Living Jesus Style

Pastor Glenn Newton

New Hope Church of the Nazarene

Text: John 5:16-30

JN 5:16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

JN 5:19 Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

JN 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

JN 5:28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

As be begin this morning, we find Jesus in a all too common position….he’s being scolded by the Religious leaders again….this time for having the audacity, the nerve to heal a poor crippled man on the Sabbath. Jesus, what were you thinking? The Sabbath was only to learn to love your neighbors….not to actually carry it out…right? Jesus was breaking all their rules, and the religious leaders were going crazy…literally.

I want to challenge you to something kind of radical this morning. I want to challenge the New Hope Family to try something for the year 2011 that will more than likely get you in trouble with some of the religious do gooders running around these parts. Can I tell you what the challenge is?

I want to challenge you to Live Your Life Jesus Style this coming year….12 months, everyday, every decision, every crisis, every victory, every fight, every trip to the doctor, every report card, every holiday….every moment. Live Jesus Style…

If you take this challenge, you won’t make everyone happy… so you will need to get over that right now. But, if you take the challenge, Your life will never be the same again….

What do you mean live Jesus Style? You all ask the best questions…..let’s talk about what it means.

Let’s look at verse 16-17 together…

1. 24/7 always on call, always on in tune with the Father.

We need to go back to what the Religious do gooders were going after Jesus for….He dared to heal a cripple on the Sabbath. The Do Gooders started quoting Exodus 20:8-11 right out of their rulebook where is specifically says to "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.”

So the problem here was that Jesus surely must have exerted himself to heal this man, so He would have broke the commandment, or so they thought. There is a problem for the Pharisee’s, they have become so caught up in their law…they have missed the point. They so loved their rules, that they have disobeyed the rule giver. Have you ever got the cart before the horse?

It’s easy to do. When our Christian life feels more like a contract that you have to uphold than a personal, intimate, love relationship…then something is wrong.

If you are more worried about keeping up your end of the deal in your walk with the Lord than you are loving Him and Listening too Him, then something is wrong. The Christian life should not be a job.