Subject: How To Be Like Jesus
Scripture Reading: I John 4:10-17
There are many things that I do not think that we comprehend when we read the Bible.
In verse 12 it says that no one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, then God dwells in us, and people can get a glimpse of God through us.
Then at the end of verse 17 John says, As he is, so are we in this world.
Did you ever wonder what the Christian life is all about?
Did you know that you can wrap the entire Christian life up into one package and put a tag on that package and write on that tag: I John 4:17 As he is, so are we in this world.
Have you ever wondered what your job is in serving Jesus Christ?
It is to be a Jesus wherever you are.
In that office, in that store, in that place of business, on that job sight, you are to do what he would do, say what He would say, have His attitude, His heart, His expression, as if He worked in your place.
Every person whose name is written in heaven has an obligation to be what Jesus would be if He lived in your house,
Worked in your place,
To say what He would say,
To be what He would be,
To love as He would love,
To do as He would do,
To forgive as He would forgive.
Today I want I want to talk to you about The Holy Spirit and Christ-likeness.
There are several things that I want to notice with you today:
I. The Amazing Limited Earthly Life of Jesus.
About 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, a baby boy was born to a virgin, to His earthly mother Mary.
His entire life on earth was spent helping others.
The one who perhaps knew Him best when he spoke of his life gave a one sentence biography of Him when He wrote: Jesus of Nazareth who went about doing good.
When He saw hungry people He fed them,
When He saw cold people He clothed them,
When He saw sad people He cheered them,
When He saw discouraged people, He encouraged them,
When He saw weary people He strengthened them,
When He saw poor people children, He blessed them
When He saw bereaved people He comforted them
He blessed them that cursed them, he loved them that hated Him, He prayed for them that despitefully used Him,
He never sought revenge, He never sought vengeance, He never tried to get back at anyone.
For 33 years that He lived on earth He never hated anyone.
When one betrayed Him, He called him a friend.
When people reviled Him, He did not retaliate.
When they nailed Him to the cross, He prayed for their forgiveness.
And like I said, the one who knew Him best, wrapped up his life in one biographical sentence: Jesus of Nazareth. . . who went about doing good.
Think about it:
He raised the dead
He healed the sick
He caused the lame to leap like a hart.
He caused the dumb to speak
He caused the blind to see, and the sick to be well.
He stilled the wind and calmed the storm. No life was ever lived on earth like this life.
Yet china never saw Him,
Asia never saw Him.
Japan, North America, South America
Russia, Europe & Africa never saw Him.
Now there is something very sad about that. This amazing, wonderful life so marvelously lived for others was only viewed by people who lived in one little area in one little 33 year life span.
But not only do I want you to notice the Amazing limited earthly life of Jesus.
But I want you to notice:
II. The Amazing Plan of God To Expand That Life.
Because this amazing wonderful earthly life of Jesus was limited, God conceived a plan.
God planned a way so there could be a Jesus in every country in the world.
Where there could be a Jesus in every city in that country.
And there could be a Jesus in every neighborhood in that city.
God conceived a plan where there could be a Jesus in every office, in every factory, in every neighborhood.
In fact God conceived a plan where by the entire world could see this amazing life that was lived 2,000 years ago in one little 75 X 40 mile area in a 33 year period.
And here is God’s plan. God planned that He would take that same inspiration and the same cause of this marvelous life and make that same cause available to everyone of his people.
Now what made the life of Jesus like it was? It was the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God tells us that His life was led, guided and directed by the Holy Spirit.
Listen to Jesus Himself when He tells us in Matt. 12:28: I cast out devils by the Spirit of God.
And today God has made it within the reach of every single person that we may be like Jesus.
Let me say to you who are believers today, that if the people who live in your house have never seen Jesus you are unfair today.
If the people who work with you and beside you never see Jesus, you are cheating them today.
Is it fair for one little country to be the only people in history to witness this marvelous life of Jesus?
No it isn’t fair.
Every country has a right to see Him.
Every city has a right to see Him.
Every home has a right to see Him.
Your town or neighborhood has a right to see Him. Your family has a right to see Him.
As He is so are ye In this world.
And we as the children of God have no right not to be like Him.
Why? Because, He has made available to us the same power, the same energy with which He lived and produced His marvelous earthly life 2,000 years ago.
God has made it possible for the people in Camden to see Jesus. And The people in Westdale, and Williamstown, and where you work, and where you do business
The first time I heard that song sung:
To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, all I ask Is to be like Him. All through life’s journey from earth to glory, all I ask is to be like Him.
I said, That’s it! That the prayer of my heart, That’s my one life’s goal, I have one desire today and that is that my life might be like Him!
You heard about the businessmen that were catching their connecting flight in a busy airport. They were hurrying down a corridor when a 12 year old boy stepped out of snack area carrying a tray with pepsi, cheese burgers, fries and his remaining change. The businessmen tried to avoid him, but a collision occurred and pepsi, burgers, fries and change went in all directions. Two of the businessmen slowed enough to look back but kept on running to the gate to catch their connecting flight. The third businessman slowed down, looked back and then stopped. He turned around and went back to the boy who was trying to pick up his meal from the floor. Tears filled his eyes and the businessman bent down, apologized to the boy and after they had scooped up ice, picked up fries, and burger and gathered all the change they could find, the businessman said “Son, let’s go get you some more food.” As they stepped into the snack area, the businessman saw his plane taxi out to the runway. As they stood in line waiting for their food, the boy said, “Sir, are you Jesus?” “Oh no!” the man replied, “but why do you ask?” “Because you did what I think Jesus would have done today.”
Oh, listen when are we going to realize that there is a world out there that has as much right to see Jesus as Palestine did 2,000 years ago. And if we claim to be His children, we have no right not to be like Him.
John said As he is so are we In this world.
Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Jesus said, in John 20:21: As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
I confess that I am not always the best example, but God knows that I have tried to live like Him. I have tried to love as He would love.
I try to forgive as he would forgive.
I try to help as He helped
I try to bless as He blessed.
But I have failed so many times. I found that it was against my nature.
I would rather be served than serve.
I would rather be helped than help.
I would rather receive than give.
I would rather be fed than feed.
I tried, but I failed and that brings me to point number 3:
III. How To Live in The Spirit.
After trying and failing over and over again I came across Romans 8: 11. It is one of the most important verses in all of the Bible when it comes to being like Christ.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you.
Now that verse is not telling us how to die, but how to live in the Spirit.
God is saying, that the same powerful spirit that reached down 2,000 years ago and raised up Jesus from the dead, if that same Spirit dwell in you, that same Spirit shall raise you up from your dead selfish life, He shall raise you up from your self-¬centered life.
If that same Spirit that raise up Jesus Christ dwells in you, than it is possible for you, by the power of the Spirit to live on earth the same kind of Life that Jesus Christ lived.
Over in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, is the marvelous painting by Michelangelo, of the Last Judgment.
That beautiful painting covers the ceiling of that huge chapel, and laps down the walls.
Suppose tomorrow someone were to take you that great chapel and say, paint one just like it.
If you are anything like me, you would have a problem on your hands.
The last thing I painted was in elementary school, when I painted the sky blue, and the grass green and put a big yellow circle up in the corner for the sun.
I don’t think that I have painted a picture since I was in elementary school.
And if you are anything like me, you would have to say, try as I might, I can’t possible paint a replica of Michelangelo’s Last Judgment.
But, But, if that same spirit that was in Michelangelo entered into your body, then you could paint a replica of that beautiful, amazing Last Judgment.
And so it is with you and me today as Christians. God comes to us and says, as my Son Jesus was in the world, so I want you to be.
He says, Roy McEntire, I want you to be like me, He says Debbie Olin I want you to be like me, He says Gabe Johnson I want people to see Jesus in you.
He says to Alice Adolfi, I want people to see Jesus where you work.
And in the human we say, Lord I want that too, and we try but fail so many times.
But then God comes to us and says, I have help for you.
The same Spirit that made it possible for Jesus to live His amazing, Marvelous earthly life is available to you. If you would just be yielded and surrender to Him, If you would just let Him fill you and control you.
And So I came back to God a second time and said, Oh, God, I want that same Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead to fill me and make me like Jesus.
I want that same Spirit to lift me out of my selfish, self-centered life and let people see Jesus through me.
And then I picked up the paintbrush and have tried to paint the likeness of Jesus in all that I do and say.
And that same Spirit that lived in Christ, and that same Spirit that raised Him from the dead, is now living in me, and helping me to live like Jesus.
Oh, listen, today it is possible for us to show this old sinful world what His life was like.
How can you and I be like Jesus? By trying? NO!
By going to church? No!
How can I be like Jesus? By having His Spirit living in me that lived in Him as He walked this earth almost 2,000 years ago.
But then one day it dawned on me, that I am not even the painter. I am just the canvas.
I don’t have to work at painting the likeness of Jesus in my life. All I have to do is be the canvas, and be yielded completely to the Holy Spirit, and He would paint the canvas of my life like Jesus Christ.
You see, if you know Jesus Christ in a personal way in salvation, then God’s plan for your life is to make you just like Jesus.
Romans 8:29 says that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son.
That means that some day when we stand before God in heaven, God is going to look at us and then look at Jesus and then look back at us and look at Jesus, and He is going to say, I can’t tell the difference.
Today if you will just be filled with the Spirit and yield your life like a canvas to the Holy Spirit, He will paint the likeness of Jesus upon your life.
For a number of years I have learned to talk to the Holy Spirit throughout the day. Many times just telling Him that I love Him, and that I want to be yielded and controlled by Him.
And that brings me to my last point:
IV. How To Be Like Jesus
Do you want to be like Jesus today? Do you want people to see Jesus in you?
Then make sure that you are yielded to the Spirit of God, and that same Spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead will take the canvas of your life and on it paint the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Friends this world will never see Jesus, and we will never show our families Jesus, until we are completely yielded to the Holy Spirit.
Until He controls our every move.
Until He controls our every word.
Until we stop doing what we want to do and start doing what He wants us to do.
Until we begin to say and mean it, Holy Spirit I am completely yielded to you today, Paint the likeness of Jesus upon the canvas of my life.
Today as I said earlier, I have one desire and that is to be like Jesus.
I want people to know me as one that loved the poor, that brought encouragement to the discouraged, and cheer to the saddened.
I pray that, when my life is over, that people will not have seen just David Bubb, but that they would have seen Jesus, and say of my life, like they did of Christ’s He went about doing good.
As He is so are ye in this world.
Are you like Jesus today? In your attitude, your actions, your life?
If you are not, God wants you to be, and He has the same power available to you today.
