1. Benjamin Franklin’s List: In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin listed the names of thirteen virtues to ultimately achieve a perfectly moral bearing in his life. He was obsessed with obtaining perfection at this time of his life. Virtues such as temperance, silence, order, frugality, sincerity, justice, moderation and humility, in his words “to imitate Jesus and Socrates in his life.” He kept a daily journal to chart those times when he fell short and those times when he felt he achieved perfection – but he never did, none of us ever can.
2. There is only One who has achieved a life of perfection and without sin – Jesus, and he has earned the right to instruct us in the true way of life by the way in which he lived;
3. John 14.6
4. LIFE is a significant topic for John – mentioned 43 times in John; 12 times in epistles of John and 18 times in the Revelation – 77 times – a few passages:
• John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
• John 5.21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
• John 5.26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
• John 6.68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life,
• John 15.13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
I. How to Perceive Life
A. Includes More Than the Material
The King and the Jester
Brent Hutsell in SermonCentral.com Illustrations relates a tale about a king who had all his world could afford. The thing he loved most, however, was to laugh.
Once while being entertained a jester came along wishing to join in the festival of activities and also wishing to perform for him. His opportunity came and he put the best comical show together he had ever done and the king had never laughed so hard.
After the activity was over, the king wanted to hire the man as his personal jester. Once hired the king in humor handed him a small stick and said, “You are the most foolish man alive. When you find someone more foolish than you, then you give them this stick.”
After many years had passed the king lay sick on his death bed, ready to go at any moment. He called for his jester, for he wanted to laugh one more time before he died.
When the jester was through he asked to speak to the king privately. Once alone with the king the jester asked, “King, where are you going?” The king responded, “On a far journey.” The jester then asked, “And how do you plan to get there?” Again the king responded, “I don’t know.”
The jester pulled the stick from his back pocket and handed it to the king. The king was stunned and asked why he had given him the stick. The jester replied, “King, today I have found a more foolish man than I. For you see, I only trifled with the things of life, but you have trifled with the things of eternity!”
A Parable to consider:
13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12.13-21
1. Creation included physical and the breath/spirit of life
2. No Spirit, no life – James 2.26
3. Reconciliation/reunion with God is life (death is separation as in Garden)
B. Involves the Eternal
1. Through Jesus – John 14.6, 19 (19Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.)
2. Power of his DBR
3. EL is offered – never to die again
a. Starts now (John 5.24 -- 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.)
b. Lasts forever
C. Intended for Abundance – John 10.8-10
8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
1. Thieves steal life
a. Abusive Leaders (Jeremiah 23.1-2; Ezekiel 34)
b. Today’s thieves – Works of the flesh; worry; animosity; bitterness; holding grudges
2. Life is already brief (James 4.14)
3. Can be empty (Ecclesiastes 12.13)
4. Jesus gives abundance to our lives
a. Something/Someone greater than ourselves (Man generally wants to be GOD)
b. A paradox exemplified in Jesus – Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12.25
Sir Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
William Cowper, 18th Century poet and song writer and a contemporary with John Newton, said – “The only true happiness comes from squandering ourselves for a purpose.”
II. How to Achieve Life
Walter Scott's original 5 Finger Exercise went like this:
1. Faith
2. Repentance
3. Baptism
4. Remission of Sins
5. Holy Spirit & Eternal Life
A. Not a Checklist of Five Actions that Guarantee Salvation
1. That becomes a superstition
2. That creates faith in OUR abilities instead of the work of Jesus – Galatians 2.15-16
15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. [Paul is quoting from Psalm 143.2: “Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.”]
B. A Relationship of Faith
And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17.3
1. Example of Abraham – Romans 4.3 – believed God and was counted as righteous
2. We are to have faith in Jesus and rely on the faith OF Jesus
a. Recognize Jesus as the Son of God (unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins. John 8.24b)
Many theories about Jesus (Good man; prophet; crazy man; con artist)
Many Mysteries (God and Man?)
Fact – Messiah-God – Matthew 16.16
Confessed by Peter and others – can’t contain ourselves with this news
b. Repent with Life-Corrections
John the Baptist and Jesus – Repent for the kingdom is at hand; Repent & be baptized
Key concept and action – no progress without it
c. Relate to Jesus – Romans 6.1-4
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
• Dying to self – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2.20
• Rising in Spirit-filled life
d. Reveal a Continued Discipleship (Rabbi-Disciple Relationship)
Luke 9.23-24: 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Conclusion
1. The Bellbird: Lost in the jungle, a man sought desperately to find his way to safety. His strength was ebbing fast as the insects and stifling heat did their deadly work. Suddenly he heard what he thought to be a bell tolling in the distance. Believing he was nearing civilization, he struggled bravely onward; but he never seemed to draw closer to the sound. Finally, he fell to the ground exhausted, never to rise again. The mysterious bellbird had claimed another victim! This story is related in detail by G.B. Robeson. He says many a traveler in the heart of the rain forest of Central and South America has been led to his death by the bell sounding call of this seldom-seen bird. Many times this bird with its call entices people to get off of the path to seek out the sound.
Satan employs subtle devices to ensnare the human race. As souls seek to free themselves from the vines of sin, they are lead astray by the tempter’s “bell” ringing in the distance. “At last,” They think, “I’ve found a way of escape,” and so, following the call of the evil one deeper and deeper into the jungle of despair, they are eventually lost for eternity.
2. God is the Author of Life
a. A Creation of God – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1.1-3
b. A Concentration of God – In him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1.4
c. A Comprehension of God – The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1.5
3. God is the Redeemer of Lives
a. Sin causes death/separation from God
b. God paid the price to restore life – Now and the World to Come
4. God is the Direction for Life, We are Lost without him – 1 John 5.12
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
5. In the movie “City Slickers,” Billy Crystal plays a confused, dissatisfied thirty-something character with a vague sense that life is passing him by. Jack Palance- ancient, leathery, wise to the ways of the world (“a saddlebag with eyes”) – asks Crystal if he would like to know the secret of life.
“It’s this,” Palance says, holding up a single finger.
“The secret of life is your finger?” asks Crystal.
“It’s one thing,” Palance replies. “The secret of life is pursuing one thing.”
Somehow this resonates deeply with Billy Crystal’s character. His life is scattered. He is torn between his obligation to his family and his desire for career advancement; between his need for security and his appetite for excitement. He is divided somehow. His life is about many things, and so, he senses, it is about nothing. (quoted from The Life You’ve Always Wanted, by John Ortberg. Zondervan Publishing. Grand Rapids, MI.) pg. 175
