What Would Jesus Do

What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus Would Set The Example

Matthew 3:13-17

July 25,1999

Rev. Charles S. Mims

The Holy Bible, King James Version

Matthew 3:13 through Matthew 3:17 (KJV)
¹³Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. ¹⁴But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? ¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. ¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: ¹⁷And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

During the administration of Calvin Coolidge, an overnight guest at the White House had a particularly embarrassing experience. At breakfast he was seated next to the President. He noticed Coolidge take his cup of coffee, pour a large amount into his saucer, and slowly put in a little cream and sugar. The guest immediately followed suit. In some haste, he poured some coffee into his own saucer. Then, he watched as Calvin Coolidge too his own coffee filled saucer and place it on the floor for the cat.

· Arthur Tonne (Copied from Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations pp 263-263)

For some reason, call it human nature, call it intuition, call it saving our own skin; call it what you will, but for some reason we try our hardest to blend in with everyone else. We will often change our own habits and routines in order to follow the example of another person. Usually to keep from calling attention to ourselves. As we can see by this story I just related to you, many times we do exactly the thing we are trying to avoid. When we place our eyes on man, we are doomed to fail.

We talk a lot about setting an example. We question our governmental leaders about what sort of example they set for our children, we wonder about the role models that professional athletes portray, and we even try to live our life in such a way as to be a positive example. Following an example is the very reason for this WWJD infatuation. It is, at its core, an exhortation to follow the example of the one perfect individual who walked this earth.

Jesus set the example for us, so that we would be able to follow Him. He told the disciples to “Come follow me.” If he had not set a perfect example to follow He would not have been able to say those words. He is to be our role model, He is to be the one that we try to emulate in all of our thoughts, or actions, or deeds.

As we continue this sermon series on What Would Jesus Do, please remember that we are asking ourselves three questions as we live our daily lives. For each decision we make, several of you have pledged to ask first “What would Jesus do?”, but then to also ask “What DID Jesus do?,” and “What did Jesus TELL me to do?” When we have answered those three questions by referring to God’s Word, we will come closer to walking the Christian walk, and closer to following Him.

If we are truly going to do what Jesus would do, then we are going to have to follow His example, and then live our lives as that example for others. We are not called to actually be Jesus, but rather to follow His example for our lives.

So, for today’s study: What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus Would Be A Role Model (vv. 13-15)

Jesus would never ask us to do something that He was not willing to do Himself. In our scripture Jesus went down to the Jordan to be baptized. Now Christ had no need to be baptized, as Christ had no Sin, yet He still made the trek to the Jordan, and commanded John to baptize Him. John, knowing who He was, and knowing that he was not worthy to baptize the Messiah balked at the idea. You see, Christ understood that if He wasn’t willing to be baptized there would be now way He could expect us to do the same.

Who are our role models today? Oh, if it were Jesus. Today it seems that role model is one of those words bandied about carelessly today without a thought. So who fills that role? Once upon a time we looked to our fathers to be our role model, but in today’s society for a great number of people, the father is non-existent. Yet, even when we don’t realize it we are looking up to others.

Some folks will look up to celebrities to be their role models. The glamour and glitz of the rich and famous call to us with a siren’s call. We even feel a sense of loss when they fall, or pass on.

Others will look to sports figures to be a role model. Now that’s a scary thought. I can only imagine the next generation of kids running around with pink and green hair like Dennis Rodman, or addicted to cocaine like Darryl Strawberry.

Many look to politicians to be a role model. Many people admired and respected JFK, Jr. and were saddened by his death this week, and many looked up to him and his family to set the standards for our nation. Even as good a man as John Jr. may have been, if indeed he was, he was still a man. A man with failings and shortcomings, problems and mistakes. A man no different than you or I except for the notoriety of being a Kennedy.

We must see perfection as our role model, and that can only come from Christ. Christ is the only perfect model for us to follow. He is the only one that has lived up to all of the scriptural expectations. He came to John for baptism to fulfill His obligations. We must look up to Him, and to Him alone if we are to begin to live life as Jesus did.

Then, while following Him, we must pattern our life after Him. We are to become role models in our own right. People around us must be able to look at our life and pattern theirs after us.

This of course makes how we live important. Salvation is a gift, free and clear without any strings attached to it. Yet salvation is not a license to live as we please. Personal holiness becomes extremely important because of our position as a role model.

I am fully aware that we have stressed this point over and over again in our studies the past year or so. It seems that perhaps God is trying to teach us something that we must understand. We must live our lives beyond reproach. This is part of the whole concept of what would Jesus do.

Jesus was obedient. He did as He was supposed to, not because He needed baptism, but because WE needed to see Him get baptized. We needed to see his obedience in order to understand how we must be obedient as well.

Who do we obey today? Do we obey God or man? Or neither? Do we set our selves up as good role models only to fall by the side? We are role models whether we want to admit it or not. The world watches our every move, and judges us according to our hypocrisy. We absolutely cannot say one thing, then live another. If we are to do as Jesus did, and do what Jesus told us to do, we are going to have to follow His example and be an example.

Jesus Would Please God (vv. 16-17)

Have you ever watched children? I mean, really watched them with intent? Children crave the approval of those around them. Children want to please their parents. Does this change with time? I would say to you this morning that no, it really does not. We still crave to please people. We want to be accepted.

Keith Hernandez is one of baseball's top players. He is a lifetime .300 hitter who has won numerous Golden Glove awards for excellence in fielding. He's won a batting championship for having the highest average, the Most Valuable Player award in his league, and even the World Series. Yet with all his accomplishments, he has missed out on something crucially important to him -- his father's acceptance and recognition that what he has accomplished is valuable. Listen to what he had to say in a very candid interview about his relationship with his father: "One day Keith asked his father, 'Dad, I have a lifetime 300 batting average. What more do you want?' His father replied, 'But someday you're going to look back and say, "I could have done more."'

· The Gift of Honor, Gary Smalley & John Trent, Ph.D. Page 116

Bob Keeshan, who plays “Captain Kangaroo” is quoted as saying “Attention is like a daily boquet of love. None of us want to go through life never having received any positive attention.

Jesus received attention for what He had just done. God singled Him out and told Him how pleased He was for His obedience. ¹⁷And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

What better attention could we achieve than to catch the attention of God for something we have done?

There were two little boys who were known for getting in all manner of trouble. They had a nack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and then making the wrong decisions. Well one day these two mischievous children found themselves inside of the church and they were running around and broke some statues. The pastor decided to impress upon them that it was God’s house, so he called them into his office, and took them in one at a time. Well, the first little boy is sitting there looking across the pastor’s huge oak desk when he is asked “Do you know where God is?” The little boy didn’t know what to say, so he just looked at him. The pastor asked a little louder “Do you know where God is?” trying to get the boy to say that God was all around us. The little boy just looked at him. So one more time he bellowed “Do you know where God is?” At this the little boy jumped up from the chair and ran out grabbing his brother by the hand. His brother says what happened in there? The little boy said “I don’t know, but God is missing and they think we took him!”

Now that is surely the kind of attention we could do without. But Jesus received attention because He pleased God. He had been obedient and God was rewarding Him.

If you and I are going to do what Jesus did, and this is truly the reason for this study, then we too must learn to please God. Pleasing God is not always easy, but neither is it as hard as we try to make it. We do have the ability to please God. We have the capability to obey His commandments and to actively do His will. We make many choices in our life, both good and bad, but we must choose to try to please the father.

Jesus did. We must as well. What would Jesus do in 1999? What would he do in a society like ours that is rapidly on a spiral to oblivion? He would set an example, that is what He would do. Then He would tailor His actions so that He pleased God. Is this our course of action today? As we enter into our time of invitation, may you ask God to allow you to be an example to the world, and in doing so we might please Him.

Contact revmims@claimthevictory.org

South Peninsula Baptist Church

Daytona Beach, FL