INTRODUCTION
SLIDE #1
I want you to look closely at the title to the message for today.
Be like Jesus.
All of us at one time or another has wanted to be like someone, we have had someone we were exposed to that inspired us to want to emulate them.
Today I want us to consider who we really need to be like.
We are all called to be like Jesus. That sounds good in a sermon, but how can we do that in real life?
Today I am not going to spend time going over some of the basics like, reading your bible, prayer, and meditation.
Instead I want us to turn to Philippians 2. In Philippians 2 can gain some real insight as to some practical things we can do in order to be more like Jesus.
In order to be like Him our lives must reflect His life.
I remember when the first Rocky movie was released. I went to see it. I wanted to be like Rocky. When I got up to work out to train for football, I drank the raw egg and milk mix. I started incorporating some of the work out routine in the movie into my training.
If we are going to be like Jesus, we must do something similar. We need to work on changing the core of who we are and what is important to us.
Today we are going to focus in on three areas that will help us to become more like Jesus.
The first area we need to focus on is that we need to promote unity with other Christians.
SLIDE #2
SERMON
If we are going to be like Jesus we must:
I. PROMOTE UNITY WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS. (1-2)
I would like you to look at verses 1-2 of Philippians 2 with me.
SLIDE #3
Philippians 2:1 - 2 (NASB) 1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
As Paul is pleading to his readers, he is stressing the importance of being united together in Christ.
It is so important that he is saying that his joy will not be complete until we make this a central part of our lives.
Before we carry on, what does it mean to be united, or what is unity?
SLIDE #4
1. What is unity?
The dictionary definition tells us that unity means “the state of being one.” Or, “the combining or joining of separate things or entities to form one.”
Biblically the word means, “that which ties together, a bond.” It also means “oneness.”
It is so important for all of us to be on the same page, striving for the same things in life. If each one of us in the church have a different agenda or are all rowing in different directions, we will struggle as a body.
Your leadership team is working on strategies that will insure that everyone is on the same page as a church. The leadership is going to do all they can to make sure we are united in effort at Auburn Christian Church. This will be accomplished without the leadership “controlling” every aspect of the church.
One of the things that hurts the body of Christ is when we are not working together for the common cause of Christ.
Let us look at how unity is manifested or made known.
SLIDE #5
2. How is unity made known?
If we are called to be tied together, or if we are to have a bond, in what areas are we to exhibit this unity?
SLIDE #6
a. Being of the same mind.
Christians should then be like-minded. This does not mean that the believers have to agree on everything; instead, each believer should have the mind (or attitude) of Christ, which Paul describes at length in 2:5-11.
The word translated “same mind” in this verse is the same word translated “attitude” in 2:5.
We are to all strive to have the mind of Christ. When we put on Christ at baptism, His mind is part of the deal.
Too many folks in church bring their own mind to the table when issues come up. There is room for discussion for some things, but too many folks want things their way and they cover it with religious terms to make their way sound spiritual.
When we have the mind of Christ, it will change the way we do things. We will see things in a different light and we will treat people in a new way.
SLIDE #7
The second way we show our unity is by maintaining the same love.
b. Maintaining the same love.
The love of Christ is the love that we are to show to one another and to those who are lost.
WE must work on maintaining this love; it is a work in progress.
Do not say you love people with the love of Christ when you have to run them over to get your way!
We are to have the same humble sacrificial love that Jesus had for us, a love that cause Him to die in the cross for us.
SLIDE #8
We show unity through unity of Spirit.
c. United in Spirit.
The Holy Spirit should unite the believers into one body.
We are to be united because we have the Holy Spirit residing in each immersed believer.
SLIDE #9
We are to be intent on one purpose.
d. Intent on one purpose.
As they stand firm in the Spirit, they overcome small differences and work forcefully toward one purpose—a common goal. The church’s goal was to spread the gospel. While its members could do that in various ways, they should be unified in reaching it.
SLIDE #10
If we are going to be like Jesus we must:
II. DISPLAY HUMILITY AT ALL TIMES. (3-8)
This passage really spoke to me as I studied it. If we are going to be like Jesus, we must work on being humble. Jesus was the epitome of humility.
How many times do we get upset when we do not get our way or when things do not go the way we want them to go.
Listen to verses 3-8 with me.
Philippians 2:3 - 8 (NASB) 3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but £emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
SLIDE #11
What is humility?
1. What is humility?
Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves in relation to God (see Romans 12:3), which in turn gives us a correct perspective on our relationships with others. Being humble does not mean that we should put ourselves down, tell everyone how bad we are at everything, and refuse to acknowledge any good in ourselves.
Instead, humility is a healthy respect for who God is, and then a healthy respect for ourselves because of what God did on our behalf. We are sinners, saved only by God’s grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in God’s kingdom. We are to lay aside selfishness and treat others with respect and common courtesy. (Life Application Bible)
SLIDE #12
2. How can we develop a humble heart?
We can develop it by doing a few things. First, we need to have a mind change. Notice verse 3 says we are to do nothing from selfish or empty conceit. Then is says with “humility of mind”.
It starts with a mind-set that we are not bigger than God and that as stated before, sinners who have experienced God’s grace.
This humble mind-set leads us to regard other people as more important than ourselves.
This leads us to stop looking out for our own personal agendas in verse 4.
Verses 5-8 tells us about the attitude Jesus had.
He was equal with God, but for the good of mankind, He emptied Himself of all His glory to come and die for us.
His humility led to obedience!
Humility comes through serving others. As long as we are looking out for number one, we will struggle with humility.
SLIDE #13
If we are going to be like Jesus we must:
III. SERVE HIM WITH JOY. (14-18)
This is one of the most overlooked aspects of being like Jesus, serving Him with joy.
When Jesus lived as a man and served God, do you think He enjoyed serving?
I know there were some significant difficult times, but I have to believe He served with joy. How could you help it when you realize whom you are serving.
SLIDE #14
Let us look at verses 14-18.
Philippians 2:14 - 18 (NASB) 14Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 17But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
SLIDE #15
1. We are called not to grumble or fight.
Do you know what sucks the joy right out of your faith and service to Jesus? Fighting and grumbling.
Grumbling come from a word that describes a bad attitude which expresses itself in constant complaining. The Israelites constantly grumbled in the wilderness, and God judged them for it.
The word for fighting has a legal connotation and may refer to the Philippian Christians going to civil courts to settle their differences, an action Paul condemned elsewhere (1 Cor 6:1-11)
James 4 tells us that people fight because they are seeking to get their own way. How many times does that happen as we serve Jesus?
SLIDE #16
2. Why is serving with joy so important?
SLIDE #17
a. So we will prove ourselves blameless, innocent, and above reproach.
Does not mean without sin, but instead means being beyond criticism from the unbelieving world.
b. To be an example to a lost world.
If we serve by fighting and grumbling, what does that say to the world.
c. So we can share our joy with other Christians.
Joy is contagious.
CONCLUSION
WE are called to be like Jesus. In order to do that we need to spent time learning about Jesus, who He is and how He lived, along with what is important to Him. WE can only do that through the Word.
Being like Jesus does not end with reading, prayer, meditation, and study of the word. We are called to ACTUALLY be like Him. This means our lives MUST look like His.
This is what our lives are all about, trying through the power of the Holy Spirit to be like Jesus.
