God Imitators

“The church today is raising a whole generation of mules. They know how to sweat and to work hard but they don’t know how to reproduce themselves.”

Our real job is to go into the world and “reproduce ourselves” by making disciples of others. Matthew 28:18 – 20. Our message must come from our actions. Affect others with your life or rather the life of Jesus in you.

Is our Christianity contagious?
The only way we know how to do this is to be imitators of God. Ephesians 5:1 – 2 “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”
Live a life filled with love
Live a life of love
Live in love, as Christ also loved us.

1 John 4:16 “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and god in him.”
• Jesus is the express image of the Father. Colossians 1:15
• Servanthood Jesus says we should do as He did.
1 John 4:16 “If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one anothers feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.”
• Paul says that we should imitate him 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Corinthians 4:16
• We need to be able to say the same and make disciples of Christlikeness

Characteristics of Christlikeness
Colossians 3:12 – 17 “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
• Recognise who you ARE in CHRIST.
• Paul states that, “as the elect of God,” we are both “holy and beloved.”
• We are beloved of God and, therefore, should continue to reflect His love.
• We should always make every effort to act as a chosen one. Paul tells us to clothe ourselves with (put on) these qualities in order to glorify God. The verb “clothe”, indicates that it is a decisive act that we must engage in after we are saved.

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