Imitate Jesus

Introduction

Good evening.

So over the last six months or so, I’ve had the pleasure, the opportunity, the uh unfort misfortune to travel to Las Vegas twice. Now, I don’t know how many of you have been to Las Vegas, but don’t go. And when I think about Las Vegas, there are many things, many words that I could bring to you about the city of Las Vegas. But the thing that struck me when I was there in March that has still puzzled me is the number of impersonators that they have in Las Vegas. They have Elvis impersonators. They have a little Elvis impersonator, which is a little person who impersonates Elvis. They have Kid Elvis, which is a kid that impersonates Elvis. They have Michael Jackson impersonators, they have Rat Pack impersonators.

The whole bit, you know, with the whole shtick and everything. Pretty much anybody you can think of, someone in Las Vegas makes a living, puts bread on the table, impersonating somebody else.

I’m gonna make a living being completely somebody else. That it that me on my own, it’s not enough. I’ve got to pretend to be somebody famous. And I’ve got to study them every maneuver they make and the way they talk and all that stuff. I’m gonna make a living that way. That sounds like a great idea. Mom would be proud. But it’s it was kind of sad to me that somebody’s got to do that.

And then what I started thinking a little more about was how much does the world, maybe us included sometimes, do we go through life impersonating somebody else? Because when you look around, we kind of live in this age of imposters. Everywhere you look, you’re told how to dress, what to think, what to say, what to do. I mean, the world says they’re about individuality and individualism, but what does the world want you to do? Conform. Get in line, and do what you’re told. And you’ll be told by these brilliant celebrities and athletes and people that are so studied in culture and history what to think and what to say and what’s okay. And what does most of society do? Well, I heard so-and-so say so-and-so, and that’s what I think, too.

We want to dress like them, and we we wear their jerseys to be like them. To some degree, I think, because maybe we’re not okay with who we are. We’re not good enough. We’ve got to impersonate what we think is good enough, what we think people want to see, just like those entertainers. My voice, my ability isn’t enough. I’ve got to pretend to be somebody else before somebody will show up and plunk down a hundred dollars to see me.

Romans 12 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transported by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Everybody’s telling you, just don’t step out of line. Just do it this way, say it this way, act this way, and it’ll be okay. And what does the world get upset with? When Christians step out of line and say things that don’t conform. Well, you know what? When the world’s getting upset with you, you’re doing the right thing. Good job. But what this made me think about is how sad our society has become.

1. We Matter to God

That we have to impersonate, that we aren’t comfortable with who we are. And so I want us to just look at three things to remember. Whenever we’re unsatisf, dissatisfied with me, whenever I feel like I’ve got to be somebody else, my self-image is bad, my anxiety is taking control. Remember what Psalm 103 says, starting in verse 13. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him, for he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass and a flower in the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. Because that’s kind of the way the world looks, and they go, Oh, that’s kind of depressing.

I’m going to die, and nobody’s even going to remember me. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him. And his righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them. So whenever we’re thinking, we don’t matter. We matter to God. Luke 15 talks of this. What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the one which is lost until he finds it. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he has come home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.

2. Instead of Imitating People, Imitate the Right Things

I say to you likewise that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over 99 just persons who need no repentance. God can’t love me because I’m not good enough. I’ve done too many terrible things. What does God say here? What is Jesus talking about here? God cares about you. And if God cares about you, it really shouldn’t matter what I care about you. Now I care about you, but my opinion is not what’s important. God’s opinion is what matters. And if God knows us, that’s important. We are important. Second, instead of imitating people, imitate the right things. And the Bible talks about this. It talks about impersonators. Paul says, imitate me. Woo. What does Paul think he is? Just as I also imitate Christ.

There’s somebody for you to imitate. Imitate. Be like, not impersonate, not pretend. You can go down here to Holy Land and see a Jesus impersonator. Whatever that is. But it’s somebody who would walk and talk and dress like they think Jesus did. But is that imitating Jesus? Imitating Jesus is living like Jesus, is loving like Jesus. 3 John 1, verse 11 says, Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, and he who does evil has not seen God. We have a choice of what we can imitate, of what we can be like. We can be ourselves and reflect Jesus in everything that we do. Philippians 3, starting in verse 17, says, Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern.

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you, even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who set on their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. You can imitate the world and go after what? What does he say here? Worldly things. Or we could imitate Jesus and go after the things that matter.

3. Christ Died for All of Us

Don’t get caught up in what the world tells you you should do, in who the world tells you you should be, what you should be like. Get caught up in what Jesus tells you you should be like. Get caught up in being like Jesus. And the last thing is Christ died for all of us. Which again makes all of us matter. Which should make us all comfortable in our own skin with who we are. Because Christ died for you. Nothing else should matter. For when Romans 5, for when we were still without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. Yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Conclusion

That’s what I want you to take from tonight. That God loves you for who you are. And his only desire is that you strive to be more like him. And what greater model, what greater example do we have to imitate than the greatest example of love that’s ever lived? If there’s anything that you’re in need of tonight, if you want to turn your life around and start serving God, or if you haven’t been serving God and the world has been tempting you away, now’s the time, either publicly or in your own heart, to make it right as we stand and see.