This morning we will be continuing on in our series called “Our church is …” Remember, this is a series on our identity as a church – who we are and who we should be. These are characteristics/core values that will make us a healthy church that will have a great impact on our community. So far we have looked at these characteristics/core values “Our church is … committed to one another.” This means we are united – we resolve our conflicts in God honouring ways. Last week we looked at “Our church is … authentic.” This means we need to sincere and genuine and we looked at some ways we can live that way. Today we are looking at this characteristic/core value “Our church is … growing in Christlikeness.” Another way to think of this is our church is becoming more like Christ.
The Bible says in Genesis 1:26a “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . .” You and I are created in the image of God. This is what sets us apart from all other creations. We’re created in the image of God. We are intellectual. That means we can think, reason and solve problems. We’re also relational. We can give love and we can receive love. And unlike other species we are moral. We have a conscience that tells us the difference between right and wrong. We are created in the image of God.
Romans 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Have you ever been told that you look like your Father or your Mother? You’ve got their smile, or their eyes or their laugh – some people have wicked laughs that I’m sure they are hereditary. If you have children and people see bits of you in them, it makes you happy & proud. I think in the same way God gets a kick out of seeing His children bear His image. God wants us to grow deeper in discipleship and that means we need to be growing in Christlikeness – we need to be becoming more and more like Christ.
But what does becoming more like Christ mean? Let’s begin by answering the question negatively first.
What it doesn’t mean to become like Christ.
1. It doesn’t mean that we become a god.
Let me be absolutely clear on this. You will never become God or a god. I realize there are many religions that teach that, but that’s not what the Bible teaches. You were made in the image of God. One of the devil’s oldest lies is that we can become God. What did the devil say to Adam and Eve? “If you eat of this tree you will be like God.” No you won’t, because you were made in God’s image. It’s like this photo of me – It is an image of me. But it’s not me. It is a likeness, but not as good as lovable and fun as the real thing. God doesn’t want you to be a god – there can only be one God. But God wants you to be godly. And there is a difference.
2. It doesn’t mean that we become a mindless clone.
Some people have said, “If I become a Christian I have to dress this way, I have to act this way, I have to think this way, I have to do this, I’m just going to be a mindless clone of everybody else.” This whole idea of becoming like Christ doesn’t mean that you lose your personality. God created you to be unique. He doesn’t want to destroy it. Becoming like Christ is about transforming your character not your personality.
3. Life becomes easier.
Some of you have heard this and this is not true. It’s a lie. Becoming like Christ doesn’t mean you’re going to have perfect health or a comfortable lifestyle or constant happiness or that your dreams are going to be fulfilled or you’re going to have instant relief from problems. Becoming like Christ doesn’t mean our life is going to be easier but our life will be better. It’ll be richer, it’ll be more rewarding. We’ll be able to live life to its fullest because we will be fulfilling our purpose.
What it does mean to grow in Christlikeness – to become like Christ.
Here’s what it does mean. It means taking on Christ VALUES, Christ ATTITUDES, and Christ CHARACTER Philippians 2:5 says: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” That’s what it means to become like Christ. His values, His attitude and His character become ours.
Let’s look at another verse in Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4:21-22 out of the Message paraphrase says,
“Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. [That’s referring to the values and character we had before we knew Christ. It has to go] It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”
God reproducing His character in us. That’s what it means to become like Christ.
What does becoming more like Christ involve?
It’s really a combination of three things. Becoming like Christ is a combination of God’s part, our part and others.
1. We play a part in becoming like Christ.
So, what’s our part?
a. We commit ourselves to God’s way.
This is a choice we make. When Jesus was starting His ministry, He was walking around gathering some disciples. He came across Matthew sitting at his tax collectors booth by the side of the road and He says ‘Come, be my disciple.’” Just imagine. Fast forwarding the clock 2000 years later. You’re at home or work. You are on your lunch break and just sitting around relaxing. Jesus walks by. He says, “Hey! Come on, follow me. Come be my disciple.” What do you think you might do? You might laugh. You might blow Him off. Say, “Maybe Later Mate!” Something like that. But what did Matthew do? “Matthew got up and followed him.”
Two thousand years later Jesus is making that same offer to you and to me. Come! Be my disciple. Come! Be my follower. And we’ve got the same choice that Matthew faced. We can either commit to following God’s way or not.
I’ll be honest with you. Sometimes God’s way is difficult. Sometimes it’s not always clear. Sometimes it’s sometimes as crazy as the sign in this photo.
There is snow on the playground equipment – it’s definitely not hot. The picture and the sign don’t seem to work together, but they do. There are times when that playground equipment is very hot so that sign is very important. It may not make sense right there, right then, but one day it will.
That is a bit like what the Christian life is like that. I may not fully be able to make sense of it all, but that’s what faith is.
It’s saying: “God, I’m going to trust that you’re bigger than my little peanut mind. So when You say, “This is the way I ought to live my life. I’m going to trust You because You’re bigger and grander and more powerful than I could ever be.” So in playing our part we commit ourselves to living God’s way.
b. We need to change the way we think.
We live in a world which is dominated by peer groups which set everything from the fashions we wear to the food we eat to the music we listen to. But Paul warns us in Romans 12:2 “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.” People often ask me, “How do I know God’s will for my life, what God wants me to do?” What does the Bible say? Change the way you think then you will know what God wants you to do. And then you will know how good and pleasing and perfect it really is. If we change the way we think, we begin to think not like those around us, but as God thinks. We begin to adopt His priorities and understand what is important to Him.
Do you want to become like Christ? You’ve got a part to play. First you’ve got to commit to God’s way. Then you’ve got to begin to change the way that you think. These are both decisions we need to make – this is our part. This is what is possible for us mere human beings, but it takes more than that to make us into people like Jesus Christ. There is a part that is impossible for you or I to achieve – that’s God’s part.
2. God also plays a part in us becoming like Christ.
God is the one who helps us become like Christ and without Him, it is impossible. 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
It is totally impossible to follow God in our own power. By ourselves we will never match up. So God gives us His Spirit and the desire to obey Him and then the power to do what pleases Him. It is by His power, working in us that we become like Christ. So we play a part (doing what is possible) and God plays a part (doing what is impossible).
3. “Others” play a part in us becoming like Christ.
Notice how I put others in quotes. I want us to know that it’s more than just people that make us like Christ. It’s things like circumstances also and other things. If we’re going to become like Christ we need to take a route, a path, a journey. How do we know what that path is?
a. God’s word provides the truth.
God’s Word provides the truth of how to become like Christ. Look what the Bible says about the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 in the NLT says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” The Bible is God’s voice. If the only time we’re hearing God’s voice is when we come to church and we hear the Bible taught to us, then we’re out of range of God’s voice six other days of the week.
There are so many voices in this world shouting at us telling us what to do and how to live. You turn on the TV – boom! There’s a voice. You go to work – boom! There’s a voice. Everywhere we go there’s these voices telling us how to live. Most of them don’t lead to life – most are very confusing.
Has anyone here ever watched little kids play soccer? If you want to go on a fun date sometime: take some lounge chairs, some hot chocolate and go find a 5, 6, 7-year-old soccer game. It’s mass chaos. Half the time you watch the kids. Half the time you watch the parents. Here’s what happens. Parents are standing on the sideline yelling. They’re all screaming: Kick the ball! Kick the ball! Go for it! Kick the ball! Run! Run! And these voices are coming from both sides echoing around the field and these poor kids are trying to listen to their parents, the coach and the ref all at the same time. And they are trying to kick the silly ball! I mean these kids are standing right on the ball. It doesn’t matter which direction – they are just trying to kick the ball.
Another funny thing – they travel in packs. The ball spits out of the pack and the whole group moves as one after the ball. I mean everyone – even the two goal keepers. They know they’re supposed to kick the ball – they surely don’t need all the advice. It’s not like some kid stops and goes, “Kick the ball? I thought I was supposed to pet a puppy. Thank you mom.” There’s all these voices echoing around and it gets so confusing. That’s what life is like every day for us. We’re always hearing voices coming from all sorts of directions about what is right and what is wrong and how to live and where to go and what to do with our life and what our aims should be. But if we want to find the truth, we need to look at God’s word – it has a clear path for us to follow.
b. God’s people provide the support.
We don’t do life alone. If we want to become like Christ we’ve got to rub shoulders with people who are on the same path and who walk in the same direction. That’s why we encourage you to get involved in a small group with people who are like-minded and want to do the same thing. Paul writing to the Romans says in Romans 1:11-12 “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” If we are serious about becoming like Christ, here’s what we have to do. We’ve got to find some other people who want to be like Christ too – people that are doing their part. I do my part, God does His part, the Bible sets the direction, others come alongside and encourage.
And here’s the last thing I want you to hear: Becoming like Christ is a life-long process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Turn with me to Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God who began the good work will continue it. God will continue to do that work for the rest of our lives.
It’s a lifelong journey of becoming like Christ. We do our part. We commit ourselves to God’s way and we change the way we think. God does His part. He gives us His Spirit. God’s word sets the course by providing the truth. Other people come along for the ride and they help us. That’s how we grow in Christlikeness. That’s how we become more like Christ.
Here’s the challenge for us as we leave here today. We need to ask ourselves how we are doing in growing in Christlikeness. We need to evaluate our walk with God. We need to ask ourselves these questions:
- Am I doing my part? Have I truly committed myself to God’s way?
- Am I allowing God to do His part? Am I daily surrendering myself to Him by offering myself as a living sacrifice?
- Am I allowing God’s Word to be my guide? Am I spending time daily in His word allowing it to guide and transform me?
- Am I connected to a group of people who are helping me to grow in Christlikeness? Am I involved in a small group?
My prayer and desire is that we would be a church that is growing in Christlikeness!
