Now I want to make sure that you understand this “becoming like Christ” idea, because this is the third purpose in our 40-Day Purpose Driven Life Campaign.  Rick Warren says, “You were created to become like Christ.”   I know you all think that Jesus was just a wonderful guy, with a gentle spirit, who went around being nice to people, but that’s not what Paul is talking about here.  What he remembers about Christ is that he suffered.  What he is sure about is that Christ was persecuted, eventually put to death on a cross.    And when he talks about the Thessalonians becoming imitators of Christ, that’s what he’s talking about, because he knew that they had suffered too.   They took on a new faith, and they risked their families, their properties and their lives.  Times didn’t get easier when they became disciples of Jesus, they became more difficult.  There were sacrifices called for.  There was faithfulness that was expected.  There were sufferings to which they were exposed.

      Now when we read these Scriptures, we need to understand that God wants us to hear something about what this means for our own lives.  You see, we’re trying to follow Jesus too,  -- anybody here trying to follow Jesus? – we’re trying to follow Jesus too, and what we need to understand is that there are going to be some difficulties along the way.   It’s not going to be easy.  There will be sacrifices called for, some inevitable suffering to result.   There’s going to be some hard times, that’s what the Scriptures are saying.   Sometimes you just can’t seem to keep out of trouble.   Sometimes the problems just keep coming one after another.  Jesus suffered a lot, and when the Bible talks about imitating Jesus, about becoming like Christ, that’s what it’s talking about.

     There’s a couple of things that I want to make clear about this suffering.  One is that God doesn’t send the suffering.  God is not the one trying to cause you troubles.  Much good can come out of the suffering, that’s what this is leading up to, but that’s not the same as saying that God is the one who caused the suffering in the first place.  Evil doesn’t come from God.  The human race has done pretty well producing evil by itself, it doesn’t need God’s help for that.  The Devil is busy, and that’s the cause of the suffering that grows out of our faithfulness.  It’s not really God’s plan that you suffer, it’s just God’s plan that you be faithful, but when you do that, some suffering will come.  The other thing that’s important to understand is that not all suffering is a result of our faithfulness.  Some of our suffering comes from our stupidity.  Some of our troubles are the result of our unfaithfulness.  Just because you’re having a hard time doesn’t mean that you are imitating Christ, because some of our hard times have grown out of very un-Christlike situations.  Come on now, you know what I’m talking about.  Just because you suffer, that in and of itself, is no proof that you have become like Christ.  What I’m talking about are the difficulties that come into our lives because we are faithful.  That’s why Jesus suffered, because he was being faithful to what God wanted him to do.  When we try to become disciples of Christ, some difficulties are going to come around, we might as well know that from the beginning.

     Paul wasn’t happy about the Thessalonians’ suffering, he was happy about their faithfulness in the midst of their suffering.  He was thankful that they had endured, that they had remained true to their calling even when times get tough.   Paul was thankful for their faith, hope and love in the midst of the persecution which had come upon them.

     In one of Paul’s other writings, we find a verse that makes the same point.  This is our Bible verse for the week, from Philippians 2:5 (NIV):  “Your attitude should be the same as that Christ Jesus.”  Be imitators of Christ.  This is part of God’s purpose for you; you were created to become like Christ.  Rick Warren calls this discipleship.  Disciples are people who follow.  We’re here to follow, to imitate, to become like Christ.  This is what we were created for.  This is part of our purpose in life.

     You see, some of you, I know started reading this book, “The Purpose Driven Life” because you had heard so many wonderful things about it, and you figured if you could just read this book, and digest its teachings, everything would be wonderful for you.  Well, if that’s what you were thinking, when you read the chapters this week you’re going  to be in for a surprise.  This week, we’ll be reading about discipleship -- that means becoming like Christ, imitating Christ, and that’s not the easy road.  It is the road that we follow when we try to true to the purpose that God has given us in life.

      One of the great things about being your pastor is that I get to see your faithfulness.  Sometimes I feel like Paul writing to the Thessalonians; I’m thankful for your faith, hope and love.

     I see parents who are really sacrificing for their children.  I don’t mean sacrificing financially, I mean sacrificing their time and their energy.  Getting up in the middle of the night with a sick child, and doing it with a gentle and loving spirit.  Taking quality time with their children in the evenings – even after long days – taking time for conversation and listening, and doing it with love.  I see teachers dedicated to their students. It’s not an easy job being a teacher, but we have some teachers in this church who are committed to what they are doing, who understand the welfare of their students, and who give a lot of extra to make it happen.  I see nurses and companions going to work every day who really care about their patients.  This is not just a job for them; it’s caring for someone who is a creation of God.  I see people caring for their aging parents or family members, in their homes or in nursing homes.   I see people staying with those they love who are declining in health even when the love is no longer able to be returned.  I see people committed to working for justice, which is sometimes a lonely chore, where you aren’t sure you’re making much progress, but they stick to the cause anyway.  If you just look around, our lives are filled with examples of people who are taking on burdens for one another.  That’s what it means to become like Christ.  Paul calls that being imitators of Christ.   This week in “The Purpose Driven Life” you’ll see that Rick Warren calls it “discipleship”.  It’s part of our purpose in life.

       So we’re moving through the 40 days.  We’re about half way through now.  We’re trying to understand our purpose in life.  Purpose number One:  Worship – we were planned  for God’s pleasure.  Purpose number Two:  Fellowship.  -- we were formed for God’s family.  And purpose number Three:  Discipleship – we were created to become like Christ.  What did I say the first week?  You were not an accident. We were put here for a purpose.  God has something for you to do.  It’s not always fun, but it’s Good News.  Thanks be to God.