Become Like Me
Notes
Transcript
This morning, I want us to spend some time thinking about influence and influencing others. And to do this, I want you to think for a moment about a person, or perhaps even a group of people who have most influenced you in the faith. Think about those people who have had an impact on your Christian life… either past or present.
As I think about the people that influenced my Christian faith, there are number that come to mind. For me the 1st that comes to mind are my parents. As a little boy, they would read me stories from the Scripture… as I grew up, they modeled faithfulness to me… prayed for me… and taught me. So, my dad, my mom have been the biggest influence of the Christian faith for me.
2nd, for me, was my 1st pastor… Gene Proffer. Not only was he my 1st pastor, but he’s been my pastor a few times throughout my life. Bro Gene helped me purchase my 1st study Bible. When I became serious about my walk with Christ as an older teenager, Bro Gene is who I went to. When I felt the call to be a minister, I went to Gene’s house to sit down and talk through things with him. He assisted in my wedding. And although, I really don’t get to talk to him much anymore, Bro Gene Proffer, apart from my parents, has probably had the biggest impact in my Christian walk.
The 3rd person that I think about is Rick Chapman. As an 18 year old young man, Rick mentored me in ways that I didn’t even realize at the time. Perhaps you know this about me… perhaps you don’t… but I’m actually pretty shy by nature. I can stand up in front of a thousand people, and feel right at home… but individually… or in a group of 2 or 3 people… I don’t say a whole lot. Rick is responsible for challenging me to begin ministering to people on an individual level… something I’ve never been comfortable at. I became the leader of my 1st youth group under Rick. He’s just that pastor that saw something in me that I didn’t see… and challenged me. I would not be in ministry today if not for Rick Chapman.
And there’s others… I could mention Faron Thebeau… and how he mentored me at Bismarck Free Will Baptist Church. Present day, Garry Sloan has had, and continues to have a tremendous influence on my Christian life. Gosh… Garry has modeled what a man of God should be… what a deacon should be… and in a lot of ways, has been like a father figure to me.
I imagine each and every one of you in this room can think of someone who’s influenced your faith. A Pastor… a Sunday School Teacher… a Grandparent… A co-worker… a mechanic… the point is, God uses people to influence other people towards Christ.
During our Spring Training series, we talked about spiritual growth through spiritual disciplines… we talk about growing in Christ through Scripture… through prayer… but also, through community. We learn and we grow from one another. That is how God has chose to operate. God works through His filled with the Holy Spirit people.
So, as you think about people that have influenced you… whomever you have in mind… how did those people influence your Christian faith? What was it about their lives? What was it about your relationship with them? What was it that caused that person to have a great influence on you and on your faith?
Today we’re continuing our series through the book of Galatians. If you have your Bible, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Galatians chapter 4. Hopefully by this point, you understand that Paul is writing this letter to combat this false gospel… this false idea that you need something more than just faith in Jesus for salvation. Paul’s pleading with them to follow the true gospel of Jesus alone. He’s been making this very detailed, very intentional argument… it’s Jesus alone. The ceremonial law found in the Old Testament will not cleanse you… Jesus alone does that.
But today, as we look into chapter 4, Paul changes tactics. It’s almost as if Paul pauses his argument, and takes a step back to remind them of their relationship. He says… Church… remember who we are to one another… remember the time that I spent with you… remember the influence that I had in pointing you to Jesus.
We’re going to begin with verse 12 of chapter 4. Verse 12… Paul begins this way…
I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
Now… if you’ve read a lot of Paul’s writing, you know that he says a lot of things that requires a lot of chutzpah, but this really has to take the cake. And it’s not even the only time he says it in Scripture. I mean seriously… if my sermon started this way… to be a better Christian, y’all just need to be like me… how arrogant! Right?! I mean… the deacons would probably run me off! Why in the world would Paul say become like me? But let’s think about the context of Galatians. One more quick review of how we got to this point.
Years before this letter… Paul comes to Galatia… proclaims the gospel to them… Jesus is the answer to everything that’s wrong in the world… and everything that’s wrong with us as individuals… and we can participate in that gospel only through faith in Jesus. The church is established. Paul leaves to continue his missionary journey. Now some other preachers come along behind him and they start distorting the message. They start saying… Jesus is good… but to be saved, you ALSO have to follow the ceremonial law. You must be circumcised… you must follow the dietary restrictions… etc.
And here, it’s important that we remember who Paul was. Paul was a Pharisee. Paul was THE Pharisee. Paul was a well-educated, teacher of the law. Paul was the guy who, when Jesus came on the scene, he was ticked off because people weren’t following Moses anymore… so he begins persecuting the church. Christians were thrown in jail… and even died in this persecution. Paul was going to stop these Jesus followers at any cost… to make sure the law of Moses was upheld!
That’s when Jesus confronts the Paul and saves him. And what does Paul do then? This Pharisee of Pharisees… this zealous for the law Jew sets aside the law and says… it’s not about following these rules and rituals… it’s about the crucified and resurrected Christ! It’s about Jesus… period.
So understand… when Paul says… become like me… He’s not setting himself up as Jesus Jr… saying… I’m righteous, so to be a good Christian, you’ve gotta live like me. No… He’s saying… look… I am a living example of one who thought it was all about the law. I thought it was all about circumcision… I thought it was all about food laws and festivals… but God has shown me that the purpose for those things was ONLY to point to Jesus. It’s all about Him. It’s all about following Him. Paul was setting himself up as an example of one who used to follow the same things… but now, is all about Jesus.
I think we can learn something from the apostle Paul here. Now… I think each and every one of us in this room would probably cringe at the thought of saying to another Christian… become like me. But… just as someone influenced you… we too need to influence others with this… become like me… attitude. And here’s what I mean by that.
We don’t influence people by saying… I’m righteous… I’m perfect… look at me… I’ve got all the answers. I’m sorry… but arrogant, boastful Christians… if we can even call them Christians, have brought enough blight to the church as it is. The type of influence we should have is this… I am a broken, messed up person who has been saved by God’s grace. I’ve been saved despite my imperfections… and despite my brokenness, God has invited me into his family.
I get frustrated with my wife… I get frustrated with my kids… I’m impatient with people… I’m selfish with my time… I’m selfish with my money… I enjoy juicy bits of gossip just as much as the next person… sometimes I have doubts about God and sometimes God doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I fail a lot. But in the midst of my brokenness, God has not abandon me. I’m forgiven and I’m a child of God because of the grace of God through the cross of Jesus Christ… and praise God, through His grace, he’s changing my selfish, stubborn self a little bit every day.
We don’t model the righteous way we live… because I got news for you… you ain’t that righteous… We model confession, repentance, and giving glory to God for His grace towards us.
Paul says… Become like me. I’m a model of it’s not about the living out the ceremonial practices of the law… it’s about who those laws pointed to… it’s about Jesus. We, as individuals, need to embrace that a little more and influence others through our example. But let’s continue… still in verse 12…
I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
The 2ndthing Paul says… I became like you. Perhaps the best commentary on this is in 1st Corinthians chapter 9. Bro Jerry will put this on the screen for you… beginning in verse 19…
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Now… that can be a bit confusing… I encourage you to study out that passage… but here’s basically what Paul is saying. He’s saying… because I’m following Jesus, I am free to influence people for the gospel. So, when I’m trying to influence my Jewish brothers… I’m going to invite them to a kosher breakfast… no bacon… no sausage… no ham steak. But when I’m trying to influence the gentiles… I’m not going to require them to eat kosher! I’ll sit down and share a plate of bacon with them!
We’ve had some FANTASTIC missionaries come share with us over the past couple of years. The Duncan family… I just love them… heading to Ecuador. How much success do you think they’d have if they required everyone to speak English… use an English version of the Bible… basically, if they required everyone to be “American” to be a part of their church? They wouldn’t have success! So… they’re studying constantly, learning Spanish… learning the culture… so they can be a part of that culture, in order to reach people with the gospel.
Ken & Judy Bailey. Uh… What wonderful people… what wonderful missionaries they are. They’ve been such a blessing to the work in Japan. I remember seeing them back in the 80s when they were newbies. If you were to go to Japan and visit them… you know what you’d see? They’re just like everyone else in Japan. They came to our house for lunch when they were here… and I’ll never forget something they said to me. We’re so apart of the culture in Japan now, that we don’t even understand life in the United States anymore.
Do you see my point? They’ve been successful in winning the Japanese people to Christ because they became like the Japanese! That’s Paul’s point here in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. None of that other stuff matters… all that matters is the gospel of Jesus Christ! Apart from sinning… there is no boundary we shouldn’t we willing to cross to influence people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul says… Christ has given me freedom and I’m going to use that freedom to reach people for Christ.
My goodness… I’ve used almost all my time just talking about verse 12. Let’s quickly finish out our passage…
I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Paul came to Galatia during a period of tremendous mental, physical, and emotional weakness. There’s debates as to whether this was a physical illness or whether this was a result of persecution… Paul got beat up a lot. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter… because the point is… Paul comes to them as this beaten, broken down, shell of a man… yet they still embraced him… and the gospel went forth powerfully.
What’s significant about that is… the Romans were just as superficial as we are. They thought bigger was better… fancier was better… the better looking, the more successful you are… and the more true your message must be. But here, Paul comes in broken… and he says… you were willing to do anything necessary to help me. And even in that state, the gospel that Paul brought to them… changed them. It saved them.
Listen… Church… Sometimes… we think that to influence people with the gospel, we’ve got to have everything a certain way. We’ve got to have the glitz, the glamour, the smoke, the lights… the stars have to align in just the right way… we’ve got to have the perfect opportunity… they’ve got to be in the perfect mood before we ever share the gospel with them… we’ve got to have all the right answers for them…
But listen… go home and read 1st Corinthians chapter 1. Paul basically says this… it doesn’t matter the circumstances… the message we preach is foolishness to the world. But to those that God calls… it is the power of God to salvation. Listen… again I say, apart from sin, there is no boundary we shouldn’t cross to share the gospel… but the power of the gospel is not in the glitz and the glamour… it’s not in smoke and lights… the power is in the message itself. You share the gospel… you influence people with the gospel… you let the Holy Spirit take care of the rest.
There’s a lot more we could say about that… but we need to finish out the passage. Verse 17…
Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you. My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!
Paul gives a final emotional appeal, and he uses the imagery of childbirth. He says… I am in the pains of childbirth… in other words, there is something I want more than anything else in the world… and there is only one thing that can take away this pain… there’s only one thing that’s going to satisfy my longing… that is, that you would follow the true gospel.
Paul says… what I want more than anything is for you to be in Christ. Church… here’s my question for you… my challenge to you. Do you have that kind of passion for those that don’t know Jesus? Do you have that passion for this community? Do you have that passion for your neighbors? Do you have that passion for your family? Do you have that passion for, at least, one person?
The way God has chosen to work… whether we like it or not… God has chosen to work through his people. The only way that those people who don’t know Jesus… the only way they’re going to know Jesus, is through the influence of those of us who do… through the influence of those of us who have been saved by God’s grace.
Paul’s autobiographical sketch of his time in Galatia points to the power of influence… and points to the mission that God has given ALL of us… to influence others for Jesus. Someone has influenced you… Who are you influencing? What are you doing to intentionally be an influence to others?
A pastor brother… Curt Gwartney made this statement this week at State meeting… let me share it with you. You might say… well, I’m going to live a certain way in front of them… I don’t have to say anything. The Germans have a word for that… Bologna.
Can I tell you… we HAVE to share the gospel verbally. You can live in front of them… and that may cause them to wonder what’s different about you… and I hope it does… but the gospel cannot be shared with someone simply by our actions… 1st Corinthians chapter 1 again… it’s through the foolishness of preaching… it’s by verbally sharing that the gospel is shared.
Let me leave you with a video from a famous atheist. Many of you know Penn Jilette from the famous Magician Duo… Penn & Teller. Penn is an outspoken atheist. Listen to his words here…
*VIDEO*
How much do you have to hate someone to not share the gospel with them? Who are you influencing? Pray with me…