Embodying Jesus: Focus on Character, Not Doctrine

jesus is not a system he's not a formula jesus is the word of god jesus is god himself he's not a system and he's not a formula many people because they're not focusing on jesus they're focusing more on doctrine doctrine is a part of focusing on jesus if you focus on jesus you will focus on doctrine at times but to really focus on jesus to really like the goal it's all about jesus it's all about jesus jesus living his life through us jesus continuing all that he began both to do and to teach through us it's him living his life through his church his body through us [00:00:06]

and what happens is that many people they focus a lot on doctrine they just focus on divorce and remarriage they focus on non-resistance they focus on the nature of god or the godhead they focus on eschatology they focus on whatever they consider to be a heretical doctrine and this is what they focus on but because they don't focus on jesus they're not representing him as they ought to as he ought to be represented because they're not focusing on jesus they're not humble they're not willing to heal they're not easy to be entreated they are full of pride high-minded justifying themselves they justify their behavior that doesn't look anything like jesus [00:01:03]

jesus was approachable even though they were sinners in luke john in luke chapter 15 it says that the sinners and the tax collectors drew near to listen to jesus they drew near to hear him talk why there was something about jesus that drew them in there was something about jesus that was approachable there was something about jesus where they felt invited and the one thing that jesus said about himself about his character he said i am meek i am lowly of heart i am meek and i am lowly of heart this you see in all the you see in the in his dialogue with the pharisees you see in his interactions before the priest before his enemies before his betrayer before so many people that abandoned him and forsook him you see his meekness shining through on the cross [00:02:31]

many people they're just focusing on doctrine and they stumble others by their character or lack of character they have a lot of sound doctrine a lot of right doctrine but they don't deliver it as jesus would deliver it here here's a here's a good way to measure if you're representing jesus right with sound doctrine because there's nobody that had more sound doctrine than jesus there was nobody more holy more perfect or who hated sin more than jesus here's a good way to measure yourself do sinners when you're preaching on the streets or wherever you're preaching do they want to draw near to listen to you because they have a genuine desire to learn something or to hear something from you [00:03:47]

jesus wasn't calling out all these different sins to provoke a reaction from sinners so they would draw near to listen to him now when they drew near to hear him it was the publicans the sinners that were there and the pharisees and he taught them about the parable of the lost sheep he taught them about the parable of the lost coin he taught them about the parable of the lost son and in these parables he conveyed the heart of god towards sinners that there is a god who loves them a god that is trying to pursue their heart and bring them back into his fold [00:05:18]

we may be the only jesus they ever see we may be the only jesus they ever hear and there's something about jesus that was inviting that he was approachable that regardless of the sin in their lives they drew near to hear him and he could teach them and and and you know and if we just focus too much on his character and we don't focus on the right doctrine his commandments or whatever it is then there there's another ditch there but we have to keep our eyes on jesus we have to look into jesus on a daily basis we can't get so caught up in doctrine commandments in confrontationalism that we miss jesus and that those that we're preaching to don't see jesus [00:06:30]

christianity is not when jesus is added to your life it is when he is your life and this is what the world needs this is what people this is what our family needs our neighbors need the communities that we live in it's what they need they need jesus jesus just wasn't doctrine he was humble he was lonely he was loving he didn't he didn't compromise to please any man he hated sin sure he hated sin but he died for sinners the just for the unjust just think of it you know he taught some revolutionary doctrine in the sermon on the mount things that many haven't heard about loving your enemies about divorce and remarriage about not laying up treasures on earth not swearing oaths about taking no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink or how you will be clothed he taught some very serious radical doctrine some life transforming doctrine [00:07:38]

and the people that were offended the most the people that were angry the most were those that thought they had the right doctrine and that they had the right character and that was the religious elite the pharisees the sadducees the lawyers the scribes but there was something about jesus that we need in its his meekness his lowliness anyways i want to encourage everyone to focus on jesus so easy to get caught up in trying to correct all the bad doctrine around us what if on the last day we're standing before jesus christ himself and we devoted our whole lives to correcting bad doctrine and then on that last day he corrects our behavior [00:09:10]

what if he says hey i i know out of the sincerity of your heart you devoted your entire life to teaching these hard truths and commands and doctrines that had become corrupted and perverted over time and you were trying to set things straight and i know your intentions were good but you did not represent me you did not do it as i would have done it you weren't meek you weren't lowly people felt so condemned in your presence your self-righteous smug attitude that exuded from your countenance and your snide remarks drove people away it was oppressive to them and i raised people up to warn you about it you just stopped up your ears and justified yourself using what you thought were the prophets or even real examples of the prophets but you're not called to follow them you were called to follow me [00:10:22]

you weren't called to focus on elijah and other men of god you were called to focus on me they weren't to live their life through you i was i want to encourage you friends focus on jesus it's all about jesus walk with him live move and have your being in him and he and you when you go out in the streets when you go to your church when you go to a fellowship or some house church or whatever you're doing a rally whatever it is be sensitive to the spirit of jesus on the inside of you and conduct yourself as he would as he would speak to others as he would communicate his heart it's about representing him it's about him being lifted up [00:11:40]