Around here we sometimes say that we want to be “Jesus with skin on” to each other. That’s just another way of saying that we want to be Christ-like. And that’s the very reason God chose us. To make us like Jesus.
[God] has always known who his chosen ones would be. He had decided to let them become like his own Son…
Romans 8:29 (CEV)
To be like Jesus means that we think and act and care and feel the way Jesus thinks and acts and cares and feels. And that’s what God is passionate about producing in our lives. Christ-likeness.
Everybody needs a purpose and that’s why we are spending 40 days discovering our purpose – looking at God’s purposes for our lives.
We’ve discovered that we were planned for God’s pleasure… that’s worship.
We’ve discovered that we were formed for God’s family… that’s fellowship.
Next week, we’ll discover that we are shape for serving God… that’s ministry.
Today, we’re exploring how we have been created to become like Christ.
You see, God is more interested in who you are than He is in what you do. We define ourselves by our jobs, our homes, our wealth, our education, our friends. But these are secondary issues. When you die, you won’t take your career to heaven; but you will take your character. Are you becoming more and more like Jesus?
When you understand that God is intent on making you more and more like Jesus, your life will start to make more sense. God is far more interested in our character than in our comfort – in our holiness than our happiness. The process that He uses to make us like Jesus is called discipleship.
God’s purpose for me is discipleship.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
Look at the verse.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Make decisions.” He says, “Make disciples.” One of my concerns about us as a church is that we are a lot better at getting people to make decisions than we are at getting people to make disciples. Making disciples is our Lord’s last command. That means that making disciples should be the priority of the Church. This is more than just getting people to make decisions for Christ. It is getting people to become disciples of Christ.
What is a disciple?
When you walk into this building and look up you’ll see our vision. We say we exist to help people grow to be passionate followers of Christ.
A PFC.
A Passionate Follower of Christ.
That’s a disciple. A follower of Jesus.
Think about it. What makes our faith unique is that we’ve not been invited to a set of rules and regulations. We’ve not been invited to live a life of dos and don’ts. We’ve not been invited to religion. We’ve been invited to a relationship.
Think about how Jesus called people to Himself. In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says to Peter and Andrew, “Follow Me.” In Matthew 8:22, Jesus says to a man making excuses, “Follow Me.” In Matthew 9:9, Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow Me.” In John 1:43 Jesus says to Philip, “Follow Me.” And then at the end of His time on this earth in John 21 He says again to Peter, “Follow Me.”
Now, what about that do we not get? To be a true Christian – to be a real Christian – means that I am living a life of following Jesus. He takes a step and He leaves a footprint and I put my foot where His was.
Christ… suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps.
I Peter 2:21(ESV)
Following Jesus means that Jesus is my pattern. Jesus is my example. I walk in His steps. I say what He would say. I do what He would do. I live how He would live. I go where He would go. I act how He would act. I think how He would think. I feel how He would feel. Christ-likeness – being Jesus with skin on – a life of putting my feet where His would be – is our goal.
One again, let me emphasize that following Jesus – discipleship – is not about rules and regulations and dos and don’ts and list-keeping. Our vision statement says, “Helping people grow “to be…” not grow “to do…” The emphasis is on who I am not what I do. God knows that if we are right on the inside, then we’ll be right on the outside.
What’s God’s goal for me?
That I be an informed person?
That I have simply have a lot of facts and figures stored in my head about the Bible?
That I be a conformed person?
That I look at the people around me – how they dress and how they act – and that I simply copy them?
That I be a transformed person?
That worriers start experiencing peace. That irritable people start becoming patient. That selfish people start being generous. That angry people start being kind. That people with addictions start acting with self-control. Circle the word “transformed.” Highlight it. Star it. Put and asterisk by it. That’s God’s goal for you… and for me.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2b (HCSB)
God’s goal for us is transformation – that I become more and more like Jesus from the inside out. In the original, this word “transformed” is metamorphoo. We learned the word in grade school. Metamorphosis. A caterpillar “morphs” into a butterfly.
That’s what God intends for us. We are to change, to morph, to grow! Staying the same isn’t an option. Don’t you want your life to be different at the end of this year than it is today? If you are an angry mom, you will become more patient. If you are a lazy student, you will become more disciplined. If you are a sour dad, you will become more joyful. If you are an impatient single person, you will become more at peace. You’ll be more and more like Jesus.
I grew up in the church. My dad was a pastor. I can remember people in those churches he pastored who attended services every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, who knew their Bible, who taught classes, who gave money, who led committees, but who were also mean as snakes.
Critical.
Harsh.
Judgmental.
Hard to get along with.
Unforgiving.
Angry.
Impatient. You’d see them coming and you’d want to go the other way. What is sad is this:
No one ever expected them to change. This is not walking in the footprints of Jesus!
And this creates a credibility problem for us. We have lost lots and lots of credibility with people outside the faith. What they see is that our lives have not really and truly changed. “What you are speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you say.”
This is not OK. We must become people who are Christ-like! We grow to the point that we start to act and think and feel like Jesus.
If you want to know how Jesus would act and think and feel, then you can study His life recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That will keep you busy for awhile. But if you want a simple snapshot of what Christ-likeness looks like, God’s word give us several.
What does Christ-likeness look like?
What does a disciple look like?
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
That’s what Jesus is like. Are you like Jesus?
Patient. Kind. Not jealous. Not boastful. Not proud. Not rude. Unselfish. Not irritable.
Not resentful. Rejoices when truth wins out. Never gives up. Never loses faith. Hopeful. Always perseveres.
I Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT, ESV, NIV)
That’s what Jesus is like. Are you like Jesus?
Compassionate. Kind. Humble. Gentle. Patient. Forbearing. Forgiving. Loving. Peaceful. Thankful.
Colossians 2:12-14 (NASB)
That’s what Jesus is like. Are you like Jesus? Are you there yet?
I’m not. Not by a long shot. It’s tempting to think that after all these years of trying to follow Christ and failing to follow Him, Jesus would be ready to give up on me and say, “I’m tired of your act, Duncan.” The good news is that just as He said “Follow Me” to me years ago when I was a little guy, He’s still saying “Follow Me” today. And He says it to you. He hasn’t given up on me. And He hasn’t given up on you.
So, what’s it going to take for us to be more like Christ? To get more love and joy and peace and gentleness going in our lives? To follow His more closely? To fulfill this purpose of discipleship?
First, we look in the mirror to see what we are really like. That’s point “A.” And then we clearly see where we want to go. That’s point “B.” Third, we find and follow a strategy to get from “A” to “B.”
When he was in college, our son, Alan, started seeing “Bowflex” commercials. Part of the genius of “Bowflex” commercials are those before and after shots. This is what you look like before the “Bowflex.” This is what you look like after the “Bowflex.”
Just because you buy a Bowflex, doesn’t mean that your body will change. You’ve got to eat right and do your reps.
The same thing is true spiritually. I say, “I see who I am and what I’m like. I’m not like Jesus yet. I see who He is and what He is like. I want to follow Him. I want to be like Him. I want to be a disciple. So, I’m going to do some exercising. I’ll do my reps – my repetitions.”
One of the prayers I pray for my kids is this: “Lord, please give Alan, Ryan, and Evan the relationships, the experiences, and the practices they will need to be the men of God that you want them to be.”
Think about it. Five years from now, you will be the same person you are today except for your relationships, experiences, and practices.
Some one said that a definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things over an over while expecting a different result. If you aren’t as much like Jesus as you’d like to be (and I hope that none of us are satisfied with our level of Christ-likeness), then you can’t just keep doing the same things you’ve been doing! That’s insanity! You’ve got to change. You’ve got to add some reps.
What we need are the right REPs.
To become more and more like Jesus,
I will follow Him…
1. … in my relationships.
What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
II Timothy 2:2 (ESV)
Paul disciples Timothy.
Timothy disciples faithful followers
Faithful followers disciple others.
Who’s my Paul?
Who’s my Timothy?
Brother John story…
To become more and more like Jesus,
I will follow Him in my relationships.
2. … in my experiences.
God uses every single experience we have to disciple us. But the types of experiences God uses that I want to mention today are painful experiences. Every problem in your life has a purpose. Like a sculptor, God seeks chip away everything in our lives that keeps us from looking like Jesus. God uses problems to make you like Jesus.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.
Romans 8:28-29a (ESV)
Several weeks ago, I asked you to think with me. If God is going to make us like Jesus, then wouldn’t it make sense for Him to take us through what Jesus went through? Jesus was lonely, ridiculed, and misunderstood. He was tired, hungry, and thirsty. He was tempted to give up. Now, why would the Father allow Jesus to go through all kinds of problems and then protect us from them?
One day, we are going to a place where there will be no painful experiences. But this isn’t heaven. We have troubles here. And God uses our pain to make us like Jesus.
How does God fill us with love and patience and peace – with the very character of Jesus? He arranges situations in our lives that tempt us to be just the opposite. It’s easy to love people that are lovable. But to produce Christ-like love in you, He’ll put you around people who are hard to love.
You can’t say you have Christ-like joy until you’re in a situation that ought to be joyless... but you’re still smiling. You can’t say you have Christ-like self-control until you’re in a circumstance where you want to blow your stack… but you’re still calm.
God wants us to grow up… like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.
Ephesians 4:15 (Msg)
To become more and more like Jesus,
I will follow Him in my experiences.
3. … in my practices.
Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.
I Timothy 4:7b-8 (NLT)
Practices that produce spiritual fitness…
Worship, including public and private forms of worship
Fellowship, including accountability
Discipleship, including Bible intake and prayer
As Rick Warren says, “We can’t watch television for three hours, then read the Bible for three minutes” and expect to become more and more like Christ. No. That’s just going to make us more and more like the world. “The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the son of God.”
Ministry, including serving
Missions, including giving and going
Becoming more and more like Christ is like boarding a boat to go from point A (where we’re not very much like Christ) to point B (where we’re conformed to the image of Jesus). We can take one of three approaches.
We could treat discipleship like being on a rowboat. You leave the dock with high hopes and lots of energy. You make some good progress for awhile. But before too long, you run out of energy. And you start to drift - a long way from point B.
Or we could treat discipleship like being on a speedboat. (That’s for the type As among us!) You fill the gas tank and leave the dock with the pedal to the metal. You’re moving pretty fast. But it’s a lot further from point A to point B than you thought. You get further than the guy in the rowboat, but you end up in the same predicament - out of gas, drifting.
We need to see discipleship more like being on a sailboat. You are responsible to hoist the sails. But you’re not depending on your own energy to make progress. Instead, you catch the wind. God moves you. Sometimes, the wind doesn’t blow as hard as you’d like. But when you keep the sails up and the rudder right, eventually, you’ll come to point B.
The practices – the REPs – are the way we hoist the sails. That’s our part. Philippians 2:12, 13 reminds us of our responsibility while demonstrating that it is God who really produces our growth: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” We work out what God works in.
Nobody on earth can direct the wind. It acts with complete independence. No one can make God blow His winds of growth across our lives. It’s His sovereign decision. That’s why we must cry out to God for His mercy and grace, “Please, God, blow Your winds of growth across my life. In faith, I am hoisting the sails. Now, please, in Your time and in Your way, move me.”
This is a great lesson for people who have been brought up to believe that they can change themselves by self-effort, by keeping the rules of religion.
To become more and more like Jesus,
I will follow Him in my practices.
Interview with Robert Kilo: How did God get your attention about a year ago? What caused you to want to enter a discipleship relationship? How has our life been helped? What would you say to people who are wondering if this is for them?
Would you like to be a part of what’s on the heart of Jesus? Would you like to grow as a disciple and learn how to make other disciples? We are offering a discipleship conference this Saturday. The cost is $15. Registration is at 8:30. The conference begins at 9:00 am and concludes promptly at 3:30. It includes lunch and snacks.
If you do the right REPs in the right way, then over time, you will see changes in your life. You will have a ripped soul, a sculpted spirit, you’ll be more and more like Christ.
Question: Are you happy with how much like Christ you are today? Do you really have enough joy and peace and patience in your life? Are you really happy with how closely you are following Jesus? Are you rally satisfied with your level of Christ-likeness – your level of discipleship?
We have to learn to be more and more intentional about our relationships, our experiences, and our practices. The right relationships will give you the support you need to become like Jesus. The right experiences will give you the environment you need to become like Jesus. The right practices will supply you with the power you need to become like Jesus.
Will you do the reps?
A point to ponder: To become like Jesus, I must do the REPs: relationships, experiences, practices.
A verse to remember: As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like Him and reflect His glory even more. II Corinthians 3:18b (NLT)
A question to consider: What do I need to stop and what do I need to start so that I can be transformed to actually become more like Jesus?
Before we close today, I want to emphasize something that the Bible makes very clear. Christ-likeness does not happen because of imitation, but because of inhabitation. You say, “What do you mean by that?” We cannot become like Christ because we try hard. That’s trying to change from the outside in. It won’t work. We can become like Christ because He lives in us and seeks to live His life through us. That’s changing from the inside out. That’s what works.
For this is the secret: Christ lives in you.
Colossians 1:27 (NLT)
Are you sure that Jesus is living in you?
