WEEK 6, DISCOVERY 5
Items Needed: Power point presentation
Color key: Red = Scripture Blue = Bulletin insert blanks Purple = Power point slides
[ppt 1] Discovery of the Week: You can develop a Christlike character.
[ppt 2] “Taking on the Family Resemblance”
Romans 12:1-2
Unquestionably, one of the greatest joys of my life has been parenting. Raising children is an exciting adventure. And, in a week or so, Sue and I will start a new chap- ter with grand parenting. We can’t wait!
Don’t ask me how it happened, because I don’t know. But, over the years – with- out even realizing it – I passed values, personality traits, and mannerisms on to our son.
Let me illustrate it.
In 2001 we attended The General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene as a family. Brent had graduated from MNU and was about to leave for Wheaton College to get his masters degree. One day he and some friends were having lunch together at a 2 downtown restaurant in Indianapolis. A lady walked over to their table and spoke to
Brent. She said, “You’re Frank Moore’s son, aren’t you?” A bit puzzled, he answered that he was. She went on to tell him that she attended MidAmerica with me. We hadn’t seen each other since graduation day – 28 years ago. But, she said, “Your looks and mannerisms are exactly like your dad’s when he was your age.” Spooky, huh?
Like I said, I don’t know how that happens. But, [ppt 3] as family members live together over time, they take on the family resemblance. It’s true not just with people, you know. Blaine Smith from our congregations has showed many of us how this “fami- ly resemblance thing” also works with our pets. Let’s look:
[ppt 4-9] [Computer person: Run through slides of dogs & people pictures about 5
seconds each.]
On a serious note, the “family resemblance thing” also works in our spiritual lives.
We’ve been leading up to this point for 6 weeks now. Point to the banners on the back wall of the church.
We have discovered the Spirit of Christ as our Guide to the life we have longed for.
We have discovered that our relationship with our Guide allows us to accept God’s
love.
We have discovered that God can give us a pure heart so we can love Him in the way
that brings Him pleasure.
We have discovered the Person of power who enables us to live the life we have
longed for. 3
So, now we have at least one more discovery in this quest to explore and under- stand the Spirit-filled life, and it is this: [ppt 10] you can become a person of Christlike character through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
You’re going to read a lot about character development this week. In fact, I jammed a lot of material into this last week because my time ran out, and I still had some important things I wanted to say. So, I hope you’ll take more than 7 days to un- pack this week’s reading. I think you’ll find it worth your time to review this week’s ma- terial several times in the next few months. We’ll get our foot in the door this morning, and you can add to your understanding as you find time. Our starting point with Scrip- ture this morning is Romans 12:1-2.
[ppt 11] Romans 12:1-2
[ppt 12-13] Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
As most of you know by now, I’m a theology professor. So, the book of Romans is one of my favorite books in the Bible because it’s a theology book. You see, Paul spent the first 11 chapters of this book talking to his readers about a theological per- spective on faith in God and God’s initiative in reaching out to us through Christ. Ro- mans 1-11 is actually 1 long argument. Read Romans 1-11 some time with that thought in mind. 4
So, when we get to today’s Scripture reading, Paul has concluded his long doctri- nal teaching section. He’s ready now to turn his attention from doctrine to the practical application of it. The word “therefore” in verse 1 throws the switch from doctrine to prac- tics. Our text tells us how to position ourselves for successful holy living. Look at it again.
[ppt 14] 1. God calls us to give ourselves completely to Him.
Romans 12:1
…offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—
this is your spiritual act of worship.
God has been merciful to us by not condemning us in our sins but in giving us new life in Christ. God’s mercy is actually our motivation for consecration. Paul is say- ing, “In light of God’s mercy to us how should we respond?” He says we should re- spond by offering ourselves back to Him.
The picture Paul paints here is an Old Testament picture of a priest offering a sacrifice to God on the altar. The animal’s life is offered for the sin of the worshipper.
The sacrifice is complete – the animal gave its life.
Our sacrifice can be just as complete. Though we’re not dead, our lives can be given totally to God and His work. Throughout this Quest we’ve noted connections to
Jesus as our example. Here’s another installment of that. Jesus offered Himself for us on the Cross. His sacrifice was complete in that His physical life was taken. He calls us 5 to offer ourselves to God just as He did. The big difference with us is that we go on liv- ing.
[ppt 15] 2. God calls us to turn away from the pattern of this present age.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world…
Target marketing has reached a new level of sophistication in our world. We’re already used to target marketing. We get hit with it all the time. What do they advertise on TV during Saturday morning cartoons? Breakfast cereal and toys, right? What do they advertise during mid-day soap operas (I’m sure you wouldn’t know!)? Household cleaning products, comfort foods, and college (for people making career changes and watching TV). What do they advertise during sporting events? Snack foods, bever- ages, cars, and everything else sports fans want.
Well, now target marketers track every web-site you visit on the internet, create a profile of your interests and possible buying habits, and pass your name and address along to merchants who sell those products. They also profile you and appeal to that profile. Try it for yourself if you don’t believe me. Go to amizon.com and order a book.
Before you check out, a screen will say, “Mr. Moore if you liked this book we think you would also like the following 3 books.” Then they show you 3 other books they have profiled you for. 6
Our culture wants to tell you how to think and act and how to think and act about thinking and acting. They have you profiled down to the last detail. And, they have a product suggestion for every decision you need to make.
Paul tells us in the passage that we must no longer think like the world thinks or value as the world values. We must not define reality the way the world defines it. We do not need our culture to tell us how to dress, how to be entertained, or what lifestyle choices to make. We must march to the beat of a different drummer. We must have a different set of goals for our life than the world has for us.
[ppt 16] 3. God calls us to a life of transformation.
Romans 12:2
…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
When we consecrate ourselves to God, He performs a miracle in us. God radi- cally transforms our lives from what we once were to what He is making us. Our life- style choices change, our values change, just about everything that describes us changes. We are to be transformed in our inner person. Remember last week? We spoke of this inner person as the well spring of our personality, spirituality, worship, will power, emotions, attitudes, conscience, actions, and reactions. Everything that defines us is being transformed by God.
I love the way the New Living Translation puts it:
…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. 7
I’m sure by now you’re thinking, “I thought this sermon was going to be about a quest for Christlike character. All we’ve talked about is consecration.” You’re right. But this is a necessary step toward Christlikeness. You see, we must consecrate ourselves to God before He can transform us. This transformation occurs both in a moment and over an entire lifetime.
You’ll read about specific characteristics of a Christlike character this week, so I won’t highlight all of them this morning. When I was writing the material for this book, I made an interesting observation. I noticed that numerous Christian writers urged their readers to become more like Christ. However, they did not make the practical applica- tion of stating those Christlike characteristics that God wants to form in us. They just urged me to “Be like Christ.” What’s that mean?
So, I combed through the New Testament stories of Jesus and tried to spell out some of the Christlike characteristics for us. I hope you find them helpful in seeing how
God wants to conform your life to His. You’ll read this week how Jesus:
Loved the Father most of all and He loved others very deeply
Had a personality that invited people to God
Lived a humble life
Balanced his time between work and rest, people and alone time
Was compassionate, thoughtful, & courteous
Didn’t play the victim and feel sorry for Himself
Didn’t retaliate when others treated Him wrong
Had a clear purpose for His life 8
Lived with eternity’s values in mind
Drew daily strength from the Father
Lived a life of service
Suffered for others
Gave His life for us
God doesn’t conform you into the likeness of His Son in your sleep – like those diet pills I heard about on the radio that just melt the pounds off while you sleep. You can dream on about the diet pills! You have to work at weight loss, and you have to work at Christlike character.
[ppt 17] a. A Christlike character requires that we work out what God is working
on in us.
Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trem- bling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
[ppt 18-19] b. A Christlike character requires effort on our part.
Hebrews 6:1-3 (The Message)
So come on, let’s leave the preschool finger painting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on “salvation by self-help” and turning in trust toward God; baptismal 9 instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. God helping us, we’ll stay true to all that. But there’s so much more. Let’s get on with it!
[ppt 20-23] c. A Christlike character requires time.
2 Peter 1:3-8 (The Message)
Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best in- vitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust. So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, com- plementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each di- mension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus.
In other words, the 3 passages of Scripture we just read remind us that God does not want us to slack off in our spiritual fervor. We can never relax our efforts in spiritual growth. We must give it all we’ve got until we cross the finish line of the race of life.
How do we grow in Christlikeness? Good question! We build our Christian char- acter 1 decision at a time. How many decisions do you make in a day? Hundreds of 10 them. Every time you do the right thing, the honest thing, the godly thing, the true thing, you grow in character.
Character is who you are when no one is around, when you’re out of town, when the cameras are off, when your defenses are down. Character is what you do when you’re not trying to put your best foot forward or get a promotion or impress anyone.
Christlike character means your actions, reactions, attitudes, and motives in life remind others of Jesus. Wow! That’s our goal in spiritual growth on this quest.
Each week of this quest we have emphasized the fact that our discoveries are free gifts from God. God is the One who gives us a Guide. He is the One who gives us perfect love, a pure heart, and power. This week’s discovery makes that same observa- tion. We read it in 2 Peter 1:3. [ppt 24] God is the one who transforms and conforms us into the image of His Son. It’s a divine miracle, really.
[ppt 25] We don’t earn it; we don’t deserve it. All He asks is that we remain open to Him and live in daily obedience.
I want you to hear our text once again -- only this time from The Message. It’s really insightful. Listen carefully.
Romans 12:1-2
[ppt 26-28] So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, or- dinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. 11
Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Conclusion
Those of you who have attended College Church throughout this Quest know that I have often closed the sermon with a story about a person who illustrates the focus of the message. When I think of Christlike character, my mind quickly jumps to friends of mine who have consecrated themselves to God’s service and answered a call which took them half way around the world. I’m sure you too can think of people who have done that. I think of my roommate in college, many of my MNU students across the years, and members of this church who are on the mission field today.
Yes, it’s true. They certainly illustrate people with Christlike character. However, most of us don’t receive such a special call to service like they did. What about us?
Today’s closing illustration focuses on us. The good news from God today is that you can live a life of complete consecration, too. And, we don’t have to move 10,000 miles to do it. You can take on the family resemblance as you dedicate yourself daily to
God’s service and open yourself to His leadership in your life. You’ll be amazed at the way He will transform you over time.
Offer yourself to God and His service as our text directs us. Then, ask yourself throughout every day as you make those hundreds of decisions – “What would Jesus 12 do?” Let the Spirit of Christ guide you. Live in a constant state of mind that says, “Here
I am Lord, use me.” Make your every day activity an act of worship.
I don’t know how it happens. But, over time, without even realizing it, you’ll natu- rally take on Christ’s values, His personality traits, and His ways of living in this world.
What a gift from God – Christlike character! Christlikeness is our goal of this Quest.
Who wouldn’t want to be more like Jesus? The question for today is: Have you offered yourself back to God on the altar of consecration so He can transform and con- form you into the image of His Son?
If not, you can do it today. Why don’t you come as we wait a moment at the con- clusion of this service? God waits to give you His gift. All you need to do is offer your- self back to Him and accept the gift.