Sermon Central
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Being Like Jesus
Contributed by Dan Cormie on Feb 16, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: This one is a challenge to young people to follow and to imitate Jesus starting while they are still young.
Covenant Youth Mission
April 1995
Being Like Jesus
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
1. Jesus is aware of the greatest need in the room.
Everywhere Jesus went; there was a flurry of activity going on around Him.
Some came to see what would happen, they were curious. Some came to try to trick Him, to catch Him in some sin or breaking the Roman law. Some came driven by hope; maybe, just maybe He is for real. Some came because there great need compelled them to seek Him out.
As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don’t cry."
Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"
What about us tonight? Why have you come to this youth meeting? What are you tuned into tonight?
When a visitor shows up at CYM, are you tuned in to the needs of their soul, or are you tuned in to the possibility that they may attract the honey you have your eye on?
It’s time to start being like Jesus. God wants to use each of us here, not just Pastor Dan.
How do I tune into these things you ask?
We tune in through prayer, through walking in relationship with God.
In order to meet needs we need to be filled with the “Need Meeter!
2. Jesus does the “stuff” in front of everyone.
You may be thinking, “But Pastor Dan, if I do that my buddies won’t think I’m cool. They’ll call be brown noser – I’ll never get a girlfriend!”
You need to decide who you want to serve.
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Your buddies are not the only ones watching!
Your buddies will not receive the account of your life when it ends.
Christianity is about standing tall when the world bows.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king; that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."
If you are going to be like Jesus you will have to “man up” and do the stuff in public.
3. Stubborn hearts stir righteous anger in Jesus.
He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
It is possible to be so caught up in your religion, that you lose sight of the purpose of God.
Some people, like the men in this passage, are more concerned with their points of doctrine than with the needs of people.
When the rules begin to supersede the needs of people religion becomes a weight that we drag through life, instead of lifting and supporting, it begins to be a burden that must be dragged – Jesus is not happy with that!
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Strive to stay free, stay tuned to the Holy Spirit, be teachable and realize that if you believe exactly the same as you do now in ten years time – you have wasted ten years!
