But what about Gods promises of physical blessing? . and off it goes. So he says that we are to seek those things where Christ is. I am sure you have seen this before. We find out, in Genesis 16:16, Abraham was 86 years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abraham. Jesus and Paul are trying to encourage us to understand that it is Gods intent that we live just wonderful, fulfilled, abundant lives, and that God has the power through His Spirit to give it. In Christ Jesus we have abundant life; the old has become new and we will have life eternal! OUTLINE But theres so much more. Many of us have gates that provide an entrance into a courtyard, or security gates that keep people out. Assembly Of God. But is a life characterized by Grace, Love, Good Works, Hope, Suffering and Comfort, and a Promise for Eternal Life. If we want to be like Jesus Christ, if we want to be like Godwe want to have an example to the world, to our children, to whomever, and shine as lightsthen we have to do as He did. This is what God is aiming for. So we do not know a lot of what is happening. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him [He had mentioned that in an earlier place that it would be next year this time]. One might think living an abundant life would be about having a surplus of money, things, power, etc. - Life sometimes gets in the way of our dreams Jesus is the gate through whom we enter in to a life of fellowship with Gods family and an abundant life of green pastures. He thinks in terms of our spiritual lives. . The little girl woke up Sunday and started right off playing and laughing, as little Promise Of Abundance 3. read more, Scripture: Introduction . Text: Various 3). An abund, More Than Enough; John 10:10 This is why, once we have been convertedonce we have been given the gift of the Holy Spiritwe are said to have eternal life already. His message is very clear. That is the kind of thing that people in mainline Protestant churches are trying to do to attract people to the churches because they want to rid Christianity of the dreary reputation that it has among the unchurched. Increase In Abundant Life, - George Bailey is all sparkle & ecitement as he realizes Mary Hatch in a new light Dont worry. 4. 02/21/10 PM I asked him, Have you lived here all your life? Quick as a flash came back his answer, Not yet. So if we really love God, if we really love His Son, we are going to want to do as they do because we are going to be like them. Lutheran. Please turn to John 10 Is it not one of those things Jesus told usDont worry, Ive got you covered. Living an Abundant Life in Christ What is the abundant life Jesus promised? We have to remember that Gods wisdom, Gods knowledge, and Gods understanding are far greater than ours. Expect Life Let's see what living an abundant life in Christ is all about. 2.INCREASE Life. A life yielded to the will of God, given in humble obedience as a living and holy sacrifice, sanctified by the blood of Jesus will result in life, abundant life now and eternal life in heaven. Solomon lived a life of wealth and power and privilege, and what he concluded at the end of his book was that we need to keep the commandments and follow God. Sermons about Abundant Life - SermonCentral.com John 10:7-21 2). And abundant life, no Those things dont matter. He obviously tells us that He is going to give us certain things. So if your abundant life is X, Y, and Z, you get X, Y, Z and then you get A, B, and C as well on top of that. Let us look at this in I John 5. So we have verse 4: Genesis 15:4-6 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, This one [Eliezer of Damascus, the one born in his house] shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir. Then He brought him outside and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. And He said to him, So shall your descendants be. And [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Were you called while a slave? John 10:7-21, Denomination: JESUS CAME TO THIS WORLD TO GIVE ABUNDANT LIFE TO MANKIND A problem arises when discussing this concept due to the apparent subjectivity of the term abundant because we all have different ideas of what abundant means. The shepherd watched over and cared for the sheep within the fold. But this just reinforces the idea of all the secular people out there that Christians are holier than thou, unauthentic (Theyre just putting it on. It is just not really important to God unless He has a plan for us to use that in some way and then He will make it possible. Thats not where you need to focus your thoughts., And even then, at that point in time, people had to work much harder, it seems, to get their daily bread. [This lesson and this series are drawn from the writings of Tom Allen in his book What to expect now that you believe.] God is a loving Father. read more, Scripture: You set your quantity; whatever it is, it is more than that. Many of us have gates that provide an entrance into a courtyard, or security gates that keep people out. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I have titled the message today The Abundant life in the Shepherd. It has got this root word perisson in it. All Rights Reserved. What he shows here is that we have to have a different perspective. Creflo Dollar teaches a prosperity gospel. I want to read Matthew 19:17, as we close. You could put it this way: One persons bowl of cherries is another persons bowl of pits. It is generosity; giving returns fulfillment. Genesis 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The "abundant" life should be the normal life of But, you see, their abundant lives are very different. But if human parents have enough wisdom to give goal-and-maturity-dependent gifts to their physical children, why can we not think about God in this way? Paul writes: Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ . John 10:1-10. He does not leave any stone unturned. John 10:1-18, Denomination: Lost Connection *other, 1. Text: Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near (Isaiah 55:6). 1.INHERITANCE John 10:7-21, Denomination: Gods Genesis 21:1-2 [Finally] And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. I can get finally this and this and would get this whole list that they would pull out of their pockets. Faith Expectations part 10 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.. That is what they say, and then make Him into a genie in a bottle. Abundant Life Introduction Theyre trying to be something else because we know people really arent that way), and that Christians wear their religion on their sleeves and they are just false and fake. Lost Connection 2. But we can tell that giving us mansions and sports cars and all kinds of extra cash is not a high priority with God. He has spent his time doing certain things. He has got this image of being a really nice dresser. Even though we think of eternal meaning without length of days (just forever and ever), that is really not what He is getting at. Jesus tells His disciples, just before He was arrested: John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. He says: John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. We think of things we can see. We do not know exactly what is coming up in our lives or in the life of the world and what is going on, and we certainly do not know exactly what God is preparing us for in His Kingdomwhat position, what office He wants us to fulfill there. Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; John 10:1-10 Jesus is the gate through whom we enter in to a life of fellowship with Gods family and an abundant life of green pastures. When we say abundant life, we think of all these things we would like to haveall this money, all these opportunities. Not activity, not longevity, not prosperity, not congeniality. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. Abraham thought maybe Ishmael was the promised seed. But the abundant life that Jesus promises in John 10:10 is not about that. So are we living abundant lives? They become one flesh. read more, Scripture: In the grand scheme of attaining this quality lifestyle, riches or poverty have little bearing on the outcome of developing into the stature of Jesus Christor what our specific role will be in God's Kingdom. Ive got some servants. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. More than we could ever imagine. Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; John 10:1-10 Do not necessarily think about the specifics here, but think of the attitudes and the general principle that he is trying to get across. Abundant Life In the opening verses of this chapter, Jesus discussed the benefits associated with being in the sheepfold. Is the Lord going to move away? Sermons about An Abundant Life - SermonCentral.com This series purpose is to Genesis 12:7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your descendants I will give this land.. 4.ILLUMINATION But that former person that you were is totally gone, or should be, and over time we try to make sure that former person stays buried. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. So we have James 1 where this principle comes out. He is going to give us things that are good for us and perfect for us for the time of life that we are in and our stage of growth. Live. This is what he is talking about. . This is God speaking to Ezekiel. That just screams austere and archaic to them. In fact, if the Christian life is lived properly, it is ultimately (and that is the big word there) more exciting, more successful, and more satisfying than most human beings in general can imagine. Ive got some employees. Please turn to John 10 and [now] your life is hidden with Christ in God. It is generosity; giving returns fulfillment. I have titled the message today The Abundant life in the Shepherd. All we need to do is glance around at those around us and say we are mildly successful. Put another way, neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God because He could use a poor man or a rich man. The first thing that pops into my mind is that God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. It may not be exciting, but this is living the life that God wants us to live. And if God is to be true to His Word, says the prosperity gospel preacher, He must fulfill them or He would not be God. Good Morning Glad that you have joined us today. read more, Scripture: Solomon lived a life of wealth and power and privilege, and what he concluded at the end of his book was that we need to keep the commandments and follow God. They are ridiculed by the media because they preach against drinking, card playing, and dancing. He was familiar I. John 10:10 Ephesians 1:18 Your abundance and my abundance may not be anywhere near the same. John 10:7-21 There is no greater or satisfying accomplishment than having the rewards of loving God and that is the greatest thing that there is of all. Why the Lost Of Abundance? Let us go to the book of John. We do not need to worry. Think of it this way: You have someone who is maybe an A-type personfull of energy, hard charging. If you want to live, if you say you want to be a Christian, if you say you are a Christian, then you should be walking as He walked, meaning, you should live your life as He lives His life. Preaching.com is a leading resource that provides tools and ideas for pastors and church leaders to help them lead well. Jesus came But, otherwise, you are going in there and you are going to have a rock band and you are going to have probably a younger preacher that is going to give the message. Certainly, the lives of Christians are full of responsibility and self-restraint and self-control, if we are doing it right. So how does God define life? A little girl went to visit her grandmother for the weekend. But God does not think in terms of our physical life and death. You really have notthat is not what Paul means. But it does not mention things like our health, our prosperity, our family, or our work. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. So we have got to just take it as par for the course that people who are out there in the worldthe unconverted, people who really do not know the truthare going to think that our lifestyles suck, to put it mildly. If they were, would He not give them to His children, to His people? read more, Denomination: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 5.INFLUENCE Baptist. Notice His plain statement in John 10. This series purpose is to What Paul does here, by linking verse 3 to verses 4 and 5, is to say that just as Jesus Christ came at the fullness of timejust as He came at the right set timeso God called you and redeemed you and gave you eternal life at the right time. John 10:10, 1.INHERITANCE Not activity, not longevity, not prosperity, not congeniality. No matter what our circumstances that we happen to find ourselves in, we know that the life of God, with God, that we live is definitely abundant living. If so, could it be that we need to get the right perspective? How are my descendants going to be a great nation? Ephesians 1:14 says that the Holy Spirit is our guarantee of eternal life. Not activity, not longevity, not prosperity, not congeniality. "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." He is setting up a contrast here. We arrive at and depart from airports through gates. Text: John 10:10b I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. - Promised dreams have not come to past And how out of touch of them to speak against homosexuality and premarital sex! This lesson is another in the series titled Faith Expectations. Introduction: Our world is full of unhappy and dissatisfied people. We discover that paradox that in losing yourself to Christ's love and grace in the service of others, you find yourself in the abundant life you were created to live! One might think living an abundant life would be about having a surplus of money, things, power, etc. Obviously we have our responsibilities and things. He wants to do everything, try everything once. Christianity has received a broad-brush characterization as restrictive and unexciting. And what is it about man and wife? The principle here is that even though we do not have to stay in the situation in which we were called, we are not being compelled by any means to change that. We have to go to the store. We have to follow His steps. John 10:1-10, Psalm 23, Acts 2:42-47, Denomination: More than we could ever imagine. So He has got our needs covered. ), recovering (that is better), adjusting (once we find out that we have been doing things wrongly), enduring (He who endures to the end shall be saved), and of course overcoming. But those advances in social hierarchy or whatever are just not necessary. A little girl went to visit her grandmother for the weekend. The big secret is that abundant life is contained in the keeping of Gods commandments, which encapsulate, in principle, the godly way of life that He wants us to live. Let us go to the Old Testament. It is really beyond our capacities to grasp. In most churches today, a contemporary service has either replaced or been added to the traditional service. He said, No, were slaves to Christ. John 1:16-17 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. If we are able to use our wisdom to know when it is good to give our kids certain things and to channel their lives towards certain goals, then He can do it much better than we can. Obviously God wants us to live in this world. The righteous have a place in Gods heart and Hes going to make sure that they have what they need.. Her grandmother went to an old fashioned Church that kept the Sabbath by forbidding all work, fun, laughing and playing. He dresses in jeans and an untucked buttoned-up shirt while he gives his message. It is a relationship. Jesus declared He is the door of the sheep, the only means of entrance into the sheepfold. He likes really nice fast cars. read more, Scripture: If you think for a moment, Seek the LORD while he may be found does sound like He is 3.INCENSE It is just natural. The second thing that I derive from John 17:3, which I have mentioned already, is that the kind of life in which a Christian should be truly interested is not determined by duration. As a parent, you would not give your kid a thousand dollars and send him off to Toys R Us and just say Go out. First of all, we do not have thousand dollars to give them. Once He has put His Spirit in us, our spiritual life has begun and that spiritual life is never ending in Him. The cause of Christianity has not helped a great deal by stuck-in-time lifestyles like the Amish who wear clothes that were in fashion 500 years ago and forbid the use of any kind of modern electronics or appliances. John 10:7-10, How we respond to the Good Shepherd will make a difference in our lives, The Abundant life in the Shepherd 07/13/08 PM Paul writes: Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So we do not need to worry. Let us start in Genesis 12 where God tells Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your fathers house, to a land that I will show you. Friends, may grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. We are in Him. Instead they are conditional promises. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. However, before we begin counting our millions, before we begin planting our palatial homes and thinking about what classic automobiles we would like in our driveways, and how many world trips we want to take and visit all those exotic places, we need to consider very seriously what God says comprises life. read more, Scripture: Now let us look at a few of these. That is the most important thing to remember. If God gives to the birds so that they have plenty to eat, He can give to us what we need for our sustenance. Jesus came 7.ITINERY We have got to quit thinking about making it in this world and we have got to set our sights on making it in Gods world. Do we enjoy the benefits of keeping Gods commandments? Now we do not have eternal life in its fullness. There is that word againlife. Our life is all focused on the Father and the Son. *other, 1. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 7.ITINERY 52-week preaching calendar to help you plan your sermons, Customizable sermon manuscripts for verse-by-verse preaching, Preach with creativity and impact throughout the year, Experiencing the mercy of God in our lives, Looking to Jesus for help now and hope in the future, Help your church understand God's plan in pain, The abundant life we have in Jesus calms our anxieties and allows us to live in freedom and generosity, May 3, 2020 We have the necessities of life for how we live today. [This lesson and this series are drawn from the writings of Tom Allen in his book What to expect now that you believe.] These people will try anything, if it might bring them some sort of satisfaction or happiness. Christ came to make our lives full and exciting and mean something. As Christians, our lives are changed by the calling that we have been given and so our perspective has to change so that we are not thinking all the time about all these physical things, but our minds are focused more on the spiritual. This is life to Him. If we have happy marriages and happy families, we are reaping the benefits of keeping the fifth and the seventh commandments. They think that we are boring, that we do not have any fun, that the life we have to live is too restrictive, and they do not normally want to have anything to do with it. In the end, if you chase it out far enough, God becomes little more than a genie in a bottle who has to grant the wishes of His people out of compulsion because they followed everything to a T (if you have prayed this prayer exactlyyou have prayed it right out of the BibleHe is bound to. It is generosity; giving returns fulfillment. . But the rewards and the blessings that accrue over a lifetime of pleasing God and living His way of life simply overwhelm the seemingly onerous duties and strictures of the Christian life. Text: John 10:10b I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. He likes beautiful architecture and builds this great house that everybody would like to have. But, between our ears, we have to be totally wrapped up with Christ in God. 07/13/08 PM And so He says, Model your life on Mine. This gets a lot of people confused about what He means. Finally, a Christians life revolves around growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). The same applies to us, in Galatians 4. Lost Connection [This lesson and this series are drawn from the writings of Tom Allen in his book What to expect now that you believe.] Mary Erickson A life yielded to the will of God, given in humble obedience as a living and holy sacrifice, sanctified by the blood of Jesus will result in life, abundant life now and eternal life in heaven. But is a life characterized by Grace, Love, Good Works, Hope, Suffering and Comfort, and a Promise for Eternal Life. John 10:10, John 10:10-11, The reason so many Christians are not experiencing abundant life is because they have become satisfied with the idea eternal life or because they are focusing on the things of this world. So we have to remember that even though we may want something and ask Him for it, it is at least partially dependent on His own judgment of whether we need it, whether it is good for us, whether it will get us to where He wants us to go. So we have this barren woman who is 89, Abraham is 99, and still the promise has not been kept. John 10:1-18, Denomination: We arrive at and depart from airports through gates. It was a lot of work, but not much in return. He can shoot the jumper and hit it 80 percent of the time. 6.INSTRUCTION That is what the Christian abundant life revolves around. Baptist. Live the right life. The complicit progressive media loves to castigate those clergy and entertainers who maintain such "archaic" attitudes regarding abortion, premarital sex and homosexuality. The abundant life is not acheived through accumulating worldly possessions. This is part of rearranging our thinking to Gods perspective on these things. Free Access to Sermons on Abundant Life, Church Sermons, Illustrations on Abundant Life, and Preaching Slides on Abundant Life. One commentator put it this way: The term perisson suggests a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than one would expect or anticipate. Look at what Paul says about this in Romans 8: Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Most of us do not realize (maybe we do not think about it; maybe we do realize it, we kind of know it) that this idea of what Paul is expressing here of an abundant life is one of the reasonsthe primary reasonthat Christ came to this earth. Once we rise from the waters of baptism, our perspective of what is important should be radically different from both worldly goals as well as the material goals of the so-called prosperity gospel hucksters. Is the Lord going to move away? That is the important thingnot that they are full of cash, nice house, nice car, nice clothes, and perfect health. Get used to it. Hes going to give what you ask for.]. And this is a scripture I do want to go to because it kind of encapsulates how we have got to think, now that we have been called. Meaning, you were raised out of the waters of baptism. The shepherd watched over and cared for the sheep within the fold. I. The life we can have when we are in a right relationship in Jesus. George is about to end it all Copyright 2003-2023 | Outreach, Inc., All rights reserved. Some people might get that idea when they read this Scripture. John 10:10 Ephesians 1:18 Increase In Abundant Life, - George Bailey is all sparkle & ecitement as he realizes Mary Hatch in a new light John 10:10, John 10:10-11, The reason so many Christians are not experiencing abundant life is because they have become satisfied with the idea eternal life or because they are focusing on the things of this world. He was familiar He has left us here. Your descendants will love it and Ill give it to them. He says, God, I dont have any descendants. Obviously this means that He is going to give him a son, yet He does not give him a son the next year when he is 76; or a couple of years later, when he is 78; or even when he is 80.