Sermon Central
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Journey For The Abundance Of Life
Contributed by Anthony Zibolski on Feb 22, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: no matter what people want to think, we are on a journey. what we do on that journey affects eternity for us and those that are around us. Jesus desires that we live life abundantly.
JOURNEY FOR THE FULLNESS OF GOD
INTRO-
JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE PAINTS A PICTURE FOR EACH OF US THIS MORNING. HE SHOWS US THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO CHRIST. YOU CANNOT TAKE A SHORT CUT, YOU CANNOT EARN IT. HE SHOWS US THAT HE IS THE REAL DEAL- IF WE ARE GOING TO BE THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE, WE WILL LISTEN FOR HIS VOICE, WE WILL DISTINGUISH HIS VOICE FROM THE MANY VOICES CALLING TODAY.
HE USES THE ANALOGY OF BEING THE GATE. ALL ROADS DON’T LEAD TO GOD, THERE IS NOT MORE THAN ONE WAY TO MAKE HEAVEN. ANY OTHER WAYS SUGGESTED ARE SUGGESTED BY THIEVES AND ROBBERS WHO ROB US OF OUR SOULS. I KNOW IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF TOLERANCE, THAT IS NARROW MINDED, THAT IS WHAT IT IS....NARROW BUT TRUTHFUL.
THE KEY VERSE IN THERE IS THAT THE DEVIL WANTS TO KILL, STEAL, DESTROY, BUT THAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE US ABUNDANT LIFE.
I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE- WE ARE ON A JOURNEY. FROM THE FIRST BREATH UNTIL THE LAST. THE LIFE WE LIVE BETWEEN THEM DETERMINES ETERNITY FOR US.
DOWN INSIDE EACH OF US , WEATHER WE WANT TO ADMIT IT OR NOT IS A SENSE THAT THERE HAS TO BE MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST EXISTING.
HOW MANY KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EVERYDAY LIVE THIS LIFE- THEY GO TO WORK, THEY COME HOME, EAT DINNER, WATCH T.V., GO TO BED, THEN EVENTUALLY THEY DIE.
THEY NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT THEY WOULD CALL ABUNDANT LIFE- THEY HAVE JUST EXISTED.
JESUS TELLS US- AS A CHILD OF GOD, WE CAN LIVE A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE “OR A LIFE OF FULL”
THE DEFINITION OF ABUNDANCE IS FULL, COMPLETE. JESUS SAYS THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE FULL AND COMPLETE LIVES.
SOME WELL KNOWN PREACHERS WERE ASKED ABOUT GOD’S ABUNDANCE AND PROSPERITY.
JOEL OSTEEN- “I THINK GOD WANTS US TO BE PROSPEROUS. I THINK HE WANTS US TO BE HAPPY. I THINK HE WANTS US TO ENJOY OUR LIVES. I DON’T THINK I’D SAY THAT GOD WANTS US ALL TO BE RICH”
JOYCE MEYERS- “WHO WOULD WANT SOMETHING WHERE YOU’RE MISERABLE, BROKE, AND UGLY AND YOU HAVE TO MUDDLE THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET TO HEAVEN”
T.D. JAKES- “ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND YOUR LIFE QUOTING GREAT MEN, OR ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME GREAT AND LET SOMEONE QUOTE YOU?
RICK WARREN- “THIS IDEA THAT GOD WANTS EVERYBODY TO BE WEALTHY?BOLOGNEY. IT’S CREATING A FALSE IDOL. YOU DON’T MEASURE YOUR SELF WORTH BY YOUR NET WORTH.”
GOD INVITES US TO HAVE ABUNDANT LIFE- IT ‘S NOT FOR EVERYONE, IT IS FOR THOSE THAT JESUS IS THE SHEPHERD OF- THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO HIM ON THE NARROW ROAD.
OUR WORLD IS FULL OF DISSATISFIED PEOPLE. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS FOR WHY THEY ARE FEELING EMPTY. THEY TRY EVERYTHING AND LISTEN TO NO ONE.
THEY THINK ONE MORE POSSESSION. ONE MORE RELATIONSHIP, ONE MORE WAY OF MAKING MONEY...THIS IS HOW THEY WILL ACHIEVE FULFILLMENT.
THE RESULTS THEY FIND IN THEMSELVES IS DIVORCE, DRUG DEPENDENCY, ALCOHOL ABUSE, DEPRESSION, SEXUAL IMPURITY, EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS, AND IN SOME CASES SUICIDE.
WE ARE MESSED UP ABUNDANT LIFE IN OURSELVES IS NOT THE ANSWER, WE ARE IN A DAY AND AGE THAT SAYS MORE IS BETTER, BEING A LONER IS OKAY, YOU DESERVE MORE, JUST DO IT.
ABUNDANT LIFE DOES EXIST
CHRISTIANS HAVE DISCOVERED, OR AT LEAST SHOULD HAVE DISCOVER THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT THEM, IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, IT IS NOT ABOUT LIVING FOR YOURSELF, IT IS LIVING FOR JESUS CHRIST
NOT THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS, BUT THE ABUNDANCE OF HIM.
ABUNDANCE IS TO STOP SEEING GOD AS AN ENEMY OR A INCONVENIENCE, BUT SEEING HIM AS A FRIEND AND SAVIOR.
THERE IS NO MAGIC SAYING, NO MAGIC POTION. IT IS ALLOWING GOD’S GRACE TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE AND TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD.
MATTHEW 7:7-9- “ASK AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND, KNOCK AND THE DOOR WILL BE OPEN TO YOU. FOR EVERYONE WHO ASKS RECEIVES, HE WHO SEEKS FINDS, AND HIM WHO KNOCKS, THE DOOR WILL BE OPENED “
THAT IS A PROMISE
JESUS SAID- I HAVE COME THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE AND HAVE IT TO THE FULL
THAT IS A PROMISE
I AM THE GATE- THE WAY TO THE FULL LIFE
I AM THE SHEPHERD- MY SHEEP KNOW MY VOICE IN A WORLD OF CRYING AND DECEIVING VOICES
I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT FOR EACH ONE OF MY PEOPLE.
NOTICE I DID NOT SAY EASY-
HE DOES NOT TELL US WE WILL BE FREE OF TROUBLE
NO WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOES GOD SAY WE WILL ALL GET THE SAME THINGS- SOME HAVE MORE- SOME LESS’
SOME IN OUR ABUNDANCE HAVE HEALTH- SOME DON’T
