Spiritual Parenthood In Pagan Times

Transcript

My name is Jan Verbruggen. I’m one of the lay pastors here, and I know you just sat down, but I would ask you to stand again when I read God’s word. First Corinthians 4, verse 14.

I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you then, be imitators of me. This is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church. Some are arrogant as though I were not coming to you, but I will come to you soon if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people

— 1 Corinthians 4

(ESV)

,

but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness

— 1 Corinthians 4

(ESV)

? This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Please be seated, and let’s pray.

Father, as we open your word, I want to praise you, Lord, for your word, both the written and the living one. And as we consider and ponder your written word, may it draw us to the living word, to the Lord Jesus. May we see more clearly, Lord, what he has done and what he is doing in our lives. And, Lord, I pray that if there are areas in our lives that need examination, need correction, need change, I pray that your spirit will move in such a way that you will enable us to do that and to see that. Lord, I pray that through all of this, allow your spirit to work. May I not be a hindrance in that work, but may you be glorified through your word. And we pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting Is Messy

My family is a book family. We buy books for whatever obstacle comes our way. For every question in life, we would seek a book, kind of like a medicine, take these two books and call me in the morning. So when we were expecting our first child, we had several books ready and read. One of them, of course, it’s still in print, actually, what to expect when you’re expecting. And we also had several books out to take care of babies. And so when our first child was born and was colicky and didn’t sleep much, of course, as a grad student, I knew how to do research, I did some research. And after some research, I realized that, yeah, he was supposed to be sleeping four to five hours. So I told my mother-in-law who was helping us out, something is wrong with this child. He’s sleeping two hours and crying two hours.

So what can be done? Parenting at times is messy. We all wish it would follow a more clearly defined path, but it doesn’t. In our text, Paul interacts with the Corinthians and gives advice to them as their spiritual parents. Giving feedback is crucial in a relationship. I give feedback to my students through quizzes, reviews, exams. The way we give feedback differs from culture to culture. Some are very direct and some are more circumspect. The Belgian culture is a little bit more passive aggressive. You know, I remember once my mom coming and standing by the door and putting a finger on the door and showing that it was dirty and she didn’t say anything anymore. So we knew what she was saying, you know, so that’s one way of giving feedback. Paul was giving strong, direct feedback to the Corinthians.

I’m thinking back to the sermon Greg preached last week in verses eight to 13. Paul used a bit of sarcasm to jolt the listeners with the hope that they will come to their senses. He creates these stark contrasts between the Corinthian believers and the apostles, describing the Corinthians believers’ triumphs in really in hyperbolic terms. They have all they want. They have become rich. They have become kings. And then in verses 10 to 13, through a stark contrast between Corinthian believers and the apostles, Paul really questions their true spiritual standing. And we read there, we are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour, we hunger and thirst. We are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor working with our own hands.

When reviled, we bless. When persecuted, we endure. When slandered, we entreat. We have become and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. The Corinthians points to the fulfillment of their wants, their riches, their worldly power, to assess how they’re doing. And they think because of all they have, they are on the right track. At the same time, the true pillars of the church seem to fail in all these areas. The apostles were experiencing hunger, thirst, lacking clothing and housing, constantly working, being reviled, being persecuted, being slandered. They look like the scum of the world, yet they are God’s chosen apostles, his messengers. While the Corinthians seemed to thrive according to worldly standards, Paul and the other apostles worked hard and had very little esteem. Yet they continued to have a heart for the believers, even those who have a warped idea

of their spiritual accomplishments. So he reminds them that he has a right to speak into their lives because he is their spiritual father. We need parents to become alive, but we need parents to stay alive. But not all of us are parents, but we are all brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. And in the same way, some of us are spiritual parents, but all of us are spiritual brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. Our connection to one another as members of the household of faith does not leave us unattached and unencumbered to one another. We have a duty to one another. As a parent, as a father, as a part of the household of faith, we have a duty to admonish, to invite, to imitate, to check, even to chastise one another in the Lord. And we see Paul develop these four things in this section. First, in verses 14 to 15,

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Willing to Correct

he says he’s willing to correct them. Secondly, in verses 16 to 17, he commands them to imitate him. Third, in verses 18 to 20, he’s saying he’s willing to check on them. And then last, in verse 21, he’s saying he’s willing to chastise them. We see Paul performing his duty as a spiritual father by his desire first to check, to correct, to admonish his kids. And we see this in the first section. In verses 14 to 15, we read, I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Paul explains that the sarcasm of the previous section was not because he wanted to turn them away in shame, not to make them small,

but to correct them, to admonish them. Why did he want to admonish them? At times I see kids misbehave in a store and in public places, and I will not correct them because they’re not my kids. But the Corinthians are Paul’s spiritual children. We see this as he calls them his beloved children. The reason why he admonishes them is that he’s acting like a father. Paul presents himself as a spiritual father. That’s the metaphor he uses in our text. But in another text, he used the metaphor of a mother. In First Thessalonians 2.7, he says, but we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. In another passage, he uses the metaphor of a family, Ephesians 2.19. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

These bonds express closeness, tenderness, and care. It is as a parent that he corrects them. The verb to correct, to admonish, does critique their behavior, but he presents his criticism in a blanket of fatherly love. The verb expresses a desire to correct them without intending to embitter them. Actually, to admonish is actually a duty of a parent. Ephesians 6.4, Paul writes, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonishment of the Lord. This correction is done in love, out of care for the Corinthians, with the hope that through this correction, they will have a closer walk with God and become more effective tools in the hand of their heavenly father. In verse 15, he provides the reason why he describes this bond between him and the Corinthians as a father-child relationship. And he says, for though you have countless guys in Christ,

you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. He first acknowledges that while he’s away, they might have had many, literally 10,000 guides in Christ, but you don’t have many fathers. The word for guide, pedagogue, points to these persons in Paul’s time who would guide children. They were usually slaves who would monitor the child’s conduct in general. They focused on behavior modification so that the child or its parents would not fall in disgrace because of the action of the child. In his letter, he’s talking about these guides in a figurative way to point to other Christians, maybe, who might give advice to the Corinthians. Paul uses hyperbolic language about the many guides, the 10,000 guides, to accentuate that he was the only spiritual father through the gospel that they had. God has seen fit to use Paul

to bring these believers to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul has been Christ’s instrument in bringing them to faith. Christ is the agent by whom the people receive new life, and this was accomplished through the gospel. It was the power of the gospel that gave birth to the Corinthian believers. Now, what is the gospel? Most of you know that the word means good news, but you have to tell the bad news first before you can express the good news. Otherwise, you don’t understand the incredible nature of the good news. The good news against the backdrop of the bad news is really, really good news. The bad news is that man is in revolt against a holy and just God. Therefore, mankind is under judgment, and this leaves humanity in a quandary. How can a sinful person be reconciled to a holy God

who cannot ignore humanity’s sinfulness because of his perfect justice? But the good news is that God sent his son to the earth to live that perfect life that we were incapable of living. He offered his sinless life as a perfect sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world, for your sins, for my sins. He bore our sins on the cross, and in doing so, he turned God’s wrath away from us. God’s punishment for our sins landed on Christ. He paid the price and canceled our penalty. This is mercy at work. But the good news doesn’t end there. Through the cross, God grants us new life, restores our fellowship with him, and reconciles us so that we can become children of God. This is his grace at work. This is the good news for today. But there is also good news for the future because we live in the already but not yet.

We are already children of God, but the full expression of that position has not yet fully been revealed. But one day, he will come and make all things new. Paul received his spiritual fatherhood from God because of what Jesus had done for Paul and for the Corinthians. His sarcasm in the previous pericope was not to make them feel small, but to express Paul’s anguish for his spiritual children. He will do anything to reach his children, to have them again walk as believers should walk. He’s telling them bluntly that their pride is killing their witness, hurting the reputation of the church, and causing divisions among themselves. Paul is in anguish over them as a parent. To another church, he writes in Galatians 4.19, my little children, for whom I’m again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you. He could have said that as well to the Corinthians.

He wants to uproot their pride. Paul is saying, you and I have a very special relationship. God used me to carry the message of faith to you, and you received it, and I love you for this. You may have had a thousand instructors, but only one father who cares deeply for you. Do you recall the person who shared Christ with you, or the one who discipled you, or the person who provided some great advice when you were going through some very rocky times? Do we have spiritual moms and dads in our lives who are not afraid to say the more difficult things? Are we becoming a spiritual father or mother to someone? The healthiest churches are those whose members understand that they must minister to one another. Churches are not just about coming and receiving some spiritual nourishment and leaving. The church is a community of believers

who build one another up in love. Are we allowing God to use us as spiritual parents? Are we sharing the gospel with the people around us? Spiritual parents will give warnings, and that’s what Paul did. Look at Proverbs, where we see it framed as a father who gives his son instruction, warnings, and advice. As a spiritual parent, will you indeed have the courage to speak the truth? Are we willing to disciple one another? Are we willing to ask each other how we’re living out what we read in the scriptures? Spiritual parents will care far more than instructors because they feel a much deeper bond. A parent is not hired to provide guidance. A spiritual parent wants to provide guidance. And this brings us to our second point. Spiritual parents will invite their children to imitate them, and we read that in verses 16 to 17.

Imitate Me

I urge you then, be imitators of me. That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ. As I teach them everywhere in every church. I finished high school in a military cadet school. As part of the Belgian military, we at times had to march in front of high functionaries, sometimes the King of Belgium, sometimes military generals. And during such a military parade, you would have several rows of cadets marching side by side. But as you come closer and closer to the high functionary, a command would be given to turn your head to the functionary. And everybody would turn except one person in a row, the person on the outside. He had to look straight ahead because otherwise you might be drifting. And so as everybody looked aside, we could see the functionary,

but at the same time we could still see the man, or the cadet who’s looking straight ahead to make sure we’re still all lined up. We would follow his lead. He would turn to the left, we would turn to the left. He would turn to the right, we would turn to the right. We would imitate him. In past centuries, boys would often follow their father’s profession. It made a lot of sense. The dad had done a particular job, maybe a carpenter or a masonry. He had done that. And he was an expert in that. So he would give their children advice on how to follow him in that profession so that they could provide when they grew up for their families in the same profession. Mothers would do the same thing. They would train their daughters in everything that they needed to be successful mothers for in the future

and to take care of their families. The kids would imitate their parents in whatever job the parent was doing. And so Paul tells the Corinthians to imitate him. Now that seemed for some of us, maybe Paul, are you not going a little bit too far? Doesn’t that seem to be a little bit prideful to say imitate me? But Paul is not saying that he’s the North Star by which they should navigate their lives. He’s saying to imitate him because he’s using Christ as his North Star. And we can read this in 1 Corinthians 11, 1, be imitators of me as I am of Christ. As a mature Christian, he gives this wonderful advice to these immature Christians who have a great difficulty finding their way through the storms of life. Paul’s admonishment takes on the form of, look, this is the better way of walking with God.

A spiritual father, parent, will invite you to imitate him as he imitates Christ. And as followers or imitators of Christ, he will remind you how Jesus walked. In verse 17, we read, this is why I sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach them everywhere in every church. As Timothy’s spiritual father, Paul had trained him, had taught him doctrine, had taught him devotion to God. And now he sends him out so that Timothy can teach the Corinthians to follow him as he follows Paul and as Paul follows Christ. A parent trains his child so that they can stand on their own eventually and walk properly as good contributing members of society, of the church, as followers of Christ. And Paul teaches this everywhere. He is consistent in his message. He is not two-faced,

doing one thing in one context and another in a different context. It doesn’t matter where he is. He is a follower of Christ. We need to understand the world the Corinthians were living in. Very likely, they did not have a Bible, meaning a physical Bible in their hands. Maybe one of them had an Old Testament, but of course the New Testament was still in the process. But very likely, very few people had an Old Testament in their hand because books had to be handwritten and were very expensive. People often became living books. As they lived out their faith in God, people could read the scriptures by their lives. In a way, this is becoming sadly more and more true also in our times. People are able to get Bibles, but often they don’t or they don’t know about it. It’s not something that was in their families

and they don’t know anything about the faith. They will only know about Jesus through his followers as Christians imitate Christ’s. So how do we walk before God? How do we live our lives out? Your kids will imitate you, that is a given. They will imitate the good, the bad, and the ugly. Someone is always watching you. You’re called to be a follower of Jesus all the time. We need to practice what we say we believe. Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son and he followed Paul and Paul followed Christ. Paul says here that having Timothy in Corinth is like having Paul there. Timothy would remind them of Paul’s ways in Christ. So where are our spiritual children? Where are our Timothys? Now in our culture, the word follower is actually quite negative. A follower is the opposite, considered the opposite of a leader. And of course our culture calls us to be leaders.

The topic leadership has devoted a whole genre of books. There are leadership conferences, there are leadership classes. If you go to Powell Bookstore, there is a leadership section. Interesting enough, I’ve never seen a follower section at Powell’s Bookstore. The term follower maybe has gained a little bit more credence or popularity in recent years because of social media. Instagram and Twitter enable people both famous and almost famous to try to build their own brand by gaining followers. But if you really think about it, the emphasis is still on those who are able to attract followers, not so much on the follower. You need to be a leader so that people can follow you. But as Christians, even as the name Christians itself says, we are marked as followers of Jesus. Paul is saying, as far as I follow Christ, you follow me. That marks you not as a follower of Paul,

but as a follower of Christ. We don’t graduate from this when we become more mature. The more mature in Christ we become, the more people will identify us as followers of Christ. And one of the many reasons for this is that followers are always dependent upon the one who’s leading them. It is a position of humility, and that is a good thing. As Christians, we are characterized as ones who sit at the feet of Jesus. As a follower, as a disciple, we give up a whole variety of opportunities just to follow our master. To be a follower, disciple of someone is to turn your life over to them and ask that their wisdom might help you, guide you in life.

Checking on His Children

As a follower, as a disciple of Jesus, following Jesus every day, we desire to become more and more like him. And that requires sacrifice, but it also transforms us. We don’t do this on our own, we do this in community. And that is what Paul is doing with the Corinthians. As he imitates Christ, he invites them to imitate him, and in doing so, they will imitate Christ. He is involved in their lives to see how they’re walking. Even at a great distance, he sent letters. He’s engaged, he wants to know how you’re doing, how you’re following Christ. And when he hears of divisions, he realizes, I need to check on them. And that’s what a good parent does, and that’s what we see in the third point, verses 18 to 20, where he says, some are arrogant as though I were not coming to you,

but I will come to you soon if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power, for the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power. As Paul finds out more about the Corinthian situation, he plans to go and visit them because he’s heard that yes, there is some division, there is some prideful people going around there acting arrogantly, thinking that Paul is not coming. When I was growing up, my dad didn’t really think much of television. He thought it would hinder his kids’ development, definitely would take him away from schoolwork, so we were not allowed to watch the television except for the weekend evenings. Now at times in the weekend, when my parents were away, I would turn on the TV, and I would stand in the house in such a place

so I could see the TV, what was going on, and at the same time see also the streets. So I was faking obedience, which is another way of saying I was disobedient, but I was too wimpy to really defy my parents outright. We could put it in a different way. I was still having some respect for my parents, yes, but you can probably all identify with the fear that sometimes when your mom would say, when you misbehaved, wait till dad comes home. You know, whoa, I don’t wanna encounter that. In Corinth, certain people had become arrogant, puffed up, thinking of themselves as important with the idea that nobody will call them on it. As parents, we know that we shouldn’t leave our children unchecked if they’re still young. Their brain isn’t developed enough to know how to handle every situation. So as a good parent, Paul checks with his children regularly

as often as the Lord allows, and as a good parent, he examines his children not just by their words but by their power because as Paul says, the kingdom of God doesn’t consist in talk but in power. Now, what is this power that Paul is talking about? Some want to see a reference here to speaking in tongues or the gift of prophecy, but Paul hasn’t mentioned this topic yet with the Corinthians, that’s later in the letter. I think Paul is really referring to these characteristics that would make it clear to everybody who is around that Christ was really ruling in their lives. He’s going to check their walk and not just their speech. The power he’s looking for is to see God’s spirit at work in their lives. And the scriptures have a lot to say about this, about how the spirit of God works in believers’ lives.

And I want to go through a number of passages just to highlight what the spirit of God is doing. So we can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life if we see the spirit constantly convict them of sin and righteousness, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 1, 4-5. For we know, brothers, loved by God, that he has chosen you because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when God’s spirit gives the ability to believe on Christ for salvation, sanctification, and glorification. Look at Ephesians 1, 19, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life

when God’s spirit enlightens them to see Christ and him crucified as their only hope in life and death. 1 Corinthians 1, 18, for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit at work to grant them everything they need for life in godliness. 2 Peter 1, 3 states, his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life in godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit help them discern good from evil. Hebrews 5, 14 says, but solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment

trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit help them comprehend and experientially know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. Ephesians 3, 16 and 19 states that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit help them abound in hope. Romans 15, 13, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life

when we see God’s spirit grant them endurance and patience with joy. Colossians 1, 11, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for all endurance and patience with joy. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit enable them to toil and struggle for Christ’s glory in this life. Colossians 1, 29, for this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life when we see God’s spirit enable them to be faithful witnesses for Christ Jesus. Acts 1, 8, but you will receive power with the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the end of the earth. We can see the kingdom of God at work in someone’s life

when we see God’s spirit sustain them in their faith in Christ to the end. 1 Peter 1, 5, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed at the last time. Because Paul wants to see God’s kingdom at work in the Corinthians, he is speaking very clearly towards them. And he even holds out the possibility of chastisement as we come to the last point from our text in verse 21. What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love in a spirit of gentleness? One New Testament scholar writes, the question is not whether Paul will come, but how he will come. The rod is a symbol here of discipline, correction. You see, a spiritual father is willing to discipline his children when needed and is gentle and loving whenever possible. Ecclesiastes 7, 5 says,

it is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. Thomas Schreiner writes that Paul hopes that his words will provoke the Corinthians to repentance and that thus any discipline will be unnecessary. While Paul is willing to come at a disciplinarian, he prefers to come with love in a spirit of gentleness.

The Power of the Gospel

He wants them to react in a positive way so that he can show love and gentleness because they have responded with repentance. So why is Paul so stern with them? Because he will not stand, because he will not stand, he will not take it that people arrogantly transpose the power of the gospel into privilege. Yes, you have been made a child of God through the power of the gospel, but that does not give you the license to live any way you want to live. It is love that brings out a stern father in him, but he doesn’t want them to continue because he doesn’t want them to continue on the path that will lead only to destruction. A spiritual father, a spiritual parent will love enough to give spiritual correction. This is a warning given to these believers in the letter. It is now up to the Corinthians to determine

if Paul’s visit will be a joyful visit or a hard visit. Paul is not shirking His duty as a parent and taking the easy way out of non-confrontation. At the same time, I don’t think he relishes confrontation. He’s rather reluctant to have to come with the rod, but he will do so if there is no other way forward. So what do we learn from this? Well, hopefully we all have spiritual parents and these parents want to feed our soul with the gospel. They want you to know what Christ’s work on the cross has accomplished, is accomplishing, will accomplish because that marks the real power of the Christian. Spiritual parents don’t want you just to know about the gospel, about Christ. They want you to know Christ himself and experience the power of the gospel in your life. As a spiritual parent, you just don’t want them to know

about the suffering servant, but you hope that they will grasp the nails of that scarred hand as they live out their Christian life. As a spiritual parent, you just don’t want them to believe about that he’s been pierced in the side, but you want to be partakers of his wounds and obey him as he was spit on. So you will be maybe spit on. As he was rejected, maybe you will be rejected because of your faith in the son of God. Spiritual parents don’t want you to walk where his feet have walked, but they want you to walk in repentance and in faith every day. We need one another. We need a household of faith. Younger men, you need spiritual parents. Younger women, you need spiritual mothers. Older women, you need spiritual mothers to younger, to be spiritual mothers to younger women. And older men, you need to be spiritual fathers

to younger men. How is the gospel at work in your life? Is it just with words or is it with power? If you know nothing of the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you, then I think you still need to come to faith. You need to be born again. You’re still dead in your sins, no matter how much you profess, proclaim, and hear. The kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power. And so I would advise you cry out to God in prayer and ask him to come into your life. Give him your life. Repent of your sin, trust in him, and submit to Jesus and he will receive you. If you know much of his power, praise the Lord and press on, but remember what is there that you have not received from the Lord. So let us not be puffed up or arrogantly.

Take heed lest you fall. If you know some of this power, praise the Lord and press on because we are at different stages in the Christian life. Some are further along than others, but devote yourself daily to the disciplines that will mature you. The spiritual disciplines of prayer, of Bible study, of Bible obedience, meditation, confession, repentance, worship, the Lord’s supper, and the fellowship with other Christians. If you are a believer and you have not been baptized, be obedient to the word and be baptized. If you feel weak in your walk with the Lord, go to God in prayer and ask for the spirit to work even more powerfully in you and he will deliver that. In conclusion, Paul gives us here a magnificent example what it is to make disciples and to be a disciple, how to be a spiritual parent and how to take care of your spiritual children.

If you think you want to become a beacon of light in this dark world, we need to become a family that is willing to look after one another, especially to speak to one another in love. I want God’s spirit powerfully to work in me as he applies the good news of Christ’s sacrificial life and death in every facet of my life. I want to have my brothers and sisters stand side by side with me as I face my struggles in a world that is constantly looking to see how will you react and I’m sure at times I react not good, not well. I want them to, I want to be held accountable when I fall or when I don’t see sin clearly in my life. This is a call to be a true household of faith where we recognize our unique bonds with one another

because of the work that Jesus has done for us. Let us be a true household of faith. Let’s pray. Father, we have read how Paul loved the Corinthian church well enough to engage them even as a stern father. As a parent, he was willing to correct them, to command them, to imitate him, to check on them and even willing to chastise them. As we address you as our father, may we be attentive to your guidance as you correct us and chastise us. Help us to follow the Lord Jesus and allow your spirit to check our walk, our devotion and to allow him to speak into our lives. We need you, Lord. We also need one another. You have given us to one another. You have brought this family together as your local church. Give us a spirit of humility as we speak to one another about following you.

Give us a spirit of humility so that we can receive words of correction, admonishment, even chastisement. Help us to pursue after you with our whole heart, soul, mind, spirit and strength. Help us to do this, to help us to lift up your work that the Lord Jesus is doing. Help us to look upon our rock, our Redeemer, our King. Help us to realize that we cannot do this on our own. We are completely dependent upon you. And Lord, mark us as followers of you. And I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.