The Model Follower, Part 1

I'm going to ask you a question and you answer it right off the top of your head, not out loud, just in your own mind. You can write it down if you want to, but how you answer this question is very, very important. Okay? Here's the question. You answer it in your mind or you can write it down. The very first thing that pops into your mind is very telling.

What is your greatest joy in life? What is your greatest joy in life? We encounter many happy occasions. We go through life and we have children. That's a happy occasion. We get married. Hopefully you get married before you have children, but you get married and that's a happy occasion. Uh, you get a new job, you get a pay raise, uh, you graduate from college or high school or whatever it is you're doing. And, and those are all happy occasions. But, but what is the greatest joy in your life? The answer should be from a biblical perspective, right?

So John would say in third John four, my greatest joy is to hear that my children walk in truth. I wonder if that's your greatest joy today, that your greatest joy is that your children walk in truth. It should be man's greatest glory consists on how he helps others understand the Christ and walk with Christ. For instance, if you look in the Bible and you study the man, Andrew, one of the disciples of our Lord, his name means manly. So if you want to know what a man is, study the life of Andrew. He's mentioned three times in John's gospel.

All three times he's doing the exact same thing. So whatever he's doing, he's going to describe to you, explain to you what manliness is all about in all three times. He's mentioned in John's gospel. He is leading people to Christ. That's manliness. It's leading people to Christ. To the place where they come to understand the Christ. That they may follow the Christ. That's what true manhood is all about. So we have to ask ourselves the question, is my greatest joy to know that my children walk in truth?

Not that my children believe in God, but they actually match their belief with their behavior. There's no dichotomy between the two. They truly walk with the Lord. And I take great joy in watching my children walk with the Lord, I do. That is my greatest joy. My father used to always tell me, I don't care what your grades are. I don't care where you get your education. I don't care where you work. I don't care how much money you make. The only thing I care about is that you walk in truth. Nothing else matters to me.

And my father and mother pounded that in my head. We just want you to walk in truth. Walk with the God of truth. Understand the God of truth. Live where you go to school for the God of truth. Where you work for the God of truth. Because if God is not the center of your universe, then something else is, some other God is, and it makes no difference how much money you make and where you work and the kind of education you have, because it doesn't mean anything anyway. It's all gonna pass away. So make sure you live for the Lord.

That's what matters. My greatest joy is to hear that my children walk in truth. My greatest joy as a pastor is to know that the people of Christ Community Church walk in truth. There's no greater joy than that. To be able to sit back and for these 30 years to watch people come to faith, grow in their faith, walk in their faith, live for the Lord, and then have children and then raise their children in the ways of the Lord. I tell you, that's just the great joy of the pastor. And that's one of my greatest joys, is to see the people of the church, the spiritual children of the church walk in truth.

So Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4, verse number 16, these words, pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Persevere in these things. For as you do this, you will ensure salvation for yourself and for those who hear you. Paul tells Timothy, listen, pay very close attention to who you are and what you teach. So much so that you persevere in them because the true mark of genuine Christianity is the perseverance of the saints. And when you persevere in them, you ensure that you truly are one who was saved and you will also influence those who see you and hear you towards saving grace.

Very important. So he would say in 2 Timothy 2, verse number one, he would say, you therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trustees, the faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Paul says, Timothy, you make sure that you pass on the truth to others. That they would be able to teach others, heteros, others of a different kind, so you have discipleship and evangelism in the same set of verses, that you teach others also how they might walk with the Lord. Why? Because there is no greater joy in all the world than to know that your children, physical or spiritual, walk in truth. That is the greatest joy. I wonder if you experience that joy as you sit here this morning, that your children walk in the truth of the living God.

They honor the Lord. They live for the Lord. One of the greatest heartbreaks for a parent is to see their children walk away from the Lord, wander off, not commit to the truth of the gospel. That's heartbreaking. Because the relationship that you have with them becomes so shallow from there on out. It's just about your job and your money and politics and sports and all that shallow stuff that doesn't make any difference for the sake of eternity. But when they love the Lord and serve the Lord, you have deep conversations around the things of God.

And they're intimate in nature. And you experience the joy of true, genuine communion, not just with one another, but with the Lord himself. Paul was deeply concerned that his spiritual children walk in truth. That was his greatest joy. And so there were certain characteristics that Paul would exemplify. We talked to you about those in 1 Thessalonians 2, to help you understand what were those qualities that made him the model leader. Chapter one was all about the model church. They imitated the leader.

Chapter two, verses one to 12, was all about the model leader, how Paul led. And we told you he led with faithfulness. He led with boldness, with pureness, with genuineness, with humbleness, with tenderness, with toughness. Last week, it was with zealousness. This week, it's with fondness. As you look at the model follower in verses 13 and following, we can't just go to those verses without jumping ahead to verses 17 to 20.

Because in order to understand and look at the actions of those who follow, you must understand the affection of the one who led them.

And that was the Apostle Paul. So read with me, verses 17 of chapter two, down through verse number 20. But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short while in person, not in spirit, we're all the more eager and great desire to see your face. For we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, more than once. And yet Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? For you are our glory and joy. What great fondness, what great affection Paul had.

And this wasn't a natural affection. If you go back over to Philippians chapter one, in the book of Philippians, the first chapter, it says this in verse number eight.

For God is my witness how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. There was an affection that he had. And it wasn't a natural affection. It was the same kind of affection that Christ had for his own children. Paul says this is something supernatural. This is something that God is doing in my heart that I had this great affection for all of you. Because there was this deep fondness, this closeness he had with the people of God because there was no greater joy for Paul than to hear that his children walked in truth.

And the word used for affection speaks of the innermost part of our being, the bowels. There was this deep inner affection that he had for his children. When you come to First Thessalonians chapter two, you see that affection as he talks about how you are our joy, our crown.

You are our exaltation. You are our rejoicing. This is what gets us fired up. This is what gets us excited about ministry. You are our joy. Wow, what a great statement. That's the way it should be for every parent of his children, for every spiritual leader in his church. The greatest joy is to know that your children walk in truth. That's it. And so I want you to notice four things with me in these verses that help us understand the leader's affection, okay?

The first one is this. His affection is seen in his separation from them. His separation from them. He says in verse 17, but we brethren, that's Paul, Silas, and Timothy, and he calls them brethren because they're beloved of the Lord and beloved by Paul. Having been taken away from you for a short while, in person, not in spirit, we're all the more eager with great desire to see your face. I just wanna see your face. I wanna be able to look into your eyes. It's one thing to have a conversation with someone on the phone.

You know what those are like, right? Or by way of snail mail, if you still write letters, for those of you who are old school like I am, or even send an email, right? You can communicate that way, but to see someone's face. I mean, today we're blessed with FaceTime, right? So we can actually observe the person we're talking to. Paul didn't have FaceTime. He wanted to literally see their face, see their eyes, be able to understand their emotion. He desired to see them, but he was torn away. That's what it means to be taken away from you.

He was snatched away. It's a word that means orphaned. I've been orphaned. You're my children, and I've been snatched away from you, or you've been snatched away from me. I'm unable to see your face. And if you're a father or a mother, and you wanna long to see your children, you can't see them, there's a separation anxiety that's there that you wanna see their faces. This was Paul. He just wanted to see them face to face, but he was snatched away. You read about it in Acts chapter 17. Remember, he came there, he ministered for three Sabbaths, and there were many Jews that came to the Lord, and some Greeks that came to the Lord, and some of the mighty women of the city who came to the Lord.

It was a great testimony as to the effects of the gospel. But the Jews were infuriated with him who didn't come to Christ. And they ran him out of the city. Paul had to leave. How long he was there? I think he was there longer than three weeks. I think he was there because he didn't have a tent business that he had got up and running while in Thessalonica. So he was probably there maybe a few months, but because they were so irate with the apostle Paul, he had to leave the city. Felt torn apart from them.

His separation chose us about his affection. He was torn from them. He wanted to be with them, but he could not see them. He wanted to experience firsthand all that was taking place in their life because his greatest joy was to know that his children walked in truth. But not just in a separation from them, but in his intercession for them. In his intercession for them, that's point number two.

Why? Because he would pray for them. He would pray longingly for them. I am taken away physically, but not in spirit, he says. I am physically separated from you, but spiritually I'm not because I can intercede for you. And all throughout 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, you hear the affection of the apostle Paul. Jump down to chapter three. Look what it says in verse number nine. For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account?

See that? See the joy that he has? It's on their account. It's for what's happening in their lives. They're walking in truth. They had turned to God from idols, chapter one, to serve the living and true God. He says this. He says, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face and may complete what is lacking in your faith, now may our God and Father himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all the people just as we also do for you so that he may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints.

What a prayer. That was the apostle Paul. He had, this is the leader's affection for his people because his greatest joy is to know that they walk in truth. It's evident in his separation from them and his intercession for them. In fact, over in the second letter to those in Thessalonians, he says in verse number three, we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting because your faith is greatly enlarged and the love for each other of your, one of you toward one another, grows ever greater.

Therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. We can't wait to tell other people about you because you're so committed. Over in chapter two, verse 13, but we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this he called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brethren, stand firm, hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. That was Paul. So you see the man's affection. It's no wonder they were model followers. This is the way he lived his life. And when we get next week in verses 13 and following, you're gonna see how they would respond to the word of God and react to the will of God mainly because of the apostle Paul.

He was able to see. They were able to see in him this great love and affection for his spiritual children in his separation from them, in his intercession for them, and number three, in the opposition from Satan.

This is a great statement. Listen to what he says. He says, for we wanted to come to you, I, Paul, more than once, and yet Satan hindered us. What a statement. You are so dear to me that I wanted to be there, but I know, I know that God in his providence allowed Satan to work so that we could not get to you. And the word hinder is a word that was used to either dig a trench or tear up the stones or tear up the road. It's how you would stop the enemy from coming against you. You would dig a trench so they couldn't get to you or you'd tear up the road so they couldn't make their way smoothly to you.

Satan has torn up the road for us to get back to you. He has dug a trench so we can't get back to you and see you face to face. Paul was very discerning. He understood that Satan had hindered him. Now, he knows the difference between Satan hindering him and the Spirit hindering him. Remember over in Acts chapter 16, he talks twice about how the Spirit stopped them from going a certain direction. We don't know how the Spirit did it, but he did. In order for them to receive a vision from the man of Macedonia saying, come up over here toward us.

And that's how the Lord opened the door. But the Spirit had hindered him. Here he says, Satan hindered him. What a wise man. Because he knew that God in his providence allowed Satan to do what he did. How did he do that? We don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us. Maybe it's because in Acts chapter 17. Remember when Jason made a pledge to the religious leaders because they were so angry that Paul had been to their town that he made a pledge for them. And maybe he pledged his life. Maybe he says, if they come back, you can take my life.

You can put me in prison. You can kill me if they come back. Maybe that was the way it was used. I don't know. The Bible doesn't tell us. All we know is that Paul knew that Satan had hindered him. Now, it's very important to realize this. That Paul has already said to the Corinthians, we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. 2 Corinthians chapter two. We're not ignorant of Satan's devices. We know how he functions. Satan is always trying to stop the spread of the gospel. He's always trying to stop the progress of the gospel.

That's why he uses the word he does, that they were hindered by Satan. They were unable to continue the progress that they were on because Satan hindered them. Satan doesn't want the gospel to progress. So he'll do all he can to stop it. Remember Matthew chapter 13, the parable of the sow in the soil. It falls on the hard soil and Satan comes along and snatches it away. We know that 2 Corinthians four tells us that Satan blinds the mind of the unbeliever. So he doesn't believe, the unbeliever doesn't believe in the deity of Christ, the glory of Christ.

So Satan is involved in blinding the mind of the unbeliever. We understand that. We understand that Satan was involved in Acts chapter five in the very first church in Jerusalem.

When Satan had filled the heart of Ananias and he lied to the Holy Spirit, right? Satan was trying to hinder the spread of the gospel as very outset. And God killed Ananias and Sapphira in the church because he's concerned about the purity of the church. But Paul would know about that. He would understand those kinds of things. We know that Satan is a liar and a murderer from the beginning. We know that he is a deceiver. Paul would say over in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, these words, I am afraid that as a serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

He knew of Satan's activity in the mind of the church. Over in verse 14 of 2 Corinthians 11, no wonder for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore, it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their needs, their deeds. So Paul knows about that. Paul knows how Satan wants to attack the leadership of the church. Think about it. Luke chapter 22, Christ came to Peter and said, Satan has come to me and asked that he might sift you like wheat.

You see, because Satan can't do anything unless he asks permission from God. All you gotta do is read Job one, right? Job was the most blameless man on the face of the earth. He feared God. He was devout. He loved the Lord. But Satan couldn't touch him unless God gave him permission. And when God gave him permission, he said, you can deal with his life, but you can't touch the man. Then he said, you can touch the man, but you can't kill the man. Satan can only go so far. But Christ says to Peter in Luke 22, Satan has asked for you because he wants to sift you like wheat.

But Peter, I prayed for you that your faith would not fail and that when you come back, you'd learn to strengthen your brethren. That's why Peter would go on to say in 1 Peter 5, verse number eight, Satan goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. See, he knows how Satan operates. That's why you resist him steadfast in the faith. Remember in Matthew chapter 16, Matthew chapter 16, well-meaning believers in the church, in your family can be used by Satan and they not even know it.

So when Christ talks about how he's gonna build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And then he begins to speak about his death, burial and resurrection. Peter says, oh no, Lord, you don't know your mission. You're the Messiah. You don't know your ministry. That's not gonna happen to you. And Christ says to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan.

Why does he say that? Because Peter, well-intentioned was being used by Satan to distract Christ from his ultimate mission, the cross. There are people in the church who tried to distract you from your mission of serving the Lord. There are people in your family who do the exact same thing. And they're being used by Satan to get you off track from serving the Lord and being true to him. Christ knew that. And says to Peter, get thee behind me, Satan. Because you don't have in mind the things of God.

When someone doesn't have in mind the things of God, but only their interest and their mission, they're being used by the evil one to distract you from fulfilling God's mission for your life. Do not be ignorant of Satan's devices. And Paul says, Satan hindered us. I love what one author says. He says, this by no means excludes divine providence, which rules in the midst of our enemies. Satan entered the heart of Judas so that he made plans to betray Jesus and God permitted the betrayal for his own divine and blessed ends.

So Satan succeeded in frustrating Paul's two plans to return to Thessalonica. But only because this accorded with God's own plans regarding the work of Paul was to do. Satan has brought many martyrs to his death, but God permitted it. The death of these martyrs was more blessed for them and for the cause of the gospel than their life would have been. It is ever so with Satan's successes. No thanks to Satan. His guilt is the greater. It was due to Satan that in the Thessalonians, that in the Thessalonians suffered just as the original churches in Judah had to suffer.

Although God permitted this suffering because of his providence. So important. Remember in 1 Corinthians 16, verse number nine, Paul says that God has opened a wide and effectual door for me and yet there are many adversaries. Paul knew that. When the Lord opens a door, there are many adversaries. Why? Because Satan wants to hinder the progress of the gospel. He wants to hinder the progress of truth. That's why Paul said in Ephesians 4, 26, be angry and sin not. Do not let the sun go down upon your wrath unless then you give opportunity for the devil.

How many times in our marriages do we get angry and let the sun go down upon our wrath? Only giving an open door for the devil to take opportunity in our hearts to cause us to become bitter, resentful, unforgiving. Paul says, don't let the sun go down upon your wrath. You can be angry, just don't sin. But if you become angry and you do sin, deal with it. Don't let the sun go down upon your wrath because if you do, you give opportunity to the devil. See, we forget how active Satan is in the lives, but we talked about this in the summertime with our series on the church, how the church is the playground for Satan.

Remember that? And you can go to the book of Revelation. Look at the book of Revelation. And in the churches there, it says, to the churches at Smyrna, that there are those of the synagogue of Satan in the church of Pergamum. I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is, and you hold fast my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antimus, my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you where Satan dwells. The Lord would say over in verse number 24 of chapter two, the church of Thyatira, but I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan.

And then to the church of Philadelphia, behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you. Satan is active. He's everywhere. He goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He's really active in your marriage. Remember what Paul says in first Corinthians seven?

He says these words, verse four, the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer and come together again, so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Paul says in the marriage, which is a picture of Christ's relationship to the church, you need to make sure that you as a husband and wife maintain sexual intimacy.

If you're not gonna do it, you stop for only a short while and only for one reason, and that is to be devoted to prayer. Only devoted to prayer. Because if not, you open the door for Satan to tempt you. See, Paul knew, even your marriage. There's the outworking of Satan. And how many marriages are destroyed because of pornography and affairs because there's been a detracting from sexual intimacy in the marriage, which causes the husband or the wife to go elsewhere because they've been tempted by Satan, because they disobeyed the scriptures.

Paul knew we are not ignorant of Satan's devices. And Paul says, this is my affection for you. I so badly wanted to be with you. I so badly wanted to see your face. I so badly wanted to be close to you, but Satan hindered us. God had allowed Satan to stop the progression of our movement back to Thessalonica that we could not see you face to face. This expresses the deep love he had for those people. He loved them dearly. His affection was strong. It's no wonder they loved him. It's no wonder they followed him.

They wanted to imitate him because this was his life. And then there's one more, okay? There is his separation from them, his intercession on behalf of them, the opposition from Satan, and lastly, his anticipation of his reward and glory. This is rich. Look at this.

This is so good. He says, verse 19, for who is our hope or joy or crown of exaltation? Is it not even you? In the presence of our Lord Jesus that is coming, for you are our glory and joy. Regardless of all the problems you faced, and he faced an enormous amount of problems, shipwrecked, snake-bitten, imprisoned, stoned, beaten, you name it, he faced it, right? But what kept him joyous is that he would see his children in glory once again. This is called the crown of exaltation or the crown of joy or the crown of rejoicing.

But listen carefully. It's really, listen, you have the crown of righteousness, right? The incorruptible crown of 1 Corinthians 9, the crown of glory of 1 Peter 5, right? So you have the crown of life in James 1, right? Now hear what I'm gonna say here. Don't think that when you get to heaven, you're gonna be walking around with crowns that say joy on it or righteousness on it or life on it or incorruptible crown on it. We tend to think that's what we're gonna do. Oh no, no, it's the crown which is rejoicing.

It's the crown which is righteousness. It's the crown which is life. It was the crown which is incorruptible. It's the crown which is glory. You see, when you get to heaven, you are perfectly righteous. That's your crown. When you get to heaven, you have eternal bliss, eternal life. That's the crown. When you get to heaven, you're gonna see those who came to saving faith and that is your joy. They become the joy, the exaltation. I'm sure that you're going to receive some kind of crown because in Revelation 5, we cast our crowns at the feet of the Lord.

So there is some kind of crown you receive. But don't think it's just some kind of material thing you're gonna wear on your head. The crown really is the rejoicing you have in the presence of those that you have led to the Lord. Maybe that you planted a seed or watered the seed or brought forth the harvest of the seed. I don't know. But that's your joy because you're gonna be with them in glory. And Paul says, man, this is my joy. This is it. That one day when Jesus comes again, you're gonna be our joy.

You're gonna be our crown. You're gonna be our exaltation. You're gonna be our rejoicing. You're it. Why? Because there's no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth. That's it. That's everything. Walking in truth, loving the Lord, serving the Lord. This was his passion. This was a drive in the Apostle Paul that made him the way he was. I wonder how many lives you have affected for the gospel. As you've gone through your life, how many lives have you affected for the truth of the gospel?

How many people you've actually had the blessing of leading to the Lord or planting a seed in them? Maybe in Sunday school. Maybe you were a teacher in Sunday school and you just planted the seed and that person would come to saving faith down the road. How many times we have baptisms in our baptismal and people give testimony as to what they learned in children's ministry or youth ministry or in church and then later they gave their life to the Lord because the seed was planted, right? And there was someone who was there with them and read the word of the Lord to them and they gave their life to Christ and they were able to bring forth the increase and the fruit of saving grace.

How many times have you heard that happen? Whose life have you affected with the sake of the gospel that you've taught to them the truth? They might hear it, one day believe it and follow Christ. There probably be all kinds of people in glory one day that you've talked to, you shared the gospel with. You never saw them come to saving faith. They may have moved away or you moved away and never saw them again or changed jobs, I don't know. But one day they'll be in glory. I remember a long time ago, there was a friend of mine down the street, we played sports together, we played football and baseball together in high school.

He was a good friend of mine and I remember sitting down on our porch one day and going through the gospel with him and sharing Christ with him. He could care less about the gospel. I said, look, I just need to tell you about Christ. I invited him to church, he'd come to some of our youth events, okay, but he was just not interested in things of the Lord. Years later, I'd graduated from college and I got a phone call in Delaware because I happened to be visiting my mom and dad at the time and the phone rang and it says, is Lance there?

My mom said, well, of course he is. How did you know he was home from the West Coast? Well, I didn't know, I just wanted to know if he was there. She said, yes, yes, he's here. The guy's name was Ken. I got on the phone and he said, Lance, this is Ken. I want to let you know that last night I gave my life to Christ. Years later, 15 years later, I didn't know who else to call, so I called you because you were the first one to tell me about Christ.

And I sat on your porch and mocked you and laughed at you and told you that I wasn't interested in any of this stuff, but last night, last night, I realized I was hellbound for Christ's eternity and I gave my life to Christ and I wanted to call you and thank you for being faithful to presenting to me the gospel. There's probably more people like that in your life as well. You've never talked to them since the day you shared Christ with them. Maybe you go door to door in evangelism, you share it or go park to park with us on Saturday mornings and you share the gospel with someone and they just blow you off.

Who knows that one day they give their life to Christ and one day they'll be in glory and they'll be your crown of exaltation, your crown of rejoicing, the joy that you will have. Even your children, you share Christ with them. You might die before they ever give their life to Christ. That might happen. You might go home to be with the Lord before they ever come to saving faith. But because of your testimony and your faithfulness of sharing the gospel with them, one day they give their life to Christ and when they get to heaven, they will be your crown of joy, your crown of exaltation, your crown of rejoicing.

This is Paul. This is his affection for people. It's no wonder he was the model leader. It's no wonder they became the model followers. They wanted to be like that guy. How about you? How is your testimony? How is your impact? How is your affection for your spiritual children, for your physical children? Do you love them enough to make sure they know the truth no matter what? Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today. We thank you for this opportunity that you gave us to spend time in the word.

What a blessing. What a blessing to see the apostle Paul and the joy that you gave him as a minister of the gospel, as a prophet, as an apostle. Our prayer, Father, is that we would be those kind of people the kind that would exemplify Christ, telling others about the Lord Jesus. We love you, Lord. Thank you for this day. Go before us. May this week be the best week we've ever had because we live it in the light of your coming again. In Jesus' name, amen.