Monkey See, Monkey Do

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Oops - We learn a lot by watching (RELATIONSHIP!)

Becca imitating Meagan

shirt in a knot

hair

You better believe I thought a lot about Meagan’s discipleship…I knew the eyes that were watching her.

My parents had an expression for the way I would imitate: Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Noticing how monkeys will imitate human expressions and actions…they don’t understand the why, but imitation is how all life learns basic lessons

Consider what you learn without being taught in a classroom

walk

talk (accents)

using a spoon

the habits and expressions we pick up

Now we’re getting into the problem…our lives of Loving God, loving others, and making disciples…our being woven…our emotional health…our response to challenge

So much of “us” is caught more than taught…and is catching even when we think we aren’t teaching.

if the most important thing we do as disciples, those who follow Jesus is to make disciples, bring others along in following Jesus…

And it’s also true that we learn by watching…even on accident…and we teach those watching…even on accident

if Monkey see, monkey do...

you will learn and teach...

Ugh - But who we watch makes a difference (do what ph. say, not what they do…)

So we better pay attention to who we pay attention to and what we’re teaching.

Jesus speaks out loud the importance of what is caught and taught

Matthew 23:1-3 “Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses. Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.”

Let’s look at how this plays out.

Monkey See

The Crowd

The hipster effect (great band name…)

When we reject mainstream…the inevitable result is finding a new conformity.

I can fight this reality, or understand it and make a choice.

The crowd impacts you.

period

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he is concerned about their wavering on trusting the story, specifically the resurrection. They were diminishing it’s importance, questioning if it matters or if it even happened.

He makes his case for the validity of the event

He goes into the importance of its truth

Then he speaks directly to the monkey see, monkey do truth when it comes to what we trust:

1 Corinthians 15:31-32 “I face death every day, as surely as I may boast about you, brothers and sisters, in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus as a mere man, what good did that do me? If the dead are not raised, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

Hear it: Look AT ME. If the resurrection doesn’t matter, does MY life make sense?

Ooh…can I suggest that if we sat with that question for ourselves…does my life make sense apart from a relationship with the risen Jesus? Can my life be explained apart from it? Then we would have a better understanding of our own walk with Jesus...

Then he quotes the Greek poet Menander:

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.””

We often use this verse to talk about behavior. But that’s not Paul’s point. He’s going deeper. In the context we see him saying: We will start to think like the crowd we follow. Regardless of it’s truth.

So what crowd are you watching?

We just read Jesus’ warning against the scribes and pharisees, experts in knowing scripture, doing the law, but failing to live out the purpose of the law.

Paul then warns us against learning from the example of those who deny the power of God in the resurrection.

Note: Jesus spends time with?

Sinners. Right. We covered that earlier, but lets review:

Mark 2:15-16 While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him. When the scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

This is where Jesus points out he came specifically for those who know they have a need. The sick need a doctor.

Who else? The Pharisees. If we just look at the geography of his ministry, he’s in the heart of Pharisee country. Read through and they are ALWAYS there.

Bottom line, if we are going to follow Jesus, we will care for and invest in the religious and the pagan. We will love them, befriend them, and walk with them. We can’t follow Jesus if we don’t go where he goes...

But we can’t follow Jesus if we start following the crowd.

Let’s put a pin in that for the moment and address another wrong person to follow

The Mirror

When I was a kid, I loved to make faces in the mirror...

wiggle my ears

I learned by watching myself.

Great for funny faces…not so good for wisdom.

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.”

There was an episode of mythbusters where they tested the myth that if you are blindfolded you can’t go a straight line. They tried it in walking in a field, they tried it swimming, they tried it in a car.

They used GPS to show them the path afterward. Looked like spaghetti.

Follow your heart remains one of the dumbest things humans can do that we do all the time.

We hurt ourselves, we hurt others, we hurt God when we follow ourselves…because we just can’t see on our own what we need to.

Let’s jump straight to the better option here:

What did Jesus say about who we should follow?

Mark 2:14 “Then, passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.”

Mark 1:17 ““Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.””

Matthew 10:38 “And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Luke 18:22 “When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.””

Jesus taught their walk…by his. And while we can’t follow Jesus in person, we can follow:

AHA! Jesus taught their walk by his

The Followers

Paul, earlier in that letter to the Corinthians says this:

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or Greeks or the church of God, just as I also try to please everyone in everything, not seeking my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved. Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.”

He was dealing with issues of argument, areas where the church had different ideas of what was right and wrong.

He gives the direction and then points to the example: imitate me AS I ALSO imitate Christ.

Monkey see, monkey do.

You want to learn how to walk right…spend time with those whose walk is right.

Whee - Back to knowing the story, then watch those who trust it by their walk

Let’s go right back to where we landed last week. If we are going to imitate others as they imitate Jesus, what do we need to know?

THE STORY!

What did Jesus do? He trusted the story and modeled obedience to God because of it. Jesus knew the character of God because he knew his scripture. He knew mercy, knew obedience, knew compassion, knew love and patience beyond measure. Because that’s in the story!

Please, please, please, do not lean on one sermon from me a week to equip you to know the story. I get the great privilege of pointing to one beautiful piece of the story every week, but in doing so, there is always essential pieces not pointed to.

If you built your life around one message, unless it’s one like last week’s…since I primarily pointed to knowing and trusting the story, but even then…you will be like the mythbusters walking in circles and wondering why your life in Christ isn’t leading anywhere.

But the more you know the story, the more you can see it and follow it in those around you.

But I want to zoom in on three words Paul uses that are essential!

AS I ALSO

Paul may have written letters that we study and memorize in scripture, but PAUL was not perfect.

Paul fought to not give John Mark a second chance.

Paul did not always demonstrate grace.

If we go to the beginning of 1 Corinthians Paul calls his own concerns about this clearly:

1 Corinthians 1:11-13 “For it has been reported to me about you, my brothers and sisters, by members of Chloe’s people, that there is rivalry among you. What I am saying is this: One of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in Paul’s name?”

I have some great people to follow in my life.

My coach, my father-in-law, my teacher friend Dawn, my missionary friend Andy, and I could go on…But none of them are perfect.

I could use their imperfections, their failures to reject following them at all. But then I’m back to looking at myself.

I’ve talked before about the teacher who called out my “talking the talk without walking the walk” when I was in high school.

I’ll never forget the heartbreak I felt when I discovered that he held some beliefs and practices that were more pharisee than Jesus.

For a long time I kind of rejected all of what he had poured into my faith during those years. But then I realized I didn’t have to.

He showed me the beauty in life following Jesus

He showed me courage of standing in dark places

He showed me the importance of integrity

I can follow him AS HE follows Jesus

In fact, this allows me to follow…anyone at any stage. My opportunities for growth exploded!

My kids often demonstrate Christ in ways where I am weak. In those areas, I follow them as they follow Christ.

New believers nearly always have a higher “evangelistic temperature” than us who have over time gotten forgetful about how precious the good news is. I Follow them as they follow Christ.

I have friends who aren’t believers, but in their compassion and grace are closer to Christ-likeness than me and I will follow them AS THEY (even unwittingly) follow Jesus.

With that…what step can we take today?

Monkey Do

Set Your Eyes

If monkey see, monkey do…then we best consider what we’re putting in front of our eyes.

Who are we watching? Not just seeing, but taking in.

Whenever I’m trying to learn, I go to YouTube and watch those who can do what I want to do…I watch them different than I watch an episode of Name that Tune.

I pay attention, I observe, I think about what it would look like for me to imitate that.

I do that with car repair, disc golf, preaching, and so many other things.

Who are you watching that way? Get intentional!

I think this is why Paul tells the Philippians as a parting comment:

Philippians 4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”

Oh, but look where he goes right after that!

Philippians 4:9 “Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

SET YOUR EYES!

Hebrews 12 says to:

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

You will become like who you are watching. so SET, rest, fix, focus, your eyes on those who trust the story.

But there’s the other side of this that is just as important…We haven’t focused here…but I hope you’ve picked up on this...

If Jesus taught by demonstrating trusting the story in his life, if we recognize that WE catch more than we learn, that who we watch is so critical…then…we better ask what people are catching from us.

Yeah - Consider your walk and what it teaches. Phar or Paul?

Set Your Feet

There were two passages earlier in this message that come home to roost here if we are going to be disciples who make disciple makers.

Jesus telling his disciples and the crowd to do what the pharisees taught, without doing what they do.

And Paul inviting people to imitate what he does.

What would Jesus say if you were the example?

That weighs heavy on my heart as it comes out of my mouth.

Why I would only dare to say follow me with the same disclaimer as Paul, “As I follow Christ”

What does my life reveal about Jesus? Do I trust the story? Do I prioritize disciple making? Does my life bear the fruit of the Spirit?

As the worship team comes back up, I want to go back into the life of Jesus one more time. A passage that’s familiar, one we’ll come to again before Easter, but so clearly reveals this essential part of HOW Jesus made disciples by the way he lived that I can’t leave it out.

No slide…I want you to close your eyes and picture this scene.

John 13:1-3 “Before the Passover Festival, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. Now when it was time for supper, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray him. Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God.”

John 13:4-5 “So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.”

John 13:6-11 “He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” “One who has bathed,” Jesus told him, “doesn’t need to wash anything except his feet, but he is completely clean. You are clean, but not all of you.” For he knew who would betray him. This is why he said, “Not all of you are clean.””

John 13:12-17 “When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

PRAY