Study Guide: "The Imitation of Christ"

Text: 1 Peter 2:21 (Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 John 2:6)

OPEN:

No doubt you've heard the initials: WWJD (What would Jesus do?), but do you remember who used them first?  They come from a little book written by Congregational minister Charles Sheldon.  His book, In His Steps, first published in 1896, has sold more than 30,000,000 copies, and ranks as one of the best-selling books of all time. The full title of the book is: In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?

In His Steps takes place in the railroad town of Raymond, probably located in the eastern U.S.A. The main character is the Rev. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First Church of Raymond. The novel begins on a Friday morning when a man out of work appears at the front door of Henry Maxwell while the latter is preparing for that Sunday’s upcoming sermon. Maxwell listens to the man’s helpless plea briefly before brushing him away and closing the door. The same man appears in church at the end of the Sunday sermon, walks up to “the open space in front of the pulpit,” and faces the people. No one stops him. He quietly but frankly confronts the congregation—“I’m not complaining; just stating facts.”—about their compassion, or apathetic lack thereof, for the jobless like him in Raymond. Upon finishing his address to the congregation, he collapses, and dies a few days later.

That next Sunday, Henry Maxwell, deeply moved by the events of the past week, presents a challenge to his congregation: “Do not do anything without first asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’” This challenge is the theme of the novel and is the driving force of the plot. From this point on, the rest of the novel consists of certain episodes that focus on individual characters as their lives are transformed by the challenge.

Sheldon wrote a sequel to In His Steps entitled Jesus is Here, where Christ actually shows up and visits the characters of In His Steps, supposedly a few years later. This book's recurring phrase used in describing Jesus is: "Like an average man. Only different."

Peter lays down a daunting task in 1 Peter 2:21: “follow in his steps.”

We read something similar in two other New Testament letters.  

1) The first is from the hand of the Apostle Paul writing to the Church at Ephesus.  In 5:1-2, Paul exhorts them to live exemplary lives and at the climax of his argument makes the startling declaration: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  

2) John writes in his first letter: "Whoever says, 'I abide in him,' ought to walk as he walked." (1 John 2:6)

Can you think of anything more preposterous? Latin=Imitatio Dei

Imitate a Creator?

Imitate an All-Powerful God?

Imitate an All-Knowing God?

Imitate an All-Present God?

Peter gives us a clue as to how to implement the audacious demand to imitate Christ.  In fact, it is one of the grand benefits of the incarnation—God became human flesh.  Not only did his sojourn on earth end in the ultimate sacrifice and victory for our sakes, in the process he provides the ultimate example of how to live.  

He is our Savior; he is also our Model.

What does it look like for us to "follow in his steps," to live as Jesus did? If it is not perfection, then what does it mean?  

- According to Ephesians 5:2,  We imitate Christ by living in love.  

And not just any kind of love, this love is the same kind of love that was demonstrated in Christ’s sacrificial death in our place.

I.  WE ARE TO IMITATE THE WAY JESUS LIVED.

“Therefore” in Ephesians 5:1 refers back to the last part of chapter 4, especially verse 32: “and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

We read a similar command in 5:2, “and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”

1. Christians are not a cheap imitation.

     1) Mimetes (imitator) is the term from which we get “mimic,” someone who copies specific characteristics of another person.  As “imitators of God,” Christians are to imitate God’s characteristics, and above all his love.

- The imperative “Be” is something in Greek called a durative imperative: Ever Be!

- The imperative to imitate actually means dependence on God in all our actions and not independent sameness.

Thomas à Kempis was a shy man who liked “books and quiet corners all his days.”  Yet, this simple, kindly man walked with Christ in such intimacy that he left Of the Imitation of Christ as a rich inheritance to millions of Christians.  In the past 500 years, the little book has been translated into more languages than any other book except the Bible.

“’He that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness’ saith the Lord.  These are the words of Christ, by which we are admonished how we ought to imitate His life and manners, if we would be enlightened and delivered from all blindness of heart.  Let therefore our chief endeavor be to meditate on the life of Jesus Christ.”

2. Our Relationship With God Underlies Our Imitating the Son.

“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children…”

“The closes relation underlies our imitating, and this relation to God is both the reason for our imitating Him and the motive that prompts us.” (a Kempis)

     1) The word translated “beloved” denotes the closest relationship possible—this is the closest possible family relationship one could imagine.

- This is the son or daughter imitating the father that they love, adore, respect, and most want to be like.

II.  WE ARE TO IMITATE THE WAY JESUS LOVED.

The whole of the Christian life is the reproduction of divine love as seen in the person of Christ.

“Kindness, tender-heartedness, and forgiveness are characteristics of God, who is love.  God himself is infinitely kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving, and we achieve those virtues by imitating their Source.” (J. MacArthur)

1. Imitating the Son Means Following a Unique Way.

- Conventional wisdom and common sense are not signs of the kingdom of God.

Donald Kraybill, in his book, The Upside-Down Kingdom, suggests: 

“The kingdom of God points to an inverted, or upside-down way of life that contrasts with the prevailing social order.”

“In this upside-down kingdom, the first shall be last and the last shall be first, the exalted will be humbled and the humbled will be exalted, sinners are forgiven and welcomed while the self-righteous are chastised, the poor are blessed and the rich condemned, the lost are found and the dead are made alive, the lion lays down with the lamb and spears are reshaped into pruning hooks.  This is the language of the kingdom” (James Mulholland).

> Jesus warned some very religious people: 

“I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt 21:31).

> He announced: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20).

> He shocked his disciples by saying: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Mt 19:24).

2.  Christ is most concerned with those who have been ignored, neglected, and even oppressed by the kingdoms of this world.

> Mary, the mother of Jesus, anticipated this when she said: “God has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.  He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty” (Luke 1:51-53).

>Jesus began his ministry with similar words; “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

>Jesus seemed to think the kingdom of God would only appear as we work to eliminate poverty, free those who are prisoners (either of their own making or of others), give sight to the blind (especially those blind to their responsibility), and release the oppressed.

CLOSE:

We are commanded to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and we do so by loving the way Jesus did.

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)

Study Guide: "Shepherds and Fishermen"

Text: 1 Peter 2:18-25

OPEN:

Our sermon series is: "Life Lessons from a Lifelong Fisherman: Studies in 1 Peter." The Apostle Peter was a professional fisherman when Jesus called him to become a fisher of men, and he reverted to what was familiar after the crucifixion. Evidently, he never lost his love for the feel of a ship under him or the thrill of pulling in nets full of fish. How many tilapia would this haul hold? In fact, tilapia are known around the Sea of Galilee as "St. Peter's fish."

In light of that reality, it's interesting to me that after just three years of discipleship, Jesus tells a fisherman (Peter) to think and act

like a shepherd (John 21). "If you love me, feed my sheep." That would be like telling a banker to leave his vaults and go give money away for a living. - Fishermen and shepherds have opposite values and attitudes. Fishermen only value the biggest fish and throw out the small, while shepherds focus on the smallest and weakest in their flock.

So, don't miss the weight of the imagery Peter uses here in 2:25, where he turns to the metaphor of shepherd to say something enormously important about Jesus and about us. 

We have an example to follow and a Savior who cares about us.

I. Jesus is our Example to Follow (2:18-24).

The context of our focal text is the entire section of chapters 2-4 that deal with the command of "submission." Coming from hupo (to place under) and tasso (authority/rank), submission ("accept the authority of" NRSV in v. 13) means voluntary humility. This attitude of the heart allows us and, in fact, forces us to approach every possible human relationship "for the Lord's sake" -- political, vocational, marital, social, ecclesiastical.

Knowing that this command to voluntary submission seems to be asking too much of believers, Peter provides an unavoidable example. Peter was a great preacher and he knew it was time for an illustration. He holds Jesus before us like a multi-faceted diamond, so that in considering Christ as our standard, we might better understand what submission is all about.

Peter describes Jesus' extraordinary sacrifice in the following terms:

1. Absolutely perfect man (2:22) "He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth."

2. Total absence of retaliation (2:23) "When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten."

3. Consummate submission/ ultimate sacrifice (2:24a) "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross."

4. His sacrifice secured our recovery/ redemption (2:24b) "so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."

Here is where Peter surprises us by introducing the language of the shepherd....

II. Jesus is our Shepherd (2:25).

This, then, is the real focus of all that Peter is telling us:

"For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls."

This is the message we need to hear; when our world crumbles around us, when we can't pay our bills, when depression threatens to engulf us like the dark of the night, when the challenges before us appear insurmountable, Jesus is the shepherd and guardian of our very souls.

To understand this talk of shepherds and sheep, we must understand the work and mindset of the eastern shepherd:

The Shepherd's attention/ concern is extremely personal.

(Luke 15:3-7)

  1) The Bible is full of references and reminders that God knows each of us intimately and individually: hairs on our head are numbered, knows our name, names written on the palms of his hands, calls us from our mother's womb, etc. 

** I'm truly glad that Jesus never referred to himself or to God in fishermen terms:

- Because the Romans taxed the fishermen based on the number of fish they caught, seasoned fishermen threw out the small fish and kept the big ones. In order to find 100 keepers for the market, a fisherman might have to catch 250 or 300. For a fisherman, size mattered more than numbers. Big fish were important. Small fish were throwaways.

- The attitude of the shepherd was exactly the opposite – every sheep was

valuable, not just the big and strong. In fact the good shepherd was

expected to leave the 99 strong and mature sheep and go after the lost.

He was expected to protect and care for the weak. Before he did

anything else, he was supposed to feed the lambs – the smallest.

2. The Shepherd does what is best for the sheep, whether they understand it or not.

- The familiar image used to represent shepherds is the shepherd's staff.  The purpose of the shepherd's staff:

  1) Crooked to lift sheep when they've fallen over a ledge and can't get up on their own.

  2) Solid in order to use as a weapon for defending the sheep.

  3) Hard in order to break the leg of the sheep if it continues wandering off.  Sheep stray gradually, always looking for choice pasture/ greener grass.

- God disciplines his children out of love for us.

Hebrews 12:5-7, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?"

- There is a divine law of consequence for God's children.

Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

God forgives completely, but we will reap the consequences of our choices.

3. The Shepherd has compassion for his sheep.

- Matthew and Mark describe the multitudes for whom Jesus felt compassion, grieving that they were "like sheep without a shepherd."

- Mark says that it was a result of his compassion that Jesus began to teach them many things (Mark 6:34).

- Matthew says that Jesus' compassion motivated him to challenge his disciples to pray for more workers to enter the spiritual harvest fields (Matthew 9:36).

- Since the people of God were like sheep without a shepherd, God provided a compassionate Shepherd in the person of Jesus Christ.

  1) Jesus really does care about what you're currently enduring, or the personal battle you're waging.

1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you."

CLOSE:

Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls. He knows, and he cares. And he's available to help you out of whatever difficulty you're experiencing.

Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way just as we are -- yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)

Study Guide: "Men of Derring-Do"

Text: 1 Peter 2:13-17

OPEN:

I like the term "derring-do." It first appeared in print in something Chaucer wrote, circa 1374. The writer who popularized the term was Sir Walter Scott. His use of 'derring-do' as a single word in the novel Ivanhoe, 1820, cemented it into the English language. I first encountered it in the title of a book a purchased, Fishing Giants, and Other Men of Derring-Do. Derring-do has to do with brave actions, an attitude of heroic daring.

Attitude is everything for the believer.

The most heroic exploit of a believer is to display an attitude that honors God in all things.

I. The Attitude that Most Honors God is Submission (v. 12).

Our text today underscores that our attitude is what matters in every conceivable aspect of life. The most important thing this section of 1 Peter does (2:11 - 4:12) is put all of life in relation to God and here in verse 12, Peter introduces the necessary attitude that paves the way for honoring God in every aspect of life:

     "Conduct yourselves honorably."

The word Peter uses is hupotasso, which literally means "submit yourselves."

It is a military term composed of two Greek words-- hupo (under) + tasso (command/ authority). It meant to rank under, only here it is something you do to yourself> choose to place yourself at a lower rank than someone else.

This is not something that someone else does to you; this is an attitude that leads you to do it to yourself. Voluntary humility.

Attitude is everything.

II. An Attitude of Submission Does Not Come Naturally (v. 13).

This attitude is unnatural, humanly speaking.

It cuts across the grain to choose to lower yourself and elevate others.

There are many Scriptures that speak of submission, and in each case we are called upon to display this attitude for the Lord's sake:

"Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7

"Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Luke 22:42

Peter tells us in 2:13 that the key to submission is "for the Lord's sake."

If you miss that, you miss the important thing.

III. The End Result of Submission is the Glory of God (vv. 12, 15, 16).

"Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge."

"For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish."

"As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil."

Our submission follows a natural progression (v.17):

Honor everyone -- give to all human beings basic respect, honor, and dignity.

Love the family of believers -- give special love and respect to fellow believers (Christian army is the only army that shoots its wounded). We won't always like each other, but we are to speak in love/ extend grace to one another.

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile." (Franklin Jones)

3) Fear God -- beyond a common respect for all and special love for Christians, we display a special reverence appropriate to God and no one else.

4) Honor the emperor -- only when we follow the progression are we able to come to the place of submitting to political authority, especially if we disagree with that authority (emperor was anathema to Christians).

CLOSE:

Attitude is everything. The most heroic exploit of a believer is to display an attitude that honors God in all things.

This matter of voluntary humility is no small order. Submission calls for a heroic attitude born of accepting one's self and surrendering everything to God.

Remember that submission is a voluntary act of ranking yourself lower than another. What needs to take place in your life for God to be elevated to his rightful place?

- Confession of sin

- Acknowledge your need/ inadequacy

- Invite him to take control

(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)