Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: Wanna be like Jesus? Pastor Jeff says just spend some time with Him. Spending time with Him is becoming like Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more time you will be like Him.

That's so powerful. That we would be as Peter was shared by Jesus, that we would truly be converted. And that then we would turn and strengthen our brethren, strengthen our brothers and sisters around us. We can't do that in and of ourselves. We have nothing to give. He has everything to give through our lives.

Guest (Male): I want to be like Mike. Remember that ad campaign centered around Michael Jordan? A lot of kids back then wanted to be like Mike. But today on Sound Doctrine, we'll learn that to be like Jesus is the highest goal in life. And there's no greater thing that could be said of you.

But it's not something you can accomplish on your own. It's a work of the Holy Spirit. What's your goal when it comes to having a role model for your life? There should be only one answer. Here to drive that home is Pastor Jeff Johnson. His study today is based in Romans chapter 15.

Jeff Johnson: All right, Romans chapter 15. We're starting a new chapter this morning. Romans chapter 15. And it just so happens we're going to be talking about to be like Him this morning.

Someone has said this, and it's an interesting statement. They said, "The ministry is awesome. It's just the people I can't stand." And you think about that and you go, "The ministry is people, okay?"

Remember that proverb? It's in Proverbs 14:4. It says, "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by strength of the ox." And so when there's a whole lot of people, there's a whole lot of increase. And you got to have a bigger shovel or whatever, but you got to take care of problems. When you have people, you have problems. And that's a part of ministry.

The answer to that, of course, is what Jesus gave when He ascended up on high in Ephesians 4. It says He gave gifts unto men, and He gave some apostles and teachers and evangelists and prophets and pastors.

And then He said, "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, till we all come in unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God into a perfect mature man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."

So to be like Him, that's my only prayer. Now, I know some of you might say, "But my dad, I look up to my dad. I just want to be like my dad." And that's okay. That's great. And that's a real blessing for your father to hear. And that's an incredible family you grew up in where you look to your dad as someone to emulate and to follow. And that's a good thing. And I commend that.

But there is someone greater than your dad, believe it or not. His name is Jesus Christ. And what's beautiful about Jesus, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it says that Jesus suffers long, is kind, He doesn't envy, He's not puffed up, He doesn't behave Himself unseemly, He seeks not His own, He's not provoked, thinks no evil, rejoices not in sin, rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, and hopes all things. Jesus never fails. Now, you can't say that about your dad, because he falls in some of those areas.

But to be like Him, to be like Jesus. Of course, we know that this is a work of the Holy Spirit. Paul makes it very clear there in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. He says, "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." We are changed, we are conformed into the image of Jesus Christ by none other than the power of the Holy Spirit who is to be actively working in each of our lives.

That's encouraging, because it's not by our power, not by our might, but by the Spirit of the Lord we're going to be transformed. That Jesus would be seen, that Jesus would be experienced. I love Acts 4:13. He says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and they took knowledge of them that"—what?—"they had been with Jesus."

Spending time with Him is becoming like Him. The more time you spend with Him, the more time you will be like Him. That's so powerful. That we would be as Peter was shared by Jesus, that we would truly be converted. And that then we would turn and strengthen our brethren, strengthen our brothers and sisters around us. We can't do that in and of ourselves. We have nothing to give. He has everything to give through our lives.

So chapter 14, a little review. The stronger and weaker brothers are one. We saw that. Unity in diversity, that's awesome. We have it here, thank God, as we avoid being stumbling blocks. And as we become the dreaded stepping stone. A stepping stone, I don't want anybody to step on me. Well, if you're going to be like Jesus, you're going to be a stepping stone. So man up. Understand what it is to follow Jesus and let it happen, because in doing that, you're going to die to self. And that's a good thing.

So chapter 15, as we take on a new chapter now, it kind of continues on. Remember, there weren't chapters in the Greek nor the Hebrew, and they just ran them right on. So we get a few verses here in chapter 15, verses 1 through 3, where Paul kind of concludes his exhortation on the unity in the family and he kind of introduces us to being like Him. Let's read it.

"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification, to the building up. For even Christ pleased not Himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproach Thee fell on me." And that's out of Psalm 69, verse 9.

But Paul here is saying that the key here is a fellowship, is a communion with Him. Of course, the evidence of communing with Him is John's job to kind of give us some scripture on. You might want to jot this one down. In 1 John 3:14, he says, "We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death." So you can test yourself. This is an open book test this morning. And that's just check yourself out. Do you hate your brothers? Do you hate any of your brothers? Then that's not a good thing.

You need to give it over to the Lord and you need to say, "Lord, give me love for this brother. Open my eyes to be Your eyes that I can see this brother in and through Your eyes, Your vision. Give me new vision because I'm taking myself down constantly by hating."

So let's slow down a little bit. Verse 1. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak." Interesting. Our obligation. Paul kind of includes himself. Notice he says "we." So he's including himself as one of the strong. Well, he was. I mean, everything to him is pure, everything is clean. I can eat steak, lobster, whatever. And he was free, but he was careful with his freedom. Remember, we've been talking about this.

In saying that, he's saying that the strong are not the legalists. The weak, of course, are the ones that are the legalists, and they get very legal about what they're doing and they're convicted about it. And we're to hold up our brothers, though. We're to be a stepping stone and help them along their way to grow up out of that place.

Remember over in Galatians in chapter 6 and verse 1, Paul made it very clear, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you that are spiritual"—so who is Paul talking here? Those of you that consider yourselves spiritually mature. You're an older brother or sister in Christ. That's who he's talking to. "Restore such a one in the spirit of meekness." I mean, come on, let's be our brother's keeper in this. Let's all help our weaker brothers and sisters out that are struggling.

"Restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ." So he says, "you ought." "You ought." Now, that's a strong word there in Romans 15:1. We owe it. We owe it to do what? To build up, to win our brothers, to bear their selfishness, to bear their worldliness, their inexperience, to tolerate them. Not to just go, "You weak Christian," and turn your back and walk away. No, we're there to disciple.

How else are they going to be discipled unless they look to older brothers and sisters who are mature? So we need to mature. We need to be someone that to be looked to, to emulate, because you follow me, I'm following Jesus. You look to me, I'm looking to Jesus is what Paul said. That's a pretty powerful statement, but it's true.

I heard—you know, you bear one another's burdens—it's not like the bear story that I heard of. There's these guys they're out camping and all of a sudden they saw this bear coming at them and he's coming into the camp. And they're freaking out and one guy hits the tent and the other guy runs by the tent and he says, "What are you doing in the tent, man?" He goes, "I'm putting on my tennis shoes." He said, "What are you doing that for? All I have to do is beat you."

He was getting ready for a run. Remember, we're not to run with our liberty, but to deny ourselves and pick up our brother. A woman who was carrying a five-year-old, a guy came up and said, "Isn't he heavy?" She was carrying a five-year-old. "Isn't he heavy?" And she says, "No, he's my brother. He's not heavy."

This is the attitude, not "I can do as I please." That's never about what Christianity is about. Over in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 33, Paul says, "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many that they may be saved." His heart was towards others coming to the Lord. Love seeks not its own way.

That's so contrary, though. That's what we're all about—self. "I want what I want when I want it." But that's not Jesus style. That's not what He taught us. That's not the example He left us. So we're not to be a man-pleaser or a politician, but a servant of Jesus Christ, and we're seeking to be His witnesses.

So in verse 2, he says, "Let every one of you please his neighbor for this is good to edification, the building up." So it's not about my will to please myself, but it is to love as He loves, to see as He sees. What's interesting is the way He sees. When He looked at all these people that were coming to Him, He didn't look at them as people. He looked at them as sheep having no shepherd.

Is that how you look at people? "I want to be like Jesus." Then we need to see people as sheep that are lost and need a savior. He had compassion upon them. And when He saw them, He also called them a harvest. It's interesting how He looked. He didn't look at people. You look at people, you're going to be bummed. People will bum you out, but if you look at people and see them as sheep and as a harvest, you're going to get excited. You're going to have compassion.

There's the difference. So to build one another up, to build up. Another mark of being like Him is doing what He did. Confirmation is in 1 John 4:7. Again, John confirming all these things. In 1 John 4:7, he says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God."

So he makes it so simple. Born of God. Are you born of God? Are you born again? Do you love? And so he checks us out. He says, "Confirm your love for Him. Confirm your born again experience. Do you love?" And that's a huge word, isn't it? Because in loving, you're really putting up with a whole lot.

Love is patient, and yet it's long-suffering. That means love keeps loving, and then after receiving all these blows and everything, turns around and is kind. I mean, whoa, that's a Spirit work. And is kind.

Verse 3 says, "For even Christ pleased not Himself." But as it is written, He received the reproaches. Remember Peter said, "Follow His example." Another mark of being like Him is the cross of sacrifice, isn't it? The cross of sacrifice. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live." And I live for others to extend your energy.

Jesus extended His energy. He got exhausted in service. Do you remember when He finally got an opportunity to go to sleep? And as He's been ministering to the crowds all day and serving all day, He gets in this boat and there's a pillow and a kind of a little bed down at the boat, and He hit the hay. He hit the sack. He went out.

He was deep in sleep and they take off on the nice Galilee sea. And yet that nice Galilee sea turned into nine-foot waves, they were taking on water and everybody's freaking out, and they went down and He was still asleep. And you know how boats are when they hit the water—the pounding—and He was out.

And they woke Him up. "Don't You care we're going to die?" He slowly but surely woke up, walked out there and talked to the storm and said, "Peace, shalom, be still." And the whole place went quiet.

He went back down and went to sleep. And the guys are going, "He's the weather man, man. We're hanging out with the right guy. This guy is awesome." And He is. To hang around Jesus, oh man, there's nothing like it. He's awesome. And then when you see Him do His work, you're just going, "I'm going to follow this guy to the end of the earth. This guy is everything. I want to be like Him."

So on the cross He endured, suffering the agony and the shame. Why? And how did He do this? Well, He saw the joy that was set before Him. Not only did He see the joy, He saw the victory that was coming through the cross. What it would bring, how we would be sitting here this morning, our lives changed, transformed. He took all of man's anger, his sin, his hatred. You religious fanatic, what's wrong with you, man? I hate you. And how people come against Jesus and anybody living for Him.

He took all of that wrath, all that rebellion on Himself. And it says that He bore our griefs, our shame. They crucified Him. Jesus said in Matthew 5, verse 10, "Blessed are you which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Oh, how happy are you when men shall revile you, persecute you, shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice, be exceedingly glad. They persecuted the prophets, man, you're in good company. They crucified Me."

Remember Moses? Moses settled down. There he was in Egypt, mighty Egypt, all the riches of Egypt. But by faith Moses, it says in Hebrews 11:24, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. He endured seeing Him who is invisible. Moses, wow, what an example.

Another key is 2 Corinthians 4:18. In 2 Corinthians 4:18, he just shares with us what it is to be like Jesus. He says, "While we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen. The things that are seen are just temporal. The things that are not seen are eternal."

In other words, we're putting on our Holy Spirit glasses and we're beginning to see as Jesus saw. We're beginning to live as Jesus lived. We're beginning to have our hearts where His heart was. And we're beginning to understand what it is to have victory over this world. To be more than a conqueror in this place. Why? Because we're living for eternity. Eternity's on our mind and nothing else. Think about it. To be like Him.

To step out, to hang in, that faith pleases God. To have the mind of Christ. To commit ourselves and the situation to God. And it says in the scriptures, He'll bring it to pass. Did you know that what you're going through, this too will pass? Did you know that? Then be excited in that. Don't let the situation take you down. Look to Him. He said, "This will pass."

We are more than conquerors through Him. So His sacrifice, He humbled Himself to go to the cross. What did it become to Jesus? It became His exaltation. See, if we follow His example and we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him, it lifts us up. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up, even into the heavens. The key is a servant. The key is humility. The key is I want to be like Him, and you'll be taken out of this place. I'm talking in the spiritual way. In your mind, you put on the mind of Christ. God highly exalted Jesus as He went to the cross.

Verse 4. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning." Talking about the Old Testament. "And that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Now, the Old Testament was written for a number of reasons. Number one, realize this: that the revelation of nature was incomplete. Yes, nature does bring forth the glory of God, right? I mean, you go out there and see a sunset, you go out there on the beach, go in the mountains or whatever, you see the glory of God in nature all around us. But it was incomplete.

It doesn't reveal how to know Him, to know His grace, to know how to be redeemed and His redemption, to know hope. And that's why the Old Testament was written. Number two, the Old Testament was written, His word was given because it gives us a code, a law, a standard to live by. And man needs that desperately. And it can be achieved in Christ and no other way.

And number three, the law was a schoolmaster to drive us to Christ. It was a good thing. The law that Moses brought forth convicts men everywhere. So salvation is in no other name or in no other way but through Jesus. The Bible, then, is a real revelation of God to man. I like that. His word is what transforms us to be like Him. There is power in the word of God to transform us. Scripture says that.

Guest (Male): To be like Jesus, that's to be our goal in life. And that's also the title we've given this message from Pastor Jeff Johnson on Sound Doctrine. It's part of our study in Romans.

If you enjoyed today's message from Pastor Jeff Johnson from the magnificent book of Romans, I'd like to remind you that you can hear it again on several different venues. First, you can go online to sounddoctrineradio.org where you can hear today's study as well as make a donation to this radio outreach. That's at sounddoctrineradio.org.

You can also listen at oneplace.com and also through the Sound Doctrine Radio podcast app. And of course, speaking of podcasts, Sound Doctrine can be heard wherever you enjoy podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Be sure to join us again next time we meet for another encouraging and challenging study with Pastor Jeff in the book of Romans. That's here on Sound Doctrine, a presentation of Calvary Chapel Downey.