Imitation

President Calvin Coolidge invited some people from his hometown to dinner at the White House. Since they did not know how to behave at such an occasion, they thought the best policy would be just to do what the President did. The time came for serving coffee. The President poured his coffee into a saucer. As soon as the home folk saw it, they did the same. The next step for the President was to pour some milk and add a little sugar to the coffee in the saucer. The home folks did the same. They thought for sure that the next step would be for the President to take the saucer with the coffee and begin sipping it. But the President didn’t do so. He leaned over, placed the saucer on the floor and called the cat. 

Introduction:

Definition : resembling something else that is usually genuine and of better quality : not real

an act or instance of imitating

something produced as a copy : counterfeit

a literary work designed to reproduce the style of another author

Usually an item that we purchase has a mark to where it is made or if its a designer piece it will have a the designers name. i.e Louie Vaton, Gucci .

Sometime last year Alicia were at the flea market in Volusia county and there was a perfume vendor set up selling designer perfume or so we thought. Everything looked the same. The label was stamped on the box, small print on the bottom of the box and it was even sealed. Once we got into the car Alicia was excited to spray her new designer Gucci cologne that we had just snagged for 20 bucks. Well once she sprayed it we soon realized it was a fake posing to be the real thing.

The church is called to imitate Christ, and often we look as if we fit the part. Church on Sunday, worshiping, but once poured out the world soon realizes its a counterfeit.

Ephesians 5:1–2 NIV

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

3 John 11 NIV

11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Ask yourself this morning: Who are you imitating

Often a child will imitate their father and mother. That is why if you have a mouth that vile things flow out of, so will your children.

In the book Hosea 9 God tells Israel not to participate in the Harvest celebration. Although this was customary for the Jews he tell them no to. The reason was they were np longer imitating God but the people around them. They were no different from the gentiles, because they were imitating the wrong people

They were worshiping idols. People often take on the characteristics of what or whom they love or worship. Am I becoming more like God or am I becoming more like someone or something else? What or who is your idol.

How do you become an imitator of Christ

Healthy Relationships

Relationship with the Lord

1 Thessalonians 1:6 NIV

6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

John 5:19 NIV

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

There has to be a 2-way relationship, prayer, church and reading the scriptures

b. Relationship with Imitators

Hebrews 13:7 NIV

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

1 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

1 Thessalonians 2:14 NIV

14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews

c. Make your relationship intentional

 think about so many of the problems with sinful tendencies that our young people face and sometimes fall into. I believe that if each one of our youth had a mature Christian adult friend outside of their family who they looked up to and talked with about their lives, a lot of the problems with sin would be handled. Now I know that some of you parents have the kind of relationships with your kids that you are able to help them maintain their faith and walk in Christ. But many of you need help. Who would refuse to let their children be encouraged and influenced by a mature follower of Christ who you yourself look up to and admire?

We need to intentionally be an example for someone else. Be thou an example to the believers, Paul told Timothy. In speech in life in love in faith and in purity.

Jesus had the 12

Paul had Barnabas

Acts 9:26–28 NIV

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

Paul had Timothy

Barna