Imitators
(1 Cor 4:16 NASB) I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me.
(1 Cor 11:1 NASB) Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
(Eph 5:1 NASB) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
(1 Th 1:6 NASB) You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
(1 Th 2:14 NASB) For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews,
(Heb 6:12 NASB) that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(Heb 13:7 NASB) Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
(3 John 1:11 NASB) Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.
Who are you imitating in your life?
I find it interesting that there are few original people in the world. We are people who live according to the influences that we allow to come into our hearts and minds and particularly of those we admire and appreciate.
Big bird on sesame street, sang, Monkey see and monkey do about being an imitator of his friends to get on their nerves. When your friends are ignoring you here’s what to do. Sneak right up behind them anywhere that you can find them then play monkey see and monkey do.
It is obvious when our kids are young that you have to be careful what you say around them because you will hear it again. Kids look at what their parents are doing and imitate that far more than they imitate what they are told to do.
Even Jesus or Lord, when he was in the form of a servant here on earth said, John 5:
19 Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
20 "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel.
21 "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
22 "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
23 in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live.
26 "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
28 "Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,
29 and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
30 "I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
Jesus is telling us that he is doing what he sees the Father doing. This is imitation! We are to do the same!
Be imitators of God as dearly loved children. Eph 5:1.
All of us are a product, in part of those we chose to imitate. God knows we are like this. We have a natural built in system that imitates. That’s how we learn to talk and do nearly everything we do. It’s not the only factor in our nature, but it is an important one. God actually commands us to use this inborn system of learning to grow in Christ.
Imitate Christ, imitate mature Christians, imitate God, imitate faithful churches. All of these are either commanded or condoned in the scriptures. Do not imitate evil. Avoid the very appearance of evil. Evil companionship corrupts good morals.
Parents, did you know that one bad friendship in your child’s life can destroy years of good parenting? It’s true! Young people listen to me. Choose friends who are following Jesus closely and who avoid what Jesus would avoid. What you need to do with those friends who do not care to follow Christ is this: invite them to church, pray for them and saturate them with your absence. If you spend time with them you will find yourself doing things they do that are sinful. Mark my word. You can’t befriend the devil’s followers unless you are openly and intentionally leading them to Christ without being influenced by their lives.
I think about so many of the problems with sinful tendencies that our young people face and sometimes fall into. I believe that if each one of our youth had a mature Christian adult friend outside of their family who they looked up to and talked with about their lives, a lot of the problems with sin would be handled. Now I know that some of you parents have the kind of relationships with your kids that you are able to help them maintain their faith and walk in Christ. But many of you need help. Who would refuse to let their children be encouraged and influenced by a mature follower of Christ who you yourself look up to and admire?
Imitation is the way God calls us to grow in our faith. We need more that a Bible class relationship with a teacher, we need a life changing influence relationship with those who are mature and can teach us.
I believe that everyone needs three types of relationships.
1. We need a relationship with someone we look up to who is close to Christ and who we are imitating so that we grow in our faith. This is the way Jesus taught his disciples. If Jesus were living in the flesh as a single man here today, how would he teach you?
Do you think he would have a couple of weekly 40 minute Bible classes and not see you through the week?
Is that the way to grow up mature Christian disciples? Do you think Jesus did it that way?
Are we not supposed to imitate Christ? The only way I know to do this is to follow his example and get with someone like he did and do the kinds of things that he did. Does that make any sense and all?
Jesus took 12 men and spent time with them. They watched and learned more than facts from his teachings, they learned attitudes and deep seated character traits that are only seen when you spend a lot of time together with someone.
A retreat or camp experience is a great way to get this kind of time together with someone who you look up to. Notice that Jesus didn’t do this with many. Only 12. In fact, even among them he picked 3 who were the closest. Peter, James and John.
Is this not true? Am I just making this up? If this is true and I’m not making it all up, then how are you and I going to imitate Jesus in this way? We need to have a relationship with someone who is mature and able to spend time pouring their lives into ours.
2. We need peers who are being influenced by the same person. Jesus had more than one disciple. As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another says the proverb. We need friends who are going the same direction in Christ who are working together as a team of peers. Last night several of us showed what can happen when a lot of members work together to do a youth rally. Didn’t it go well? Our youth and adult helpers who cleaned up and made and put up signs and prepared everything and kept the singing group that came from Freed did a fine job. Richard did a superb job with the games and Joel did a super job on the skit, David and Chris did great with the lights, all the ladies made the food and tables work go smoothly. Lots of men made the parking and traffic in and out work great. Lisa and Carol organized and put together the whole plan in a super way. The Ambassadors did a wonderful job. And all the clean up crew knocked out their tasks in style.
The Lord truly blessed us! Weather, workers, program, visitors and all!
That time spent working together makes us closer and encourages us all.
The body working together is a beautiful thing!
3. We need to intentionally be an example for someone else. Be thou an example to the believers, Paul told Timothy. In speech in life in love in faith and in purity.
You are an example for someone, whether you like it or not. Someone is watching you. Your life is an influence. What is your influence? Are you leading others closer to Jesus by what you say and do?
If you can’t say, “Follow my example as I follow Christ,” then something is wrong. You need to make changes in your life so that you can say this in truth and boldness, knowing that it is by God’s grace that you are able to set a godly example for others.
Here’s where many Christians fall short. We don’t mind looking to someone more mature than us and following their example. We feel like we can measure them and learn from them in ways that will help us. But we can still excuse ourselves for falling short.
We don’t mind having peers who are struggling along with us on the bumpy journey of Christian faith. We know that we are at least as good as some of them. We can take heart in knowing that we are not alone in our faults.
But being willing to step up and be the example for others is more difficult. It requires a type of humility mixed with courage and boldness that makes us more like Christ than we feel comfortable with. This is perhaps the most important step of faith we can take. To be the one who is leading someone else either to Christ or closer to Him.
Imitate me as I imitate Christ. These words need to eventually be on every Christian’s lips. We all need to grow up and become mature enough to help someone else as they follow Jesus.
