Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
July 08, 2001 a.m.
Walking In The Footprints of Jesus
Reading - 1 Peter 2.13-25
To this you were called... Because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps... That you should follow in his steps.
Many today want to go to the Holy Land... to Palestine... to Jerusalem... to Jericho... the Sea of Galilee... and walk where Jesus walked.
That’s great - For me that would be exciting.
But is this what Peter is talking about here?
The question this morning is... Are we walking in the footprints of Jesus?
Do we know where he stood on moral, religious, social and theological issues?
Are we constantly checking... looking... searching... both corporately as a church and individually for His footprints so we can know where to walk?
Some today say this doesn’t apply to us because it says... To those who are called..
They contend that they have received no direct call from God, the Holy Spirit or Jesus.
Folk... If you’ve heard one Gospel sermon... You have been called.
Listen to this same Peter in Acts chapter 2: After he had demonstrated that this Jesus they had crucified was the Messiah, He told them that they could be forgiven of all sin through repentance and baptism.... Then in verse 39 he says... LISTEN CLOSELY... This promise is for you, your children... and for those who are far off. For all whom the Lord our God shall (WHAT?)... Shall call.
The truth is every person who has ever heard a gospel sermon about Jesus, who He is and what He has done for us has been called and is under an obligation to respond to God’s call... to God’s will. YES... Each of us have been called to walk in His steps... We’ve been called to conform to His IMAGE in our thoughts... the attitudes we hold... and in our behavior.
Are we daily walking in his footprints?
Peter in our text gives us two reason to follow Jesus.
First... Because He suffered for us.
You see the cross was for us... Jesus did what He did... Just to forgive and save us.
He didn’t come just to fulfill prophecy...
He didn’t come just so He could say... I did it!!.
He came because of His love for us...
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were yet sinners... Christ died for us.
We have been purchased with a price... Jesus paid our sin debt... so that we might live.
The Hebrew writer keeps us constantly focused on the fact that...
Jesus is our priest...
Our once-for-all sacrifice,
Our atonement.
The suffering Jesus has become our propitiation... the payment for our sins.
Will we respond to His suffering love... to His call... Will we walk in His footsteps?
Secondly... We ought to follow Him because He left for us an example.
Jesus came to show us how to live... How to walk... How to get from this world to the next.
Notice the text... Leaving you an example.
The Greek word is (HOOP-O-GRAM).
It is used only here in the New Testament... It means literally...
An underwriting.
A copy drawn over an original.
A tracing.
When applied to life it means to take the same road... To walk in the same footprint
Now He is calling us to trace over His copy... Follow in His steps... Jesus is to be our model.
Folk... I don’t know who your model is... Who your hero is... Who your mentor might be... But I know who it should be!! Jesus said... Follow me... I want to be your example... your mentor.
Then He left us the footprints.
Ever try to work a new algebra problem when the teacher didn’t give an example?
Ever try to follow a preacher’s sermons when you know he doesn’t practice what he preaches?
It’s difficult... Isn’t it?... But not with Jesus.
Church... Listen to me closely... There should be no problem in following Jesus... Because... You see... He has given us step-by-step instructions. In the foot washing of John 13... Jesus plainly tells us ... I have left you an example - Do as I have done.
Got a problem in your family... in the church... at work... or with a friend?
Jesus said... I’ve given you an example on how to solve that problem.
His example was one of understanding... forgiving... serving... washing feet.
You see... The problem is not that we don’t know how to treat one another... Jesus left us an example... The problem is we are not willing to walk in His steps... RIGHT?
Sometime we say... I can’t... I just can’t walk in his steps... I am not a spiritual giant.
Remember when we walked behind daddy in the snow, trying to step just where he stepped. Sometimes we couldn’t make it-- just couldn’t stretch that far.
This is not a problem with Jesus!!...
-Hebrews 2.18 says... Because He was tempted... and suffered... He is equipped to help us.
-Hebrews 4.15 says... He has been tempted in all points just as we are. And because of that we
can call on Him for help... We can approach His throne with boldness to find grace and mercy to
help in our time of need.
-In John 15... Jesus said... I am the Vine... You are the branches... Stay attached to Me... Abide in Me and you will bear much fruit.
-Philippians 4.13 tells us... His strength will become our strength.
You see he has left us a HOOP-O-GRAM... An example... A traceable pattern... A model.
Indeed!!... The footprints of Jesus makes the pathway glow... Showing us the way.
Notice with me now some footprints of Jesus that we should walk in
Our first footprint is that of Holiness.
Listen to 1 Peter 1.15-16... But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written... Be holy, because I am holy.
Be holy in all you do.
The Greek means set apart for a specific use.
Webster says Holy means...
Set apart to the worship of God...
Hallowed...
Sacred...
Something that is associated with Christ and Christian living.
Jesus is saying... If you want to walk in My steps you must be willing to consider yourself set apart... You must be willing to be different.
Here’s the problem church... We want to...
Dress like the world...
Look like the world...
Act like the world...
Love and hate like the world...
In short... We want to live like the world.
And Jesus is saying we can’t do this. Be holy!!... Be different!!... Be set apart!!
Now audience... Jesus is not saying we’ve got to be a monk... A priest or preacher.
But we must think and act like Jesus...
At school...
Down at church...
On the farm... at work...
At home with the family....
Out on the golf course...
Like Jesus... We too must be about our Father’s business... We must follow in His steps.
Of course the question is now... How?... How can I be... Holy... Set apart... Different?
I believe Peter gives us the answer in... 1 Peter 1.13-14... Prepare your mind for action... Be self-controlled. The King James says... Gird up your mind... Be sober... That simply means placing some restrictions on our thoughts and attitudes.
The Greek translated sober means... Calm... Collected... Reasonable.
You see... If we will walk in the footprints of Jesus... We must get our heads on straight and begin controlling our life instead of allowing the world to control us.
Gird up your loins is an oriental expression referring to the gathering up all the loose ends of their robes... Those long flowing areas that would inhibit them from running or working... And tucking them in the waistband.
Church... If we are going to be God’s people today, we had better start tucking away some loose ends... Little things that keep us from walking where Jesus walked... Like... Hate... Envy… Worry… Doubt... Fear... Materialism... Pleasure… Prestige... Power…Popularity.
Verse 14 of our text tells us just how to do this... Be obedient as children. Paul tells us in Romans... Don’t let the world force you into its mold... But Transform your mind.
Footprint number two... Be loving.
1 Peter 1.22 reads... Love one another deeply with all your hearts.
Our King James says... Love fervently.
The Greek word is agape... It is a love of the will.
Peter is saying... Make up your mind to love one another.
The word agape has within it the thought of always wishing the best... good, for others.
Jesus is our example... While we were yet sinners... aliens... unlovely... Christ died for us.
Jesus didn’t just come to point out our sins... Nor did he come to over look them.
He came to forgive and cover them with His blood.
Question... Will we forgive and cover our brother’s sin?... Or will we point them out to everybody in and outside the church? When we discover a fault in another man’s life, we have absolutely no Bible authority to point out that sin... that fault... to Elders... the preacher... to anybody until first...
We pray for that individual...
And second... Until we go to that person ourselves first... pointing out his sin to only him.
Remember what James says... Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed... Remember this... Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
This same Peter says in 4.8... Above all... Love each other deeply... because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Walking where Jesus walked means that we...
Love the church...
Love the family...
Love our enemies...
Love the sinner...
Love and pray for those that spitefully use us.
Footprint number three... Crave Spirituality... Long for spiritual food.
Peter says in 2.1-2... Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies... Crave pure spiritual milk... So that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
It is true isn’t it... We are what we eat. Look around... Most of us are too big... We are too much... Because we eat too much, and of the wrong things.
We recognize this truth... Whether we practice it or not.
We know to a large extent our general health is directly dependent on what we eat.
The same is true spiritually.
People are... Churches are... Preachers are... Elderships are... what they feed on spiritually.
Small minded, fault finding churches and men become like what they feed on.
That is the kind of literature they read.
Jesus said... You can’t live on bread alone... This world and its wisdom is not enough.
Man must have more... What is it that we must have Jesus?... God’s word.
Timothy was told... Study to show thyself approved before God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed.
Peter says we must... Abstain from sinful lust, sinful desires.
Jesus was what He was because of what He thought. We must walk in His footsteps.
Then our final footprint is... Submit to authority.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority.
This is just the opposite to today’s thinking... But the Bible teaches us to submit.
To Governmental authority...
To masters...
Wives are to submit to husbands.
Husbands are be considerate of our wives... We are to submit to their feelings.
Treat them with respect.
Children are to be submissive... Obedient to parents.
In the church... We are to submit to the Eldership.
We are to submit to the church. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5.21... That we are to
submit to one another. We are to live in harmony with one another.
Jesus was submissive... to death... even death on a cross.
We must follow in His footsteps... No, not to a wooden cross... But to crucify our will in favor of His will... Are we willing?
I remember in advanced infantry training at Fort Dix, New Jersey, they would take us to a wooded area several miles from base... Give us a seven and a half minute map, a compass, a starting coordinate. Several compass headings and distances in yards. Four hours later we were supposed to wind up at a prearranged place. Not many did. Not many arrived at the place the sergeant had in mind. Generally three things went wrong...
The wrong starting coordinates were plotted.
We misread the compass headings.
We didn’t go the distance.
You see... All of us going in different directions... Yet expecting to arrive at the same destination never worked in this army exercise... and folk... It does not work in religion either.
It will work... ONLY... ONLY when we follow in Jesus’ footprints.
We must all start from the same coordinates...
-The understanding that we are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.
-We must believe that God is and that He will reward us... If we... by faith will follow his directions.
-We must repent of our sins... Be willing to live a changed life... A holy life... A life set apart for His use.
-And then we must crucify the old man in the act of genuine New Testament baptism... Immersion in water for the forgiveness of our sins. Be raised to walk in a new life... Be raised to walk in the FOOT STEPS OF JESUS.
John tells us plainly in 1 John 2.6... Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
Will YOU follow Him this morning... Will we walk in the footsteps of Jesus?
This is our invitation... As we stand and sing together.
Will you come??
