The games people play - Life
A LIFE WORTH LIVING
Introduction:
1. I was in the summer of my Eighth grade year when my family moved to Huntsville, Alabama. The primary reason that we moved to Huntsville was the church. Mayfair Church of Christ was the largest congregation that I had ever seen, and the Youth Group was larger than most churches we had been to.
During our first days there My brother and I were befriended by an intern, Barry Lefan. Barry and I became fast friends and I missed him sorely that fall when he went off to Lipscomb.
During the next few years I looked forward to the Weekends, Holidays, and Summers that He would come home. We would talk, play, and just spend time together.
My Junior year of High School Barry was home on one of those week breaks. We had talked at church on Sunday night and had planned to play Softball on Saturday. Wednesday afternoon I was on my way to Brett’s home to work on a History project. I rang the doorbell and when Brett answered the door, he was white. He said he was surprised to see me. Why I asked. He said with Barry’s death he didn’t expect me.
I was in shock and told Brett that this was not a funny Joke. He wasn’t joking. It seemed that a friend whom I idolized and would die for couldn’t find a reason to live anymore.
2. Barry is not alone, every year 30,000 Americans decide their lives are not worth living and commit suicide.
a. Perhaps 10 times this many attempt suicide and fail.
b. Hundreds of thousands more seriously consider killing themselves but do not attempt to follow through.
c. Among teenagers, suicide is the second most common cause of death.
3. Something is wrong in society today.
a. Jesus is recorded as saying in
John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.” NAS
New Century Version says “life in all its fullness.”
a. What is wrong? Why are so many adults and teenagers concluding that life is not worth living?
b. Perhaps it is because we are pursuing the wrong goals.
2. Is our goal in life material wealth?
a. After Marlin Monroe took her life a fan said, "She had so much to live for." Another said, "She had so much to live on but so little to live for."
3. Are we living for earthly fame?
a. One of the most known writers of all time Ernest Hemingway took his own life. Dozens of celebrities have killed themselves.
4. Is education the answer?
a. Psychiatrists are among the most educated people in the world. They must complete training as a medical doctor before they can specialize in psychiatry. Certainly they should understand how the mind works and what it takes to have a satisfied life yet, of all professional groups, psychiatrists have the highest suicide rate in the nation.
6. What, then, is the answer?
I. Abundant Life is a life with a guiltless past.
A. Guilt is a terrible burden to bear and sometimes it crushes people to the point that life becomes an unbearable burden.
B. We all have done things that cause us terrible guilt.
C. Some of our Sins are not as bad as the sins of others.
1. At Pentecost, these Jews had murdered the very Son of God. Can we even imagine the guilt that would cause.
2. Before he becomes Paul, spent his days persecuting innocent Christians.
D. Never the Less there is Sin in our lives.
E. and it is the guilt of that Sin that steals our Abundant Life.
F. But God has promised us Abundant Life that cannot be taken from us.
1. 1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."
a. The choice is ours, we can choose to walk in the Light or out of the Light.
b. Also notice God does not call us to be perfect. Just to walk in the light and have Fellowship with one another.
1) Why is the Fellowship so important?
2) Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33
3) Or as we say in Alabama “If you run with the Goats you smell like the goats.”
c. What a wonderful thought that the blood of Christ continually cleanses us when we sin.
5. Why does Christ do this? It was His purpose.
a. John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
b. John 8:36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be truly free.
1. Free from guilt
2. Free from our past
3. Free from our sins
c. Rom 8:1 “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
II. Abundant life is a life with a meaningful present.
A. One of the most common thieves of Abundant Life is the feeling of accomplishing nothing in life.
1. We all want to be successful.
2. We all want to be good at we do.
a. Every teacher wants to be teacher of the year.
b. Every athlete wants to be MVP.
c. Every fry shaker at McDonalds wants to be Employee of the Month.
B. People tend to gain their worth by what other people think about them.
1. I am a good husband ‘cause Trista tells me.
2. I’m a good brother ‘cause Trae tells me.
3. I’m a good son because Mom and Dad say so.
4. I’m a good Son-in-Law because Charles and Francis tell me.
5. I’m a great uncle because Cassie and Caylie tell me I’m their favorite.
6. Not only in families and in Jobs, but even in church we gauge our worth by what other say and think about us.
C. What we don’t realize is that our present is meaningful because God thinks I am wonderful.
1. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
2. We are Uncommon People in a Common World.
3. A Possession of God
4. And we have a purpose
a. To tell about the wonderful acts of God.
b. And if we think we can remember and tell about all of the wonderful things God has done for us.
D. When we are involved in doing the will of our Father we have little time to feel sorry for ourselves Because our days are full of the Joy of Christianity.
III. Abundant life is A LIFE WITH A FEARLESS future.
A. Abundant life is stolen because of what we fear the future will bring.
1. The prospect of failing health, failing finances, difficulties of all sorts leave many people feeling hopeless and helpless.
a. Matthew 6 we read these words
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
b. The pain we suffer today might not become unbearable tomorrow; it may diminish or go away altogether.
c. Our financial situation today is not necessary an indication of what it will be tomorrow.
c. Family problems may improve in the future.
B. God has Promised us our Future is bright because it includes a home with Him
1. 2 Tim 4:8 Now, a crown is being held for me--a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown to me on that day --not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.."
2. John 14:2-3 " In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.."
IV. CONCLUSION
A. Someone has aptly said, "Life without Christ has a hopeless end; Life with Christ is an endless hope."
B. Another poet worded it thus: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow/ Because He lives, all fear is gone/ Because I know He holds the future/ Life is worth living, just because He lives.
C. Is your life worth living? Is it an Abundant Life?
