Keys to abundant living
2 Timothy 1:7
1John 4:4
Introduction-
Last week we looked at the Lord’s Prayer
We looked at the importance of prayer.
We also saw the benefit of prayer and having a relationship with the Lord so intimate that you would be comfortable talking to Him about anything.
I asked you some questions to reflect on and I hope that you did that this week.
I said there is promises in the Word of God that can affect your life as a believer.
I will never leave you- (His presence)
I am your shield- (His protection.)I will strengthen you- (His power)
I will help you- (His provision.)
God’s Promises -If you are in a relationship with the lord, meaning:
That you have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of your life.
What He has done for you(The Cross) and by choice have chosen to follow Jesus Christ and not just a prophet you read about in the Bible.
God promises that you can life an abundant life! Amen.
You can live an abundant life, no matter what you are going through now!
Provided you are living and obeying God’s word. He is in charge and not you.
There is no dynamics to prayer if you are not praying to the Lord, or your doing your own thing, or not listening when the Lord gives you direction.
There is no abundant live if the life that you are living is outside of the Lord.
At best, it is temporary and the void that you feel, only God can fill.
1 John 4:4-
“Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.”
That is the key to abundant living-
Holy Spirit in you, Christ controlling your life- it will be abundant living!
2 Timothy 1:7-
“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and self discipline.”
Abundant living is because God is working in your life.
He is not off to the side. Only being allowed as you get yourself in and out of trouble.
Carmen sang a song in the 1980’s- I am not ashamed of the gospel!
“I am not ashamed of the gospel because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him that day.”
Paul tells us-
“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Abundant life is not something you buy or achieve.
Abundant life doesn’t happen without God.
It is a lifestyle centered around God, and because of God being in the center, your life is abundant and blessed.
I have a question again I need you to ask yourself.
What do I really want?
God at a distance, or God running and being a part of my life.
Happiness comes at a cost. It does not just happen.
If you are going to live what God calls abundant, you cannot do it without Him. (repeat)
You made a plan with God
Work the plan with God
When things are tough, you lean heavily on the Lord.
You own it- there is no plan B
God does not fit into your plan- you fit into God’s plan.
I hear people say that they need a fresh start-
You do not need a fresh start if you are now walking with the Lord in a meaningful relationship.
If Christ is not Lord of your life, today you need a fresh start.
You need a fresh start if you are not listening to God, if you are doing things your own way, you need to get back to what you know works.
Make a plan.
Work the plan.
Own it, give God back the control of your life before it keeps spinning out of control.
I think I will have to do this message in two parts.
I believe we all want what we would call abundant life.
The problem is we want it on our own terms.
The day that we accepted Jesus Christ, we gave Christ the authority to do what was best for us and that God’s will be done in our lives.
I think there are several reasons that we can miss what God desires for us, and live lives that are far from God’s best.
We will look at two today and a few next week.
Reasons that you do not have the abundant life God desires.
Why some may never accomplish anything of significance in their life.
1. Procrastination-
Defined- “To put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.
Tomorrow………. but tomorrow never comes!
I’ll tell you how bad procrastination is, it is listed on the same page as proctology and the return of the prodical son.
It is funny how we spend so much time on work, health, sports, recreation, but we procrastinate on those things that are spiritual and it spills out into other aspects of our lives.
Psychology today says that everyone procrastinates at times. But 20 percent are true procrastinators.
Procrastinators say that they work better under pressure but that is one lie that they tell themselves.
If I don’t feel like it- it won’t be very good.
You don’t do anything unless you are on you’re “A game.”
Procrastination sets unneeded stress on an already busy life.
You don’t have the abundant life that God desires for you because you put yourself under the gun. (Under the Bus for some)
How to reduce stress of procrastination
1. Make a list of what needs to be done and by what date.
2. Break it down into tasks.
3. Set reasonable goals.
4. Do it.
Don’t overestimate the time, don’t underestimate the time.
Procrastinators look for ways of being distracted so they can justify why they didn’t complete the task.
In a lot of people’s spiritual life, they do not live the abundant and fulfilling life that God intends because they are always being distracted by things that take them away from the completion of what they know they need to do.
Stop putting off what God has already instructed you to do and most times even tells you how to get the task done.
Check e-mail 20 times a day.
Mistakingly thinking that everything that is needed to be done will always be on the 10 most fun list.
Put God on your “to do” list and do it!
2nd reason you may never accomplish what God desires for you and miss His abundant life is-
You allow your past to identify you instead of Christ.Everyone of us has a past.
Everyone of us has a closet full of skeletons.
Your past does not have to define you.
Ask yourself the question-
What is it about my past that causes me fear?
How can people be afraid of the past when it has already happened.
Most people cannot get past their past because they are afraid that it is going to happen again.
They have been hurt in the past- they are afraid that they will be hurt again.
They lost a loved one- they are afraid that if they open up again, they risk losing again.
They had a bad experience in church, so all churches must be bad.
They had a person in church burn them, so all church people will hurt them.
God tells us that it does not have to be that way.
He tells us that accepting Christ as Lord and Savior that we are new creations.
2 Cor. 5:17-
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she ) is a new creation, the old is gone, the new is come.”
“Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.”
Listen, struggle with sin. God says you can be delivered!
Death through Adam- life through Christ.
“Being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He has promised.”
Broken legal laws- there may be a consequence.
You have stolen something- restitution may be required.
But for most of us, our past is under the blood of Christ and He is desiring to set you free so that you can live the life that God intends you to have.
We sometimes become this self-proclaimed prophet-
I knew this would happen!
This always happens to me.
Some people believe we get what we ask for, but for others you are getting what you expect!
Stop expecting the worst!
We do not have to replay our series of bad things!
We do not have to expect that bad things always come our way.!
You may have some trials and troubles, but you do not have to live there.
God is wanting more for your life.
Today is a new day! At least it can be if you will let it.
You are a child of God and God didn’t create junk and doesn’t expect you to live defeated because of your past.
Today you can begin to write a new script for your life. You can go from defeated to victorious.
Closing
We are only going to get two of them, we will look at more next week.
Throw your past in the sea of forgetfulness instead of the back of your mind.
Change expectations and change your thoughts!
Stop expecting disappointments and let downs at every avenue of your life.
Start living the promises of God.
He will never leave me!
God is my shield!
He will strengthen me!
He will help me!
You are not here by chance today.
God is speaking to us this morning.
We do not believe in coincidence.
God doesn’t work in our lives by chance.
It is a divine moment and you have to do something with it.
Stop saying I can’t. I can’t because of feeling inadequate.
Can’t is not good English and if the Lord is in it, it is unacceptable.
Abundant life in Christ looks like-
A yielded life.
Life of service.
A separated life
A Spirit filled life.
A mature lfie.
A transformed life
Can I get an Amen! Better yet, can I get you to move out of the past into God’s abundant life
We will look at some more next week.
Procrastination is a spiritual disaster.
Letting the past define you instead of the Lord causes you to live at a lesser level than the Lord desires.
Altar Call.
