More Like Jesus
John 15:1-13 Rom. 8:29
Intro.
Predestinated to be like God’s own precious Son. How often we hear this followed by we weren’t meant to be like him in this world.
I believe this is a cop-out; we don’t want to be like Jesus so we start making excuses. If the word of God says it then it must be true and we should spend more time seeking to fulfill it and less time making excuses about it.
When Jesus walked upon this earth it was not as the Son of God but as the Son of Man. His strength energy and his knowledge came from the Father through the Holy Spirit.
I’m not saying that you and I can reach the place of being sinless, but surely God meant more than just to shrug it off and say one day in heaven we will be like him. I was reading a book by Max Lucado and he spoke of our becoming more like Jesus and God swept over me with a heavy conviction that I wasn’t even trying.
I’m like most people I try harder to find reasons to say I cannot be like Jesus and he surely doesn’t expect me to be.
I believe he does expect us to become more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ. He speaks of relationship in such a way, we are one, we are the bride of Christ, and we are the children of God. All of these speak of an oneness and an intimacy that cannot be duplicated or acted out, it must be real.
I. The Branch And The Vine: John 15:1-14
When we read this scripture we seem to emphasis the fruit and begin to go off on what we do rather than who we are. I believe the emphasis should be on our relationship with Jesus rather than how much we do. When we journey over to Eph. 2:8,9 Paul gives us a view of what he means by salvation.
He tells us we are saved by grace through faith, and that it is not what we do. Then he slaps us with vs.10, that we are before ordained unto the good works that we shall do. If our works are before ordained we need to stop worrying about them and just do what God directs us to. Concentrate on becoming more and more like Jesus.
I believe that even in Ephesians the emphasis is on who we are and not on what we are to do. We try to be a part time Christian and expect God to accept that. Let’s look again at the passage in John 15.
First let us consider a couple of things said here. In verse 4, Jesus says to abide in him. It doesn’t take a expert in grammar to tell us that the word abide means to live in. Now to take this a step further how often do these branches separate themselves from the vine? Do they just show up near harvest time to bear fruit?
The fruit bearing is what the branches do, but the reason they bear fruit is because they are attached to the vine. They have no life in and of themselves. (v.4) They will only show life while they abide in the vine. I do not believe that as soon as the branch separates itself from the vine that it dies, but without the vine they will eventually die.
I am not talking about losing one’s spiritual life nor even their physical life but they become useless to God in the state they are in. we want to claim eternal life and the benefits of it but we don’t want the responsibility of living the life as God laid it out for us.
To be real honest we don’t want to be like Jesus because he was content just to live life without owning a lot of stuff. He didn’t have a home, or a car, but they didn’t have cars in that day, he didn’t own a horse or a mule. He was content to walk wherever he went.
You and I seem to freak out when we lose a nickle. We want to argue but everyone lived that way in Jesus time. That is not so, many rode horses and had servants that waited on them hand and foot. They traveled in caravans to ward off thieves and robbers.
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you.” Our life is to be totally absorbed in Jesus and his in you and I. We truly are to become as one. If the word abide means to live in how much of our day is he suppose to receive? When the answer comes back and it must be “all” 100% we say surely he doesn’t expect that much out of me? I truly believe that he does expect that much from us.
How much of Jesus time was devoted unto God the Father? He said, He always did the will of the Father.
“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30
John 5:19, “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”
II. Conformed To His Image:
The end goal, is for us to be conformed to His image or likeness. We need to take a look more closely at a few of these words to understand what they mean: To be conformed is the word SUMMORPHOS in the greek. It means the same form as another. The word “image” is the word EIKON which means the glorified body having the same type of spiritual body and moral character.
It’s not about becoming deity, but about becoming Christlike. “What would it be like to live each hour of the day seeing your words, choices, reactions, prayers, temptations, thoughts, views and feelings from the perspective of heaven?” One of the things it means to be conformed into the likeness of Christ is to see ourselves and our world from the viewpoint of Christ. I specifically want you to think about what it would be like to view things from Christ’s viewpoint
What does this mean? We feel it can’t be his physical image. So it must mean his mental and emotional image. Is he just talking about believing his teaching and his word?
Paul said in Phil. 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Is it possible for you and I to think like Jesus? Again the small bracelets and tags that had the initials WWJD. How often do we take time to stop and ask that question “What Would Jesus Do?” And if we did it would our decisions be different?
Jesus said he could do nothing of himself he was totally into God’s will, not just desiring to be pleasing but totally waiting for orders from on high. He did not make his decisions and then pray that God would bless what he had decided.
If we are to be conformed to his image then we are to be just like Jesus. We are to desire to glorify the Father at all cost. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Do we believe that the disciples in Jesus day lived their lives as haphazard as we do? From what Jesus says here if we will concentrate on the abiding the fruit bearing will just come naturally.
If we truly become more and more like Jesus we shall love those that he loves. If we really put forth that effort we shall begin to love those that are so unlovely.
III. What About Jesus Teachings:
Matt 5:11-12, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Jesus is elling us how we are to act, can you in all honesty say you act anything near this? When our feelings get hurt we immediately think we have the right to tell them off or retaliate. We don’t have the right to do either.
1 Cor 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” And while I’m at it we don’t have the right to hurt someone elses feelings.
If we are conformed to the image of God’s Holy Son, we are to be like him. He said to you and I, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.” Matt 5:21-22
He said, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Matt 5:23-24
“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” Matt 5:39-41
How can you and I do any of this unless we be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ and it means more than just agreeing with him.
One more and I’ll let this slide for the moment.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Matt 5:43-48
I’m afraid we all fall very much into the category of acting just like the world acts and try to excuse ourselves by saying I can’t do any better and surely God does not expect me to. The word of God says that he does expect better from us, and we need to do better by the strength and courage of God.
We need to live in communion with God all day long and see sin as he sees it and look upon the troubles of others as he does.
IV. Paul Spoke Of This Communion:
“Pray without ceasing.” 1Thes 5:17
“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Eph 6:18
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phil 4:6
