Good Shepherd part 2
Notes
Transcript
Abundant Life
Abundant Life
Last week we looked at Jesus being the good shepherd. He is the gate that leads to eternal life. you must come through Him in order to have access to the Father.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
He also says that he has come to give abundant life. We must chose to follow him to receive this abundant life. There is an alternative that leads to destruction. This is to follow Satan and the world. You may ask why would anyone choose to follow a path that leads to destruction over the path that leads to eternal life. Because Satan convinces people that the world is the better place.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
So what path am I on you may ask?
Path of destruction
Path of destruction
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Is boils down to who you love! The Father or the world.
Love of the flesh, eyes and pride are the loves of the world.
The love of the flesh predominately is speaking about sexual temptation. Sexuality saturates today's culture. It takes on many different forms. Homosexuality, promiscuity, pornography, gender identification are all forms of sexual perversion that are at epidemic levels.
We are bombarded with advertisement, television shows, social media, books, cartoons, and even video games our kids are playing have forms of sexual perversion.
Some may say I don’t have these temptations, but does the pervasiveness of this break your heart?
Lust of the eyes is predominately materialism. When people think that the things they own will bring them satisfaction in life, they pursue it as if it were their god. The acquisition of wealth is the pursuit of many people. Some would even say that it is the “American Dream”. It is a lie. Money does not bring everlasting joy.
The Boastful Pride of life is worldly success. People are driven by success. They find their identity in what they have accomplished. They take credit for their success and boast about how good they are. It is rooted in pride. They fail to see that the Lord is the one who got them to where they are.
There is nothing wrong with sexuality, material possessions and success within their proper places. It is when they become our loves that they lead to destruction.
Path of abundant life
Path of abundant life
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Abundant life is rooted in faith in Christ. It is not based on our circumstances. Here we see that God causes all things to work together for good when we love God and follow Him.
There are 3 ways you know you are following Him.
You are justified- You have been declared not guilty before God for your sins. You do not hold on the the guilt because Jesus has paid the price!
You are sanctified- This is the process of being conformed into the image of Christ. This means that you are putting to death your old ways and replacing them with righteous ways.
You are glorified- This is the hope of eternal life. This life is temporary, but Christ promises eternal life with Him in heaven. We are given a new body to dwell with Christ forever!
Lays Down His Life
Lays Down His Life
A good shepherd will not spare anything in order to care for his sheep. He will even lay down His life to make sure that his sheep are taken care of.
A hired hand does not care for the sheep, so they will not lay their life down to care for the sheep. If danger comes then they will flee. They will leave the sheep behind in order to protect themselves.
Jesus has laid His life down for us. You may ask what does that mean or how has he laid His life down for us?
Every person is headed for destruction. This is because we are born with a sin nature. It is in this sin nature that we sin against God. One sin against God deserves eternal death in the lake of fire.
Their is no hope in ourselves for eternal or abundant life. God made a way by sending Jesus to die our death, restore our relationship with the Father, and give us everlasting life
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.
Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God made us alive by sending Jesus to fulfill the law and then be crucified as a sacrifice for those who put their faith and trust in Him for salvation and eternal life.
Other Sheep
Other Sheep
Jesus came to save the lost sheep of Israel. He came to restore the nation. Matthew 15:24
But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
He came as a sacrificial lamb to the nation of Israel to fulfill the covenant that God made to Israel. However He also laid down for all people, nationality, and race!
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
This means that everyone has the opportunity for salvation.
Division Among People
Division Among People
There are a lot of ways people are divided. For example: Black and white, Rich and poor, Democrat and republican, Blue collar and white collar, Alabama and auburn. It seems we find ways to be divided. Those on the other side we tend to see as enemies.
Might I suggest that the greatest division between people are those that live for Christ and those that live for the world? Where are you this morning?
If you live for the world then you are on a path of destruction. You will have to stand before God and give an account for every sin. There will be no excuse. Only punishment. That can change this morning. You can change pathways. You can get on the path of abundant life.
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