Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27

Why does Jesus want us to follow Him?

It's what we were created for! Since the beginning, we have sought to understand what it means to be created in God's image. One way to translate the passage is "made as God's image"-- to represent Him here on earth, which is a role and a calling. 

We can get into trouble, though, if we have a skewed idea of who God is. If we think He is vindictive and wrathful, then we will be vindictive and wrathful people. It is through Jesus that we understand the character of God.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ... No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:14, 18)

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

If we want to know what God looks like, we look into the face of Jesus-- Jesus came to save us, but He also came so that we might know what God is like.

"Jesus answered: 'Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father"?'" (John 14:9)

"Jesus gave them this answer: 'Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.'" (John 5:19).

By following Jesus and shaping our lives to be like His, we are shaping ourselves to be like God, in whose image we were created to be.

Jesus invites us to apprentice under Him-- not just sitting in a classroom and getting head knowledge, but following and doing what He does, in the way that He does it. Because He is the master image-bearer, and we are the apprentices.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

In order to live in His image, we need to fill our hearts, eyes, and minds with Jesus.

  • Read the Gospels, spending time reading the story of Jesus with the purpose of following Him.
  • Talk and listen to Him. He promised that He is with us, to the end of the age. We can talk with Him.
  • Do what He did, the way that He did it-- living as apprentices who walk with Him and work with Him. Learn how He does it; learn the unforced rhythm of His grace.

Doing what Jesus did isn't only about supernatural miracles, or social justice, or personal morality. Living as an image of God is more about the way that Jesus lived, rather than just what He did. 

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

The good news is that God sent His Holy Spirit so that we might learn how to live like Jesus "through the unforced rhythms of his grace". 

 

Missed this Sunday's sermon? Watch it here!

 

Ministries
Worship