Just Like Jesus

INTRODUCTION

SLIDE #1

• Do you remember the commercials that used to air about Michael Jordan, “Be like Mike.”

• When Jordan was in his prime, lots of people wanted to be like Mike.

• I remember when I was a kid; I wanted to pitch like Tom Seaver who was a pitcher with the NY Mets who later went to the Hall of Fame.

• I used to watch him pitch and I would try to emulate his motions on the mound.

• I wanted to be like my dad, how many of you wanted to be like your father or mother when you were young?

• We want to be like people we look up to or admire in some way.

• I believe when we give our lives to Jesus, we all desire to be like Jesus, we all want to follow Him to the best of our ability, but then over time, when we do not feel like we are doing very well with it, we start to fall into a pattern of behavior that is not always bad in itself, but it is a pattern that does not facilitate the growth we hoped to have when we first gave our lives to Jesus.

• SLIDE #2 The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that we are being transformed into the image of Jesus.

• The word “transformed” in this passage is a word that denotes a gradual spiritual change that happens as we learn more about our Lord. I wonder if sometimes we are so expecting a quick transformation that will mystically happen that when it does not happen, we give up on it happening.

• SLIDE #3 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are a new creation in Christ. Old things pass, new things from God come.

• If this is true, which it is, when then do we struggle so much in our quest to be like Jesus?

• The amount of transformation that happens in our lives will have a direct affect on our service and commitment to Jesus.

• Today, I hope to help you to become Just like Jesus. One of the things we need to understand in our quest to be like Him is it does take great effort on our part.

• SLIDE #4 John 12:26 says: 26“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

• Today we are going to look at four things we can do to be Just Like Jesus.

SLIDE #5

SERMON

We can be just like Jesus by:

I. THINKING WHAT HE WANTS US TO THINK.

1. SLIDE #6 It requires a renewed mind. Romans 12:2.

• Romans 12:2 (NASB) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. This would imply that it is time to put some new things in the mind. If you keep dumping the same stuff into your mind as you did before you were saved, what do you think the result will be?

• What can we put into our minds that will help to renew our minds? SLIDE #7 Colossians 3:16 says: Let the word of £Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. If you are not thinking like Jesus, ask yourself how much of the Word of God are you letting dwell within you? SLIDE #8

2. What do you think about on an average day? God has some suggestions!

• Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

SLIDE #9

3. It requires us to filter our thoughts through Him. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says: We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

• If you use a coffee maker, most likely you have a coffee filter that will keep the grounds from getting into the cup of coffee you are getting ready to drink. I cannot stand to have coffee grounds in my coffee.

• We need to filter our thought process through Jesus, we do that by being in constant communication with Him.

• There are times when we come up with an idea that we think we need to follow through on, but the problem is our idea is not within God’s will. An easy one is where a man says God would want him to leave his wife for his young secretary.