Keys to Abundant life (part two)
John 10:10
Introduction- This was birthed by prayer and thoughts from contributors to Sermoncentral.
We have been in a series looking at some of the keys to living an abundant life.
Some of the keys that we have already looked at were:
Prayer-
Our relationship with the Lord has to be strong and growing. Communicating and allowing God to direct our lives and give him permission to change what he needs to change in our lives.
Danger of procrastination-
Defined by “putting off intentionally doing something that you know you should do.
Tomorrow…tomorrow. Later. I have plenty of time.
Procrastination always looks for being distracted because they do not have enough determination to complete what they start.
We’ve stated that you will never experience the abundant life that God intended for you if you put off all the things the lord is telling you to do.
Last one we looked at last week was:
Allowing your past to identify you instead of Christ.
Everyone of us has a past! To get past!
Everyone of us at one time has a closet full of skeleton’s to deal with.
Your past does not have to define you- your relationship with Christ defines you!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new is come.”
Repetition! Repetition.
If you only remember 5 % of what I tell you, I have to tell you 20 times so you will remember!
Hurt people hurt people!
People usually learn everything the hard way!
The past is a stumbling block until you remove it from in your way!
Here is the text for this morning as we continue to look at the keys to abundant life- according to God’s principals in His Word.
John 10:10-
“I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Some people believe live and let live!
That is the philosophy of anything goes! Just don’t bother me.
Others seek pleasure- you only live once- go for the gusto!
Seek pleasure while you can because you may not be here tomorrow.
That is true- you may not be here tomorrow, but you will be somewhere for eternity.
Where you spend eternity will depend on what you do and the choices you make concerning the things of God while you are living on this earth.
You want to accept God’s definition of eternal and abundant life or the lie from the pits of Hell that tell you have plenty of time and live your life for yourself.
John 17 tells us
“Now this is eternal life; that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”
The abundance that God talks about is spiritual, not materialistic. It is not delivered by duration, it is by a active, growing, relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Christian’s life revolves around growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ.
It is the continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing in Christ.
It is also the failing, recovering, overcoming, in Christ.
“We see but a poor reflection in the mirror”
“But one day we will see God face to face, and we will know him completely.”
He will know us completely also- so that’s why we must set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Okay preacher! I get it!
I should be praying, and having a relationship with the Lord!
Stop procrastinating!
Get out of the past, and live for today!
As we continue, here are a few more things that will keep you from living the life God intends for you as a child of God.
I. Fear- You are afraid
You are afraid of what people think. You let them change you instead of you changing them.
You are afraid of change. To get out of your comfort zone that you are familiar with.
You over think their negative and positive thought sand you are blinded to what God tells you in prayer and in His word.
Abundant- in the Greek means exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure.
Why do we have trouble believing that the God of the universe wants you and I to live exceedingly, beyond measure in a life that God himself tells us He will help us in.
Yet, it is easier for us to grasp the negative comments other people say.
Those words that teardown and destroy.
Words from people that have not experienced the wonderful power and comfort of God.
Paul tells us something profound-
“God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think and He did it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him.” (Ephesians 3:20)
Turn fear to faith
Fear stops you in your tracks, and faith cause you to move in action.
2 Corinthians 2:9-
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Turn the fear of God to the reverence of God.
Take the fear of others and put it under the captivity of Christ. Standing on God’s word that says, I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”
Another reason, you may not experience the abundant life that God intended is:
II. You are obsessed with material things that have nothing to do with eternity.
I am sorry that I have to tell you this- Godly abundant life , and eternity with the Lord has nothing to do with “stuff”
Some of the most popular preachers on TV and radio claim that God wants you to live an abundant life with exceptional health, wealth, and prosperity.
That is false teaching! It can happen, but it is not a guarantee! It is a twist of John 10:10
Having it to the full does not mean that God is your personal genie in a bottle that will give you anything you want if you ask correctly.
He does not promise that you will not have trials and tribulation along life’s way.
The only thing that I agree with some of those teachings is that the devil will come and kill, steal, destroy you if you are not allowing the Lord to control and protect your life.
Living life to the full is happiness, peace, and a pure relationship with the Lord.
Jesus desires that for you and I. it can be done and He came to do it.
Here is the last piece of the puzzle for this one this morning.
When we are so focused on stuff- bigger, better, more. We lose focus of the Lord.
Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a person, but in the end, it produces death.
It steals our time, talents, relationships.
Listen, we need each other! Community!
A body of believers. Helping each other journey with the Lord.
When you are out there building your own island, you are vulnerable.
Once we learn it is not about more toys. It is about relationships. It will help our relationships with the Lord and with others.
Illustration
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that her little brother Linus change the television channel, threatening him with her fist to get him to comply. “what makes you think you can walk in here and take over? Asks Linus. “these five fingers, says Lucy, individually there nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they are a weapon that is terrible to behold. “What channel do you want.” Then he looks at his own fingers and asks, why can’t you guys get organize like that.
That is what I love about the Church of the Nazarene.
Unity not uniformity-one faith- many expressions
One passion- many convictions
One mission- many contexts
We are a Missional church united to make Christ-like disciples in the nations and pooling our resources to make it happen.
Let’s recap as we close
Prayer
Procrastination
Living in the past
Fear
Materialistic
All of the areas that need attention if we are to live the life that God intends, next week we will finish the series and I hope you will attend. I think the last and most important thing for us to live the life that God intended is to understand the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. It is a sermon all by itself and you won’t want to miss it.
