The story is told of a couple who were buried side to side. Their tombstones read, She died of things, he died providing them.

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Homer Byrd
5 years ago
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1 Life Verses: Abundance John 10:7-10 The Good Life vs. Abundant Life We ve got things backwards when it comes to possessions. Instead of us possessing them, they possess us. The very things that are supposed to reflect abundance can become nothing more than a drain, robbing us of life. The story is told of a couple who were buried side to side. Their tombstones read, She died of things, he died providing them. They re not the only ones. Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly. That s a verse that s exceedingly well-known and sadly misunderstood. It s one that has become a life verse for me. Somewhere along the line far too many have somehow mixed up the supposed good life with the abundant life Jesus came to offer. The good life, as defined by the world, has more to do with stuff and all that follows. Abundant life is more a matter of inward disposition that sees Christ as the source of those things the world simply cannot give. In the mad dash to accumulate as many things as we possibly can, in the end, we are left wanting. Surely life has got to be more than the sum of all we have accumulated. The abundance Jesus offers has everything to do with the fulfillment that comes along with loving God and loving neighbor. It has everything to do with exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit, writes Paul, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A Gospel of Prosperity In a gross misrepresentation of what Jesus offers a gospel of prosperity has proliferated, particularly in this country.

2 The prosperity gospel, as it has been called, espouses that Jesus wants everyone to prosper materially and, if we remain faithful, that s exactly what will happen. I understand that sort of thing is preached to a ready audience in Africa, much to the chagrin of many. While Jesus is all about recognizing God s sufficiency to meet our needs temporally, he is much more concerned about God meeting our needs spiritually. If there is a gospel of prosperity it resides with an individual s life being totally sold out to Christ and from that the individual s life prospers spiritually to no end. Life A Matter of Sacred Worth One of the great themes of the Gospel of John is life for this life and the next. Our passage for today speaks clearly to this life, just as John 3:16 speaks to the next. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. In God s eyes life is a matter of sacred worth. It is that way for the unborn. It is that way for those blessed to live in this world. At creation God brought forth life and called it good. He likes life. After all, he invented it. Life is so sacred that God goes over and above. He offers new life in Christ. If anyone is in Christ, writes Paul in II Corinthians 5:17, there is a new creation, everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Have you ever considered how much your worth? Certainly if you look at some hospital bills of those battling for life, you d figure you re worth a lot. In reality you can t put a price tag on life. In God s eyes, you are priceless. So priceless that he was willing to sacrifice his only Son so that you might have life and have it to the full. Don t think any less of yourself than one who is wonderfully and beautifully made. Abundance and Being in Relationship with Jesus When Jesus speaks of abundant life he does so in the context of us being in relationship with him. He strikes the very apt analogy of us being like sheep and him being like that of a Good Shepherd.

3 Sheep are referenced throughout scripture and no more beautifully than in the 23 rd Psalm. David knew what it meant to be a good shepherd. After all, he was a shepherd himself. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths, for his name sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. The Good Shepherd Timothy Keller has written a great book on the 23 rd Psalm that offers wonderful insight on the relationship between the sheep and their shepherd. Keller makes this point, In writing the 23 rd Psalm, David is obviously speaking not as a shepherd, but as a sheep. He speaks with a strong sense of pride and devotion. It is as if David is shouting, Hey look at who my shepherd is, he is the Lord. Pointedly, in our passage for today from John 10:7-10, Jesus refers to himself as the gate for the sheep. It s an interesting analogy. Sheep pens back in the days of Jesus very well may have had a door that could be closed to keep the sheep in and by keeping the sheep in they would be safe from predators or those who might be prone to steal them away. Those with actual gates would often times be found in towns and cities. Out in the fields though, such pens wouldn t so much have a door. The shepherd was the door. He would stand guard at the opening to the pen so to keep out any predators or those who might have a mind to steal any of the sheep. The shepherd would even stretch out in front of the opening. I ve been known to do that on more than a few youth trips. I would just stretch out in front of a door to a cabin to keep the sheep in and others out, if you will. By referring to himself as the gate for the sheep Jesus was essentially saying that he will do anything to provide for our welfare. He stands to protect us and, above all, to insure life. They will come in and out, and find pasture, he says. The sheep coming and going describes a life that is secure and safe. Peace and security prevail.

4 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (Psalm 121:8) The thing about sheep is that they are totally defenseless. Almost any animal on earth can defend itself one way or another. Dogs bite, cats scratch, and skunks spray, but sheep can t do anything. They need protection. Any good shepherd knows that sheep are always under the potential of assault. Predators are always on the prowl. While shepherds can t guarantee protection from difficulty, they can provide it in difficulty. The same is true for our lives. You and I both know that difficulty comes all the time. While we aren t immune to it, we can rest assured in the fact that God will protect us through it. Not to sound too clichéd, let s at least affirm: No problem that is before us is bigger than God who is above us. The concern of the sheep is never greater than the care of the shepherd. The Good Shepherd has our back and always stands to protect us. Following God s Lead Our Best Protection It behooves us then to follow his lead. A good shepherd always leads and the sheep, if they know what s best for them, will be attuned to their shepherd s voice. If the sheep fail to follow the shepherd they will more than likely get lost, hurt, or even killed. Failure to follow God s lead will get us into trouble every time. Jesus in talking about such things says that the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. We can readily claim that the ever-present thief in our life is the devil himself. The shepherd will always guide us to the right places. Satan, on the other hand, will always drive us to the wrong places. A shepherd leads. That s just what they do. He makes me to like down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; He leads me in right paths for his name s sake. That just the way God is.

5 Satan always slips up behind, shoving us in directions we simply don t need to go. When we allow him to do that, he will steal our joy, disrupt our relationships, and destroy our lives. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 5:10-12) Therefore put on the full armor of God: The belt of truth The breastplate of righteousness The shoes of the gospel of peace The shield of faith The helmet of salvation The sword of the Spirit Al of this comes when we submit to the leadership of the Good Shepherd who: Always leads us where we need to go And stands to meet our every need. (Notice I didn t say our every want). I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly, says Jesus. In light of that, the things the world offers pale greatly in significance. There s simply no comparison between what the world offers and what Christ offers. In fact, Christ, in claiming to be the gate for the sheep, boldly states that those who enter will be saved. And by so doing, they will live life the way God intends it to be lived. Later, in the very same Gospel of John, Jesus is quoted as saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) God s love guarantees it, the cross seals it, and Christ s every desire to offer abundant life makes it a reality for those who so believe.

25 FAMOUS BIBLE VERSES

25 FAMOUS BIBLE VERSES For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.