Series: The Jesus Model – P4 – Heart Like Jesus

Sermon Series:  The Jesus Model – Part 4

 Message Aim:  Jesus didn’t come to just tell us what to do, but to model how to care about others.

 Sermon Title:    “Having a Heart Like Jesus”

 Scripture:   Mark 10:13-16; 16:14-16

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.  (10:13-16)

 ¹⁴ Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. ¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.  (16:14-16)

Message Synopsis:

Following Jesus is an active faith.  Jesus uses words like come, follow, go, obey, send, do.  This is not a faith that you just sit around and do nothing.  It is an active faith. In Mark 16:15 Jesus says to his followers “Go everywhere …and tell the Good News to everyone.”  Can we do that?  Yes …but not with confidence in ourselves.  Our confidence is in the power of God.  Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” [Matthew 19:26]  I think God wants to use you and me to do this. Tell the good news to others.  God says what matters is not your ability.  God says I’m looking for availability.  God isn’t looking for the most talented people to use.  He’s looking for the most available people to use.  You can make that decision.  The Bible says God is looking for people to use.  He wants a committed heart.  So that’s why today we’re going to look at “Having a Heart like Jesus.”  Because it starts in the heart.  How can you develop a heart like Jesus?  You need to do four things.

1. You must care about what Jesus cares about. 

2. You must be indifferent to what Jesus is indifferent to. 

3. You must get angry about what Jesus gets angry about.

4. We have to sacrifice for what Jesus sacrificed.

Jesus said, “I didn’t come to be served.  [I didn’t come to live a selfish life.]  I came to serve and to give my life as a sacrifice, as a ransom for many.” 

Here’s the amazing thing: if you will make the switch from living for yourself to living for Jesus Christ and his agenda, your happiness meter is going to go off the record.  Why?  Because God has wired the universe that the more we become like him – giving, generous, unselfish – the happier we get.  There are two kinds of people in life.  There are takers and givers.  Takers are most often miserable.  Jesus said it like this in Mark 8 “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.  [You’ll lose the meaning of it, you’ll lose the purpose of it, you’ll lose the joy of it.  You’ll waste your life.]  But if you give up your life [in other words you sacrifice it for something greater than yourself] for my sake [for Jesus] and for the sake of the Good News, [go everywhere to everyone] you will find true life.”

Will you have a heart like Jesus?