JOURNEY FOR THE FULLNESS OF GOD
JOHN 10:1-10
INTRO-
JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE PAINTS A PICTURE FOR EACH OF US THIS MORNING. HE SHOWS US THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO CHRIST. YOU CANNOT TAKE A SHORT CUT, YOU CANNOT EARN IT. HE SHOWS US THAT HE IS THE REAL DEAL- IF WE ARE GOING TO BE THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE, WE WILL LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE, WE WILL DISTINGUISH HIS VOICE FROM THE MANY VOICES CALLING TODAY.
HE USES THE ANALOGY OF BEING THE GATE. ALL ROADS DON’T LEAD TO GOD, THERE IS NOT MORE THAN ONE WAY TO MAKE HEAVEN. ANY OTHER WAYS SUGGESTED ARE SUGGESTED BY THIEVES AND ROBBERS WHO ROB US OF OUR SOULS. I KNOW IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF TOLERANCE, THAT IS NARROW MINDED, THAT IS WHAT IT IS....NARROW BUT TRUTHFUL.
THE KEY VERSE IN THERE IS THAT THE DEVIL WANTS TO KILL, STEAL, DESTROY, BUT THAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE US ABUNDANT LIFE.
I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE- WE ARE ON A JOURNEY. FROM THE FIRST BREATH UNTIL THE LAST. THE LIFE WE LIVE BETWEEN THEM DETERMINES ETERNITY FOR US.
DOWN INSIDE EACH OF US , WEATHER WE WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT IS A SENSE THAT THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST EXISTING.
HOW MANY KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EVERYDAY LIVE THIS LIFE- THEY GO TO WORK, THEY COME HOME, EAT DINNER, WATCH T.V., GO TO BED, THEN EVENTUALLY THEY DIE.
THEY NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT THEY WOULD CALL ABUNDANT LIFE- THEY HAVE JUST EXISTED.
JESUS TELLS US- AS A CHILD OF GOD, WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE “OR A LIFE OF FULL”
THE DEFINITION OF ABUNDANCE IS FULL, COMPLETE. JESUS SAYS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE FULL AND COMPLETE LIVES.
SOME WELL KNOWN PREACHERS WERE ASKED ABOUT GOD’S ABUNDANCE AND PROSPERITY.
JOEL OSTEEN- “I THINK GOD WANTS US TO BE PROSPEROUS. I THINK HE WANTS US TO BE HAPPY. I THINK HE WANTS US TO ENJOY OUR LIVES. I DON’T THINK I’D SAY THAT GOD WANTS US ALL TO BE RICH”
JOYCE MEYERS- “WHO WOULD WANT SOMETHING WHERE YOU’RE MISERABLE, BROKE, AND UGLY AND YOU HAVE TO MUDDLE THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET TO HEAVEN”
T.D. JAKES- “ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND YOUR LIFE QUOTING GREAT MEN, OR ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME GREAT AND LET SOMEONE QUOTE YOU?
RICK WARREN- “THIS IDEA THAT GOD WANTS EVERYBODY TO BE WEALTHY?BOLOGNEY. IT’S CREATING A FALSE IDOL. YOU DON’T MEASURE YOUR SELF WORTH BY YOUR NET WORTH.”
GOD INVITES US TO HAVE ABUNDANT LIFE- IT ‘S NOT FOR EVERYONE, IT IS FOR THOSE THAT JESUS IS THE SHEPHERD OF- THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO HIM ON THE NARROW ROAD.
OUR WORLD IS FULL OF DISSATISFIED PEOPLE. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS FOR WHY THEY ARE FEELING EMPTY. THEY TRY EVERYTHING AND LISTEN TO NO ONE.
THEY THINK ONE MORE POSSESSION. ONE MORE RELATIONSHIP, ONE MORE WAY OF MAKING MONEY...THIS IS HOW THEY WILL ACHIEVE FULFILLMENT.
THE RESULTS THEY FIND IN THEMSELVES IS DIVORCE, DRUG DEPENDENCY, ALCOHOL ABUSE, DEPRESSION, SEXUAL IMPURITY, EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS, AND IN SOME CASES SUICIDE.
WE ARE MESSED UP ABUNDANT LIFE IN OURSELVES IS NOT THE ANSWER, WE ARE IN A DAY AND AGE THAT SAYS MORE IS BETTER, BEING A LONER IS OKAY, YOU DESERVE MORE, JUST DO IT.
ABUNDANT LIFE DOES EXIST
CHRISTIANS HAVE DISCOVERED, OR AT LEAST SHOULD HAVE DISCOVER THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT THEM, IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, IT IS NOT ABOUT LIVING FOR YOURSELF, IT IS LIVING FOR JESUS CHRIST
NOT THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS, BUT THE ABUNDANCE OF HIM.
ABUNDANCE IS TO STOP SEEING GOD AS AN ENEMY OR A INCONVENIENCE, BUT SEEING HIM AS A FRIEND AND SAVIOR.
THERE IS NO MAGIC SAYING, NO MAGIC POTION. IT IS ALLOWING GOD’S GRACE TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE AND TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD.
MATTHEW 7:7-9- “ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND, KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPEN TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, HE WHO SEEKS FINDS, AND HIM WHO KNOCKS, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED “
THAT IS A PROMISE
JESUS SAID- I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL
THAT IS A PROMISE
I AM THE GATE- THE WAY TO THE FULL LIFE
I AM THE SHEPHERD- MY SHEEP KNOW MY VOICE IN A WORLD OF CRYING AND DECEIVING VOICES
I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT FOR EACH ONE OF MY PEOPLE.
NOTICE I DID NOT SAY EASY-
HE DOES NOT TELL US WE WILL BE FREE OF TROUBLE
NO WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES GOD SAY WE WILL ALL GET THE SAME THINGS- SOME HAVE MORE- SOME LESS’
SOME IN OUR ABUNDANCE HAVE HEALTH- SOME DON’T
SOME HAVE MONEY- SOME DON’T
THE ABUNDANCE IS THE FULLNESS WE HAVE IN CHRIST- WE KNOW THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY
WE MUST REALIZE AS WE LOOK AT SOME NON CHRISTIANS THAT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE THE WORLD BY THE TAIL- THAT IT IS ONLY TEMPORARY AND THEY WILL END UP WITH NOTHING.
FOR THE BELIEVER, WHO IS SEEKING GOD AND HIS FULLNESS, IT IS IN JESUS CHRIST. WE WILL HAVE SOME HARD TIMES, IT TOO WILL BE TEMPORARY, BUT IN THE END WE WILL HAVE WHAT THE LORD PROMISES US.
IT IS NOT EASY
JESUS SAYS- JOHN 16:33- “IN THIS WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLES, BUT TAKE HEART I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD”
LISTEN TO ME:
ALL ROADS DO NOT LEAD TO GOD
AL RELIGIONS DO NOT HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
SOME BELIEVE IN ONE GOD- SOME 1000’S OF GOD’S
SOME BELIEVE GOD CARES FOR US- SOME SAY THAT HE CANNOT BE FOUND
SOME BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH- SOME DO NOT
SOME BELIEVE THAT GOD IS LOVE - SOME SAY THAT HE IS JUDGEMENTAL
THEY CANNOT ALL BE RIGHT
GOD IS NOT HIDING FROM US- HE WANTS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AND HE WANTS US TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.
YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST- IT IS EXACTLY THAT - IN THE PAST, BUT GO D CAN HELP US CHANGE THE FUTURE
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN- GOD WANTS TO PUT YOU ON A NEW PATH
JOURNEY
BIRTH____________________________GRAVE- THAT IS OUR APPOINTED TIME
SOME SHORT, SOME LONG, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG
WHAT WE DO BETWEEN THE LINES, AFFECTS ETERNITY AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
ARCHITECT’S DRAW PLANS FOR A BUILDING, IT STILL HAS TO BE BUILT.
A SINGER CREATE A NEW SONG, IT STILL HAS TO BE SUNG
A CHEF CREATES A NEW RECIPE - INGREDIENTS HAVE TO BE PUT TOGETHER.
NO MATTER WHERE YOUR AT IN THE JOURNEY- BEGINNING, MIDDLE, END.
TODAY IF YOU BECAME A CHRISTIAN, OR YOU HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME
TODAY CAN BE A NEW STARTING PART AND YOU CAN FINISH STRONG.
TIME STOPS FOR NO ONE- I’M IN MY FIFTIES, I CAN REMEMBER BEING 12 LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY
140 BILLION GALAXIES, 11 BILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY, CONTAINING AS MANY AS 700 BILLION STARS
I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT DISTANCE
I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT NUMBER
I CANNOT COMPREHEND THAT EACH ONE OF THE 200 PLUS MILLION PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET HAVE DIFFERENT DNA’S AND FINGER PRINTS
CLOSING
IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE A ABUNDANT LIFE, BUT IT IS NOT IN YOURSELF- IT IS IN JESUS CHRIST
IT IS NOT ABUNDANCE OF THINGS - IT IS ABUNDANCE OF HIM
THERE IS NOT MANY WAYS TO GET IT- THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY- HE IS THE GATE THE ONLY DOOR
IN JESUS- YOU REALIZE THAT SUCCESS DOESN’T MAKE YOU AND FAILURE DOESN’T BREAK YOU
ILLUSTRATION-
IN A VERY HIGH CLASS TRADITIONAL CHURCH ONE SUNDAY A MAN ENTERED THE FRONT DOOR WEARING WHAT APPEARED TO BE A OUTFIT RIGHT OUT OF THE WILD WEST. HE APPEARED LIKE AN INDIAN COMPLETE WITH LEATHER AND FEATHERS. THE CHURCH WAS FULL AND AS THE YOUNG MAN WAS TRYING TO FIND A PLACE, HE HAD THE EYES OF EVERYONE SEATED. HE WORKED HIS WAY FROM THE BACK TO THE FRONT TO FIND A SEAT. THE PREACHER HAD BEGUN HIS MESSAGE AND THE MAN WAS LISTENING AND WALKING. AFTER NOT FINDING A SEAT, THE MAN WENT TO THE FRONT AND SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLE AND LISTENED TO THE PREACHER. THE CROWD AFTER SEEING THE WELL DRESSED USHER WATCHING HIM, THOUGHT HE WOULD BE ASKED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY. THE USHER MADE HIS WAY DOWN THE ISLE, BUT INSTEAD OF REMOVING HIM AS THE PEOPLE ANTICIPATED, THE USHER SAT ON THE FLOOR WITH HIM
WE NEED TO STOP PLAYING CHURCH, WE ALL NEED TO SIT AT THE FEET OF JESUS....HE IS OUR ABUNDANCE AND FULLNESS OF LIfE.
