Missing

Sometimes when we are not seeing eye to eye with our family or they do something that embarrasses us we stand up and humorously say that we must have been adopted.

Do you ever feel like you just don’t belong? Do you ever feel like you kind of living at the wrong address?

Or maybe you are not completely in the wrong place, but there are just certain aspects of you that are missing?

You ready to die? You got all your affairs in order?

Tenses

Past Present and Future

At

Prodical Son - Missing

GUILTLESS PAST

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Abundant Life is a life with a guiltless past.

Guilt = burden – unbearable burden

We have all done things that make us feel guilty

In scripture there were loads of people who probably felt a little guilty – David Paul. The whole Jewish nation

The choice is ours.

Why Did Jesus Do This – Where is the Catch

John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 8:36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.

1. Free from guilt

2. Free from our past

3. Free from our sins

c. Rom 8:1 “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Meaningful – Authentic present

World places a lot of emphasis on Authenticty

Are you real?

1. We all want to be successful.

2. We all want to be good at we do. – Employee of the month

3. We all want people to think well of us. – The only perfson who can tell you you if I am a good husband or not is leanne, boss –staff

Chasing after the wind – ever felt like that – just cant seem to get there – just cant seem to get to the real deal

What we don’t realize is that our present is meaningful because God thinks I am wonderful.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

A LIFE WITH A FEARLESS FUTURE

Stolen because we fear the future

The prospect of failing health, failing finances, difficulties of all sorts leave many people feeling hopeless and helpless.

a. Matthew 6 we read these words

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Family.

God has Promised us our Future is bright because it includes a home with Him

1. 2 Tim 4:8 Now, a crown is being held for me--a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown to me on that day --not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.."

2. John 14:2-3 " In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.."

CONCLUSION

A. Someone has aptly said, "Life without Christ has a hopeless end; Life with Christ is an endless hope."

B. Another poet worded it thus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow/ Because He lives, all fear is gone/ Because I know He holds the future/ Life is worth living, just because He lives.

C. Is your life worth living? Is it an Abundant Life?