Be a S.T.U.D. Like Jesus

Not only do I love telling Dad Jokes, but I LOVE talking to students…and parents. This year is especially touching for me, because our ‘baby’ boy is graduating this year too. Many of you have met Joshua and some of you know our oldest son, Caleb.

My sons look like me. They often act like me. That makes sense because they have my DNA. They are made in my image. They often say the things I say and do the things I do. The same is true about me and my Dad. I’ve had people who know my Dad say, “Jackie, you remind me so much of your father!” (I can hear my Dad’s response if he were standing there: “Tell them thank you, Jackie”) Funny. That’s the same thing I say to my boys.

The Scriptures show that God created mankind in His image (Gen 1:27; 9:6). We are created to be God’s image bearers.

As the moon’s shiny appearance is because of its reflection of the sun, so too we are to be “the light of the world” as we reflect God’s glorious image.

We are made to not only KNOW God, but to make Him KNOWN.

But, as you know the rest of the story -

Adam & Eve disobeyed God, questioning His goodness & buying the lie that they could become like God, and be the authority of their own lives.

Sin’s immediate price tag is SEPARATION from the God they once walked and talked with. Instead of fearlessness there was fearFULness. Instead of enjoying God’s Presence, they were hiding from Him.

We sin too. We HIDE too. We wonder why we can’t find lasting purpose in possessions, trophies, or human relationships. So, thousands of years later, we know that something is wrong in the world and we know that we were meant for more.

We are created to KNOW God and make Him KNOWN.

We are created to WALK with Him, not HIDE from Him.

So, how do we get back to THAT? How can we become GODLY MEN & WOMEN again…you ask? YOU ask great questions!

A few years back my Apple watch got messed up - it had a small crack that I thought was just an external scratch. The next day, after shimming in the ocean the previous day, that part of my watch was GRAY and I knew that wasn’t good. I would never take my Apple Watch to Walmart to fix it. In fact, when I took it back to Best Buy (where I bought it), they couldn’t fix it either. Instead, they told me they would charge me $70 and then send it to Apple to fix it.

WHY send it to Apple? Because they DESIGNED it.

The DESIGNER knows how it is supposed to work because the DESIGNER invented & built it. So, when it isn’t working properly, the DESIGNER knows how to fix the problem.

Thankfully, the DESIGNER had a RESCUE PLAN, a way to fix what had been broken, a way to restore those who had fallen. Jesus became our substitute, paying for OUR sins to forgive us & make us new.

AND MORE THAN THAT, once again human beings become image bearers of our great God, we exist to KNOW God and to make Him KNOWN.

Romans 8:29 (NIV)

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

We are created in the image of God. Our sin has blurred His image. So Jesus came to RESTORE the image of God in our lives!

The purpose of our lives is to become more & more like Jesus.

When we’re not growing in Him our lives lack purpose. When we ARE growing in Him - purpose pulsates through us!

When we are conformed into the image of Jesus, we impact others for eternity in a positive way. When we don’t, we don’t.

When we DON’T live for Jesus, we find ourselves living from event to event - looking forward to the next game, the next movie, the next relationship - instead of experiencing full life today.

Over the next few minutes I want to challenge you to become a S.T.U.D. like Jesus.

Strong, Tender, Unique, & Dependent

STRONG

Jesus was strong.

Strength (Webster’s)

1. having great force or power; not weak; powerful

2. able to last; durable; tough

That’s a great description of Jesus and He wants it to become a great description of us as well - STRONG - having great force or power; able to last; durable; tough

Jesus stood against the devil.

Jesus stood against false teaching and false teachers.

Jesus stood up for those who couldn’t defend themselves.

Jesus always spoke the truth. He was STRONG.

Jesus stood when nobody else would. When others ran Jesus stood His ground.

And since the purpose of our lives is to become more like Jesus, to be conformed into His image, that is God’s plan for you and me too - to STAND STRONG.

The Christians in Corinth, like us, were living in a sin saturated culture.

Wrong had become right and right had become wrong. Most people had numerous sexual partners and many were living a bisexual lifestyle. Their worship didn’t lead them to purity but to impurity. Men had sexual relationships with young boys. People worshiped idols they had carved with their hands. Many of the Christians in Corinth were following the culture instead of Christ. Paul has written to them about living pure in the power of the Lord Jesus, and in his closing remarks he pens these words:

1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

There’s more to that verse I’ll show you in a minute. But for now, let’s stick to this part.

Other translations say “Be courageous” because that is what is meant by “act like men”. But here is what Paul is saying, “Be a man!” Step up to the plate. Stop being a wimp!

Be Strong Earlier we saw who was the strongest physically.

One day your physical strength will fade away.

I watched an older man who had a large structure SLOWLY make his way down some steps. I guarantee you THAT GUY used to be a physical specimen of a man…but now…he is weak, frail, and careful where he steps. If you and I live that long, the same will be true of us.

Grow your muscles. Stay in physical shape. That’s good. But there’s something BETTER. Paul writes about it:

1 Timothy 4:7–8 (NET 2nd ed.)

...train yourself for godliness. For “physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”

The word for train is gymnazō, where we get gymnasium - that makes sense, huh? So Paul compares being Spiritually FIT with being Physically FIT. He notes that Physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way - with benefits in this life and the next. Paul thinks it’s good to spill some sweat in both physical & SPIRITUAL training.

Of course, if you had to decide between one or the other, it’s obvious that Spiritual Training is MOST IMPORTANT. But it’s not something that suddenly happens.

Help me out: What are some ways we can train ourselves for godliness?

Training for godliness isn’t a once in a while thing anymore than going to the gym every once in a while would make a difference.

Training for Godliness will take much time & effort too. Paul continues…

1 Timothy 4:10–11 (NET 2nd ed.)

In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers. Command and teach these things.

The word for work hard means “to grow weary”. The word translated struggle is an athletic word from Greek root 'agon' which we get our English word agonize. This gives the picture of an athlete straining and giving his best - giving his last drop of energy - to win.

This isn’t just for Timothy, a young pastor.

Timothy was to command and teach these things to the Church he was serving! THEY were to train for godliness too! And so are WE - Work hard and struggle - train yourself for godliness!

Are YOU training yourself for godliness? Maybe you just thought that’s something that professional Christians like pastors & teachers are to do.

Sadly, many who claim the NAME of Jesus don’t seem to do much to train in godliness. Many Christians are heavily dependent on others for spiritual growth. It’s sort of like this conversation.

Watching the Trainer, Never Training:

“Well, I just don’t know why I can’t seem to get FIT. I go to the gym every day. I listen to my trainer’s advice on eating and exercise. I watch closely as my trainer demonstrates each exercise.”

“But you aren’t seeing any results? That’s strange. After listening to your trainer, how long do YOU train each day?”

“Uhmmm…I’m not sure what you mean…I pay my weekly gym membership every month. I wear these high quality work out clothes. I even bought a nice leather training manual...with study notes. I listen to every word my trainer says...I even take notes…and go on retreats to learn how to train.”

Will your trainer’s FITness transform you? Of course not! YOU have to do the work. And…

TENDER

Jesus cared for people that others didn’t think were worth the time.

Jesus cared for children when His disciples thought they were getting in the way of ‘real ministry’.

Jesus cared for the outcasts like lepers and those who had been sexually immoral.

And while we are told in multiple passages that WE are to be STRONG like Jesus,

1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

But LOOK at the rest of this.

1 Corinthians 16:13–14 (ESV)

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

Even in this part of the text we see that followers of Jesus are not only to follow His example to be STRONG, but also to be TENDER, to do everything in love.

Jesus was Strong, but He was also Tender. And WE are called to be TENDER LIKE JESUS.

For most guys this term causes us to squirm in our seat. Our minds immediately think “chick-flick” and we begin to tune out. We feel the sudden urge to watch some Rocky re-runs or other MANLY MEN kind of movies & sniff the sweaty musk of a locker room.

On the other hand, you need to know that one of the characteristics that is most attractive to the ladies is a man who can be TENDER.

Way back in kindergarten, my Caleb telling girls in class how pretty they looked. One girl asked, “Even me?” Caleb told her she looked pretty and the little girl lit up like Christmas lights.

God wants us to be Strong, but God wants us to be Tender. And once again, our example is our King. It makes sense that Jesus was STRONG but it almost seems the opposite to say that someone who is STRONG can also be TENDER - but Jesus certainly was. As a matter of fact it was this characteristic that attracted so many young families to Jesus as we’ll see right now.

Artist Chiseling Sculpture

Eric Mason tells the story of watching an artist chiseling a sculpture.

“I once knew a phenomenal artist whose medium was sculpture. I was fascinated when I watched him work—by the hand control and skill it took to chisel stone into a smooth and clear image. I asked him once about his technique, and his response has stuck with me:

“When you look at this stone you see a rock, but when I look at it I see an image in the rock. All I am trying to do is get to the image by removing everything else in the way.””

— Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole by Eric Mason (https://a.co/a1xsgcO)

Wouldn’t it be a great way to start this weekend, by asking God to have His way in our lives - to chisel off everything that’s in the way of forming us into the image of Jesus?