WEBVTT 00:00:04.559 --> 00:00:06.959 Welcome to the MetaCurch Podcast. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:08.080 My name's Clayton. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:10.240 I'm the pastor here at MetaCurch. 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:17.920 And my hope is that today's podcast finds you at the perfect time in your life that God uses it to inspire and enlighten you. 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:20.559 I hope that you enjoy today's message. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.399 Well, I want to welcome you in. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.000 If you're new with us, my name's Clayton. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:33.679 I'm the lead pastor here at Meta, and we are in week four of our pursuit series. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:40.399 Now, if you've missed any of the past weekends in this series, you can go to youtube.com/slash metachurch. 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:42.560 We make it really easy to get caught up. 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:51.679 We have been saying all series long that your life was not meant to be lived in a trivial pursuit. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:55.679 This obviously brings to mind the board game many of us grew up with. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:01:01.119 And really, it's a good indication of what a trivial pursuit in life looks like. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:05.439 If you remember the game, there's no prescribed movement for your game piece. 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:06.799 It's just super random. 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:12.959 If you remember the questions that were asked in the game, they were so hard because they were just way out of left field. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:15.200 There were things that nobody should know. 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:20.799 It's because they're trivial, which just means of little importance or value. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:24.959 And we believe at MetaCurch that your life matters greatly. 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:30.640 You hear it all the time here that you were created on purpose and with purpose. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:38.879 You were created by the God of the universe, and he intends for your life to matter, to have impact and power and purpose. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:54.319 Which means that for you to pursue trivial things, to spend great amounts of time, energy, and effort pursuing things of little importance or value is such a tragic waste to help us live an intentional pursuit. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:58.480 We're looking at a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:07.120 We have this letter in our Christian scriptures, and over seven weeks, we're going through the entire letter and finding seven keys to proper pursuit. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:15.520 Here's what we've learned so far pursuit requires partnership, it requires perspective, and it requires humility. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:18.240 The book of Philippians has a lot to say about all three of those. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:21.120 Again, you can go to YouTube and get caught up really easily. 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:26.159 This week, the Apostle Paul takes the most practical turn in this famous letter. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.159 Before we get to it, would you pray with me? 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:30.719 Jesus, we love you and we thank you for loving us. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:35.520 Thank you for all that you've been showing us in Paul's letter to the Philippians. 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.280 I pray that we are able to apply that into our life. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:49.680 God, as we challenge ourselves today, very specifically, I pray you'd be stirring in our hearts, and that if we feel that tug, that we would move into action. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:50.319 We love you. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:54.560 I thank you for MetaCurch, for everyone who is here today and watching with us online. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:55.919 I pray that you would bless them. 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.520 We pray it all in Jesus' name, and if you're ready to get going, say amen. 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:00.479 Amen. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:11.919 For decades and decades, really for centuries now, psychologists and sociologists have tried to answer the question of how we become who we become. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.319 How we become who we become. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:19.759 Like what shapes us into the people that we end up being by the time we become adults? 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:24.800 You know, our habits, our ticks, temperaments, our resilience, our success. 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:30.080 Largely, this conversation has broken down into two really broad categories. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:31.840 This isn't new, you've heard it before. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.120 It's the categories of nature and nurture. 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:41.360 Now, nature is in regards to our genetics, our DNA, all of our inherited traits. 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:47.759 I have three kids, and it is crazy how unique all three of them are from each other. 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:52.639 Maybe you have multiple kids, and you're like, are these kids actually related to each other? 00:03:52.800 --> 00:04:01.039 Like, they are so different from each other, and you can see their personalities start to shine through when they're really little kids. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:07.039 Your introverted child is introverted from a young age, and they are introverted still in their 20s. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:13.199 Your extroverted child, they're the one who is a handful, you know, they are extroverted all the way through. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:16.160 These are inherited, it's a part of their nature. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:24.160 Now, nurture, on the other hand, that refers to the social forces at work around us shaping who we become. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:39.439 This is parental training and discipline, social pressure from our peers, expectation from authority figures, inspiration from role models, even coping mechanisms that we developed to help avoid painful experiences. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:40.639 And so which is it? 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:42.399 The argument has gone on and on. 00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.360 Is it nature or is it nurture or what percent of which? 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:49.199 What determines how we become who we become? 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.279 Is it nature or is it nurture? 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.240 Well, the answer is obviously it's both. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:01.759 God creates all of us unique, and we all uniquely inherit parts of ourselves from our family of origin. 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:06.720 Some of those are very good things, and some of those are not so good things. 00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:11.920 This is nature, and whether we like it or not, it's all a part of our story. 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:16.560 As a teenager, I was convinced I would be six foot four. 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:23.439 Neither of my parents have broke five foot nine, but I was convinced I was fighting against nature. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:30.879 At the same time, the environments that you are nurtured in play a massive role in your development as a human being. 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:41.759 Many studies have found that your five closest relationships at any given point will determine the quality and trajectory of your life more than almost any other thing. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:48.240 Back in the 1960s, a researcher named Albert Bandura put together what is called the social learning theory. 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:49.519 This is widely accepted. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:56.959 It says we acquire behaviors through a combination of reinforcement and imitation. 00:05:57.120 --> 00:05:58.399 I want you to remember that. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:01.360 Reinforcement and imitation. 00:06:01.680 --> 00:06:02.560 You know this. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:11.839 If you've ever worked on a team in your career with a whole group of people who are go-getters, they are positive and highly motivated. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:20.000 Even if you don't like the work you're doing, in a couple of weeks, you're gonna find yourself highly motivated, positive, a go-getter yourself. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:28.560 If you are a natural optimist and you only surround yourself with pessimists, pretty soon you're gonna be like, you know what, the world does kind of suck, doesn't it? 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:31.839 That's nurture having its effect in our relationships. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:45.439 If you hang out with other couples and all of the husbands always find ways to tear down their wives with their words, over time you're gonna start nitpicking things about your own wife that never bothered you before. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:54.000 The people who are nurturing us in life, which just means the community that you surround yourself with, they have a massive effect. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:02.399 Research shows how we spend money, how much we drink, how healthy we eat, whether or not we exercise, whether we're gonna go into debt or not. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:09.199 The largest determining factor is whether or not the people around us do those things. 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:22.959 As we wrap up Philippians chapter two today, we're getting to a really interesting part of the letter where Paul is gonna single out two leaders and hold them up as role models to the rest of the Philippians. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:35.839 Paul believes about the Philippians what I believe about you, that God created you on purpose and with purpose, that you have something to do in this world, that God wants to partner with you for a life of power and impact. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:42.160 And he's talked about this in theory, but he's about to get really, really practical. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:46.959 In Philippians 2.19, he starts with our first role model. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:54.879 He says, Now, I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by news about you. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:08:01.199 For I have no one else like-minded who will genuinely care about your interest. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:05.759 All seek their own interests, but not those of Jesus Christ. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:11.519 But you know his proven character, because he has served with me in the gospel ministry like a son with a father. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:16.160 Therefore, I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 00:08:16.319 --> 00:08:20.319 I'm confident in the Lord that I myself will also come soon. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.480 The first role model is Timothy. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:32.799 Now, if you were here last week, we learned that pursuit requires humility, and Paul defines humility by putting the interest of others ahead of your own interests. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:42.879 This is specifically what he says about Timothy, that while everyone else seeks their own interests, while everyone else is looking out for number one, Timothy is humble. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:47.679 Timothy is a very young man, and Paul and Timothy have this father-son-like relationship. 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:54.639 He joined with Paul and has been in the ministry and quickly was given really high levels of leadership. 00:08:54.720 --> 00:09:05.120 And it was expected that he would be a role model so others could imitate his life and he could reinforce a proper pursuit. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:09.279 And Timothy was often way younger than the people that he was leading. 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.200 Paul told him not to worry about it. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:20.080 See, we're reading the letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians, but Paul also wrote two letters to Timothy, and we have those in the New Testament as well. 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:33.840 In the first letter he wrote, he said this in chapter four: don't let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. 00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:38.879 He expected Timothy to be someone that others could imitate. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:43.519 Timothy had a proven character, he put others' interest above his own. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:53.519 Paul then mentions a second role model, and this role model is from Philippi, which means in a real sense, he is a peer to everyone who is reading this letter. 00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:04.480 He says in verse 25, I considered it necessary to send you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, as well as your messenger and minister to my need. 00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:09.519 Since he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was sick. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.399 Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:19.759 However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him, but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:25.840 For this very reason I'm eager to send him so that you may rejoice again when you see him, and I may be less anxious. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:39.600 Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and hold people like him in honor, because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:47.840 A little bit of context, we learned all the way back in week one of this series that Paul is writing this letter to the Philippians from prison. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:11:02.559 And the Philippians, who were incredibly financially generous to the ministry, gathered a large offering and they sent it to Paul, and Epaphroditus is the man who brought it to him at the risk of his own life. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:04.480 He spent a little bit of time with Paul. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:10.399 Paul pinned this letter to the Philippians, and then Epaphroditus is who brought it back to them. 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:14.159 Once again, at the risk of his very own life. 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:18.480 Look at all of the roles that Paul sees Aphroditus playing. 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.639 He says in 25, I considered it necessary to send you Ephroditis. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:23.360 Look at this. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:30.960 My brother, my co-worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger, and a minister. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:34.960 He's like the Swiss army knife of friends, right? 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.720 Have you ever had a friend like this? 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:39.840 They just play so many roles in your life. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:41.840 I I've got a friend like that. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:43.600 He was my roommate through college. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:45.519 We still get together when we can. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:53.600 It's like if I need to call someone who will pray over me and just bless my life via the Holy Spirit, I can call Curry. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:59.840 And if I'm about to get jumped by seven guys, I can call Curry and he will show up with a baseball bat. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:02.559 You know, like he plays a lot of different roles in my life. 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:04.240 All y'all don't have a friend like that? 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:07.200 I can't be that honest at the 945 service. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:09.919 Okay, I'm just supposed to get jumped. 00:12:10.080 --> 00:12:10.960 What's going on here? 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:12.559 Y'all don't care about me. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:15.200 Y'all are lucky to have a curry, right? 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:16.879 You need one too. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:18.480 You need some friends like that. 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:20.720 They play all the different roles. 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.000 They will show up in whatever way you need them to show up. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:25.519 That's apaphroditus. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:29.519 He's like, this guy put his life on the line. 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:31.600 Paul's in prison. 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:33.039 It's dangerous. 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:35.279 He's in a Roman prison. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:37.519 Rome, the dominant empire of the time. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:39.360 Rome who doesn't play games. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:41.840 Rome who nails people to crosses. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:44.240 Ephroditus shows up. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:46.080 He risks his life. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:47.919 What's Paul's take? 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:53.120 He says, Therefore, welcome him in the Lord with great joy. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:57.840 And hold people like him in honor. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:03.600 You see, we just got to our fourth key for proper pursuit. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:07.759 Pursuit requires role models. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:11.519 Pursuit requires role models. 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:15.679 Humans are mimetic creatures. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:17.360 It means we imitate. 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:25.600 And we like to think of ourselves often as Christians like we can just kind of live on this spiritual island. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:31.039 And we can navigate our relationship with God all by ourselves. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:33.840 That is not what scripture teaches. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.720 You know what Paul says to Timothy? 00:13:36.960 --> 00:13:42.240 He says, Imitate me as I imitate Christ. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:45.039 You know what Paul says to Timothy? 00:13:45.279 --> 00:13:48.960 Set an example so others can imitate you. 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:53.440 It's like a chain of imitation. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.320 A chain of reinforcement. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.000 How do we learn behaviors? 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:02.080 Through imitation and reinforcement. 00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:09.759 And in a real sense, you've heard maybe the famous quote that the only Bible many people will ever read is you. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:16.000 The only Christ most non-believers will ever see is you. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.159 You've got it in your profile, you know? 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:25.200 Follower of Jesus, father of three, you know, casual fisherman. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:28.159 John 3, 16, you've got it in your little Instagram bio. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:30.399 It's like, oh, that's a Christian. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:32.559 Let me see what they're up to. 00:14:32.799 --> 00:14:34.720 Let me see what the difference is. 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:39.200 There's a chain of imitation, there's a chain of reinforcement. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:41.279 And we think I can do it on my own. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:42.480 I don't need the church. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.840 I don't need to be in community. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:45.759 I don't need to change anything about my life. 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:47.519 I'll just isolate myself. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:48.639 I'll get the book. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.240 It's just me and God. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:15:00.000 We should know from the first chapter of the first book of our Bible that that's not how it works. 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:04.960 God spoke everything into creation, all of it was good. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:08.320 He created man, and it was very good. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:18.399 And in Genesis chapter 2, the very first thing that's not good in a perfect world, it is not good for man to be alone. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:22.240 We were created for community. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:28.159 And proper pursuit requires proper role models. 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:33.759 And he says, You should seek out Timothy as a role model. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:35.440 Paul co-signs him. 00:15:35.600 --> 00:15:36.559 He's my guy. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:39.440 No one is as like-minded as Timothy. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.759 He can set an example for you. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:42.799 Seek him out. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:44.720 What does he say about Epaphroditus? 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:47.360 Someone who is a peer with him, who is a Flippian? 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:50.960 He says, Hold him in honor. 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:54.879 This is just an observation I've made throughout life. 00:15:55.200 --> 00:16:02.080 You've got to work to find the right role models, and you don't have to work at all to find the wrong ones. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:07.679 As a matter of fact, the wrong role models will come find you. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:13.519 I grew up with my dad in the military, and we moved all the time. 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:18.159 I lived in 18 different places before I turned 18 years old. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.720 We moved all the time. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:29.360 And when I got into my preteen years and my teenage years, I can remember my dad giving advice that made no sense to me. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:36.559 And the advice was always the first people who try to be your friend don't have to be your friend. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:38.720 And I always thought that was weird. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:41.600 Because when you're an army kid, it's tough to make friends. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:46.000 So every six or seven months you're heading to a new spot, you gotta start all over again. 00:16:46.159 --> 00:16:50.720 If someone's gonna come say what's up on day one, I don't have time to lose here, you know? 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:58.639 I gotta set some foundations, make some memories, put it in a scrapbook, and then head back to Alabama or wherever we're going, you know? 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:05.279 It's like the first people who approach you, that doesn't have to be who you like, hit yourself to. 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:12.240 You see, he knew something, and that's that often the worst influences will come find you. 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:18.000 That often the wrong influences, the wrong role models, they'll come after you. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:27.119 And part of that is because you know the saying, misery loves company, and so does sin, and so does rebellion. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:43.680 And if you're the new guy or you're the new girl, then often people will come in and they're testing you out and seeing how flexible you are and seeing what you're up to, and it's worth taking your time and working and seeking out someone who can be an example for your life. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:47.839 You see, the opposite of trivial is intentional. 00:17:48.960 --> 00:17:52.880 Are we intentional about who our role models are? 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:57.279 Everyone is imitating someone. 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:10.079 And just as another observation, the role models in 2024 that the world offers, that the culture offers you, are terrible. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:18.480 The men that we hold up as the ultimate example of manhood are womanizers. 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:39.039 It's based on at least their perceived net worth, how many women they can get to have sex with them, the women that we hold up as strong, independent females typically are the ones who are willing to throw away all ideas of traditional modesty and be just as promiscuous as the worst men are in our culture. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:45.680 Look at the people that we platform and put up and hold up and say, be like them. 00:18:47.920 --> 00:18:50.160 See, we live in the digital age. 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:56.480 So now more than ever, the worst influences will find you. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:11.839 They'll show up in your news feed, recommended, liked by hundreds of thousands of other people who are falling into the trap of imitation and reinforcement of the wrong people. 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:41.200 And here's what happens real people like you and like me, they see these role models and they try to imitate those kinds of life, going down the wrong paths, rebelling against God, and their life spirals into misery and depression and anxiety and loneliness, all of which we are seeing recorded at levels we've never seen before. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.039 Paul is like, wake up. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:49.279 There are good role models around you. 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:50.640 Seek them out. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.200 Get into community with them. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:56.880 Don't leave your role models up to chance. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:19:58.799 You want to know who to imitate? 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:02.720 Imitate Timothy, a humble servant. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:10.880 Imitate Epaphroditus, who is willing to literally put his life on the line to pursue the things of Jesus. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:19.440 Paul is imitating God, and Timothy is imitating Paul, and the Philippians are being asked to imitate Timothy. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:44.160 Back in the letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, we call it 1 Timothy, Paul goes to this long list of trivial pursuits, things that are a complete waste of your life and a complete waste of your time, and then he says this, but you, man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:47.039 Flee and pursue. 00:20:47.839 --> 00:20:51.279 Timothy is getting a letter from his Roman. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:53.200 And what is he doing? 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.480 He's reinforcing flee from these things. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:57.920 It's not worth your time. 00:20:58.079 --> 00:20:59.440 Your life matters too much. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:01.599 God's plan for your life is too grand. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.039 Run for the hills. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.680 Get away from these things that are trivial. 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:07.839 And pursue. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.960 Imitate the things of Christ. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:16.960 Pursue righteousness and godliness and faith and love and endurance. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:21.599 Paul was personally pouring into Timothy and Epaphroditus. 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.759 They were in community with Paul, and he was a role model to them. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:34.720 And he tells Timothy the same thing we're saying all series long: pursue the life that God created you to live. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:54.480 Whether or not you end up living this out, seeing this kind of reality in your life, that deep sense of meaning and fulfillment that you're longing for coming to fruition, it will depend largely on who you put yourself in community with. 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:59.839 Who is nurturing your life into all that God created it to be. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:08.799 We acknowledged earlier there are two sides to how you become, who you become nature and nurture. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:10.960 So which one matters more? 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:16.720 Now, while they're both greatly important, you can't do much about your nature. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:36.400 You didn't choose your family of origin, you didn't choose many aspects of your personality, you didn't choose your IQ or your inherited traits, but about the time you become a preteen, you have some real autonomy, which means you get to choose who influences you. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:44.000 You have a say in what relationships are nurturing your life and the person that you're becoming. 00:22:44.240 --> 00:22:49.680 You get to determine who your role models will be, who your closest peers will be. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:54.480 Now, this is great news, and it's also quite weighty. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:23:03.920 Because if you choose the wrong people to partner with in life, they will exacerbate the parts that hold you back. 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:13.920 They will reinforce, but they will reinforce the negative, sinful habits and patterns that have kept you away from God's purpose. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:18.799 You will begin to imitate their lives and it will lead to disaster. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:36.480 On the other hand, if you are intentional and you surround yourself with a community of people who are also pursuing a life following Jesus and living their purpose, then they will reinforce who God created you to be. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:37.359 This is programmed precisely. 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:41.200 Here on Sunday service, I get a microphone. 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:43.759 You do not get a microphone. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:48.720 And some of you would love this, but you can't change the channel here. 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:50.880 This is the one show that's on. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:59.920 You can talk, but mainly it's just, you know, given an amen every once in a while, which by the way, you are allowed to do that here if you agree with something. 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:00.880 Say amen. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:05.119 Community happens in smaller teams of people. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:10.240 It happens in engagement, it happens in conversation. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:16.559 And so from the beginning, we launched MetaCurch with what we call life teams. 00:25:17.039 --> 00:25:19.279 And in metachurch, we keep our strategy very simple. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:25.119 We do Sunday service and we do live teams and we do life classes in the Meta Academy. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:26.720 Very, very simple. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:28.000 And we think you need all of them. 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:30.000 And remember, you are the church. 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:33.519 The service isn't church, the building isn't church, you are church. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:45.599 But if you forced me to say which program we offer looks most like the first church that we read about in the Bible, it would be our life teams. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:55.279 Small circles of people actually doing life, reinforcing the path that you're on, imitating each other as you imitate Christ. 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:56.799 It matters. 00:25:57.200 --> 00:26:01.759 And so we created life teams for that very purpose. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:10.240 From day one, my vision, our vision, was for every person at MetaCurch to have a life team that they belong to. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:14.079 Life teams meet all throughout the city in different places throughout the week. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:21.279 Joining a life team is deciding to put intention behind who gets to speak into and shape your life. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:25.680 The same way that Paul was saying, you need to look to Timothy. 00:26:25.759 --> 00:26:28.079 You need an aphroditist beside you. 00:26:28.400 --> 00:26:30.240 We need that as well. 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:35.519 And when you have that, you gain what I call a 360 community. 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:36.720 This is what happens. 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:42.000 You see, so many people think that they are called to just live life on an island. 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:44.400 And it's just them and God, and they'll figure it out. 00:26:44.480 --> 00:26:53.680 There's no one to correct them, there's no one to hold them accountable, there's nobody to imitate, there's nobody to reinforce the good, there's no one to tell them to pursue better things in their life. 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.279 They live life on their own. 00:26:55.519 --> 00:26:59.200 And we learned that we all need role models. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:01.519 The Philippians needed a Timothy. 00:27:01.599 --> 00:27:03.920 They needed someone that they could look up to. 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:08.000 And this is where you learn to imitate someone. 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:19.200 You see things in them that you desire in their life, and you need to know most of what you learn in your life will be caught, it will not be taught. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:23.599 This is what Bandura was saying. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:26.720 We learn through reinforcement and imitation. 00:27:26.880 --> 00:27:31.200 Most of what you learn will be caught, it will not be taught. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:37.200 You see it, you see it in action, you observe it over and over and over again. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:40.640 Everyone needs someone that is ahead of them. 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:45.680 And we also need people who are a little bit behind us. 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:51.440 You see, while this is imitation, this is your greatest form of reinforcement. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:28:01.599 Study after study after study shows if you want to learn something and actually remember it, you should teach it to someone else as quickly as possible. 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:11.599 If you want to actually remember a book that you're reading, every time you finish a chapter, find someone and teach them the concept you just learned in that chapter. 00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:17.599 My poor wife, I read a lot of books and she's gotta hear every chapter that I read because I wanna remember it. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:19.920 This is reinforcing. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:26.000 And if you wanna really grow in your spiritual walk, get someone who's looking up to you. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:32.720 If you wanna really grow in your marriage, have someone that is looking up to you in your role in your marriage. 00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:37.119 It is a level of reinforcement that will grow you more than almost anything. 00:28:37.359 --> 00:28:44.400 We need someone ahead of us, and we need some people who are a little bit behind us, and we need people beside us. 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:51.039 We need an aphroditis, someone who is a peer to us, who is a co-laborer. 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:59.599 Because living this life on your own and pursuing Jesus on your own and suffering on your own will be isolating and defeating. 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:02.000 And there is power in suffering together. 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:13.680 As a matter of fact, all research has shown that the strongest bonds ever formed are formed through two things: a shared goal and shared suffering. 00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:16.079 A shared goal and shared suffering. 00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:26.480 This is why the soldiers returning from the foxholes of World War II struggled to have meaningful relationships because their relationships with their fellow soldier was so incredibly strong. 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:28.799 Shared goal and shared suffering. 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:33.279 This is why CrossFit has taken off the way it has over the last 15 years. 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:36.240 Shared goal and shared suffering, right? 00:29:37.039 --> 00:29:38.319 You need this. 00:29:38.960 --> 00:29:40.799 And we don't lie to you at MetaCurch. 00:29:40.880 --> 00:29:43.599 You will suffer if you really seek to follow Jesus. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:45.279 You will suffer. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:46.799 It will cost you. 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:53.200 But the benefit will be you living a life of purpose, power, and impact that you were designed and created to live. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:56.799 It will be fulfillment, it will be peace in the middle of the storm. 00:29:56.960 --> 00:30:09.279 And here's what's so amazing: when you get into intentional community with other people who are pursuing a life of purpose by following Jesus, everyone takes turns in all of these roles. 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:15.519 You may be the life team leader, and sometimes you sit right here. 00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:27.599 You may be a life team leader who is single and dating, and everyone else on your team is married, and someone's been married for 20 years, and they sit at the top and you learn from them. 00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:38.400 At the same time, you may be way ahead in your finances here, and people can look and imitate how to steward finances well and how to be generous with what God has given them. 00:30:38.640 --> 00:30:47.359 You may be right here in your career with the people who are next to you, and you have someone else who's 30 years into their career, and you can sit and learn and imitate. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:48.720 You see what happens? 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:56.240 Reinforcement of the ways that God has called us to live, an imitation of the things that God has placed inside of each other. 00:30:56.480 --> 00:31:04.079 This is the power of Christian community, and not everyone has that, which is why we created life teams. 00:31:04.319 --> 00:31:11.279 Now look, in this series, we have said to get out of the trivial, we must pursue the intentional. 00:31:11.759 --> 00:31:12.880 And so it's time. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:18.240 We're in week four, which means we have crossed the halfway mark of this series. 00:31:18.480 --> 00:31:27.200 If you've been here week after week and your life still isn't moving and you still feel stuck, I want to remind you that in week one, we handed out what we called a quick start guide. 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:29.680 If you don't have one, they're up here on the corners of the stage. 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:31.279 Please grab one after service. 00:31:31.519 --> 00:31:34.319 There's a QR code on the front, takes you to all your next steps. 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:38.559 At MetaCurch, we think you need three things to really, really get moving. 00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:40.559 You need to get healthy. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:44.480 We've been talking all series long about the Meta Movement Academy. 00:31:44.720 --> 00:31:45.839 You heard about it earlier. 00:31:46.079 --> 00:31:50.160 Tuesday after next, August 13th at 7 p.m., we have our info session. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:56.880 This is an investment that could change your life to get you healthy emotionally, relationally, spiritually, financially. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:31:59.039 So nothing is holding you back. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:02.319 We also say you need to partner up. 00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:06.079 One of the primary ways we do that is through life teams. 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:07.759 So let me tell you where we're at. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:12.319 We have very few open spots on our current life teams. 00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:14.640 Now you might think that's a great thing. 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:16.480 Our life teams are full, and it is. 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:17.599 Praise God for that. 00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:20.400 What it means is we need more life teams. 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:28.480 The goal was for everyone at MetaCurch to have access to intentional Christian community. 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:30.880 And we're far from that right now. 00:32:31.279 --> 00:32:32.480 Here's what I think. 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:37.039 I think the idea of leading a life team is intimidating to a lot of people. 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:45.519 To be a life team leader means that you take your time and your vision to create space and provide community for others. 00:32:45.759 --> 00:32:56.319 For a lot of people, I think in their mind, leading a life team, we all kind of have like our religious baggage that we bring in, and we have to work hard to set that down. 00:32:56.480 --> 00:33:10.400 It means like you gotta have the Bible memorized, and you gotta open your house, which means you have to clean your house every single week, and you gotta let strangers in your house, you know, and then people find out you got a pet snake and people have all kinds of questions about you and stuff. 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:13.039 I think it's intimidating for some of those reasons. 00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:14.799 Let me tell you what a life team is. 00:33:15.039 --> 00:33:21.279 A life team is taking a vision that God has given you and creating space for others to gather. 00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.640 That's what it is. 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:35.599 My encouragement would be to look at the rhythms of life that you're already in, the activities you're already involved in, the hobbies that you're already interested in and investing in. 00:33:35.839 --> 00:33:42.000 Because odds are, if you're into it, there's four or five or ten other people who are into it as well. 00:33:42.400 --> 00:33:46.319 Maybe you hit one of the parks and you go running every week. 00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:48.559 There are other runners here at Meta. 00:33:48.799 --> 00:33:53.519 Invite them in with you and then spend a little bit of time applying God's word into your life. 00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:57.440 You might play, pick up basketball with some of your friends once every week. 00:33:57.599 --> 00:33:58.799 It's like clockwork. 00:33:58.960 --> 00:33:59.759 Create space. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:07.519 There are other hoopers here at Meta Church who will show up, get in community, and then spend some time getting into God's word together. 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:12.320 Listen, what we do in life teams, what we do is we apply. 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:13.840 That's the purpose of it. 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:15.199 We do two things. 00:34:15.440 --> 00:34:17.360 We get into what we call the rap sheet. 00:34:17.519 --> 00:34:19.679 That's where we review Sunday's sermon. 00:34:19.760 --> 00:34:21.119 This is not a Bible study. 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:24.960 This is taking what we've already learned that week and applying it. 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:29.360 We review Sunday's sermon, we apply Sunday's sermon, and then we pray together. 00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:38.079 As a life team leader, you will be resourced, you will be coached, you will be equipped, you will be encouraged, you'll be given everything you need in order to lead a team well. 00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:44.400 The second thing we ask is for our life teams to serve in the community at some kind of consistent rhythm. 00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:51.199 And we think that that matters, that we're not just serving ourselves, but that we're serving the city around us, showing them the light of Jesus. 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:52.400 That's what we do. 00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:55.440 It's very simple, and it's simple on purpose. 00:34:55.679 --> 00:35:01.599 How that looks in your life team is up to the vision that God has given you. 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:08.719 Your team might be a women's pickup basketball life team or a fishing life team for single dads and their kids. 00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:14.239 God may inspire some of you to make a knitting life team for 60 plus women. 00:35:14.320 --> 00:35:15.679 That could be a life team that we do. 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:18.480