Less of Me 1. Knowing the love of Jesus 2. Looking like Jesus 3. Following Jesus.
1. Knowing the Love of Jesus John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Micah 7:18 He does not retain His anger forever because He DELIGHTS in showing mercy. • He loves you as you are right now • Not just a more Christlike version of you…
Romans 5:8- But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
2. Looking like Jesus • My job as a Christian is to look like Jesus • First TO Jesus… then to others. Ephesians 4:22-24 To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 John 2:6 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Galatians 5:16-26 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. • Jesus wants you to look like Him AND LOOK TO HIM.
Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… for HIS name’s sake.”
3. Following Jesus • What must you do? • Deny yourself. Pick up your cross. Follow Jesus.
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Mark 10:17-22 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But he [a]was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
• Fear of leaving everything behind can stop us from following him well.
Matthew 9:16-17 Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
