1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 - Imitate Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Gary Clark is a true gift to me.
We were in WalMart at check out
Gary: What day is it? Cashier: Tuesday? Gary: Oh, right. This is the day the Lord has made.
We were in Subway
Gary: How many people do you think that sandwich will feed? Cashier: Maybe two? Gary: I think it could feed 5,000.
Gary loves people like Jesus loves people.
He engages people with gentleness and kindness
He is a love before first sight, kind of person.
He’s usually teaching me how not to engage with sarcasm and ill-timed jokes.
I want to be like Gary Clark.
We see a lot of social media’s bios that lead with “God first”, but then the pictures below lead booty first.
What does it mean for us to “Put Jesus first”?
Big Idea: Imitate Jesus
Big Idea: Imitate Jesus
Paul writes to the Corinthians and seeks to answer the question: How do you imitate Jesus?
What is our purpose and what is our goal?
Stand to read
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Leader: This is God’s Word.
Everyone: Thanks be to God.
Explanation
Context
Paul is writing to the Corinthians
Corinth was a city filled with idols, temples, and shrines.
They would prepare food as a sacrifice to a false god.
Some Christians were taking part of this.
Newer believers were seeing this and associated it with their old ways of life.
They were unable to see the distinction between the worship of false gods and the worship of Jesus.
They wrote to Paul asking if it was permissible to eat food that was sacrificed to idols.
Give no offense to Jew, Greek, or Christian (v. 32)
Believers should do what is helpful, edifying, and beneficial to other people.
This type of thinking should be applied to every aspect of our lives.
We want to avoid pointing to anything but Jesus.
We want to live peaceably and avoid accusations.
This means we need to flee from idols and anything that would bring reproach on us.
We don’t want to be accused.
You may not worship a golden cat, but we’ve got idols.
Money and status
401k
Security.
We’re never satisfied.
I get so excited about stuff.
Hilary has a lot to put up with.
‘I bought a house! I signed my name 8,000 times GIVE ME THE KEY!’
It’s exciting—For awhile.
Then the glamor fades
Then someone else buys something better.
Then we’re left thinking, ‘okay, what’s next?’
Jesus is greater than everything we try to satisfy ourselves with.
When we put Jesus first, He’s always satisfying.
There is always more of Him to be had.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Paul explains the grand principle of life as a Christian
Every element of our lives must have an overarching goal: to glorify God.
Church, this shows us:
1. Our purpose is God’s glory.
1. Our purpose is God’s glory.
This is the drive in everything we do.
We live in order to display the glory of God in every aspect of our lives.
God has created us, He has given us the gift of life
We are to put on display His glory
God has given us His love,
We have the capacity to love one another
God has given us every good gift.
Our lives make the invisible God visible.
How do I drink coffee to the glory of God?
I’m particular about my coffee mug
I don’t like two-finger handles.
I need 3-4 fingers.
How did I get this mug?
Euphrates river, father fishing, son playing in mud, forms a bowl, next thing ya know, I’ve got this.
What about the coffee inside?
The taste is a gift from the Lord
The beans are grown from bushes planted by the Lord in over 70 countries
The sun/rain that grew the bushes is a gift from the Lord
The harvester, the truck driver, the roaster the store that brought it to me is a gift from the Lord
I’ll pray thanksgiving to the Lord for this cup and the coffee
I don’t deserve this cup—I deserve hell.
Gospel presentation
Jesus died so that I could be saved from my sins
Jesus took my sins to the cross so that I could be accepted by God
Jesus rose again from the dead to bring me into God’s family as a child
So this cup is a blood-bought gift for this child of God
I’ll remind myself that this is a gift from the Lord
I’ll share this gift with other people.
This type of character is magnetic in a world that is cynical about everything.
Walking with a redeemed and thankful posture before Jesus draws people to Him.
We must know Jesus so well, love Him so deeply and find Him so satisfying.
When we truly put Jesus first in our lives, people will be drawn in.
No one is won to Jesus by religious snobbery or segregation
Paul gives them the command
32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
When it comes to neutral matters, don’t give any opportunity to offense.
It is not the motive of the believer to cause offense in disagreements.
We don’t need jerks for Jesus.
We need to have the right hills to die on.
So many Christians have been outraged on social media over everything.
Culture—Olympics
Politics
Going to social media or being vocally outraged will win no one to Christ
Notice, Paul leans into completely different parties.
Jews thought Gentiles were dogs
Gentiles thought Jews were snobs
They hated one another.
Paul’s command for the believer: Live peaceably with both!
Why?
Paul gives us his motive.
33 just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
Explanation
Specific motive: lead them to Jesus.
Paul recognizes that giving ourselves over to trivial things that will not matter does not bring God glory.
If our purpose is to glorify God, then we must realize that God receives glory when people are brought to know Jesus.
Gospel presentation
It’s only through Jesus can someone be forgiven of their sins!
We have all fallen away from bringing God glory in one form or another.
We have all been guilty of sin, which means that we deserve hell.
But God showed us mercy by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.
On the cross, Jesus took your sins, shame, guilt and God’s justice was poured out!
Then God demonstrated His authority over death, by raising Jesus from the dead three days later!
Those who trust in Jesus, receive His grace and mercy and are brought into His family!
God is glorified through saving us!
If you’re not a Christian, you can receive the free give of eternal life today.
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins.
Be changed!
Come talk with me after service: “I want to know Jesus.”
If you’re a Christian, the gospel ought to be your motive in everything you do.
Our responsibility as believers is to teach people to follow Jesus.
Look at Paul’s challenging invitation
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Paul lives that way because Jesus lives that way.
Paul invites them to follow him as He follows Jesus.
If our purpose is to bring God glory, then:
2. Our goal is to make disciples for Jesus
2. Our goal is to make disciples for Jesus
Paul lives that way because Jesus lives that way.
Paul invites them to follow him as He follows Jesus.
Jesus’s motive: to bring sinners to God
Gary Clark is one of many guys that I look at that exemplifies what it means to love Jesus and make disciples.
Spending time with Gary makes me want to love Jesus more and I always get just another instance of how to draw people to Jesus.
Who are you imitating?
Are you growing in your faith alongside someone who knows, loves, and follows Jesus?
You need to find someone and ask them, “Can you show me how to follow Jesus?
Can people imitate you?
Can you with good conscience say, “Follow me as I follow Jesus?”
Paul models what it looks like to be an imperfect sinner who loves Jesus.
This is what we have been called to do.
Everyone at Graceland has a next step to take toward Jesus.
Take the Next Step
Take the Next Step
Identify someone who puts Jesus first in their lives.
Invite someone to follow Jesus with you.
We don’t want to model perfection
We model repentance, trust, and obedience to Jesus.
What do you need to change?
We want to model what it looks like to imitate a perfect Savior.