Summary: The Power of Imitation<br> The Power of Imitation – We live in a world that loves to imitate. People seek to be fashionable in the way they dress. Fashion in dress encourages imitation. If you think you are immune to the imitation of the fashion of dress, consider how quickly you adapt your clothing to the area you live in. Accepted behavior commonly influences our behavior. We do things in the “right” way because that is the way everyone else does. With many, it is a tragedy if we do not do something the “right” way as “the in thing to do.” Do you not find it fascinating to hear people discuss what is acceptable now and what is not acceptable now?<br> The Power of Imitation – All of us would likely be surprised at how much imitation we would find in our dress, our speech, our behavior, our cars, our homes, and our lives in general. Imitation is even at the roots of our war. People who embrace Muslim lifestyle and values do not want their society imitating the lifestyle and values of western societies (that includes us!). And we are fearful of the influences of the lifestyles and values of “those societies.” Why? Many say they do not want those influences in our “Christian” nation.<br> The Power of Imitation – We are a “Christian nation”? This nation reflects a “Christian” lifestyle and “Christian” values? Really? Do you think average Americans would even agree on what a Christian lifestyle and Christian values are? How often do Americans associate the Christian lifestyle and values with the dress codes and behaviors of particular groups who declare themselves Christian?<br> <br> The Power of Imitation -Imitation is not a bad thing of itself. In fact, imitation is impossible to avoid, and has been since societies existed. Imitation plays a key role in influence. Consider a statement from Paul.<br> “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)<br> <br> * I want you to begin by thinking about what an enormous challenge it was in the first century to make Jesus Christ a world influence.<br> <br> * We usually focus on all the things they did not have in their societies to aid mass communication–no printing press, no radio, no television, no modern advertising agencies, and no modern “spin doctors” to tell people what to think as if people cannot think.<br> * I challenge you to think of the enormity of the task from a different perspective.<br> <br> * The small Jewish nation into which Jesus was born had Jewish ways to do everything.<br> <br> * They had Jewish traditions for marriage.<br> * They had Jewish traditions for death.<br> * They had Jewish traditions for keeping the Sabbath.<br> * There was a “right Jewish way” to do everything a devout Jew did.<br> <br> <br> * The vast majority of people were idol worshippers.<br> <br> * Most of the time, we stereotype idol worshippers; the truth is there were many forms of idolatry, and many of those forms had distinct differences.<br> * Each of those forms had “correct” ways to do everything.<br> <br> <br> * The key question: how do you make Jesus Christ influential throughout the world, among all people whether Jewish or idolatrous?<br> <br> * How do you make Jesus Christ influential in your own society?<br> * How do you make Jesus Christ influential trans-culturally?<br> * That was an enormous challenge in the first century!<br> <br> <br> * Initially, the world was big and the Christian movement was tiny (sound familiar?).<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> * I want to affirm one truth: Christianity is about Jesus Christ, about the impact of Jesus Christ on human life.<br> <br> * The central figure in each of the gospels, the first four writings of the New Testament, is Jesus Christ.<br> <br>
