The Abundant Life
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Introduction/Prayer
Introduction/Prayer
Pray to begin
What is the good life?
The Good life, One Republic
Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone
New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say
Oh, this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
Miller High Life: mysoginistic commercials that convinced you only guys drink beer and if it is affordable and you can lie to your wife and go fishing all day then you are living the high life.
Income necessities
Recently a study looked at needed income for what defines the good life as being comfortable and finding leaisure and work balance with low levels of stress:
graphic of income:
a comfortable life is about being able to comfortably spend 50% of income on bills, 30% on discretionary wants/needs, 20% savings…. sure. And in the average major city a family of 4 must make:
235K
individuals: 96K
Secularist progressive narrative
In a purely progressive secularism that is combative with religion: the belief is that as we progress in time, we will also advance scientifically, technologically, politically, and morally… and religion is not needed.
“This model presumes that with the right conditions and influences, humans are perfectible and that a kind of human utopia is possible.” Mark Sayers, p. 21
As we see here…
Show image 1 (Secular narrative)
The left and right are guilty of this:
Left: they are aligned with this pursuit of human utopia, peace, justice, and human perfectibility. Progressives believe that more government intervention will improve our society.
Right: want to pump the brakes and conserve fruits of western culture, free economy, less government intervention
They both believe specific policies can lead us to a free, fair, and prosperous future.
They may argue over what utopia will look like but they are both encapsulated by the secular narrative.
So what is the good life? Or as Jesus puts it…the abundant life?
So I think I have quite the challenge this morning if I am honest. Introducing a series that is of particular importance to our church and preaching a pivotal text and doing that in time to get you to lunch before the baptists. But I think where God is leading me today is to focus on what are the characteristics of the abundant life according to John 10…or what leads to the abundant life and then we will see how the language that FMC has adopted on discipleship will lead to that end.
When reading through John’s gospel, immediately preceding this text is this back and forth about the healing of a blind man. Some have thought the transition is too abrupt and maybe there was a translation error or something is missing between chapter 9 and 10 but that is a poor interpretation. As a matter of fact, what happens in chapter 9 actually provides the groundwork to understand what Jesus is talking about with all this stuff about being the “gate” and the “shepherd.”
In chapter 9, there is this great scene:
Jesus finds man born blind
There is this great commentary about sin and infirmities....
Healing of blind, Restating “I am light of the world.”
Investigation that includes the man’s parents
This disdain for Jesus and Jesus showing the hypocrisy of the religious people. There are people with sight that are actually blind.
That is the backdrop.
There is three points I want to make this morning from John 10:
Jesus is the Shepherd AND the Gate
The thief is not the devil
Jesus is protection and pasture
Jesus is the Shepherd AND the Gate
Jesus is the Shepherd AND the Gate
This passage in John 10 is intriguing because two of the self-revelatory statements are wrapped up here. They are so intertwined that it is difficult to teach on one and not the other. I believe they overlap for reason....we do not like them because they mess with our model:
Jesus is the shepherd, and then the undersheperd or watchmen lets him in because he knows his voice but the watchmen opens the gate for him....oh but Jesus is the gate so the watchmen hears Jesus voice coming and opens him, the gate at the same time. Wait what?!
Jesus is the shepherd. He is the one who leads. He is the one whose voice we yearn for and the one that we recognize. He is the one that knows us by name. We want to follow.
Jesus is also the gate.
Look at verse 9 again:
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Please think about the context again…Jesus is speaking to the religious folks. To be in the flock is to have entered through the gate. There is no other gate.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
I know that we do not like to talk about faith as being exclusive....we want it to be wide open and for much of our mission we are called to be relentlessly generous… but when it comes to the message of true salvation lets not get weak knees about declaring the true gate to folks.
I am challenged by this because sometimes we in the church like the idea of shepherd…it is nice. Right leaves the 99 for the 1. Feeds, protects, guides, but other images like the exclusivity of the gate are too much.
He is the shepherd and the gate
The thief is not the devil!
The thief is not the devil!
Secondly, the thief is not the devil in this context. It could be you!!! I am just kidding, but again, think about the context. Everything in this context, every commentator, talks about the robbers and thieves as people that are standing around listening to this teaching.
Craig Kenner:
Jewish law distinguished thieves from robbers: the former broke in, whereas the latter often lived in the wilderness and assaulted passersby. Shepherds continually had to guard against losing sheep to either kind of enemy.
Thieves that work their way in, plotting and scheming. Robbers that will harm you just passing by. Unfortunately both can be found around us all the time…even in the church.
Student ministry…a kid did not want to come to church because someone talked about what they wore.
Shepherds in your life must be measured by the shepherd
I dont want to press the analogy too far but here is what I take away from this.....I dont want to let any voice, any teacher, any preacher, anyone to detract how I listen to the shepherd’s voice. Only those that come through the gate get my ear fully....
Jesus is protection and pasture
Jesus is protection and pasture
Lastly, Jesus is protection and pasture. He is both. He is the gate of protection. He is the one keeping away the thieves and the robbers. Look at it one more time:
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
Protection:
In the sheep pen there is a narrowing of what you see.... no longer the huge world around, but what is right in front of you. You inside the protection of the shepherd and now you do not have to fear what is going on out there.
Pasture
but also, through Jesus you will find pasture.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
It is through the gate, it is by the shepherd that you will find abundance, that you will find blessing, that you will find rest, that you will find nourishment.
When you are feeling fearful, retreat into him so that it is only his voice you hear. When its time, we go into pasture with the security of ones following the shepherd.
Still the question that should be lingering is how can we have this abundant life?
L.I.F.E
L.I.F.E
Living in Community
It is in community that we learn to hear the shepherds voice, that we hold each other in the gate that is Jesus. Community of transformation. I would imagine few of us know what it is to hear the shepherds voice, at least consistently. We know a lot about the shepherd but to his his voice is another subject.
Investing in Others
Making disciples, inviting others into the gate or into the pasture of abundant life.
Discipleship at home
intentional parenting
spiritual parenthood
Funeral from Friday and the people who spoke were friends, nephews, a line of people. One young man that cried during his share because the deceased befriended him in a motorbike club and poured into him.
The thief is out there. This isnt retreatal language again, this is knowing that so much and so many to not of our best interest.
Focus outward
Holy love is about love for others.
Encountering God
prayer
worship
scripture
fasting
prayer and worship gathering - Daybreak
presence based church.
Discipleship has meant all kinds of things in the church over my lifetime at least. And because it has meant everything, it really means nothing. Abundant life is not a magical hidden path, but it is less travelled because the lie of the thief and robber is so convincing. But it is failing us. The abundant life is one that knows the shepherd’s voice, that experiences protection and pasture. Security and thriving.
Ending?
Card for them to fill out: