The Abundant Christian Life
By Pastor Matt Black
24
January 2006
Mid-Week Prayer Service
John 10:7-11
Open your Bibles to John 10 verses 7 through 11. The title of this evening’s message is “The Abundant Christian Life”.
John 10:7-11, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 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. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
Introduction: Tonight’s message is really a message on what an amazing Saviour we have! He is all we need. He has come that we “might have life, and… have it more abundantly…”
I. What is the Principle of Superabundance in Christ? What does it mean to have life “more abundantly”?
A. What this principle is. Notice first of all that this abundance of life is a happiness that comes from internals, not externals. Christ says (John 10:10), “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is Christ that brings this abundant life.
There is an inward principle of great happiness and it is found in Christ alone! Say it to yourself tonight: “My happiness is found in Christ alone.” It’s not found in my circumstances, except that through every circumstance I should fight to see Christ! I must battle every day to see Christ in all my circumstances. He is my life! He said “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). He says “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). This was the purpose that Christ came into the world! He came to be with you! He came to make a way into the holy place! He came to make a way to the Father! That is where happiness and joy are!! They are with Him alone. My happiness and your happiness is found in Christ alone.
Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the LIFE” (John 14:6). Life is everything good! Everything that is beautiful and attractive is so because it is full of life. A dead thing is not attractive. Christ brings life!!
Stated. So if very simply, the equation goes like this:
Abundant Life = Christ
Christ says (John 10:10), “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is Christ that brings this abundant life.
Friend, this is the hope of all believers of all time. This was the joy of the Old Testament saint from the very beginning. The happiness that Adam and Eve came was from the presence of Christ and the promise that He would come into the world! They knew that Christ would crush the serpent’s head. This was their joy!
1. Abraham’s happiness came through faith in Christ. The Bible says that through Christ, Abraham’s seed, “shall all the nations of the earth be blessed…” (Genesis 22:18).
2. Think about Moses, and how he looked upon the Glory of the Lord in the bush, and his face
2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
3. David’s joy came from the presence of Christ
Psalm 1:1ff, “Blessed is the man…his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Christ is the abundant life!
Psalm 16:11, “…in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Abundant Life = Christ
Christ says (John 10:10), “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is Christ that brings this abundant life.
4. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:3-4 that God has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love”
Remember in Paul tells us that the whole rest of mankind is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-3). They don’t have life because they don’t have Christ.
Abundant Life = Christ
Christ says (John 10:10), “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is Christ that brings this abundant life.
B. Second, notice what this principle is not.
1. This principle of life is not a prosperous lifestyle. Christ came to give us an abundant life. Notice it does not say lifestyle!!! That is the lie of the prosperity Gospel. Christ did not come to give us an abundance of lifestyle, but an inward principle of life.
Where do all our sorrows come from? They come from sin! They come from a denial of Christ’s presence with us. That is what unbelief is. When you lack faith, you are saying, I think this is outside of Christ’s control, or God has left me or forgotten about me.
2. This principle of life is not a denial of our circumstances. It is through our difficult and prosperous circumstances that we begin to see Christ. Christ comes to bring actual fullness and wholeness to us by giving us eyes to see Him in and through our circumstances.
Transition: So you say, how can I live this way? How do I have this superabundance of life? I’m glad you asked!
That is our second point:
II. How do I Practice this Superabundance in Christ?
The Bible presents the principle of living in Christ in a number of ways. It is best outlined in Mark 12:30, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…”
Three areas are readily distinguishable: heart and soul, which point to the affections, mind which points to our reason, and strength which points to our will.
Let’s begin with our reason, our Mind.
Romans 12:2, tells us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Paul tells us the same thing in Ephesians 4:23, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind”.
1. Through Meditation.
Ø The blessed man’s “delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2).
2. Through Memorization.
Ø Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
1. Colossians 3. Turn there. Colossians 3:1-3 tells us, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”
Have you ever seen someone when they first fall in love? They’re what the sociologists call “twiterpated”. Where are their affections? Look at their notebook. Brian loves Bertha. It’s everywhere. Who do they talk about?
What you love will eventually come out of your mouth and your life. That brings us not only to the practice of the mind and heart, but of the will.
You can memorize and meditate all you want, but until you choose to act on truth, you are no better than a heathen or a hypocrite.
Now if your heart and your mind are set on the Word, it will
1. The danger of Inoculation. James 1:22-25, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
2. The necessity of Choice. You MUST exercise your strength!
a. Rejection
Colossians 3:9 tells us to “put off the old man with his deeds”.
Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts”.
b. Replacement
Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Ephesians 4:22, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
3. Where does this strength come from? Where can we get the energy to do this?
Nehemiah 8:10, “the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Look at Ephesians 3… verse 16, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Are you strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man and “filled with all the fulness of God”?
As the truths of the Word of God take hold of you, you will have strength you’ve never had!
Illustration: Morning—alarm goes off. Can’t get out of bed
Morning—Fire alarm goes off—no problem!
Morning—going golfing—no problem!! Strength.
Let the Joy of the Lord be your strength!
Conclusion: Perhaps you are dealing with heavy emotional baggage. Fear. Maybe you’ve been hurt by someone. You feel inferior… frustrated... Maybe you are BURNED OUT! Maybe you are bitter. Christ is the source of your strength! He is your bread of life. Take of Him. He is the heavenly manna.
Christ says (John 10:10), “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” It is Christ that brings this abundant life.
Closing Hymn: 180 I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord
Members’ Meeting