"ABUNDANT LIFE!"
John 10:1-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
1. God has made many promises to us in His word
• In the scripture we just read Jesus promised Abundant life
• It is amazing to me how the world always tries to portray Christianity in a negative life style…a mean grumpy narrow-minded bigot…
• They want everyone to believe that if you become a Christian you will lose so much
• You will have to live a life full of don'ts...A boring life full of drudgery
• You won't have any fun any more.
2. That's partly because the world system thinks happiness is in "stuff"
• But happiness is not in the amount of possessions you have…..
• Happiness is a condition of the heart and soul.
• An "ABUNDANT LIFE" is not necessarily a life with lots of stuff….
• It’s a life full of abundant peace and joy!
• The world is always making this mistake!
# I am told that in Cuba teachers often use this tactic on students to turn them
away from God
• Teachers will ask their students if God could live up to His promises or not.
• Of course, the students said yes.
• The teachers then illustrate how unable God is to do so
• The teacher asks the students to pray for candy.
• After ten minutes, they ask their students…did you get your candy…..NO
• Well then ask the government for candy …..With expectant hearts, the students do so,
• Teachers go around the room filling the student’s hands with candy
Listen carefully God's promise of "abundant life" means much more than the stuff of this world!
3. The Bible teaches us that God has made available through Jesus Christ an abundant life that is far more glorious than anything this world can offer,
• God's abundant life is greater than all the stuff of this world.
• And best of all ……it is available to all those who would come and ask!
Listen to what Jesus said in John 10:1
• Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
• You can not take shortcuts to receive your abundant life
• Vs 8 says… All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
• There is only one way to a new abundant life in Jesus Christ
• Every other way is classified as a thief and a robber
# there is a way that seemeth right….but the end thereof is death (eternal separation
from God)
5. We live in a world that loves "shortcuts" to everything...anything that makes
things easier or free!
a. People want abundance but without responsibilities!
b. Sometimes this idea even filters down into our concepts of God's blessings in our
lives!
Some years ago we had a man who wanted to get $1000. (he gave me the pastor a check for 100 and asked me not to cash it for a week because if he gave 100 God would multiply it 10 fold. When God gave him his $1000 he would make the $100 check “good”. (he heard this from a TV evangelist). I explained that if he gave me the check I would deposit it and recommended he not put it in the offering…Well he did and I did….He called me when his check bounced asking why I stopped his blessing….Sadly he was serious.
# some years latter this same man told me he & his wife had prayed they would
win the lottery so they could give 10% of his fortune to the work of God
• I asked him if he would really be willing to give 10% of his millions…..yes
• I asked him if he was willing to give 10% of his little pay check each week
• He said I have to live on that…God expects me to live the abundant life…….He as well as many others were DECEIVED.
II. Attitudes in Christianity are shifting today, from a life of sacrificial giving to
selfish getting!
• People judge a Church more by what they will get from it than what they can give to it!
• And then wonder why their lives are still so empty after accepting Christ....
• You see they have the idea “abundant life" is just getting and not giving
1. The joy of abundant living does not come from getting as much as it comes from giving of oneself to God and to others...
• Giving of yourself to God and others is … what fills the heart with joy!
• Christ died for us so that we could live for Him and for serving others, not our selves...
• It is only as we empty ourselves that we suddenly discover a pleasure in life we could never have imagined before!
• The happiest people in the world are those who are not focused on their self!…but serving others
2. Verse 8 & 10 tell us those who come serving themselves are thieves and
Robbers
• History is full of individuals who talk about making things better for mankind
• But they usually are self-serving and feeding their own ego
• Like the Nebuchadnezzar’s of the world who want to be worshipped themselves
3. Let me ask you something: "When was the last time a thief "blessed your
household"?
• When was the last time you were grateful for the robber that visited your home?
• As you read your Bible you discover Israel had been taken down the river over and over again by many leaders who promised all kinds of good things, but in the end Israel was robbed of their spiritual heritage that ended in captivity and loss!
• They learned the hard way that there were no shortcuts to finding God's love and blessings!
• They discovered that abundant life begins in the heart, not in the checkbook!
4. History is replete with examples of very wealthy people who have not been happy
• King Solomon had more cattle and livestock than any one every had in all of Jerusalem before him…. He had houses
• He said whatever his eyes desired he held it not from himself
• Men and woman servants born in his home year after year
• You name it …. He had it…but he said it was all vanity
• The Apostle Paul said in Phil 3:8 that he counted all the things that he lost for Christ's sake as dung…. cow manure
• How many of you would fill your house with dung……but then why do we strive so hard for things
• Beware of any one that promises you abundant life through any shortcuts...
• Abundant life comes through living abundantly for Christ!
II. THE ABUNDANT LIFE IS ONLY FOUND IN JESUS…THERE IS NO OTHER WAY
1. There is only one entrance into the sheep pen
• It was through the gate
• Were you aware that sheep pens in Jesus' day had only a single gate...
• but it was not a swing gate like we think of today ….it was just an opening
• The Shepherd slept in the opening …..his own body became the gate!
• That's why Jesus said "I am the door"....only robbers and thieves tried to
enter some other way!
• Anyone promising abundant life outside of Christ is a thief and a robber!
• Sheep felt secure only by their shepherd
• The sheep learned early to respond only to the shepherd's voice.
2. Only Christ can change the values that we hold...
• Were taught by this world system to value "stuff"...
• But the great shepherd values "souls"
• When we come to Christ we receive a whole new way of looking at what is really important!
• The focus of the world is on the stuff of this world, while the focus of a Christian is on the stuff of God's kingdom!
• Christ as savior makes a dramatic difference in people's lives!
A Pastor named Rittenhouse and his family were on vacation traveling down the highway when they saw a suitcase fly off the top of a car going the opposite direction.
• They stopped to pick it up, but the driver of the other car never stopped.
• The only clue to the driver's identity was a twenty-dollar gold piece inscribed: "Given to Otis Sampson at his retirement by Portland Cement Company."
• After extensive correspondence, Otis Sampson was located and contacted.
• He wrote a letter telling them to discard the suitcase and all its contents, and send only the gold piece.
• Mr. Sampson used the phrase "my most precious possession," several times to describe the gold piece.
• Pastor Rittenhouse sent the gold piece, and wrote a cover letter telling Otis Sampson about his most prized possession, Jesus Christ.
• A year later, the pastor received a Christmas package.
• In it was the twenty-dollar gold piece. With this note "You will be happy to know we have become active members of a church.
• We want you to have this gold piece. I am seventy-four; my wife is seventy-two.
• You were the first one to tell us about Jesus. Now He is our most prized possession." Unlimited
3. Christ opens up the life to security and peace much the same way that the Shepherd did for his sheep in the first century!
• Are you searching for true happiness today…. peace and security
• Are you searching for abundant life …life with Zoe….zest
• You need to listen to Jesus the real Shepherd…not to the wolves and hirelings that promise all kinds of good stuff …… but in the end all Satan can offer you is misery and death.
• There is only one true shepherd, and it is Christ!
• Thieves and robbers were concerned about turning a profit,
• the Shepherd was concerned about feeding the sheep and protecting them from danger
Christ unlike those others came not to take for Himself, but to bring full life to all those who will respond!
1. The word for "full" in Greek is "perissos", this word literally means, "super-
abundance" and "excessive, beyond measure!"....both in quantity and
quality!
• The greatest sacrifice brings the greatest blessing!
2. No life on earth will be fuller than that of the Christian life....lived by filling
oneself with Christ will cause an overflow of abundant life!
Dwight L. Moody once demonstrated the principle like this: "Tell me," he said to his audience, "how can I get the air out of the tumbler I have in my hand?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." But the evangelist replied, "That would create a vacuum
and shatter it." Finally, after many suggestions, Mr. Moody picked up a pitcher and quietly filled the glass with water. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then explained that victory for the child of God does not come by working hard to eliminate sinful habits, but rather by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession.
3. Abundant living can only continue as long as we stay close to the shepherd!
• The sheep had to enter the gate each night for safety...to miss even a single night meant danger of loss!
• Jesus' promise of abundant life is linked to the sheep that follow the Shepherd's voice and stay close!
4. While there are many things in this world to fill our lives up with, they will
all end leaving us empty if we fail to embrace Christ!
Only Christ promises a life with "abundance"...and "superabundant" life!
Have you discovered this life?
Following Christ leads to abundant life. How full is yours?
