A Full Life Series

FULL LIFE

1) Intro

Intro: Something that has characterized all cultures throughout history is the presence of heroes. It seems that in every culture we develop heroes. Whether it be John Wayne, riding out onto the range alone to defeat the bandits, or Luke Skywalker, flying a mission to save the empire, or Michael Jordan leading the Bulls through a championship season, or James Bond, saving the world in an afternoon while not spilling his tea. We all have images of heroes, those people who seem larger than life, doing things thought impossible, and setting a pattern for us to follow.

One of the reasons we focus on heroes is that deep down each of us wants to be a hero; we each want to be special, someone who makes a difference in the life of somebody. The need for significance is one of the most compelling needs we face: far greater than the need for food or water or survival. We each want to give ourselves to a cause greater than ourselves.

The second reason we love to focus on heroes is that we never want to give up hope. When do the heroes show up? Not during the Cowboy/Indian peace talks, but when the Indians are on the warpath, the fort is surrounded, and the water supply is just about gone. Those who offer hope when all hope is gone are the ones seen as the heroes.

This morning I would offer you a truth: God loves to provide heroes! Think with me through Jewish history: Abraham - When Lot and all the inhabitants of Sodom and the area are captured and taken away, Abraham gets his home boys, 318 soldiers trained in his household, and they go beat up on the Elamites and the others there.

Joseph - If you like Rocky, you’ve got to like Joseph. In Rocky, he keeps getting beat up, but when he’s beat up the most, that’s when you know he’s just getting ready to fight. Joseph - hated by his brothers, kidnapped, sold into slavery, tempted to sin daily, when he does right is thrown in jail, is forgotten there, helps two prisoners have hope, but is neglected when they get out of jail. Just when you think it couldn’t get much worse, he is elevated to be the second highest in the land.

How about Moses, the deliverer, parting the Red Sea.

Or how about Gideon, defeating the massive army of the Midianites with only 300 men. How about Samson, time after time destroying the Philistines, and in the end killing more in his death than he had in his lifetime. We love heroes.

God is a God of heroes, a God who constantly offers hope. No matter how bad things get, there is always hope. In the midst of our problems, God offers us hope. We see this hope expressed in the second half of the book of Isaiah. In the first half of the book, we see much written about the judgment that is coming on the people for their sinfulness. But in the last half we see that Isaiah writes to give the people comfort and hope in the midst of their punishment.

God gives his people hope

God chose us to be in relationship with Him

Ephesians 1:5 (Msg)

Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!)

What is relationship?

Die Scribner-Bantam Engelse Woordeboek definition as “connection, kinship, or involvement.” Also it is affiliation, assosiation and belonging

John 3:16 (NLT)

16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 10:10 (NIV)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1) A LIFE FILLED WITH GOD

John 10:10 (NIV)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The Thief comes to destroy and kill

• Suicide

• Murder

•

steal

But God wants a relationship with us

Mat 17:20 is our theme verse:

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

2) Growing people into life-giving relationships

Whenever we start blaming others for our own actions or situations, we are really declaring their lordship over our lives.