“Who do you Resemble”

The New International Version Chapter 3

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth

“Who do you Resemble?”

Text: 1 John 3:16-18

Introduction: In order for something or someone to be compatible, it must have a resemblance to that someone or something. If we are to bear a likeness to our Christ, all of the characteristic and features must look like Him. Evelyn Agee sings a song with the lyrics: “I want to walk in the way that's right so that my light will shine so bright You can't block me So don't try to stop me I'm gonna be Just like Him.” The lyrics suggest that she is passionate about living for Christ. There is an old saying that says; practice what you preach. Which simply means that our verbal expression must be compatible or resemble our outward walk. In our text today; we are taught a lesson on what resembles. Who does the Church resemble? Or better yet since the Church is comprised of those who make up the body of Christ, do we even resemble Him? Three things that the text teaches us is:

We must resemble the Savior’s Passion (1 John 3:16)

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (NKJV)

The stamped approval of genuine love can never be based on words alone. Humans are prone to say anything in order to gain acceptance. We are prone to do things that indicate we could care less about the ramifications of who it might affect. John makes a declaration in verse 16 that we can know that our love resembles Christ when we reach the point of self-denial. When we have really surrendered our lives to Christ, we can grow to the point of giving up our own things for the sake of others. We have to get beyond the notion of, I’m not going to physically die for the sake of anyone. However if your life, your action, your motivations when interacting with others, is going to resemble Christ, you must die in the way you think. The Greek word for “laid down” means that something is set, put, or placed. We cannot resemble Christ if our minds are set, put, or placed on self. On things we think are best for people when we haven’t even had a conversation with them. We just decide too do what we want to do because we are older, we been put in a position of authority, or the thing or resources we have is ours. It is apparent that the idea in this verse is to give up something of your own for someone else’s sake or well being. Jesus Christ wants you and I to have the attitude or passion for our brothers and sisters that resembles His passionate love for us. He was and is willing to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are you willing to do for others that they cannot do for themselves without thinking the might get ahead of you or be put in a better position in life than you currently are in. Are we willing to assist others who are not on the level you’re on. Christ wants us to be the examples for being gracious because He demonstrated grace towards us, so we should be willing to do the same thing for others.

We must Respond to the Savior’s Practice (1 John 3:17)

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Not one time in the Bible did Jesus take an application to see whether someone was qualified to receive assistance. Christ saw the multitudes and individual need and his hearts was impacted because of His love for humanity. The crowd or the individual was without necessities, or resources to fulfill a certain need. The crowd had become weary, the woman had spent all she had and still hadn’t gotten better. They were in trouble and there was no one to care or attend their particular problem. If the love of God abides in you or in us, Christ teaches us that we must respond. I also believe that the church John is addressing in our text and for us readers in this present moment is , we should especially seek to strengthen or assist those whom we worship and come into contact with frequently. God is not asking us to do the impossible, He only ask us to respond in a Christ like manner.

We must Realize the Savior’s Plea (1 John 3:18)

“Dear Children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” They had problems then, we certainly have problems. Yet we also have a Christ, who is above all and in you’ll, who is able to do exceedingly above all that we can ask or think. Jesus expect us respond to His plea. We must take necessary action to demonstrate our Christlike passion, practices, and plea if the kingdom o9f God is to strive and become all that God desires us to be. Talk is cheap and it does not authenticate anything but a bunch of noise. Our country, cities, communities, homes, churches and schools are suffering because we are trying to resemble something that is against the will of God.

Closure: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” We can focus on Baptist Polity, write tainted constitutions, preach eloquent and soul stirring sermons, build and keep up beautiful buildings but if our living is intolerant of those we worship with and those we come in contact with everyday its all vain and not the way of Christ. Who do you resemble? Are you even concern about who you look like?