Growing Together

Bottom line

We must become more like Christ

Opening Line

“I like Jesus, I just don’t like his followers.”

Introduction

These are the words of Ghandi during an interview. The interviewer was asking him about his daily routine, and Ghandi mentioned that he would frequently read the bible. Upon discovering this, the interviewer asked if Ghandi would consider himself a Christian. This was the response.

“I like Jesus, I just don’t like his followers.”

Of course this is a one off statement, and not a generally held position in the world, right? Unfortunately, no. Though most of the world tries the reject the very notion that Jesus actually lived and breathed on the earth, those that do accept his existence will often fall back to this sentiment. Most people really like Jesus and most of his teachings, but they don’t like the people that claim to be his followers.

This point is only magnified when you consider the Barna report called Hemorraging Faith. The report found that the North American church is losing its youth at an astounding 60% by the time they leave home and become adults. 60% of our teens are walking away from the church. Why? Amongst other reasons, the study found that the hypocrisy, the lack of authenticity, of those who claim to be Christians was a major contributing factor.

“I like Jesus, I just don’t like his followers.”

Main Point

This should be alarming in the ears of each of us because Paul tells the church that you should be imitators of Christ. To call yourself a Christian is a declaration that you are committed to being like Christ. Obviously, the imitation isn’t happening because if disciples were actually imitating their Lord and Saviour, there wouldn’t be this dichotomy between the Saviour and the saved.

Why it matters

It should concern you that the church is losing it’s young people because of a lack of authenticity. It should concern you that people don’t want anything to do with the church because they say that Jesus’ followers are nothing like Jesus.

One of the major areas of concern is the amount of division and unfighting that goes on in the church. If everyone was committed to living like Christ, would you fight about the things that you fight about? Would unforgiveness be as rampant? Would church be noticeably different from the culture around it, different enough to be attractive?

In 1 Corinthians, Paul talked about being an imitator of Christ. In 2 Corinthians, Paul takes it a step further, not just imitating Jesus, but becoming more and more like him.

Scripture

We are 2 Corinthians 3 this morning. We will also be in Exodus 34 if you want to follow along in your bible. All the scripture will be on the screen and in the app for you to follow along.

So to kick things off, 2 Cor 3:7-11

2 Corinthians 3:7–11 NLT

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

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So before we can dive into this text, you need to understand the story that Paul is refering to, and this story is found in Exodus 34. By way of context, Exodus is the second book of the Bible. The book of Exodus begins with the nation of Israel in slavery to the Egyptians. God saves the nation by sending the 10 plagues and splitting the Red Sea. Moses leads the people on the journey to the promised land and they are at the infamous Mount Sinai. Moses and Joshua head up the mountain, and in chapter 20, God begin to give Moses the laws for the nation, including the 10 Commandments.

Exodus 20:1–17 NLT

Then God gave the people all these instructions: “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. “You must not murder. “You must not commit adultery. “You must not steal. “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor. “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

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For 11 chapters, God is giving Moses the separation laws, foods laws, and moral laws that would set the nation apart from every other nation around them.

But in chapter 32, the people have grown tired of waiting. While their leader is on the mountain, the people have melted gold and formed a calf out of it, declaring that this idol is the god who saved them from Egypt. Moses comes down the mountain to them worshiping this golden statue. In his fury, he throws the tablets that have been inscribed by God himself with all the laws and smashes them. God is furious, telling Moses he is going to wipe out these people and start over with him. Moses intercedes, and the people repent of their ways.

Which brings us to chapter 34. Moses has chisled out two new tablets, and he alone is to climb back up the mount so that God can write on these new tablets the same thing he wrote on the first two. He has met with God in a way that no one ever has. Though he has not seen the face of God, he is close enough that he could have. This is the record of what comes next.

Exodus 34:28–30 NLT

Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. So when Aaron and the people of Israel saw the radiance of Moses’ face, they were afraid to come near him.

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Moses came down the mountain and his face was literally glowing from the encounter. In fact, the chapter ends by noting that Moses had to wear a veil whenever he spoke to the people because he would continue to have this glow about him every time he would meet with God in the Tent of Meeting.

So the 10 Commandments in the old covenant that Paul is refering to. But why does he say that the old way led to death? Paul decribes the law this way in Romans 7:7-11

Romans 7:7–11 NLT

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me.

The Apostle James says it this way.

James 1:14–15 NLT

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

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Paul and James are both saying that the law isn’t the problem. The law in and of itself is good because it comes from God. The problem is the brokeness of humanity. Each of you is born with a sin nature. Sin, just so we are on the same page, is rebellion against God. Just like Adam and Eve were told not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil but they did it anyways. Just like Paul saying that if the law hadn’t taught him that coveting was wrong, it probably wouldn’t have been a problem. But the law said no, and that rebellious nature within wants to do it all the more.

The law showed us how badly we needed help if we are going to overcome the sin problem. The law invited invited. Which is why Paul talks about the new covenant, the new way, bringing life. The old covenant says don’t do this and this, the new covenant says do this and this. The law required us to be strong, the new covenant relies on the Spirit in us to be our strength to overcome.

Praise God that Jesus has come, died on the cross for our sins, raised again three days later to conquer death, and ascended into heaven so that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell within each us, being our strength to overcome the temptation of sin and rebellion. This is new covenant.

John 3:16 NLT

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

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The old covenant required sacrifices and circumcision. The new covenant requires that you simply believe in the Son of God.

2 Corinthians 3:12–15 NLT

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

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What is Paul trying to say here? He is pointing out that knowledge alone is not enough to save someone or see the truth. Recently in my church renewal mentoring, the lesson we were reading pointed out that when Jesus was born, who was missing? It was the scholars. Even during Jesus earthly ministry, it was the scholars, those who supposedly knew the word of God, that missed who Jesus was.

Why is this? The prophet Isaiah said that the people of Israel would have eyes but not see, and they would hear but not understand. How was the truth hidden from the people? Because the Scriptures are spiritual, and you need the Holy Spirit to understand. This is why Paul says that the veil can only be removed by believing in Christ. When you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes upon you as a seal of your salvation. It is by the Holy Spirit that you understand what it is written. In fact, it is by the Holy Spirit that God speaks to you through the word. It is because of the Holy Spirit that you can read the same passage more than once and it speaks to you differently each time.

It is also this reason why many people can read the bible and never experience life change. Without the Holy Spirit, without the removal of the veil, this is just words on a page and it cannot be understood. Paul’s statement that even today the words are read but not understood stills stands today. It is why the mission is to make disciples, not just readers of the word. The bible without the Holy Spirit will have no impact.

So Paul tells you to be bold. Be confident in your faith because you can understand the word of God in a way that many cannot. You havre access to the author of the word and he will reveal the mysteries to you if you just ask.

2 Corinthians 3:16–18 NLT

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

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This is the goal of you salvation. It is isn’t to become a better vesion of yourself, it is to become more like Christ. But who does the work of making you more like Jesus? The Holy Spirit in you. How does he do that? When you make declare Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he begins to change your heart, your desires. Your goals begin to come into alignment with God’s goals.

This is why I started with how much of a problem we have when the world says they like Jesus but not his followers. According to Paul’s letter, there should be no difference between the two. As a follower, you should be a reflection of Christ to the world, the same way a mirror reflects your image back to you.

Transition to Application

So what is the problem? Why is there this disconnect? If the Spirit of God is the one that does the work of renewing you and making you more and more like him, why isn’t it happening?

It is all a matter of surrender. The Holy Spirit may be the one doing the work, but you still have to choose to let him do the work.

But there is something more going on. It is no small thing that in those last three verses, Paul refers to Jesus as Lord five times. It is this balance of Jesus as Savior who not only takes away the veil from your eyes, but also the sin that entraps you. But also Jesus as Lord of your life, bringing everything into submission to him. Jesus as Lord of your finances, of your family, of your time.

It is only when you truly submit your life to Jesus as Lord that you begin to experience the freedom that is found in Christ.

Main To Do

I believe that one of the biggest missing pieces in all of this is actually making time to let God speak into your life. If it is the Spirit that makes the word of God clear, then it would make sense that you need to hear his voice so he can bring the clarity.

In order to do that, I want to simply build on last week’s application point. Last week I challenged you to increase the amount of time you spend with Jesus every day. Well this morning I want to bring some structure to that time. I want to introduce to the acronym SMORP. SMORP stands for Scripture, Message, Obedience, Repentance, Prayer.

So you start with Scripture. In your reading, what verse stands out? Are there any you feel led to memorize?

Then Message. What is Jesus saying to you through the Scripture? What is the major message he is speaking to you?

Obedience. Because your faith is not just an exercise of knowledge but practice, how can you put this passage into practice in your life?

Repentance. Is there anything the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about that needs to change? Remember, repentance is turning away from something, not just asking for forgiveness.

Prayer. Is there anything you feel led to pray about after doing your reading? This is also a good time to break out your prayer list and work through that.

Why it matters

It is hard to follow someone that doesn’t speak to you. In the case of Jesus as Lord of your life, it isn’t that Jesus isn’t speaking, it is often that you aren’t listening. So create space to hear Jesus speak to you. As you do that, begin to put the word into practice, the Spirit of the Lord will begin to make you more and more like him, reflecting his image to a world that desperately needs it.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How does the concept of imitating Christ speak to your personal faith journey?

How can you apply the SMORP method to strengthen your personal relationship with God?

In what ways can you surrender parts of your life to Jesus as Lord?

How can understanding the role of the Holy Spirit impact your daily choices?

What are some practical steps you can take to reflect Christ more in your life?

Why do you think authenticity is crucial in representing Christ to the world?

What challenges do you face in trying to reflect Christ to your friends?

What does it look like to turn to Jesus as Lord in your everyday life?