To Be Like Jesus

To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus,

All I ask, to be like Him,

All through life's journey, from earth to Glory,

All I ask, to be like Him.

We say that we want to be like Jesus, but just what would that mean?  Our lives are a stark
contrast to the way that Jesus lived.  I'm not talking about culture and time, I'm referring to
a consecrated, totally surrendered walk with our Heavenly Father.  We are to pattern our
lives after the Lord Jesus, but do any of us bother to really find out what that pattern is? 
I thought we'd take a look today at what it would be like if we really lived like Jesus.

What was Jesus like?

1.  Jesus always put His Heavenly Father first.

John 8:29  "And He that sent Me is with me:  the Father hath not left Me alone;  for
I do always those things that please Him."

Jesus was here on earth to point us to the Heavenly Father.  Do we live lives that are
surrendered to pointing the lost to God?  The fact that we are Christians should ooze
out of our every pore, so that the lost around us KNOW that we are Christians.  They
should know by our life style, speech, motives and actions that we love and serve our
Heavenly Father.  Unfortunately I fear that many of our days go by without a word of
testimony to the lost that come across our paths.  When we put God first, our lives will
line up and we will do "those things that please Him."

2.  Jesus was committed to doing the will of His Father.

Mark 14:36  "And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee:  take
away this cup from me:  nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt.

How often do we stop and ask God what He wants us to do in situations?  Or do we
just go charging through our day neglecting the will of God for our lives?  God's will
is not always easy, even Jesus, knowing that He was about to be crucified prayed to
His Father asking that the cup of sorrow that was coming could be removed, but He
surrendered His will to His Fathers.  Are we willing daily to surrender our stubborn,
selfish wills to the Father's perfect will?  I think a lot of time we are afraid of what
the Father's will for us is.  We refuse to submit to His will out of fear of what He
might ask of us.  Let me remind you, that God will never ask anything of you, that
He doesn't provide the strength to do.  We need to submit and trust, and leave the
rest up to God.  Are you willing to say, "Not what I will, but what Thou wilt?"

3.  Jesus served others.

John 13:14-17  "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet;  ye also
ought to wash one another's feet.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not
greater than his lord;  neither He that is sent greater than He that sent Him.  If ye
know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

This is not saying that we need to go around washing each others feet!  It is the pattern
that we are to follow, serving one another.  There is no one among us who is greater
than another, we are all servants of God, and we are to serve each other.  We find this
explained more in Mark 10:45 & 45  "And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall
be servant of all.  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give His life a ransom for many."  How are we doing with the service
issue.  Everyone likes to feel important and have others serving you, but that is not the
way that Jesus taught.  I have had the privilege of seeing great men of God serving others.
My Pastor doesn't sit at the church suppers, He serves others!  I witnessed a wonderful
man of God, Ronald Ostten polishing someone's shoes for them on the sly, because he 
wanted to do something for them.  We will get our reward in Heaven for having a servants
heart here!

4.  Jesus always pointed to God.

Matthew 5:44 & 45a  "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."

Its so easy to get caught up in doctrinal disputes and such.  This is not to say that doctrine
is not important, for it is.  However Paul warns Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:4 not to "give
heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than Godly
edifying which is in faith:  so do."  We need to be caught up in pointing others to God.
If we have an argumentative and defensive nature, how can we love our enemies, bless
them that curse us, do good to those that hate us and pray for them which despitefully
use and persecute us?  To point towards God we need to be looking that way ourselves.
With our eyes on Jesus, we will have the sweet spirit that points those we come into
contact with to our Heavenly Father.

5.  Jesus had compassion on people.

Mark 8:2 & 3  "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have been with
Me three days, and have nothing to eat:  and if I send them away fasting to their
own houses, they will faint by the way;  for divers of them came from afar."

It is very hard to have compassion on the people that bug us isn't it!  Those people that
seem to know just how to get under our skin and leave us feeling irritated and moody.
There are days when we just don't have the patience to look at those around us through
the compassionate eyes of Christ, but we need to.  When people see the compassion and 
love of Christ worked out through our actions, they are going to be more willing to stop
and listen to what we have to say.  All through the Gospels it says that Jesus had
compassion on the multitudes.  I'm sure there were many times that He was tired and
hungry Himself, but He always took the time to show compassion and care to those
around Him.  Are we known as being compassionate and caring to those that come
across our daily paths?

6.  Jesus prayed for us.

John 17:20 & 21  "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall
believe on me through their word;  that they all may be one;  as Thou, Father,
art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us;  that the world may
believe that Thou hast sent Me."

Prayer is the spiritual glue that hold us all together.  How often do you stop and pray
for someone else?  Its so easy to promise someone that you will pray for them, but do
you follow through with that promise?  Jesus prayed for us!  Listen to that statement
again...Jesus prayed for us!  Those four words are very special to me.  If Jesus thought
it important enough to pray for us, don't you think that we should pray for each other?
We are admonished in Ephesians 6:18, "Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and
supplication for all saints;"  It's a sinful wicked world that we are living in, we
need to be faithful in praying for each other.

7.  Jesus knew the scriptures.

John 5:39  "Search the scriptures:  for in them ye think ye have eternal life:  and
they are they which testify of me."

Do you know the Scriptures?  Are you hiding God's Word in your heart?  In 2 Timothy
2:15 it tell us to "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."  The more time
you read and study the Word of God, the more it will become part of your life.  You
will find that if you are hiding the Word in your heart like we are instructed to do in
Psalms 119:11, that God will bring to your mind Scriptures when you need them. 
The Scriptures testify of Jesus, right from Genesis to Revelation.  How diligent are
you with studying the Word?  2 Timothy 2:15 says that we will be approved by God.

How are you doing with these 7 points?  Are you putting the Heavenly Father first;
seeking His will;  serving others;  pointing others to God;  do you have compassion
on others;  do you pray for others;  and do you study and know your Bible?  Jesus
is the pattern to follow.  With God's help we can live Godly and victoriously in this
wicked world!

Earthly pleasures vainly call me,

I would be like Jesus;

Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,

I would be like Jesus.

 

He has broken every fetter,

I would be like Jesus;

That my soul may serve Him better,

I would be like Jesus.

 

All the way from earth to glory,

I would be like Jesus;

Telling o'er and o'er the story,

I would be like Jesus.

 

That in Heaven He may meet me,

I would be like Jesus;

That His words "Well done" may greet me,

I would be like Jesus.

 

Be like Jesus, this my song,

In the home and in the throng;

Be like Jesus, all day long!

I would be like Jesus.

 

 

                                                James Rowe