Talk #2
Steven Lett
Imitemos a quienes mediante fe y paciencia
Those with whom we associate could be likened with an elevator. What do you mean? They'll take you up or take you down. If we chose ones that love Jehovah and try to serve them they will take us up. The will make us better. They will enhance our good qualities. On the other hand if he choose badly our associates they will take us down. They can take us down to the basement, even the sub-basement. But i know you are determined to choose wisely your associates.
Why is it so important that we choose wisely our associates? As we learned we humans are imitators. We're strongly inclined to adopt the ways and attitudes of those with whom we associate. Prov. 13:20 - who would be the stupid ones? If you think about it anyone who is not serving Jehovah would be stupid. This is not talking about people who lack mental intelligence or capacity? It is talking about those that do not serve Jehovah or who do know him do not serve him. They will take us down. If you associate very closely with someone who is very sick, you'll probably catch that same sickness. Or even worse if you spend alot of time around a dead body a corpse you would probably pick up disease well the same way with those who are spiritually sick or spiritually dead you will fare bad. Likewise if you associated with someone wise you will be wise too. We're not talking about someone that is mentally brilliant. It is talking about someone who knows Jehovah or serves Jehovah.
When we first started studying the bible it didn't take long to recognize this was the truth. It took a lot longer to put on the new personality names in Ef. We had to made knew in our dominant mental attitude. That required getting rid of bad association. What would happen if we again associated with those ones. We would affect our thinking and again we would lose that new personality we would again go to the old personality. We want to associated with those that will help us inherit Jehovah's promises. Notice the ones we want to associate and imitate - Heb. 6:11,12 - We want to associate with and become imitators of those that through faith and patience inherit the blessings. They will help us never become sluggish. What does that word mean? It comes from the little creature known as the slug, snail. When you think of a slug it's a slimy and slow. Jehovah is saying don't become like that slug.
What are to qualities that we want to imitate? Faith and Patience. We are going to talk a lot about faith but we will also talk about patience. There is a difference with sluggishness and patience. Both require we abstain from action. To illustrate of the difference think of the blue heron. Have you observed the heron waiting in the water for a fish? It will stand there waiting for minutes. He's not sluggish he is alert. He never forgets his purpose. When he sees the fish he gets it. He's patient but not sluggish. That's the kind of person we want to associate with they are not sluggish but patient. We have to be very careful regarding our associates. If we choose ones on their way to the new world they will help us get there. If we choose ones going with Satan to the lake of fire they probably will take us with them. I know your destination is no the lake of fire it's the new world. Please wisely choose your associates that will help you make that journey. If we choose bad associates they will return us to Satan's world. We'll slowly imitate their way of thinking, acting, clothing, entertainment and as we associate with them they will rightfully conclude their values. They will be more emboldened to act like we do. Bad associates can even cause us to develop a wicked heart. Heb. 3:12, 13 - beware! that means danger, watch out, be careful, brothers, it's directed at people who serve Jehovah. Develop
does not mean instantaneously but gradually. No on can say it won't happen to me. What will help that not happening. We will not develop that heart hardened by sin. It's like clay. What do you need to keep it soft and moldable? You have to knead the water and work it into the clay. We need the water of God's truths here. But we have to work those truths into our heart. And that's by making application and that includes making application of avoiding bad associations. As we face the end we cannot afford to allow unhealthy, negative influence us. Instead we want to associated with those that with faith and patience inherit the promises. When Paul wrote this letter to the hebrews they really needed it. They were facing the destruction of the entire Jewish system. Paul wrote to them and this was a period of relative peace. Only four years later the roman armies came and surrounded Jerusalem. That was the signal that Jesus said for the jews to flee to the mountains. Jesus gave them that warning in 33 CE. But here they were 28 years later and no Romans. Only four years later it was going to happen. What had become the condition of those hebrews? Heb. 5:11, 12 - they had become dull in their hearing, they no longer heard Jesus words warning to flee Jerusalem. They were like spiritual babies needed to be bottle fed. That is no condition you want to be in now that that end is coming. What caused them to be in this condition? Very possibly bad association. The Jewish religious leaders were bragging about their temple and priesthood. Whereas the Christians did not have these visible things. They were being ridiculed. You don't have a temple, priesthood, festivals, sacrifices and your leader has been sacrificed and weren't his followers fishermen and tax collectors and now aren't many of them gentiles. Undoubtedly they were being ridiculed by their bad associations. They were in danger to go back to the world. They need to be strengthened. Paul was moved by holy spirit to write them a letter. In a masterful way Paul showed the superiority of the christian arrangement in comparison of the jewish arrangement. Faith in what is unseen. Paul used the word Faith at least 40 times. In developing this theme he used pre-christian examples of faith. As you know many of those examples are listed in Heb. 11. So then in Heb. 12:1 we have a great cloud of witnesses who can give us a good example of how we want to run the race with endurance. And he told them we have to throw off that sin that easily entangles. That sin is lack of faith. And undoubtedly many of those christians were motivated by Paul's letter. When the romans came four years later they knew it was time to flee. How could they flee? For no reason the Romans retreated. The jews in Jerusalem actually chased them and inflicted casualties on their rear as they fled. The last thing on their mind was to flee Jerusalem. The spiritually alert saw the romans withdraw saw it as an opportunity to flee. It was only a little window to flee because fighting started in the city and those that left were seen as a deserter. But the spiritually alert fled the city. The romans came back again and this time they didn't retreat. They totally devastated a horrible destruction over Jerusalem. But those early Christians survived. It foreshadows what will happen with Satan's world. We want to survive like the early christians that fled. The only way to survive is to remain spiritually alert and stay separate from Satan's world. What can help us to stay spiritually alert? The same thing that helped those Christians the examples in Heb. 11. We can associate with them through the bible and imitate their faith. We also have warning examples of christians that lacked faith. We want to imitate the examples of faith and not imitate the examples that lacked faith. 3 John 11 - who and what we imitate - Imitate the good refuse to imitate the bad.
Three examples Paul used in Heb. 11. Three examples of faith, three contemporaries who lacked faith
1) Cain and Abel. They both lived at the same time. Lived on the same soil. Both had the same parents. One was a good example one was not. Beware of pride cultivate faith. When Eve gave birth to their first son they names him Cain that means something
produced. They had glowing expectations for Cain. In contrast they named his Abel. The name means exhalation vanity. They had no big hopes for Abel. But what was Eve thinking when she named this first boy Cain? Was she thinking about Jehovah's word written in Gen. 3:15? Did she think she was the woman and Cain that offspring? If so she was sadly mistaken. Did she and Adam wrongly lead Cain to believe the was the promised offspring? Did they feed any pride that he already had as an imperfect human? Well with this pride growing in his heart how would he react when Jehovah rejected his sacrifice? His pride was wounded, he filled with jealousy and killed his brother. He even spoke insolently to Jehovah. In contrast to Abel he was a man of faith. Heb. 11:4 refers to Abel as an example we want to imitate. What did Abel base his faith on? He could not look at a human example. Three examples he could base his faith on: earthly creation, but the ground produced abundantly to feed Adam and his family. There was no curse on the mountains, lake, sun, moon, stars and Abel could look at these things and build faith on him who created them. Meditating on this peaceful sensitive little creatures he took care of made him meditate on He who created them. Another thing Abel could trust in God's promises. Adam and Eve told him about God's promises when they were expelled from the Garden. Abel could see God's word had come true. Jehovah told Eve her labor pain would increase Abel could see Jehovah's promise came true when Even bore children. A third thing his faith could be based on: The angels that protected the entrance to the garden. Seeing the angels in their materialized form it was like seeing the power. The burning sword. It must have impressed Abel. He saw their devotion, obedience always on the job. Day after day, year after decade after decade. They were their for some 1600 until the flood destroyed the Garden. Abel saw their loyalty, obedience. There are three things Abel's faith must have been based on. We can learn so much from Abel. We can build our faith looking at the creation. Cain saw the same things but it did not build his faith. The same with aethists they see the creation but they do not give him credit. Also like Abel we could have faith by examining Jehovah's promises. We have so many more promises that Jehovah has fulfilled than what Abel saw. Also learn from Abel to be humble not proud like Cain. As parents we want to cultivate qualities like ABel not Cain. Like Abel even if we are the only one in our family serving Jehovah he still did. So much to learn from Abel but also from Cain. Where is Abel right now. He is safe in Jehovah's memory the safest place to be. And very soon in the new world Jehovah will bring him back.
2) Acan y Rahab. The lesson will highlight beware of greed, fear Jehovah. Acan believe in Jehovah. When he was exposed he said "in fact I am the on who sinned against the God of Israel." At the moment of his thievery he was an aethist. He pushed Jehovah out of his mind and ignored he existed. If he had been a little bit patient he would have gotten more materially then what he stole. Det. 6 - Jehovah said I'm going to give you cities you didn't build, I'm going to give you houses full of good things you didn't work for, Jericho was for Jehovah. Acan stole from Jehovah. A little patience he would have received more than what he stole. Jehovah says be content right now with spiritual things don't try to get so much physically. The question are we patient or run ahead like Acan? Another lesson we can learn is from Acan's family. They went along with Acan because Jehovah destroyed them. The lesson is if other's in our family are ambitious we do not have to imitate them. Rahab despite her immoral background she became an example of faith. What she learned from Jehovah deeply impressed her. Remember what she told the spies? She said I do know Jehovah will give you the land, we heard like Jehovah dried the waters of the red sea, and what he did to the two kings.... She had faith in Jehovah as proof she risked her life hiding the spies. She was concerned not about material things she was concerned about lives. Swear to me by Jehovah, I showed love to you
you will show love to my household. You must spare the lives of my family. The last thing on her mind were material things. What worried her was to save the lives of her family. That is our concern in the time of the end.
3) Salomon and David. Lived on the same land, father and son, one was a good example, the other started good and become a bad example. Trust Jehovah. Salomon started very well serving Jehovah but then he turned to false worship. 1 Reyes 11:9,10 how did Jehovah feel about what happened to Salomon. Jehovah gave him privileges but despite that he turned to false worship. Jehovah was furious. It was a strong word coming from Jehovah. Salomon began to trust more and more in himself. Jehovah said the king should not acquire many horses for himself. Jehovah knew that he would trust in his military. Salomon did exactly what Jehovah told him not to. He accumulated thousand and thousands of horses and chariots. He thought he was the exception, nothing would happen to him, he would trust Jehovah. He also did not listen to Jehovah about not having many wives because especially foreign wives would not be wise. He even married the daughter of Pharaoh. He had 300 concubines and 700 wives. I am the exception. I will trust Jehovah. No one can mock Jehovah without impunity. These wives gradually inclined his heart against Jehovah. Satan's tactics haven't changed up until today. We are the exception we can disobey and get away with it. We are strong, we can handle it. Bad association, I will not them . Treasures, university. In contrast to Salomon we have David. David is an example of faith we can imitate. How did David feel about horses? Salmos 20:7 - some may trust horses but we trust Jehovah. How different from Salomon. Salmos 26:1-5 - Avoided bad association, the same things will help us to not be like salomon paryer and avoid bad association. Three examples of faith and lack of faith. Cain and ABel - beware of pride cultivate faith ACan and Rahab - beware of greed obey Jehovah. Salomon and David - don't trust in yourself trust in Jehovah. Among the anointed we have examples of faith. Sister Gertrude P - persecuted by the Nazis she was determined to pursue first the kingdom. When she was newly married she was forcibly separated from her husband. Her husband was put in different concentration camp. They were separated for nine years. She did not become a spiritual slug. She continued to serve Jehovah zealously. Looking back in her life storey on what principle shall we base our life - seek first the kingdom. I am convinced our FAther knows the things we need and we will receive them at the proper time if we put the kingdom first. I also can see the things I did not really need. Jehovah does not want spoiled children. Parents with children ask for certain things but you know they do not really need them. Later in life the couple was brought to Brooklyn and served in the GB. After he served for 10 yrs he died. He received his heavenly reward. What did she do? She asked to go back to Germany and be a special pioneer there. She continued until she received her heavenly reward.
Second modern day example: Brother George Lindell. Even if you have a very difficult territory as long as you serve Jehovah you can be very happy. Brother lindell learned the truth in Canada but he wanted to take the truth to his homeland: Iceland. The truth had never been taken to Iceland. He back and was a pioneer for 24 years. He did this almost all the time by himself. Can you imagine pioneering yourself for 24 years. He placed thousands of books but nobody accepted the truth for 18 years. His joy was not dependent on people coming into the truth. As long as he was faithful and zealous he was happy. He also set a goal to work his entire territory as quick as he could. But his territory was the entire country of Iceland. Most of the people live on the Coast but Iceland has 4,000 miles of Coast. After one year of pioneering he wrote it would take a considerable time to preach here because transportation is difficult. iceland is a mountainous county, no trains and little transportation. He traveled by boat. How long did it take him? 10 years but he maintained his joy and zeal for those 24 years. What a
fine example for us. Even though our territory is not productive. We can be happy. Isa 43.12: ustedes son mis testigos.
Third example: Bennett Brickle - God's power can be made perfect in weakness. Paul supplicated Jehovah to remove the thorn on his side. Apparently it was a chronic eye affliction. Jehovah said my underserved kindness is enough. My power will be perfected in your weakness. That was similar with Brother Brickle. In Malaysia he was seriously ill and he went to Australia but he became seriously ill again. The doctors declared him 85 percent disabled. He was medically certified invalid for life. But Brother Brickle refused to allow that medical certification to become a spiritual slug. He zealously witnessed in Australia in a motorbike, he had a fruitful territory and aborigines. I think of him and think of the bumblebee. According to aerodynamics he could not be able to fly. He has a little fat body and little wings. He should not be able to fly. But that little bumblebee knows nothing about aerodynamics and he flies. Nobody could convince Brother Brickle he was an invalid for life and he continued to pioneer. Jehovah's power is made perfect in my witness. Perhaps some of us have a chronic illness but we do not give up. Like Brother Brickle don't become a spiritual slug.
Three modern examples worthy of imitating. Even under difficult circumstances put the kingdom first. Even with a hard territory we can maintain our joy as we learn we are serving Jehovah. Jehovah's power can be made perfect in our weakness.
Salmos 1:1-3 - avoid bad association, read meditate and delight in God's word, you will be a success. Remember this formula 1 + 2 = 3. Verse 1 we don't walk, stand sit with bad people. Pretty comprehensive. We don't walk according to their advice because we do not associate with them. We do not stand in the path of the sinners so we don't go where they go. We don't frequent the places the frequent. That is true physically and electronically. We walk with Jehovah and his people. We sit with God's loyal ones. We read everyday God's word. We keep Jehovah's thinking rather than the world. We will become like a tree.
We have to exert ourselves rigorously to do what we considered. We can't take the course of least resistance. We don't follow the advice, take it easy, keep cool. That's suicide advice. Jehovah and Jesus say exert yourself vigorously. 1 Cor. 9:24-27 - exert yourself vigorously like running a race. paul likens running the race for life like running a race. It can be likened to a marathon. In fact let's quickly talk about the race for life and running a marathon: 1) exercise self control in training. Being a marathon runner requires months of training, exercise, diet. Similarly we have to do bible reading, personal study, preaching, family worship. It takes self control to do that. 2) No one can train or run for us. Trainers can point out your weaknesses and where to improve. And ones on the sideline can cheer you on but no one can train and run for you. 3) Good nutrition is involved. A marathon runner has to have good nutrition and not just the day or the race or the day before. It has to be a way of life. The same with us we have to make good spiritual nutrition choices as a way of life. 4) You have to give it all you have. If a runner comes to the finish line and he has more gas in the tank he didn't run well. He didn't run to win. And the same with us. We have to give it all we have. Paul says run in a way you win. 5) you have to contend according to the rules. There is an interest experience about Rosie Ruiz who in 1980 ran the New York marathon. She came across the finish line first. But some were very suspicious. they found out she covered most of the course on the subway. She was stripped of her crown, humiliated. we have to run according to Jehovah's rules.
We cannot give in to unclean fleshly desires. No matter how much time we are spending in the service if we are not following the rules. We cannot give in to sin. Satan tries to make sin look
appealing. But Jehovah is telling us don't give into it. You can liken sin to rotten meat. But Satan puts sauce over that rotten meat that smells good and looks good. But if you say it looks good, it smells good I'm gonna eat it. You're going to suffer the consequences. we don't have to learn the hard way. There is a saying that experience is the best teacher. That is totally wrong. If we listen to Jehovah we don't have to learn the hard way.
Answer: Heb. 6:12 because we want to be influenced by good examples who can help us become good imitators who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Remember our associates are like an elevator: they will take you up or they will take you down.