Romans 8:29 Called to be Like Jesus 2

You are listening to the podcast of Recast Church in Mattawan, Michigan. Good morning, everyone.

I want to welcome you guys to Recast Church. I hope you guys all had a great 4th of July. Yes. USA.

So, we're happy to have you here. We're excited to be able to join with you guys together as God's church, as God's children, as God's people.

If you guys are visitors here, we want to welcome you. And just at this time, our pastor's gone on vacation because USA.

And so, we've got a guest speaker and I just want to introduce him really quick. He was here last week as well. Bill Smith.

He's been one of our lay elders before. He's a missionary with Youth for Christ. And he's going to fill in again and kind of complete kind of a two -part series that he's been doing.

Bill, would you come and just give us an introduction to the Lord this morning? Department of Treasury.

Welcome, everybody. Good to be together, isn't it? God is good.

God is faithful. So, I'm just going to give a little introduction of what we're going to be looking at today.

Last week, if you were here, we explored what it means to be conformed to the image of Jesus.

And we're going to look at that verse again. But our challenge was to become more like Jesus.

That that is what God is seeking to do in our lives. To bring a transformation in us.

That word metamorphosis. I use the example of that worm that we call a caterpillar crawling, forming that cocoon, and being shut off from the world in that quiet place.

And that metamorphosis happens, and that butterfly bursts forth out of that cocoon.

And kind of our cocoon is our quiet time with God, meeting alone with him, opening his book, and asking him to speak to us.

And I love that God wants to speak to us, because that is so life -giving.

Wow. I don't know how people live without Jesus. I don't.

I mean, I look at the crazy world, and I remember living without Jesus myself, how empty that was.

I'm so thankful to be a child of God. So I want to start out with a question.

Hopefully you were trying to be more like Jesus this last week, if you heard that message. I know it's been on my mind.

I do want people to see Jesus in me. And I know you want that too for yourself as a believer.

But my question is, how much do you look like Jesus? How much do you look like Jesus?

Hmm, well, should I grow my hair a little bit longer, you know, grow my full beard? Of course, ladies, you can't do that.

Or you wouldn't want to do that if you could. You know, should I get a robe and make, you know, sandals, and then

I'll look more like Jesus? No, no, no, no. I mean, when people see you, can they see

Jesus in you? Do you act like Jesus?

Do you try to? According to the

Pew Research Group, there's an estimated 2 .2 billion adherents to Christianity.

That's almost a third of the world's population. Somehow that just doesn't seem right, does it?

That there would be that many people saying that they're Christian. Because you certainly don't see that in our world, do you?

Like a third of people walking around being like Jesus. Think for a moment, though, if these 2 .2

billion people would begin to allow God to truly do a work in their lives, conforming them into the image of Jesus, and that they become like Jesus to their families, to their communities, in their workplace, in our world.

Would that make a difference? 2 .2 billion people seeking to be like Jesus, seeking to walk like Jesus, truly following the teachings of Jesus.

We would see such transformation in our world, among the nations, in our culture, if we would just be more like Jesus.

If all of us who professed Jesus had his kind of love, his compassion, his grace, if we modeled our lives after him, what an impact that would have.

It truly would. God clearly calls us to this.

And I just, in my introduction, I just want to do a little review of last week's message, because this week is kind of part two.

Last week, we looked at called to be like Jesus. And this week, we're going to look at living like Jesus.

So how do we become conformed to Jesus? And then how do we walk that out?

How do we live that? So by way of reminder, open your Bible with me to Romans chapter eight.

And we would love for you to see the scripture this morning. So if you don't have a Bible with you, or you don't have it on your phone, if you would raise your hand,

Michael bring you a Bible. And you are welcome to keep that Bible if you need it.

We definitely would love for you to have that copy of God's word. Romans 828.

We find this word purpose. What is God's purpose for my life?

Romans 828 and 29. 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, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, conformed to the image of his son.

Last week, we looked at this word conformed, as far as what the original meaning of the

Greek word is. And this word conformed in the Greek is sumorphos. Sumorphos.

It has the word morph in it. It has the idea of transformation, but it's an interesting word because it's two

Greek words put together. The first part of the word son, meaning union together with, union in companionship with, and then morphe, to shape, to form.

So the idea is that the only way that this transformation is going to take place in our lives is in union with Jesus himself, with union with the

Father. This happens in cooperation with God. So if I am not giving

God time in my life, if I'm not getting alone with him and opening his book and asking him to speak into my life, then

I'm not going to experience this transformation, this conforming. I can try and try and try to be like Jesus, but I'm going to fail.

Because it's a work of God, it's a work of the Spirit in our lives. And he is so willing to do it.

The reason I came to Jesus, because he's a transformer. My best friend, drug addicted,

I was right there with him. We're both 20 years old, so lost.

Jesus came into his life and he became a new man. It's just so miraculous. I knew it was a miracle of God.

It was undeniable. I knew it was a miracle of God and I knew then that he was a transformer and that he could take my messed up, empty wreck of a life and change and transform and heal me and set me free.

And that's what he did. And I'm so thankful. I hate to think of where I would be without Jesus at the age

I'm at now if I would have stayed on that same path. Sometimes I think about that just so I can be grateful for what he's done in my life.

His grace is so amazing. The more time we spend with him, learning his teachings, in his presence, getting real with God in our relationship, the more we will become like him.

And this is not a fast process. It takes a lifetime.

We looked at the idea of the sculptor last week, chipping away everything that doesn't look like Jesus in us.

That's what he's trying to do, to bring out that beautiful likeness of Jesus. And then

I want to look at another verse that we looked at last week also, just by way of review.

Turn to Matthew 10, verse 25. We'll start in verse 24.

These are Jesus' words. Verse 24,

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master.

In the New Testament, this word disciple is used over 260 times. Kind of an important word.

Jesus isn't calling us to be Christians. He's calling us to be disciples. Students of Jesus, who learn his teachings, his manner of life, and that we model our lives after him.

Jesus is calling us to discipleship, to walk in his footsteps.

He says it's enough. It's sufficient. If you become like me, this is my work in your lives.

This is what I am seeking to do for you. God's plan is that we become so intimately united to Jesus that we become like him.

And we become like him. And that's a beautiful person right there. Right?

Amen. Amen. I hope you'll make that your daily prayer if you aren't already praying that.

Father, conform me to the image of your son. Form Jesus in me. With that,

I'm going to pray, and the band is going to come up and lead us in worship. And pray his spirit moves in our hearts today.

Father, just thank you so much for your presence in this place that this is a holy place that you surround us, that you're in us, that we are your sons and daughters, that you love us with a perfect everlasting love.

And you want us to be like you. You are the beautiful one.

I pray that you would teach us how that can happen, what that would look like in our lives,

Father, as we explore deeper what it would mean to walk as Jesus walked.

I pray that you would just give us revelation and understanding. And Father, you said that when we sing, we should sing with the spirit and with understanding.

And I pray that these words would minister to us. And as we sing praises to you,

Father, that it would be a blessing that this would truly be a time when we can connect with you during this worship time.

Father, you know that we are desperate for you. We live in a desperate world, Lord. There are many that are hurting in this room, even struggling with some hard things.

And I pray that you would breathe life into us this morning, that you would meet with us in a special way.

Thank you that this is your desire. We love you, and we praise you, and we ask this in your holy name,

Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you,

Dave and the band. Good morning again. I'll say that in the juvenile home on Sunday mornings when

I'm leading the chapel services, and the students look at me like, what's good about this morning?

I'm in the juvenile home. And I always say, what's good about this morning is we get to meet with God and learn his word, and he can do something incredible in our lives.

So it is a good morning. Speaking of Youth for Christ, I'd like to throw out just one prayer request.

Most of you know that I serve as a missionary with Kalamazoo Youth for Christ. We have sold our building.

So we feel like God is calling us to have a ministry center on the east side of Kalamazoo.

It's a very underserved area as far as the youth is concerned, a very needy area.

And we had a building that we actually put an offer on and didn't take our offer.

And so we were waiting to see what would happen with it, and it ended up selling. But in the meantime, by faith, we put our building up for sale, which we've been there for 29 years.

And if you've ever been in our building, we use every nook and cranny of it. It is so packed out, and our staff has grown, and our building just hasn't grown with it.

So we need more room also. But we have sold our building, so we're moving out this month.

And Youth for Christ will kind of be homeless. Most of what we do with youth is outside of that building.

We go to where the youth are anyway. And we do have a church on the east side that's going to let us use some office space in the meantime.

But will you pray with us that God will provide a building? What we're looking for is a building that we can expand our drop -in center threefold, that we would have lots of room for kids to come and have a safe place, and that it would be surrounded by neighborhoods where some of the kids could just walk and come and have a safe place where they're going to be loved and hear about Jesus.

So pray with us that God will provide a building. We would really appreciate that a lot.

God wants to shine through us in this dark world. He wants us to be light.

He wants us to show forth the beauties, the qualities, the teachings of Jesus.

He wants us to be like Jesus. It's very clear when you study his word.

He wants Jesus to be revealed in us so that people see him in us.

Turn with me to Galatians chapter 1. I'm going to look at verses 15 and 16.

And we looked in Romans 8, 28 and 29 where it used the purpose. And we're going to see that again in Galatians 1 verses 15 and 16.

Paul is talking about his calling. And you know the story of Paul.

You know, he was out there persecuting the disciples of Jesus, and God appeared to him on the road to Damascus and totally changed and transformed him and set him free.

Paul is talking in Galatians about the purpose of God. We pick it up in verse 14.

He said, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people.

So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my father. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son in me in order that I might preach him among the

Gentiles. He talks about this foreordaining, this predestination.

We looked at that word a little bit last week from Romans, where it's always been God's plan from the very beginning to create us in his image and in his likeness.

That's what it said of Adam and Eve's creation. And Paul was saying that this was

God's purpose for him to reveal Jesus in him, and then for Paul to be able to preach

Jesus. This is the call of God. Now, if you were following along closely, you probably saw that I changed a word in that verse.

In verse 16, talking about God was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the

Gentiles. If you have an ESV Bible, of which I'm teaching out of, you'll see that little number five next to it.

If you look down at the bottom of the page, it tells you that the Greek word is literally in.

I think that's a better translation of this verse. He was pleased to reveal his son in me in order that I might preach him.

The New King James translates it that way, and this is what it literally means. Yes, he wants to reveal his son to us, but in order for us to preach, and I'm going to talk a little bit about that because that's kind of a strange word, preach.

It kind of turns people off, like, don't preach at me, right? Okay, but this word preach is actually a very beautiful word.

This is saying that God's work is to manifest Jesus in us so that Jesus will be revealed, and this word revealed in the

Greek is a very interesting word. It's apakalupto. Apakalupto is how you say it in Greek.

It makes me think of the word apocalypse, you know, and the unveiling. Apakalupto.

It means to take the cover off, so something's covered up, and the cover needs to be taken off to reveal what's in there, okay?

As children of God, born -again children of God, Jesus is in us, but sometimes self is so dominant that's all people can see.

Self -centeredness is a human condition. It's a human struggle that we all deal with, and self gets in the way so much, and it covers up the

Jesus in us, and God wants to uncover that.

Again, he's that sculptor, that master sculptor, chipping away at us everything that does not look like Jesus, and there are things in our lives that don't look like Jesus, aren't there?

But he can change them. He can transform them. He is the ultimate transformer.

Flip over. We're very close to there, actually. In my Bible, it's on the next page.

2 Corinthians 13 .5. I want you to see something here. 2

Corinthians 13 .5. It says, examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves, or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?

Do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?

Isn't that interesting? You ever think like Jesus is in you? Jesus said, if you don't have my spirit, you don't have me.

When we're born again, when we become child of God, he comes to live in us. We are temples of God, and Jesus is there.

He's there in our deepest core, but he needs to be unveiled so that people can begin to see

Jesus so that I can step out of the way. Are people seeing

Jesus in us? Or are people seeing things that are contrary to Jesus?

Look again at Galatians 1 .16. So Paul is saying that the work of God is to bring forth the image of his son in us so that people can see

Jesus in us. And then he says that I might preach him.

And there's an order here, isn't there? I would say this. If people cannot see

Jesus in you, then don't preach him because you can do more harm than good.

I remember when I came to Christ, there was a man in our church. He was a deacon. And I found out that one of my old friends that I used to party with and do drugs worked for this man.

And I was all excited about it. Like, wow, you know, Bob is gonna, you know,

I told my friend that this gentleman went to my church, and Bob got this look on his face, and he said,

I cannot stand that guy. I cannot stand him. Probably would be a good idea for maybe him not to preach

Jesus. You know what I'm saying? How many people have been turned off because people have tried to preach

Jesus, but they look nothing like him? They don't have his beauty in them.

They're not letting it shine through. Self is still in the way. This word preach now, okay, it literally means to announce good news.

So it's a beautiful word. Oh, how much the world needs some good news today, huh?

Our neighbors need good news. Our co -workers need good news. And, you know, the gospel is not bad news.

It's good news. It's the best news ever. I had to ask myself, what is my life preaching to others?

My life, not my words. Words are important though, aren't they?

You ever heard this quote before? Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words. How many of you ever heard that before?

Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words. I, you know,

I thought about that when I studied that verse. Like, you know, before I show the good news,

I have to have the good news shining in me and through me. And so I thought, hmm,

I wonder where this quote came from. So I googled it, and it took me to a website called

Ask a Franciscan, okay? Ask a Franciscan. And, well,

St. Francis is attributed to saying this quote. And so on this website,

Ask a Franciscan, it had questions that they could ask, you know, a priest, and this was the question.

I keep seeing St. Francis credited as saying preach the gospel at all times.

Use words if necessary. I've looked in several places and cannot find where St.

Francis said this. Here's the answer. This is a great quote, very

Franciscan in its spirit, but not literally from St. Francis. The thought is his, this catching phrasing, is not in his writings or in his earliest biographies.

In chapter 17 of his rule, Francis told the friars not to preach unless they had received the proper permission to do so.

Then he added, let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds. Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.

So if I cannot preach Jesus because of a certain circumstances, my life can preach him.

My deeds can show him forth. Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.

That's a pretty good quote. Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.

Well, it is necessary. So we can't just show it by our life. There has to come a point where we speak the gospel, right?

But we've got to get this right first. We need to be showing the love of Jesus. So if we have a co -worker that we're praying for, and we know they're struggling, and they're lost, and they don't know the

Lord, we need to be seeking to live out Jesus for them before we speak

Jesus' name to them. That make sense? To show them by our actions.

Here's a little quote I found. We are living a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deed that we do, by the word that we say.

Men, read what we live, whether faithless or true. Say, what is the gospel according to you?

What is the gospel according to you? We, as image bearers of Christ, are to be showing

Jesus by our deeds and by our words. We need to become

Jesus to a lost world. Paul clearly knew his purpose, and because of that, he had a longing for all believers that he discipled.

In fact, this was his prayer, and this is what he strove for in his teachings. And I mentioned this last week.

Look at Galatians 4 .19 with me. Galatians 4 .19. This has become a daily prayer for me once I learned this verse and what it meant.

Galatians 4 .19. This is Paul speaking. Actually, this is

God speaking through the prophet. My little children, for whom I am again in anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

He was praying, and he was striving, and he was teaching to help

Jesus be formed in believers. That word formed is morphe.

It's that word for change and transformation. And again, it is the work of God in us.

But I see Paul praying for this, and prayer is powerful. And so I would challenge you, if you really want to look like Jesus, if you really want to live like Jesus and be his disciples, that you would pray daily this prayer.

Father, conform me to the image of your Son. Form Jesus in me.

I pray that every day. I pray that over my family, over my loved ones, that we will grow more into the likeness of Jesus, that we will change and be transformed.

One day we will be completely like him. He said, when we see him, we shall see him as he is, and we shall be like him.

So this transformation takes in cooperation with God in us as we spend time alone with God in his presence, in his word, letting him speak into us, letting him cleanse us, renew us.

This transformation takes place. Then how do we live this out practically? So that's what

I want to look at in the next few minutes. How do we live this out practically?

I have four steps, four truths that can help us live

Jesus in our circle of life. Turn to 1 John chapter 2, verse 6.

The first step is by abiding in him, abiding in him. Look at 1

John chapter 2, verse 6. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

So if I am abiding in Jesus, what this says is that I will walk like he walked.

In other words, I will become like Jesus. I will live differently. And so what's necessary is to abide in Jesus.

To live like Jesus, I must be abiding in him. So I want to think about just for a moment what this means to abide in Jesus.

Turn with me to John chapter 15. This is where we find the truth of what this means.

This is Jesus speaking the night that he is arrested. I kind of picture them, you know, stopping and resting right in the midst of a grape vineyard.

And he speaks these words. Chapter 15, verses 1 through 5. Jesus says,

I am the true vine. My father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

Every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Here it is. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine.

Neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine. You are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.

For apart from me, you can do nothing. Jesus is calling us to abide in him.

If you think of the picture of the vine and the branch, all the branch has to do to bear fruit is to stay connected to the vine, right?

We all know what happens if you cut a branch off a tree. It's going to shrivel up and die. It's not going to bear any fruit.

This is speaking of a vital, living, intimate relationship, living your life in union with him, this abiding.

And so for me to be able to do that, I have to in the morning get my heart renewed and spend some time in his presence at some point in the day.

Prayer is vital. It's key to this abiding relationship. Prayer is the great connector to Christ.

One of my favorite authors, he's in heaven now, his name was Andrew Murray.

He was a missionary in Africa and then kind of became a world known Bible teacher that traveled the globe, wrote lots of devotional books.

He wrote a book on Abide in Christ and this is a quote from his book Abide in Christ.

He says, he has prepared for you an abiding dwelling with himself where your whole life and every moment of it might be spent.

Where the work of your daily life might be done and where all the while you might be enjoying unbroken communion with himself.

The only way that I can represent Jesus is by abiding in him.

It must be his life in me and he's calling me. This is such an invitation just as a branch draws its life from the vine, so we are to be drawing life from Jesus.

Just as a branch is connected to the vine, we need to be connected to Jesus as we go out into our walk, as we go into our jobs, as we raise our children.

Whatever your station in life is, the only way that we can live this likeness of Jesus is by abiding in him.

There is no other way. Andrew Murray goes on to say, he says, observe especially it was not that he said come to me and abide with me but abide in me.

The intercourse was not only to be unbroken but most intimate and complete. He opened his arms to press you to his bosom.

He opened his heart to welcome you there. He opened up all his fullness of life and love and offered to take you up into his fellowship to make you wholly one with himself.

Jesus frequently told people follow me and when you look what that word follow means, it means to walk in the road with, beside.

We think of following like walking behind somebody and Jesus says no, walk with me or let me walk with you throughout your day.

Stay connected to me and I will be shining through you. I cannot walk as he walked in my own strength.

Look at what it, when I saw this truth in verse 5, it's the last part, it's the last statement

Jesus makes. He says for apart from you or apart from me you can do nothing.

This was freeing for me when I learned this truth like, you're right

Jesus, I've tried to do it on my own and I keep failing and it's his invitation, let me help you.

Walk with me, we can do this together. Whoever says he abides in him also ought to walk in the same way he walked.

So number one, if I want to live like Jesus, I need to be abiding in that living union with him throughout my day.

I need to keep in communion with him. Secondly, we live like Jesus by doing all things in his name, by doing all things in his name.

Look at Colossians 3 17 with me. I memorized this verse when

I first studied it and it's always coming to my mind as far as how

I'm living my life and the words that I speak and I come so short of its glory for sure.

But Colossians 3 17 it says this, and whatever you do in word or deed do everything in the name of the

Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him. Do everything in his name.

He said whatever you say, whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus.

If I am driving my car in the name of Jesus, will it look any different than how

I might normally drive? If I'm dealing with a difficult person, will it look different if I do it in the name of Jesus?

I think so. If I do my job in Jesus name, would it make a difference?

What does it mean to do all things in Jesus name? The MacArthur Study Bible said of this verse, this simply means to act consistently with who he is and what he wants.

To act consistently with who he is and what he wants. So I need to be seeking his guidance, his direction.

A good question is, Lord, what do you want me to do in this situation? Lord, how should

I respond to this? What do you want me to say? When I've asked that question in my ministry, when

I encounter a young person who is so heartbroken and has been so beaten down by life that a nice catchy little phrase isn't going to do anything,

I say, Lord, what do I say to this person? And all of a sudden he starts giving the words, it's not me, it's him in me.

He can do that for us. Matthew Henry said of this doing all things in his name, to do it in compliance with his authority by strength derived from him with an eye to his glory.

To speak and to act in his name is to invite Jesus into whatever we are doing.

It is to do it in union with him seeking his will and his leading. It's doing what he would have me to do.

It's doing all things as his representative. Second Corinthians, he calls us to be his ambassadors.

We are to reflect Jesus. Now I know why

God said in 1 Thessalonians 5, 17, pray without ceasing. He's saying keep this vital relationship alive throughout your entire day.

Keep turning your mind to me. Keep speaking about what you're going through to do all things in his name.

I challenge you to memorize this verse and try to live by it. Therefore whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the

Lord Jesus. To do it in his name as his representative. Then you will begin to look like Jesus.

We live, number three, we live like Jesus by practicing the principle of putting off and putting on.

Putting off and putting on. We're still in Colossians. Look at Colossians 3.

I'm going to read verses 5 through 10. This principle of putting on and putting off. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

On account of these things the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked when you were living in them, but now you must put them all away.

Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Do not lie to one another seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self after the image of its creator.

He names a not so pretty list, right? That list, wow, that is messing people up so badly.

That was part of, that list was part of the old me. I'm to cast those off like a filthy garment and so as I'm trying to live out this whatever

I do in word or deed in the name of Jesus, all of a sudden I'm driving my car last week and I'm going the speed limit and this girl is like right on my bumper.

You know what I'm saying? The old man says, I'm thinking about tapping my brake.

You know how you do that, right? Scare him a little. I'm like, that's the old man.

That's the old way. I cast that off. Jesus helped me to live the new way.

You know what I did? I started praying for her. Praying for her. God help her. Help her to be safe.

Lord, change her life. We did a fireworks tent fundraiser for Youth for Christ.

Wow, kind of crazy, huh? For 10 days we manned this tent selling fireworks.

We did it last year to help raise camp funds for a camp scholarship because a lot of the youth that we work with come from low -income families.

Last year we raised almost $10 ,000 to help kids get to camp and we're trying to raise funds for a van to help transport youth that we work with.

So we thought, well, let's do it one more year and we'll take the proceeds and we'll be able to buy this van that we're saving money up for because we're not going to borrow money.

And so my 4th of July weekend and week was hanging out in this fireworks tent.

And I remember going there last Sunday and I showed up for my shift and, you know, I'd preached here.

I'd been at the juvenile home and I walked in. I looked, wow, we got lots of people here. We don't, everybody doesn't need to be here.

And all of a sudden that old nature, that old man creeped up back up in me, right? I'm like, oh man, this is, this is crazy.

You know what? And all of a sudden I caught myself and I'm like, this is not like Jesus. This is the old complaining man.

And then I just like, Father, thank you that already good things have happened. I saw a grown woman with her little girl that I had not seen since she was in the juvenile home years ago.

She said, Bible Bill, I have been wanting to find you for years because I wanted to thank you for how you guys helped me when

I was in the juvenile home and I know Jesus now. Whoa, that made it all worth it.

You put off that grumbling and complaining and you put on thanksgiving. You cast off that spirit of lust and you say,

Lord, you have called me to live a holy life. When you recognize something that rears up from your old nature, from your old earthly walk, you are to cast it off like a filthy garment.

I reject this in the name of Jesus. I will not act on this. Lord, help me to act your way, your truth in this situation.

And everything shifts just like that through his power, through his transformation.

And then the fourth and closing way that we live like Jesus is to walk in love, to walk in love.

He was the most loving person who ever walked this earth. Look at what it says in Ephesians chapter five, verses one and two.

Therefore be imitators of God. This is where we get the word mimic from, this

Greek word. It sounds similar to mimic. Be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us.

Walk in love, walk in his love, walk with his love in your heart.

Jesus said this, by this all people will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another.

He said in John 13 that that was the mark of a disciple was his love shining through us, flowing through us.

Very simple verse and I'll close with this one. Look at 1 Corinthians 16.

This is an easy one to memorize too, hard one to live, but it's how he wants us to live.

1 Corinthians 16, 14. I'll start in verse 13.

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. And then in verse 14, let all that you do be done in love.

There it is. Let all that you do be done in love. Love for God and love for one another.

Wow, if we could do that, would that make some change? Let all that you do be done in love.

Four ways to live out our practical walk with Jesus and to be like him in this dark world which this world so desperately needs to see true disciples of Jesus shining forth his beauty, sharing forth his word.

Number one, we need to be abiding in him. Number two, doing all things in his name.

Number three, practicing this principle of putting off and putting on.

And then number four, by walking in love, walking in his love.

Let God, this is the application, let God renew you daily and work his transformation in you by spending time alone with him in his word and in his presence.

Number two, pray every day that he will form Jesus in you and conform you to the image of a son.

Number three, abide in him daily. Seek to live your life in union and communion with him.

Number five, memorize, that's my challenge for you, and seek to obey

Colossians 317 and practice the principle of putting off and putting on.

And number six, walk in love, to walk in love. Father, help us here at Recast to be more like your son.

We long for this, Father. We have seen your beauty in people's lives, and that has inspired us to want to know you in deeper ways, and I pray that you would so form

Jesus in us that when others see us, they would desire to know where our joy, where our love, where our hope comes from.

Please continue to mold and sculpt us into the image of your son, Father. Just thank you for your love and your faithfulness and your word for us.