INTRO.- Who’s your favorite Hollywood actor? Actress? Would you want to be like him or her?
Today, I wouldn’t want to be like any Hollywood actor, but when I was a kid I wanted to be like Leonard Slye. Who’s that? The king of the cowboys, Roy Rogers. He was one of the good guys, one of the good cowboys: handsome, could shoot, ride and fight. He was also a good singer, but of course, I really didn’t care about singing. I just wanted to be able to shoot and ride well!
He was born November 15, 1911 as Leonard Frank Slye, in Cincinnati Ohio; the son of Mattie and Andy Slye. His youth was steeped in poverty. His father worked in a shoe factory. The house he was born in was later destroyed to make way for Riverfront Stadium, (the home of the Cincinnati Reds). in fact Roy often joked that he was born right where second base was located. Roy died on July 6, 1998 at age 86.
In 1943 Roy was voted the #1 Western star at the box office, and Republic began billing him as the King of the Cowboys.
In 1944, a lovely young cowgirl named Dale Evans co-starred beside Roy in "The Cowboy And The Senorita." There was something about the couple that sparked audiences. With Gabby Hayes, Roy’s trusty sidekick, Dale, and The Sons of The Pioneers all together, the package was complete. The public absolutely loved them.
After Arline passed away in 1946 life was hard for Roy, but with the help of family and his work, he survived. In 1947, while Roy and Dale were working a rodeo in Chicago, Roy asked Dale to marry him. On New Years Day, 1947 the two were hitched.
Dale was such an amazing person, she had little trouble juggling the responsibility of taking care of three children, plus a new marriage, and her filming career.
In August of 1950 Roy and Dale became the parents of Robin Elizabeth. A few days after her birth, Robin was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome. The doctors advised them to place the girl in an institution. But for Roy and
Dale, this was never an option.
Roy said, "There must have been a reason God gave us this child, so we would take her home, take care of her,and love her."
Despite receiving the best care possible, Robin died shortly before her second birthday. Her death not only strengthened the Rogers’ faith in God, but was the inspiration for Dale’s book, "Angel Unaware."
Roy was the only man in the Country Music Hall of Fame twice. His fan club once boasted 1.75 million members registered in the United States alone. His fan mail peaked at 75,000 letters a month in 1945.
He was a good Christian man who could well be imitated by me and millions of others! Imitated mainly, of course, for his Christian life and attributes. But as great as Roy Rogers was, there is someone greater who needs to be imitated.
Not only do we need to know Him, WE NEED TO BE LIKE HIM! Paul said clearly, "Be imitators of God..."
PROP.- According to this text, in what ways should we imitate God?
1- Imitate His love
2- Imitate His holiness
3- Imitate His wisdom
I. IMITATE HIS LOVE
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Is there is anything greater than love? Is there anything greater than God’s love?
John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 15:12-13 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
Romans 13:8 "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law."
I Cor. 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
Col. 3:13-14 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
I Peter 4:7-8 "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
Here’s an example of God’s love.
ILL.- His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.
The church is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.
By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.
Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly.
He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor?
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister regains control, he says, "What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. "
Someone said, "Be careful how you live, for you may be the only Bible some people will ever read!"
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love.
II. IMITATE HIS HOLINESS
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
No immorality, no impurity, no greed, no obscenity, etc. What does this sound like? HEAVEN? Is there such a place on earth?
ILL.- As a father came home from his work he saw his little daughter who had been playing in the mud. He said to her, “My, you’re pretty dirty.”
In her childish way she replied, “Yes, I know daddy, but I’m prettier clean.”
AREN’T WE ALL PRETTIER WHEN WE’RE CLEAN? Oh, to be clean, innocent and pure like that of a small child! But as grow up we get spoiled and soiled in this old sinful world.
ILL.- Two theological students were walking along a street in the White chapel district of London, a section where old and used clothing is sold. "What a fitting illustration all this makes!" said one of the students as he pointed to a suit of clothes hanging on a rack by a window. A sign on it read: SLIGHTLY SOILED -- GREATLY REDUCED IN PRICE.
"That’s it exactly," he continued. "We get soiled by gazing at a vulgar picture, reading a course book, or allowing ourselves a little indulgence in dishonest or lustful thoughts; and so when the time comes for our character to be appraised, we are greatly reduced in value. Our purity, our strength is gone. We are just part and parcel of the general stock of the world."
SLIGHTLY SOILED -- GREATLY REDUCED IN PRICE. As we become soiled by the sin of this world we are greatly reduced in our value and our witnessing value. We are not as strong a witness for Christ once we become soiled by sin.
ILL.- The state of Pennsylvania once had a law that reads: “If any person shall willfully, premeditatedly and despitefully blaspheme, or speak loosely or profanely of Almighty God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, or the Scriptures of Truth, such a person, on conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine, not exceeding $100, and undergo an imprisonment, not exceeding three months, or either, at the discretion of the court.”
This sounds like a law that needs to be re-instituted. Sounds good but it won’t work. The 10 commandments didn’t work either. They still don’t.
No law that tries to force or coerce people into doing right will work. So we have a problem? How do we become holy like God? It can only happen from the inside out.
Prov. 23:7 "As a man thinketh so is he."
Col. 3:1-2 "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Gal. 5:22-25 "22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."
We must live by the Spirit. How so? We study God’s Word. We ask for God’s strength through His powerful Holy Spirit. "Fill me with your Spirit. Fill me with the desire of your Spirit. Fill me with your holiness. etc."
It’s not easy to be clean when everything else around you is dirty but by God’s grace, we can do better and be better.
III. IMITATE HIS WISDOM
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
Have you ever been taken to the cleaners by anyone?
ILL.- There was once a priest who was rich, and he was very anxious about his money. Wherever he hid it, he was afraid it would be stolen from him. Finally he thought he would put it in the tabernacle where the Sacrament was kept, since that was the safest place. So he put it in there with the Sacrament, and wrote over it Dominus est is isto loco (“The Lord is in this place”).
A smart fellow understood this, broke open the tabernacle and took the money and wrote over the place Surrexit non est hic (“He has risen, He is not here”). IN OTHER WORDS, THAT PRIEST JUST GOT HIS MONEY STOLEN!
Has this ever happened to you in some form or another? Anybody ever borrow money from you and never pay it back? Ever literally have money stolen from you? Ever have your identity stolen from you?
ILL.- I had about a thousand dollars stolen from my Mastercard, which, thank God, I did not have to pay. I got my bill one month, looked at it, and there was one charge for $750 in Milan (Milano - Italian), Italy for clothing.
I immediately called the Chase Mastercard company and reported this and they canceled the card instantly and sent me another card. It took several months for them to delete the charges but thank God, they did!
Those dirty rotten thieves! But there are worse thieves! How could this be? Those who steal the souls of men and women, boys and girls!
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
The "disobedient" refers to those who obviously don’t or won’t obey God. That means they are rebellious and they try to deceive others to join in their sin and rebellion. And this ultimately makes them "soul stealers." Dirty thieves!
How can we avoid being taken to the cleaners both materially and spiritually? WE NEED GOD’S WISDOM! If we knew what God knows, we would never be stolen from!
How can get God’s wisdom? We can ask for it.
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
And we probably already have God’s wisdom and just don’t refer to it enough. What am I talking about? The Word of God contains the wisdom of God!
In order to imitate His wisdom we must read His wisdom.
CONCLUSION-------------------------------
ILL.- General Grant was to be entertained at a banquet in the city of Houston, Texas. All that money could do to make the affair a success was done. The most notable men in the Lone Star State were present. After all were seated, the headwaiter approached the place where Grant was seated and was about to pour out the first glass of wine for the guest of the occasion. Quietly Grant reached forward and turned his glass down. With the true spirit of Southern chivalry, every Texan present, in the same quiet manner, reached forward and turned his glass down, and for once in the history of banqueting in the Southwest a famous dinner was served without a drop of alcoholic liquor being drunk.
EVERYONE PRESENT IMITATED GENERAL GRANT.
Wouldn’t it be great if we humans had that much respect and admiration for our God?
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children.
