How Am I Like Jesus? by John

How Am I Like Jesus?
John 4:27-38

1. Tell the story. Jesus hot, thirsty, tired and in need of rest. Stops at the well of Sychar. The disciples had strength to go on to the city to buy food.
(1) Why did Jesus stop? Were the disciples stronger than He was?
(2) Was He exercising His authority by having them wait on His needs?
(3) Or did Jesus have something more important to do that had to be done right there?
2. There’s no doubt in my mind Jesus knew there was an adulteress here. He knew this poor woman was coming. He planned to meet her. She needed what He had to give.
3. I think we ought to be able to see clearly the driving force of Jesus’ life on earth right here in this Scripture. Let’s read vv 27-38. (Read Scripture here)
4. In v 34 Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work,” and in v 35, He said the time was short!
5. This week I have been agonizing over the question, ”How am I like Jesus?” Would you dare commit a little time right now to considering that?
6. How are you like Jesus?

I. TO DETERMINE THAT, WE MUST KNOW BY EXPERIENCE WHY GOD SENT JESUS.

1. You wouldn’t have to leave this Scripture for an answer, unless you were exceptionally hardheaded.
(1) It’s obvious here, Jesus was doing the Father’s will.
(2) It’s obvious He changed this woman’s life, not just her life style.
(3) God’s will for Jesus involved helping people know the Father, right?
(4) That’s still His work, and that’s what we are here to do today and every day we live, right?
2. John 3:16 states it so plainly, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
(1) God’s love for us caused Him to send Jesus to us so that we might have eternal life with Him!
(2) He didn’t come as an ambassador just to tell us God loves us.
a. He came to die for us so we won’t have to die for ourselves!
b. He died for our sins in our place.
3. It would be tempting for any human being who was going to die as an innocent sacrifice to say, “Hey! I’m going to die for you, so you owe me! You take care of my every whim until my time to die comes, or else I won’t die for you!
4. Jesus wasn’t just any human being!
(1) He was, and is the only begotten Son of God!
(2) He lived just like He died!
(3) His purpose never changed!
5. How much like Jesus are you?
(1) Are you living to help people know the Father?
(2) Do you expect people to reward you for your goodness?
(3) Does your commitment to the Father change from time to time?
(4) In short, can God count on you?
6. One of the most marvelous things about God’s love for us is, even when we fail, He doesn’t berate or condemn us, He just helps us get started again.
7. How much like Jesus are you?

II. TO DETERMINE THAT, WE MUST KNOW HOW HE FEELS ABOUT PEOPLE.

1. Hungry, thirsty, tired, Jesus waited for this street walking woman to tell her that God loves her.
(1) From her Jewish parent (She was probably half Jew) she knew mentally God loved her.
(2) Knowing how Jews felt about Gentiles and half-breeds, she probably had strong doubts about God’s love.
(3) Her way of making a living, selling her body, was enough to convince her she was beyond God’s love.
2. Jesus waited patiently at the right place until the right time to tell her God loved her just like she was!
3. That’s how Jesus felt about people when He was on earth, and He hasn’t changed! That’s just how He loves people now!
4. We should thank God every day there is no sin so big that Jesus won’t love us if we’ve committed it!
5. Let’s just mention some examples of the love of Jesus.
(1) Jesus loved Lazarus enough to call him out of a tomb. John 11:1ff.
(2) He loved Zachaeus enough to call him out of a tree. Luke 19:2ff
(3) He loved the man born blind enough to heal him, and enough to wait around until He could tell Him how to be saved. John 9:1ff.
(4) He loved the woman with an issue of blood enough to allow her to interrupt Him on the way to raise Jairus’ daughter, and enough to heal her even though she touched only the fringe of His robe! Mark 5:45ff, Luke 8:43ff.
6. The New Testament is filled with references to how much Jesus loves people.
7. How much are you like Him? How much do you love?

III. CAN I BE MORE LIKE JESUS?

1. Sure! But we need to get things lined out straight.
(1) You have to know Him to be like Him.
a. That takes a personal commitment.
b. A personal commitment to Him takes faith.
c. Underlying that is sincerity. You have to really mean it when you commit yourself to Him.
(2) One commitment to Jesus should be enough by our way of thinking, but it never is.
a. In I Cor 15:31 Paul said, “I die daily.”
b. He referred to the result of his commitment to Jesus!
c. In v 34, he told the Corinthians to “stop sinning” because some of them had no knowledge of God!
2. Do you know Jesus? You can’t be like Him until you know Him, and you’ll slip away into the outer darkness unless your commitment to Him is real, consistent and true.

conclusion:

1. How much am I like Jesus?
(1) How well I see the truth about myself is determined first by whether I know why the Father sent Jesus, or not.
(2) The Father sent Him to save human beings.
2. How much am I like Jesus?
(1) Everything He did showed how much He loved us, all of us, in our sins, and in our salvation.
(2) How much do you love the people around you, the people Jesus loved?
(3) That kind of love comes only from Jesus, but He will instill His love in you when you let Him.
3. Will you commit yourself to Jesus?
(1) Will you invite Him to change you?
(2) Will you invite Him to fill you with His love for other people?
(3) Will you commit yourself to Him, to follow His will, to witness to the whole world His loving, saving power?
4. The old Chinese proverb is, “The longest journey starts with a single step.
(1) Will you take a single step for Jesus?
(2) Commit your life to Him right now.
(3) Commit yourself to witness to everyone everywhere.
4. You can do it while we pray.


ECC 05/15/2005