Colossians 3:1-11, John 15:1-8

Colossians 3:1-11

John 15:1-8

Live Like Christ

March 18, 2007

Part 4 of Hopewell series on Purpose Driven Life

Is there a purpose to life?

Does life have purpose and meaning?

If so – what is it?

What is the purpose of life?

Why are we here?

More specifically – what is the purpose of my life?

Why am I here?

Is there something that can give meaning to my life?

Am I here for a purpose?

Did God have a purpose in putting me here?

Questions of purpose and meaning have haunted people since the beginning of time.

As Christians, we can say

“Yes –life has a purpose –

Yes –life has meaning.”

We can say:

“Yes – my life has a purpose –

Yes – my life has meaning.”

“Yes – God has put me here for a purpose.”

Lent – the 6 weeks before Holy Week and Easter — has historically been a time Christians have devoted themselves to reflection upon Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross – and our response to Christ and His claim upon our lives. We are using Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life – studying the book itself on Wednesday nights and looking at themes from the book on Sundays – to help us look at what God’s purpose for us might be —

what God might have us to have as a purpose in our lives –

and how we can live in God’s purpose for our lives.

So – what is the purpose for our lives?

3 weeks ago we looked at how we can not find true purpose for our lives in

money

possessions

power

fame

or anything else people might use to find purpose or meaning for their lives when they focus on themselves.

We will never find meaning and purpose for our lives by looking for it within ourselves – what we want – what we might think is good or meaningful.

We will only discover the real meaning and purpose for life when we look to God for His meaning and His purpose for our lives.

Rick Warren — in his book The Purpose Driven Life – outlines 5 purposes for life that God has created us for:

1. Pleasing God

2. Loving others who believe in God

3. Becoming like Christ

4. Serving others with the gifts God has given us

5. Telling others about God

2 weeks ago we looked at the first of these — pleasing God – - and saw how we were created to live lives that are pleasing to God – living lives that are pleasing to God has to be a purpose for our lives.

One of the purposes for our lives is to live to please God.

Last week we looked at the second of these purposes – loving others who believe in God — focusing on the family of believers we know as the Church – and the love God calls us to have for each other.

One of the purposes for our lives is to love others who believe in God – especially loving members of the Church.

Pleasing God

Loving others who believe in God

2 purposes to have for our lives as Christians.

Today I want us to focus on the third purpose Warren gives for us – becoming like Christ. We’re going to look at 2 passages – Colossians 3:1-11 and John 15:1-8 – and I believe we will discover how we can grow in our relationship with Christ – and even live like Christ.

Listen to God’s word.

Read passages.

One of the purposes God has for your life is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

Not so you would become a god or become God – that was the original temptation to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden — but so you would become like Him – having His thoughts – His love for the world – His priorities about what is important and what is not.

God created you so you would become like Him – so people could see Him in you – in what you say – in how you act.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

You’ve heard the expression: “like father like son”

It usually refers to the ability to recognize physical traits – and maybe other traits – of parents in their children. If you had known my Dad you would know that when you look at me – you see a striking physical resemblance. Dad and I had the same hairline. He gave the charge to me at my Ordination service in 1984 – and made the comment that he taught me how to part my hair. I also have “the Hayes chin” – both of them!

Like father, like son.

When someone tells a parent that they can see them in their children – it usually makes the parent feel good. In the same God feels good when others can see Him in you.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

One of the truths in life is that we become like the things that are important to us – the things we spend time around – the things we think about and the things we spend time doing. These are the things that shape us – that determine who we are – that determine what we do. If you spend time around people who drink too much or indulge in activities that are not healthy – odds are you will become that way, also. If you spend time around people who exercise and have good healthy habits – odds are you will become that way.

By the same token – if you spend time with God – with Christ – and let Him shape you and your life – odds are you will become like Him.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

One person who let herself become like Christ – who lived like Jesus — was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa was a nun who — until her death several years ago — spent most of her life ministering to the needs of the poor — the sick — and the dying in Calcutta, India. She began each day with an hour of prayer before going into the hospitals she and her Order — the Sisters of Charity — operated. She insisted that what she was doing was not social work — but stated:

“I’m simply trying to bring people closer to God.

If I really love God — and if I really love others —

I cannot say: ‘I love you’ and do nothing.

I have to conduct my life in actions of love.”

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

Mother Teresa indeed became like Christ.

Mother Teresa indeed lived like Christ.

People could see Christ in her.

The scripture passages I read from Colossians 2 and John 15 speak of becoming like Christ – living like Christ — living a life so people can see Christ in you.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

In the passage from John, Jesus is speaking to His disciples the night before His crucifixion — giving them some final instructions on how to truly follow Him.

And what does He say?

1 — Abide in Him

2 — Bear fruit.

He uses the familiar illustration of the vine and the branches to show the special relationship that should exist between Himself and His disciples.

Of course, the disciples had seen farmers prune branches and burn dead branches. They were familiar with that process. But what — they must have asked themselves — does that have to do with them? What did Jesus mean when He said He is the vine — and they are the branches — and abide in Him — or be gathered and burned?

It must have been very confusing for them.

I’m sure it didn’t make a lot of sense.

Abide in Christ.

What does that mean?

I believe that Jesus is talking about having your life rooted in Christ – so you can become more like Christ.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

I believe that what Jesus is talking about here is no less than our purpose as Christians — the purpose for our prayers — and the purpose for our lives.

Plants have to have good soil into which to sink their roots if they are going to grow. If you are going to grow into becoming like Christ, you have to sink your roots – as it were – into God’s soil.

The purpose of our spirituality — our connection with God — our prayers — our reading and meditating on Scripture — is to let God provide the soil we need for our roots to grow deep and for us to grow to be like Christ.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

The spiritual life — the life of prayer — the life of abiding in Him – is the soil in which – if we plant ourselves and allow our roots to grow – will produce growth into Christ.

If your roots are deep into the spiritual life with Christ – - the life of prayer — the life of abiding in Him — you will grow to be more like Him.

If they are not, you won’t.

That’s what Mother Teresa understood — and lived — every day. That’s why she grew into being like Christ.

That’s why people recognized Christ in her.

You can have your roots in Christ – grow to become more like Christ – and live in ways people can recognize Christ in you.

To fulfill your purpose God created you for, you must have your roots in Christ – grow to become more like Christ – and live in ways people can recognize Christ in you.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

This means your life has to truly rooted in Christ —

This means your life has to truly strengthened by Christ —

This means your life has to truly be changed by Christ –

This means you have to take the time for a deeply rooted relationship with Christ.

These things need to be your priorities.

The Apostle Paul understood this.

Writing to the Christians in Colossae he urges them to set their minds on spiritual things – not worldly things. He also urges them to put aside things that go against God’s will for them – and put on the things that are God’s will for them.

you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips

he writes in Colossians 3:8.

Put aside the things that go against Christ – the things that keep you from living like Christ.

Put on a new self — he urges in verse 10 –

which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator

Put aside the old self – put on a new self.

Quit living in ways that are opposed to Christ – start living like Christ.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

This takes rooting yourself in God’s word – rooting yourself in prayer – rooting yourself in God – so you can put off your self and your ways that go against Christ and put on a new, more Christ – like self. This means to quit living in ways that go against Jesus – and live like Jesus.

This brings us to a question you have to consider.

If I have to be rooted in Christ before I can live like Christ – then I need to ask myself – every day –

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

What is my relationship with Christ like – right now?

Am I spending the time I need to spend in prayer and study of God’s word so that I can be rooted and grounded in Christ?

How are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

Unless you have a relationship with Jesus that is strong, you will not live like Jesus – and will not be fulfilling one of the purposes God has for you.

Unless you have a strong relationship with Christ, you will not live like Jesus.

Unless you spend time with God in prayer and study of His word – and spend time around His people – you will not live like Jesus.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

Create a strong relationship with Jesus so that you can live like Jesus.

Create a strong relationship with Jesus so that others can see Jesus in you.

Create a strong relationship with Jesus so that you can put aside the things that go against Christ – the things that keep you from living like Christ.

Ask yourself – daily — – how are Jesus and I getting along – right now?

The things that are inside you will come out when life hits you.

Lightning bugs produce a chemical translucence that produces light. When a bug smashes into your windshield, you see a glowing streak of light on your windshield. What’s inside is revealed. The lightning bug can’t help giving off the light, because even in death that is what is inside it.

Now, when your car hits a skunk, something else is released.

What is inside comes out—either good or bad! It’s the same way with us. Circumstances will reveal what is inside, whether good or bad.

You have to have Christ inside you for people to see Christ in you.

One of the purposes God has for you is for you to become more like Him.

One of the reasons God created you is so you would become like Him.

God created you so you would live like Jesus.

Live like Jesus.

So – we now have before us 3 purposes for our lives – 3 purposes God has for our lives:

Pleasing God

Loving others who believe in God

Becoming like Christ.

Develop a relationship with God that will help you live a life pleasing to God.

Develop a relationship with God that will help you love those who believe in God – particularly members of the Church.

Develop a relationship with God that will help you become like Christ.

Live like Christ.

Amen.