Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell point Baptist Church
1 John 2:6
Are you walking like Jesus
24th November 2013
Intro: We become like those we are around.
• I grew up/w/o realizing it/began/walk like/father.
• picked up many characteristics from him
• Some desirable, others no so much so.
• That is from a physical point of view.
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However, from a spiritual point of view, there is another in Who's steps we are to walk, and His name is Jesus Christ.
• Person first comes to Jesus for salvation
• there are some instantaneous changes take place
• Yet/very natural/them to retain/characteristics/their old life.
As they grow/mature/Lord/should be changes begin/take place.
These changes are produced:
• We learn more about God, Christ/Bible
• As we yield/leadership/Holy Spirit in our lives.
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Hopefully, as these changes take place, we will find that our attitudes, our actions, our attractions, etc, become less like the old, pre-salvation person and more like the Lord Jesus.
• Perfectly natural/baby to act like a baby.
• Cry, suck on bottles, soil/diapers/play with their toes.
As they begin/grow/begin/change
• Start/take/characteristics of those around them.
• Act more like people and less like babies.
• Not/babies aren't people, just little people/weird habits!
• So it is with God's children!
When we are first saved:
• natural for us to stumble as we take those first baby steps
• Learning with wobbly spiritual legs.
• As time passes/begin to mature/take/characteristics/Savior.
That is what John means when he says we are to walk like Jesus.
I want to help you today to see where you stand with the Lord.
• Are you maturing/your relationship with him?
• Do you even have a relationship with Him?
• I would like for us to think about these questions
• Address/question/stands/theme/message
• "Are you walking like Jesus?"
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I. A PROFESSION DECLARED
“Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did”
• The word "claims". Referred those have a profession of faith.
• They say they are saved.
• Let's examine their claim, as well as our own this morning.
When they make the profession they "abide in Him", they are saying a mouthful!
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A. A Declaration Of Salvation
• Those referred/passage claim to be "in" Jesus
• only one way into Him
• By receiving Jesus Christ/personal Savior, Acts 16:31.
To be "in" Jesus is the only place:
• of salvation/safety/security/peace/happiness
• of being right with God/being delivered from Hell
• of being certain of Heaven.
The benefits/being "in" Jesus are enormous, consequences of not being "in" Him are catastrophic! Where are you?
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Just in case there are those present who have never been saved, let me take a moment to tell you how you can be.
• Getting saved/most simple thing a person can do.
• only a few things you need to know and accept
• Allow me to share them with you.
1. You Must Know That You Are A Sinner - Rom. 3:23
2. You Must Understand There Is A Penalty On your Sin - Rom. 6:23; Rom, 5:12; Psa. 9:17.
3. You Must Know That God Loves You And That He Has Made A Way For You To Be Saved - John 3:16; Rom. 5:8.
4. You Must Believe The Gospel - Rom. 10:10-11
5. You Must Be Willing To Turn From Your Sins - Luke 13:3.
• Doesn’t mean/must be perfect before you can be saved.
• Means you are aware of your sins
• you are sorry for your sins
• you are willing to let the Lord take your sins away
• Along with your desire for them.
• Means simply, you are willing to be changed, 2 Cor. 5:17.
6. You Must Be Willing To Call On Jesus Christ Alone For Salvation Rom. 10:13.
Salvation can never become/reality/life until you make decision to bow before/Lord and ask Jesus to come into your heart and life.
7. You Must Know You Should Not Wait - 2 Cor. 6:2.
8. Are you saved? If not, why not come to Him right now while He is calling you to come, Rev. 3:20?
Please do not wait and allow the devil time to talk you out of it.
Come now and be saved.
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B. A Declaration Of Surrender
Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.
• Word "abide/live" means "to tarry, or to dwell."
• Brings to mind another passage where john used this word.
In John 15:1-11…
• records the words of Jesus/He is the True Vine
• We, who are saved, are the branches.
• Just like a branch/literal vine, our duty to our Savior is to abide in Him.
Means we are to:
• Draw our very life from Him.
• Surrender to His will and to His power in us.
• Bear fruit, but we cannot make fruit happen.
• Yield everything up to Jesus in absolute and total surrender, Rom. 12:1-2….
Is your life totally surrendered/will/God?
Are you truly abiding/vine?
How do you go about abiding in Jesus?
Only possible way/us/abide/Him/spend time/Him in His Word and in prayer.
The more time with Him/more learn about Him
• we learn to love Him more
• we find more areas/our lives to yield to His will and control.
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C. A Declaration Of Service
• Concept/abiding also carries/idea of service.
• Not only does one need/saved/surrendered
• That person also needs to be serving.
• Love for Christ manifests itself in service to Christ
• It is as natural/Christian as is breathing.
• When we/saved/abiding in Him as we should be
• Natural outcome of that is fruit bearing, John 15:5.
When a person is saved and surrendered they will naturally serve the Lord and will bear much fruit for His glory, Matt. 7:17-20; Gal. 5:22-23. Are you bearing much fruit?
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While 1 John 2:6 is a small, short verse.
• People John refers are making quiet a boast.
They say they:
• are saved/are surrendered/are faithfully serving God.
They say what many in our day say.
• Yet, people can say anything they like!
• The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
• John is about to tell us it doesn't matter much what you say,
• the reality of your life exists in what you do!
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II. A PERFORMANCE DEMANDED
“Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” 1John 2:6
A. A Reasonable Expectation
"Must/Ought" = "to be indebted to"
• Refers to the one making the profession.
John/telling us/every person who claims to be saved should recognize he has a personal responsibility to discharge a debt he owes to God.
• Don’t mean we could ever pay God back for our salvation
• We all recognize God didn't save us just/keep us out of Hell.
• We have a serious obligation to the Lord!
Every saved person/room owes God 100 % surrender/effort.
Let’s face it! Many/doing nothing to serve/Lord/to discharge this debt.
• Some feel it is enough to come to church/Sunday morning
• Or to drop in when they feel like it.
• Others fill/lives/everything under the sun
• Leave no time for God or His work.
• Maybe we need to read Rom. 12:1-2 again!
• Our reasonable service is to give him everything
• We are in total sacrifice and surrender.
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If our lives are really sacrificed to Him, then we will have no rights, but all we are and do is left totally up to Him.
• That is biblical, 1 Cor. 6:20! “You were bought for a price, therefore honor God with your body.”
By the way, your service/Lord, or lack thereof, says all that there is to say about your spiritual condition - James 2:18. “Someone will say, you have faith, I have deeds!”
• According to our text, this is what you "ought" to do,
• But what is the real story?
Does Jesus come in a distant second to your activities and the plans of your life?
• Who are we really walking to please, us or God?
• It ought to be Him!
• Remember the terrible price Jesus paid to save your soul!
• Our love for Jesus is told by what we do rather than by what we say!
• The least you and I can do is walk for Him!
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B. A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE
• verse tells us every person ought to walk like Jesus.
• Jesus/standard for which we are to all reach.
• Every step we take/patterned after Him/after His walk.
• How did Jesus walk?
• Few examples His life may answer/question/teach us how we need to live.
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1. He Placed God's Will Ahead Of All Things --Ill. Matt. 6:33
2. He Loved All Men Equally -Matt. 22:37-39
3. He Always Did Those Things That Pleased God
He did not live for self, but for the glory of God. John 14:15
4. He Was Compassionate Toward Others - Matt. 9:36
5. He Was A Man Of Faith - John 11:41-42
6. Above all, He was a man who walked with God!
• His very life could be summed up by 2 verses, Gal. 5:22-23.
• This should also be true of us!
• only when we yield totally to the Holy Spirit!
Jesus was the manifestation of God/world.
• We are to be/manifestation of Jesus to this world.
• When they see us, they should see Him.
• When we walk as He walked, they will!
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Conc: Where do you stand today? Are you "in Him"?
• Are you walking "as He walked?"
• reasonable, honest questions!
• How about an honest response this morning?
• I know that the Lord has dealt with hearts
• Some of you haven't met with the Lord/His altar/long time.
Some of you aren't:
• walking like you should be/faithful to His house/tithing
You have begun to allow little things to slip into your life you know displease the Lord
• Simply, you aren't living like/Lord wants His people to live.
• Some of you aren't even saved!
Now is the time to take care of all these things. Won't you come and let the Lord have His way in your life?
