MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
TO BE LIKE JESUS!
Scriptures: 2 Thes. 3:7-9; 1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1; Php. 3:1; Matt. 5:13-16; 2 Cor. 3:18
For over 3 weeks recently I was virtually house bound. I felt miserable. I would wake up sneezing & coughing. And after breakfast start to work on a sermon. But it wasn’t long before I would get sleepy. Now that worried me. If my sermon was making me sleepy as I tried to prepare it, how would you react when you heard it?
I soon realized that even while praying & working on my sermon that my body wanted to sleep all day, & stay awake all night. I didn’t feel like doing anything except eat, sleep, & watch old movies on the TV. And when I say “old” I mean that I don’t want to watch another silent movie ever again!
But I did learn something from those old movies. Clothing styles change dramatically year by year. And it seems that the driving forces behind those style changes are Fashion Houses.
If clothing styles didn’t change, the clothing manufacturers wouldn’t be able to sell as many new clothes. They need new fashions to be introduced on a regular basis, so they try very hard to sell new styles to the younger generations (who don’t want to look like their parents or grandparents anyway).
Now the primary tool Fashion houses use to introduce new styles & trends are live models. Every clothing company realizes it’s easier to sell clothing if customers can see it on live models.
And once we’ve seen those clothes on a handsome man, or beautiful woman the Fashion Houses hope we’ll think, “Maybe I’d look like that if I wore that shirt or skirt or suit or whatever was being modeled.”
You see, those live models are literally “fashion ROLE models” because their purpose is to get us to imitate them; to follow their lead; to desire their styles.
I BIBLICAL ROLE MODELS
In the Bible, God tells us that WE have ‘role models’ too. In 2 Thessalonians 3:9 Paul says that he & his friends made an effort to be “models for you to follow.” And Paul repeated that idea many times for those early Christians:
In 1 Cor. 4:16 Paul wrote: “I urge you to imitate me.” In Php. 3:17 he urged “Join with others in following my example, brothers…” Paul was holding himself up to be a “Role Model” for early Christians.
He was saying that the perfect role model is Jesus, but if you need to see how following Christ looks on someone else, then use me as a role model. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Cor. 11:1 So, the Bible urges us to follow Role Models in our Christian life, too.
II THERE ARE MANY ROLE MODELS
But we need to realize that there are many Role Models around us that God does NOT want us to imitate/follow/copy.
ILL: One person put it this way: “Everybody’s an example. Some are good examples… & some are bad.”
For example: we’re constantly being bombarded by pictures of famous people who have become popular role models. They model an attractive, ‘successful’ lifestyle. They have fast cars, big houses, & lots of money. They have the attention of millions.
You’ll see them as guests on late-night TV programs & in gossip magazines. And there are a lot of people who would love to be just like them.
ILL Now that has evidently bothered some of these famous people. Several years ago, there was a commotion when star basketball player, Charles Barkley, said in a Nike commercial, "I’m not a role model."
He was telling people that he didn’t want to be a role model. He just wanted to play basketball. He liked the money. He liked the adoration of his fans. He just didn’t like the pressure of the higher standard of being a good example for others.
And he’s not the only one who feels that way: In Glamour Magazine, Rihanna said: “I don’t want to be a role model.”
Miley Cyrus told her fans that she wanted her family to quit putting so much pressure on her to be a good role model.
Snooki, (Do you remember that name?) was a “Jersey Shores” actress who admitted she did stupid things in that TV series. But she didn’t want her young fans acting like her: “I don’t want to be a role model.”
“I don’t want to be a role model.” Over & over some say: “We don’t want to be role models!”
They say that BECAUSE they know they do things that are wrong. But when people call them on it (“Hey, you’re sup-posed to be a role model”) they rebel because they don’t want the responsibility, the pressure of being a good example.
Whether they want to be role models or not - they are. And WE need to know that. What they do, what they think, what they say, & who they are has made them role models.
God knows that. That’s why He’s called you & me to be different - to be good role models to a world that is often tempted to follow others on a path to destruction.
Jesus said in Matt. 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth…” “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, & glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
IV HOW TO BECOME GOD’S ROLE MODEL
God calls us to be role models! So, how do we become His Role Models? Ralph Warren wrote that at least 8 times in the N.T. we are told to “make every effort” in our growth toward becoming like Jesus. You don’t just sit around for it to happen.
Paul explains in Eph. 4:22-24 our 3 responsibilities in becoming like Christ. First, we must let go of old godless ways of behaving. “Everything…connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through & through. Get rid of it!”
Second, we must change the way we think. “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking.” 2 Cor. 3:18 says we are “transformed” by the “renewing of our minds.”
The Greek word for transformed, “metamorphosis” in 2 Cor. 3:18 describes the amazing change a caterpillar goes through in becoming a butterfly.
Third, we must put on the character of Christ by developing new, godly habits. Your character is basically how you normally act. The Bible says, “Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness & holiness.”
What do we need to do to justify God’s faith in us to become examples for others? Well, we do that by following Paul’s advice: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Cor.11:1
Maybe it will help us to think of a staircase. As newborn Christians, we start out at the bottom of a staircase. And we become more like Jesus with each step we go up the stairs - step by step.
Now some folks in Ridge Chapel have just begun their upward climb. They know that Jesus loves them enough to die for their sins, but that may be just about as far as they’ve gotten.
Others in the church family are 3 or 4 steps up the stairs. And still others are 10 or 20 steps up the stairs.
Some Christians are involved in serving Christ regularly. Some are real prayer warriors. Some not only tithe – but find extra money to give to the needy & to missions.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love & good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - & all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
One purpose of our church services is to get everybody together, so that we can feed off of each other’s love for God - so that we can feed off of each other’s maturity in Christ - so that we can all be transformed more & more into the image of our Savior.
Every time you go to Sunday School. Every time you take part in a Bible Study, woman’s group, men’s group, go to Church camp, or go on a Christian retreat you can grow to be more like Jesus. Every time you expose yourself to other Christians you allow yourself to feed off their love & devotion to Christ.
We NEED each other. I NEED YOU. We’re all here to help each other climb the steps & become more like our Savior.
V YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL!
Now, one last thought: as a Christian YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL. I don’t care how long you’ve been a Christian, how long you’ve been in the church. God saved you so that you could be an example for others.
Rember, Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp & put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, & it gives light to everyone in the house.
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds & praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16
Whether you want to be or not you are a role model to somebody about how to live for Christ. But some people don’t like that thought.
And they’re not alone in thinking that way, The Bible reminds us, “All have sinned & fallen short of the glory of God.”
We’re all “just people”. We’ve all made mistakes. God isn’t calling you to be a paragon of virtue - to be totally flawless in your faith. He’s calling you to begin the transformation into His likeness… Step by step.
So, the question is… How do we begin?
Well, the first step is to belong to Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God? Have you repented of your sins? Have you publicly accepted Jesus as your Lord & Master? And have you been buried in the waters of Christian baptism & risen up a new creature, forgiven by God?
Or maybe you are already a Christian. Your next step may be to belong to a church where you can be involved in some ministry with them.
Or maybe you’re already a part of this congregation, but you’ve been spending most of your time just sitting there for worship. You aren’t doing anything for Christ. Well, your next step would be to find something to do for Jesus.
People are watching to see how you let your light shine. They’re watching to see if your faith in Christ is something worth imitating in their lives, too.
ILL A young man heard & obeyed the Gospel message. A little while later, a teacher asked him: "What have you done for Christ since you became a Christian?" He replied: "Oh, I’m still a learner."
"Well," said the teacher, "when you light a candle do you light it to make the candle more comfortable, or to have it give light?" He replied, "To give light, of course."
"Do you expect it to give light only after it is half burned, or when you first light it?" He replied, "As soon as I light it."
"Very well," was the reply, "go thou & do likewise… & do it now."
INVTATION
