"Following In His Steps
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Title: “Following in His Steps”
Series: Discovering Jesus, Embracing His Way
Introduction:
At the age of 23, Second Lieutenant Karl Marlantes was in charge of 40 marines during an intense battle in the Vietnam War.
Marlantes had moved his men into the jungle as they waited for U.S. jets to bomb a hill that North Vietnamese soldiers had overtaken. Unfortunately, the jets came and dropped their bombs on the wrong hill. So when Marlantes led his men out of the jungle, they were instantly under fire from untouched machine-gun positions.
Marlantes knew it would only take a few minutes before the enemy rockets and mortars found his troops. The entire mission ground to a halt as the U.S. soldiers ducked behind downed trees and huddled in shell holes.
Marlantes knew what he had to do next. He writes:
“If I didn't get up and lead, we'd get wiped out …. I did a lot of things that day … but the one I'm most proud of is that I simply stood up, in the middle of that flying metal, and started up the hill …. I simply ran forward up the steep hill, zigzagging for the bunker, all by myself, hoping [my own soldiers] wouldn't hit me in the back. It's hard to zigzag while running uphill loaded down with ammunition and grenades.”
But then in the midst of his solo charge up the hill to take out the enemy, Marlantes suddenly saw some movement in his peripheral vision:
“It was a marine! He was about 15 meters below me, zigzagging, falling, up and running again. Immediately behind him a long ragged line of Marines came moving and weaving up the hill behind me. Behind the line were spots of crumpled bodies, lying where they'd been hit. They'd all come with me …. Everyone was intermingled, weaving, rushing and covering, taking on each hole and bunker one at a time in groups …. We, the group, just rushed forward all at once. We couldn't be stopped. Just individuals among us were stopped … but we couldn't be …. I was we, no longer me.” [end of illustration.]
As Christians we are called to follow Jesus in every way, even when that way might not be easy. That is what being a disciple of Christ is all about.
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. – 1 Peter 2:21 (ESV)
Let's look at a few examples Jesus set for us that He wants us to follow:
1. FOLLOW JESUS IN LOVING
If Jesus is known for anything, it is for His love.
Even the non-Christian world recognizes this fact. While sometimes they misinterpret what His love was really all about, they still recognize this as the central quality of His being.
Who can deny that one who came from heaven and voluntarily offered His life for ours as a sacrifice is one who understands love for others at a level none of the rest of us can comprehend? And yet He is the one that calls all Christians to demonstrate the same level of love for each other.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” – John 13:34 (ESV)
I want you to notice three things about this verse: 1) Jesus isn't asking us to do this, He is commanding we do this; 2) The command to “love one another” is repeated for emphasis; 3) The love we are to show to one another is to be the same as the love Jesus has demonstrated toward us – “just as I have loved you.”
That is a level of love that calls for personal sacrifice, putting the other person first, and living a life focused on love at all times. In other words, this isn't going to happen by accident – it is something that must be personally emphasized and embraced.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35 (ESV)
Jesus follows up His command by explaining the purpose of it. He not only wants us to follow His example, He wants us to do it precisely as a demonstration to the world that we are His followers. People who truly follow Jesus act like Jesus does. It is impossible to be a true disciple of Christ, yet at the same time live a life that does not resemble His life. We are not talking about perfection here, but a constant attempt to live, think, and act like our Master.
2. FOLLOW JESUS IN WELCOMING
We often focus on how we need to be welcoming to those outside the fellowship of Christ, and that is a good thing. The Bible stresses that in our outreach to those who don't know Christ that we need to be inviting, courteous, and to treat them as we would want to be treated. But we are also to be welcoming to those who are already in the household of faith.
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. – Romans 15:7 (ESV)
Again we see the concept of following Christ's example. How are we to welcome each other? “As Christ has welcomed you.” And how has Christ welcomed us? He has welcomed us with open arms! He has taken us in no matter what condition we happened to be in when He met us. He has forgiven us, embraced us, and made us to be an integral part of His family. Can we do any less for our brothers and sisters in Christ?
'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ – Matthew 25:35-40 (ESV)
The Church of Jesus Christ has been designed to be the one place on earth where we know that we will be accepted, welcomed, and encouraged along life's journey, no matter where it happens to take us. It is in the Church that our needs are met, our desires are fulfilled, and our spiritual longings are met with words and deeds that match the commitment we have made to Jesus.
Or at least, that is the way it should be. And it can be that way if we will each take the admonition of Jesus’ words as well as His example seriously. It is time to drop the pretense and start becoming the person who welcomes his brothers and sisters with open arms. Jesus says that when we do this to “the least of these” it is as if we are doing it for Him.
3. FOLLOW JESUS IN FORGIVING
[2]Back in the days when everyone used typewriters there was a little thing called Wite-Out. Wite-Out dates to 1966 when an insurance-company clerk named George Kloosterhouse teamed with a guy who waterproofed basements to develop their own correction fluid. They originally called it "Wite-Out WO-1 Erasing Liquid."
You can still buy the product. Wite-Out isn't perfect. If you made a mistake on the typewriter, you'd have to take the paper out or get it raised up a little bit and then dab it with the Wite-Out, paint over the mistake, and then blow on it and let it dry. Then you could type right over it as if the mistake had never been made.
When electric typewriters came along, some genius invented something even better than Wite-Out—the self-correcting typewriter. Now wouldn't it be great if someday down the road somebody invented self-correcting people? Wouldn't it be cool if there could be a self-correcting husband or wife who would say the wrong thing and then just back up and say it over again right? "You know, you're just like your mother. Oops! Let's just erase that and start over." Wouldn't it be great if every spouse or friend or parent or child came with self-correcting technology?
But the human race isn't self-correcting. In fact, we're self-destructing. But in his grace God gave us one of his most amazing inventions—the gift of forgiveness. In a way, it is more powerful than Wite-Out. At the cross Jesus not only covered sin, he also absolves it, pays the penalty for it, and removes it as far from the east is to the west. [end of illustration.]
The Bible tells us that we are to forgive each other in the same way Jesus has forgiven each one of us:
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. – Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)
The funny thing about this is that we cannot be compelled to forgive another person. What we need is to have the kind of heart that desires to offer forgiveness. We’ve all seen little kids when they are told to apologize to their brother or sister for something they’ve done wrong. They begrudgingly say, “I’m sorry” but the look on their face doesn’t look like they are sorry at all.
Sometimes we are like that in forgiveness. We say, “I forgive you” but in our hearts we know we are only going through the motions because we know that is what we ought to do. But the longer we walk with Jesus, and learn to think like Him, and adopt His compassion, the easier it will be to not only offer forgiveness, but to do so with a willing heart.
Is there someone you need to forgive today? Is it someone in your family? Someone in the church? A longtime friend? Don’t delay – offer it to them in the same way Jesus has offered forgiveness to you.
Conclusion:
Following the example of Jesus isn’t easy, is it? But it is doable. How do I know that? Because God never asks us to do anything that He doesn’t give us the ability to accomplish. And He has clearly asked us to follow the example of His Son in our lives.
Rather than focus on what we can’t do, isn’t it time we focus on what we can accomplish? What about if right now, at this very moment, we each commit ourselves to follow Jesus’ example in the way we love, the way we welcome, and the way we forgive. Those three things alone will be enough to change the course of your life and benefit everyone around you. Let’s start following Jesus’ example today.