. That dependence is a key parental issue, and those who are blind to it, as many are, will constantly be frustrated because they'll expect the flesh to act better.

Good luck with that. Good behavior comes from the believer's new nature, which expresses itself as we walk in fellowship with Christ, abide in Christ, walk in the Spirit, and behold the Lord Jesus Christ through His Word. That's where good behavior comes from. So it's not simply a matter of shaping your child's behavior, but a matter of dealing with what's the source.

Now, let me read to finish here. Galatians 2, 19-21. This is specifically for parents. For through the law, I as a parent died to the law, so that I might live as a parent to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who do the living as a parent. But Christ does the living as a parent in me, and the life which I now live in this fleshly body, I live as a parent by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.

I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness in me, my spouse, and my children comes through the law, then Christ died needlessly." See, Christ didn't just die for you, every one of us here. But righteousness comes only through Christ and Him alone. Law is not going to do it.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for just this time of focusing on this third tool. We thank you that you are sufficient when we are inadequate, when parenting is over the top and too much. That's actually a good lesson to learn. It is intended to be carried out by your very life. I give you thanks for these truths in Jesus' name. Amen.