Jesus lived like he preached. Each of us needs to be like Jesus and the example he set for us. This sermon especially applies to pastors, chaplains, missionaries, Sunday School teachers, seminary professors, or anyone else who preaches or teaches the word of God, but it also applies to every Christian who witnesses for Jesus or makes a public profession of being a Christian. When I preach this sermon, I am preaching as much to myself as to those who are listening, to remind myself to be like Jesus. Whether Christians like it or not, people are watching us, listening to us, and seeing if we live what we tell others to do. If Christians are going to win souls for Jesus we need to live what we preach. Unsaved people hate hypocrites and this has turned many away from becoming Christians. Never let our lives be the cause of a person remaining unsaved. When at work or elsewhere do not steal. This includes on your timesheet or even stealing a so called small item as a pen. In God’s eyes and in the eyes of the unsaved, this is a big deal as it should be. Parents do not tell your children to not do some sin when you do it yourself. Be the example to them just as Jesus was the example for us.
Jesus set the examples for all Christians and especially preachers. Jesus always lived what he preached. He never preached one thing and did another as we often do. Do not preach against abortion and the LGBTQ movement (things we should preach against) and then vote for liberal politicians who not only support both of these issues, but promote and push them on the people. Many have the philosophy to do as I preach, not as I do. Jesus did not believe this, but rather believed do as I preach and I will as well. Jesus himself said that he was an example to them that they should do as he had done. (John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.) Jesus made this statement following the Last Supper before his death for us on the cross. Jesus took his towel and washed the feet of the disciples as their servant. (John 13:12-17 12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.) If Jesus who is God can humble himself to be a servant to Christians, we ought to be able to do the same. We as Christians need to look out for each other especially as we get closer to the end times and the dark days we live in. Persecution is coming to all Christians, so we need to be ready.
Jesus taught that our prayers should not be seen of men. This does not mean we cannot pray in public such as when I pray before the start of the service. Jesus was condemning the Pharisees who were praying “that they may be seen of men” and for much show and glory of man rather than to pray to God as humble individuals. We can and should pray publicly in church and at other times such as when we go out to eat, it just should not be done to purposely have people watch you to get glory for yourself rather than God. Jesus prayed publicly such as the time when he fed the five thousand. (Matthew 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.) Jesus does want people to spend time alone with God the Father just as he did. (Matthew 6:5-6 ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.) Jesus did not mean that a person has to literally shut themselves in a closet, but they do need to have time each day to be alone with God in prayer where they are not disturbed. A person can pray while driving for example, but they still need time to be set aside to be alone with God. Jesus obeyed his own teachings and many times went off alone to pray away from even his disciples. (Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.) (Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.)
Jesus taught that a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.) Our life should not be controlled by our belongings. Jesus followed his own teaching as he was so poor that he did not even have a place to lay his head. (Luke 9:58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.)
Jesus taught us to care for the legitimate poor. (Luke 14:13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:) Jesus was referring to the poor that have done everything they could and are still poor, not lazy people who are poor because they do not want to work and just expect a free government handout or are wasting it all on drugs and other sinful means. Scripture says you do not work, you do not eat. (II Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.) This verse is referring to those who are physically able to. I understand there are some who legitimately cannot work. We also need to look after Christian poor first and then the unsaved to try and reach them. When we help the poor we need to give them the gospel at the same time as food. Not giving them the gospel along with the help is a waste of time. The old saying applies here that you can feed a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but you teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. By not giving the poor the gospel, we are not really helping them. We also need to give the gospel to all people including the rich and elite. (Matthew 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.) Jesus himself helped the poor even though he did not have much money himself. Jesus fed the five thousand as seen in Matthew 14:13-21. (Matthew 14:13-21 13 ¶ When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
15 ¶ And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.)
Jesus said to pay taxes by rendering under Caesar what was his. (Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.) Jesus obeyed his own preaching when he told Peter to pay the tax for him and Peter when they were in Capernaum. Peter got money from the mouth of a fish. (Matthew 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.) Jesus set the example that even the poor need to pay taxes. This can also be seen in the old testament how the poor brought turtle doves or pigeons instead of a lamb, but they still had to offer sacrifices. They were not excused just because they were poor. Our nation needs to follow this example. (Leviticus 12:8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.) Mary the mother of Jesus who was poor still had to bring the poor offering to the temple. (Luke 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.)
Jesus loved little children and said adults need to be like them in innocence in order to be saved. (Matthew 18:2-6 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.) Jesus followed his own preaching by always calling little children to him even when his disciples tried to get rid of them. (Matthew 19:13-15 13 ¶ Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
15 And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.) We also need to place great value on children and try to bring them to the Lord. Not only do they need to be saved as everyone else, but churches including this one will eventually close if there are no young children to replace the older people.
Jesus preached that we need to talk to unsaved people and love them just as we love our brothers and sisters in Christ such as neighbors. We can be friends with the unsaved and do nice things for them, though I do believe that our closest friends should be Christians. We need to be nice to unsaved people and include them in some things and then maybe we can win them for Jesus. (Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?) Jesus himself ate with unsaved people and was nice to them. We can do some activities with unsaved people and should in order to show them love, but they should not be our only friends or acquaintances or even our closest ones that we do everything with. That should be reserved for Christians, but it is not like some people claim that we cannot even go to their house and play a game with them. Jesus set the example as always. Jesus ate with the hated publicans. This he did to show them love and to show them their need for salvation. (Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.) This is an example for school children or others when you go to an event with a meal and someone is sitting all alone because they are not popular, go and sit with them and show them the love of Jesus.
Just as Jesus preached to us to associate with unsaved people we may meet, Jesus also commanded us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us and despitefully use us. Associating with an unsaved person of like mind is easy, but loving your enemy is hard. I myself struggle with this sometimes as our evil politicians destroy our once blessed and great nation, but I still pray for them and love them enough that I pray for their salvation as I do not wish hell even on them. We all need to do the same. (Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;) Jesus said even the unsaved love those who love them. Jesus said if we only love those who love us then we are no different than them. (Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?) We as Christians should be better than that and love our enemies as well. The U.S. military does this in war. When they capture the enemy they feed and care for them unlike some other evil nations do and have done. We need to be like Christians who have been put in prison for preaching Jesus and persecuted. They often pray for their enemy that they might be saved. Persecution is coming to America in greater amounts than is already here and we need to be ready to pray for our persecutors and our enemies. Jesus followed his own preaching to love his enemies and those who persecute you when he forgave those who scourged and beat him and crucified him on the cross. Jesus prayed not only for those who were crucifying him, but he was praying for people he had created yet they were still crucifying him. Jesus suffered and died on that cross for all people including his enemies that they might have everlasting life with him if they called upon him to be their Saviour. It is easy to die for a loved one, but very hard as Jesus did for your enemy. Jesus said a person had no greater love than he who gave his life for his friends. Jesus did much more than that. He went above his preaching and gave his life for his enemies. May we be willing to do the same so that they might have a chance to come to Jesus before they die. (Luke 23:34 ¶ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.) (John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.) May we all have the love of Jesus.
Jesus preached that we need to forgive people. Jesus told Peter he needed to forgive a person seventy times seven if they sinned against him. Jesus did not mean literally only 490 times, but an infinite number of times. (Matthew 18:21-22 ¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.) Jesus followed his own preaching when he forgave Peter after he cursed and denied Jesus three times after the arrest of Jesus. When the women came to the grave of Jesus on that Sunday three days after his death, they found he was risen and an angel told them to go and tell his disciples and Peter that Jesus was risen from the grave. Jesus made sure that the angel specifically mentioned Peter to show he was forgiven. (Mark 16:7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.) Jesus would also tell Peter to feed his sheep as one of his continued apostles. (John 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.) Peter was also blessed in his ministry. Jesus also forgave those who crucified him as we just read. May we all learn to forgive like Jesus.
Jesus preached many other things that he always did himself. Jesus always did as he preached. Let us do the same. Jesus’ life matched his teachings, and so must ours. The life of Jesus followed his preaching and so must ours if we are going to win lost souls. May God grant us the strength to follow not only our own preaching that is scriptural, but Jesus’ preaching as well. Let us all strive to be like Jesus.
