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Back to Sermons Index Back to Home Page 2nd September 2007 AMTO BE LIKE JESUS! Pastor Linton Smith
You will see from comments in the bulletin that the ministry of Dr Harrison Olan’g was very well received. He challenged us all – and many rose to the challenge. Today we face another challenge. We return to the 40 Days of Community series and the subject, Connected to grow together. In what ways are we to grow? When I was reflecting on this a song from the 1970’s came to mind. To be like Jesus To be like Jesus All I ask to be like Him All thru life's journey From earth to glory All I ask to be like Him That says it all. It simplifies a mass of ideas into one big idea – growing to be like Jesus. TO BE LIKE JESUS.. IS GOD’S GREAT PURPOSE FOR US. In Romans 8:28,29 the Apostle Paul writes.. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.. God is at work in all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Is that us? He is at work in all things for our good. What does Paul mean by ‘our good’? He goes straight on to tell us – ‘our good’ is to be conformed to the likeness of His Son – to be like Jesus. One day we will be just like Him. We will even have a glorious resurrection body like His. Right now.. in this life.. God’s purpose is that we grow more and more like Him in character and behaviour! And what is Jesus like? Consider these words.. 1 Corinthians 13:4,5.. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Take the word, ‘love’ out and replace it with Jesus. How does it read? Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy. Jesus does not boast. Jesus is not proud. Jesus is not rude. Jesus is not self-seeking. Jesus is not easily angered. Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Sounds right doesn’t it? How does it sound when you put your name in there? Still some work to be done? Some challenge isn’t it TO BE LIKE JESUS.. WE NEED GOD’S HELP. And we have His help. Paul writes.. Philippians 2:12,13.. Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. You have been saved. Now work out your salvation.. become the people God intends you to be. And you can! Because God is at work in you to will and to act according to His good purpose. How does he work in us? He works in us by His Spirit. We believe in Jesus. We are forgiven. We are given the Holy Spirit. He comes to live within us.. and to work in us.. to transform us.. to sanctify us.. to make us more and more like Jesus. In Galatians 5:22,23 we are told.. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is the fruit the Spirit produces.. the fruit of Christ-like character and behaviour. It is not the result of human effort. It is the result of the Holy Spirit working in us to will and to act according to God’s good purpose. Do we have anything to do? Yes. Our role is to recognise that the Spirit lives in us. We have believed in Jesus.. and God has given His Spirit to us. Believe that. Recognise that. Then we need to respect Him. He is God. He deserves our utmost respect.. our reverence. Give Him respect.. and then rely on Him. Consciously rely on Him. Say to Him.. Holy Spirit, I cannot show love to this person.. I cannot be patient with this person.. please love him.. be patient with him.. through me. And He will. Can we grow to be like Jesus in isolation? No. We need others to love.. others with whom to be patient and gentle.. and we need the help of others. In the 40 Days of Community Work book, p96, we read, Many people make the mistake of thinking all they need to grow spiritually is God's Word and prayer. But the truth is, we need people to help us grow. Christ-like character is built through relationships, not in isolation. TO BE LIKE JESUS.. WE NEED THE HELP OF FELLOW BELIEVERS. I invite you to turn to Romans 15. Here we learn of some of the ways we can help one another.. We help one another when we.. VALUE ONE ANOTHER. Paul writes.. Romans 15:1-3.. We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself.. Be mindful of others.. mindful of how your behavior affects them.. and do not do just what you like.. do not please yourself.. think of them.. and behave in a way that does them good.. that builds them up. Be like Jesus. He did not please Himself. Far from it! He sacrificed Himself.. went to the cross and died.. for us.. for our good.. to save us.. to build us up. And why did He do that? He did it because He loved us. He did it because He valued us. When we value others as He valued us.. we will think of them and how what we are about to say or do will affect them.. before we do just as we like! ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER.In Romans 15:7 we are told.. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Jesus died for us on the cross.. and when we came to Him seeking forgiveness He did not say to us, Go away and shape up into a better person.. and then come. No. He accepted us just as we were. Now He expects us to accept one another.. just as we are.. imperfect people.. but forgiven people! And when we accept others like that.. we encourage them to change. There is great power in acceptance. Accept someone and he will change and grow. Criticize him.. and he will very likely lose heart! Ben Hooper was born outside of marriage. It was a time in history when people born outside of marriage were looked down on. In school his classmates had a nasty name for him.. and on Saturday afternoons when he went down the street he felt every eye on him.. wondering who his father was. Ben went to church each Sunday but he would slip in late and get out early. When he was about 12 years old.. a new preacher came to the church.. and one day he beat Ben to the door. As he got to the door he felt a big hand on him.. looked up.. there was the preacher looking right at him. ‘Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ Ben felt the old weight come down on him. Even the new preacher was putting him down. But then, with a big smile, the preacher said, ‘Wait a minute. I know who you are. I see the family resemblance. You are a son of God.’ Ben Hooper said later, ‘That was the most important sentence ever said to me.’ When we accept people like that preacher did we empower them to change! COACH ONE ANOTHER. In Romans 15:14,15 Paul says.. I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again.. These believers were doing very well.. and were quite able to instruct each other.. but Paul wrote to them quite boldly on some things.. for their good.. to coach them. Two examples: Some of them were saying, If we are freely forgiven let’s just go and sin and we will get more forgiveness. Paul showed them how wrong they were and pointed them to the way of victory over sin. Some of them were living selfishly and Paul exhorted them to live for others as Jesus did! The Bible tells us to teach and admonish one another [Colossians 3:16]. I like to think of that as coaching one another. At three quarter time the team is being beaten. They huddle with the coach.. and then out they come, and with new vigor and a new strategy run away with the game. I would like to know what the coach said?? We can coach each other like that. More then 30 years ago I was preaching at the opening of a new church building and got a little carried away.. and announced.. now we are going to call a youth pastor. The Deacons did not like that and gave me a hard time. I had not discussed it with them or the church. I went to a good friend and carried on about how they were treating me. My good friend just looked at me.. and said, ‘You deserve it!’ As you can see I have never forgotten it.. and ever since I have been careful to process all major decisions through the right people. Only a good friend.. someone you know is committed to you and your well being.. can say something like that with positive effect. Let’s not go around finding fault with others but rather build friendships and when needed say what needs to be said. PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.In Romans 15:30 Paul writes.. I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. My struggle. How many times have you heard the Christian life and Christian service described as a struggle? But that is just what it is. If we are committed to Christ.. and eager to bring glory to Him.. to obey Him fully.. there will be times when we struggle. And we can help one another in our struggle.. by praying for one another. God answers prayer. I do not know why.. but I know He does. Almost 30 years ago an associate pastor came to me very concerned about a person who had only recently believed in Jesus. He came with the news that he had heard she had moved in with a lover.. and wanted to act immediately to discipline her. I suggested.. yes.. we could do that.. but first of all let’s pray for her.. and give God a chance to win her away from this situation. Just a day or two later I was blown away when the lass herself phoned me.. confessed and asked for help. God answers prayer! Pray for one another. To be like Jesus To be like Jesus All I ask to be like Him All thru life's journey From earth to glory All I ask to be like Him God’s great purpose is to grow us into people like Jesus. We need His help.. and we have it.. the help of the Holy Spirit. And we need the help of fellow believers. Let’s be humble enough to admit that.. and let’s offer help to others.. value them.. accept them.. coach them.. pray for them.
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