Title: Being Like Jesus
Purpose: To motivate Christians to serve and lead people to Christ



Intro:	1.  Couple of pilots with walking canes walk through the plane to the front.  They
		were obviously blind.  Passengers shifted uncomfortably in their seats as
		the plane started to taxi down the runway.  As the plan gathered speed, it
		began to approach the end of the runway, and at the last minute, all the
		passengers screamed, and the plane took off.  Up in the cockpit, one pilot
		said to the other - "Boy, one of these days they wont scream and we will
		all get killed!"
	2.  Sad to say there are people going through the motions of doing church but have never
	      seen Christ and have no idea what they are doing.
	3.  Heb 12 says to fix our eyes on him.  He is our example
	4.  I Pet 2:21 / I Corinthians 11:1
	5.  Is this possible?  Yes, you can be like Christ

I.  Not by walking on the water, but by walking in the slums
	A.  Imitating Jesus seems impossible when you see him walking on the water
		1.  Sometimes we want to do great things for Him
		2.  In looking at his miracles, we sometimes overlook the "greater" things he did
	B.  Matthew 9:9-13 
		1.  Tax collectors were hated for two reasons
			a.  They were seen as traitors for cooperating with Rome, the enemy
			b.  They often would collect more than their commission
		2.  Jesus had an attraction to the common people (there were many)
		3.  Both divine and common,  holy among the unholy
		4.  Name:  Jesus (Joshua) was a common Jewish name
	C.  What sort of model would you use to describe the church and its mission
		1.  Some as a Cathedral (emphasize holiness)
		2.  Some as a health club (spiritual training and aerobics)
		3.  Some as an Army (militant fighting against all evils in the world-Satan is ruler of world)
		4.  Here Jesus modeled his mission as a hospital
			a.  He is the great physician
			b.  We are to be a place for sick, those who need help
	D.  This means being a SERVING church (serving everyone)
		1.  Mark 9:30-35 (Didn’t get it)
		2.  Mark 10:35-45
		3.  Jesus practiced "Basin Theology"
			a.  2 Kinds of Basins
				-Pilate took a Basin and washed his hands, he didn’t want to get dirty
				-Jesus the night before took a basin and washed dirty feet
			b.  Lincoln Christian Seminary carries on this tradition.  When one gets
			    his masters degree, his hood always comes with a towel to remind him
			    of the nature of his career.
	E.  The world is full of spiritually sick and dying
		1.  We know what the cure is, adminmistering it means getting dirty (like Emergency room) 
		2.  How would this look for us practically?
			a.  What if our sign said, “sinners welcome”
			b.  Introductions at worship:
			     (he is an ex-drug addict, ex-homosexual, alcoholic, ex-con...)
			c.  Would you be embarrased?
			d.  Jesus is not embarrased to speak on your behalf to the Father
		3.  We are all sinners, forgiven ones
		4.  Reach receptive.  It happens to be those who KNOW their need

II.  Not preaching to a vast multitude, but by witnessing to just one
	A.  We see Jesus preaching a sermon to thousands
		1.  There were so many he had to get away
		2.  Then he says in Mk 16:15 - Go preach to all creation
		3.  But I can’t do that.  I can’t preachm like he did!
	B.  Acts 8:26-39
		1.  Sat in the chariot together (one on one)
		2.  He “preached” Jesus to him  (not eschatology, or doctrinal "issues")
		3.  Yes, you can "preach" Jesus
		4.  But my spiritual gift is not that
	C.  A 911 call goes in, waiting for fire and rescue
		1.  There is no time, a guy goes in to save a small child
		2.  He should have waited, he was never trained
		3.  You don’t think about it, when someone is dying you do what you can
		4.  Early church did not grow soley because of “trained” (Acts 8:4)
	D.  But what difference can I make?
		1.  Never under-estimate what God can do with just ONE
			a.  ILL:  Sent telegraph to husband, necklace for $100,00 want to buy
				-reply  “No necklace, too expensive”
				-Telegraph forgot to put in the comma “No necklace to expensive”
				-She bought it, and husband sued telegraph company
			b.  ONE can make a big difference (Mustard Seed is small, but grows big)
		2.  You may never preach Jesus before a multitude
			a.  What about your co-worker?
			b.  What about your relatives?
			c.  What about your neighbor?

III.  Not by riding in a triumphal procession, but by carrying a cross
	A.  This is perhaps one of the most subtle but difficult aspects of being like Christ
		1.  We see him in glory riding on an animal of peace (prince of peace)
		2.  Jesus is Lord (does that mean we have some sort of authority)
	B.  Luke 9:23-26
		1.  We deny self daily
		2.  Crosses are for dying and humiliation.  We must carry it willingly.
		3.  Must lose life to find it
			a.  Problem is when we want to hang on to our life
			b.  Want to maintain control, do things our way
			c.  We often dont’ trust him enough to let him call the shots
	C.  It is the hard-boiled egg syndrome
		1.  When we come to Jesus as hard boiled eggs, there is all sorts of problems
		2.  I think Jesus prefers, the omlet
		3.  Take eggs, milk, butter,. mix it up
		4.  If I say, "Wait, I want the milk separate, take it out".  Nope, the egg is lost
		5.  We are to lose our identity in Jesus
	D.  Gal 2:20
		1.  I am dead, but alive in Christ (he lives in me and calls the shots)
		2.  John Telgren is dead,  my life now is by faith in Him
		3.  Sometimes I try to resurrect John from the dead
		4.  But I have to take up cross DAILY, and die every day
			-Surrender my will to the Father


Concl:
1.  And when you surrender your will to him, you can follow Christ’s example
	a.  Not by walking on water, but by waling in the slums, where the sick and needy are
	b.  Not by preaching to vast multitude, but witness to one
	c.  Not by riding in a triumphal procession, but by humbly carrying cross daily
2.  Have you been fixing your eyes on Him and imitating him?
3.  If not, you are going to crash.  God will help you get your sight to see HIm.