Eternal & Abundant Life
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Transcript
20 Apr 25 – Resurrection Sunday
Part I
No matter where you go in this world, the vast majority of people, religious or not, believe in some form of life after death. Now, regarding religion, it is estimated that there are approximately 4,000 religions in the world –the majority of those fall under one of the 5 major world religions. Every religion that I am aware of has a prescribed method for ensuring life after death or gaining eternal life. Because there are so many religions, we supposedly have many paths to get to a place commonly referred to as Heaven.
A problem that I see with these religions and their idea of “salvation” (escaping this world and going into the next) is that they are highly subjective. Empty yourself, find a spirit guide, be a good person - all subjective. With subjectivity comes uncertainty. A person never truly knows if they’ll “make it.” It's a “guessing game.” Because of subjectivity and uncertainty, salvation or earning eternal life is ultimately determined by self effort. Pick any religion in this world, like Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Paganism, Latter Day Saints – when you boil it all down, all that is left is human effort – your salvation is on your shoulders. Every religion, that is, except for one. I believe there is one God, one Creator, one Savior who loves us enough to tell us the truth - that we can’t save ourselves – we can’t earn Heaven. No amount of generosity, good works, being nice, power or influence will open Heaven's doors.
What do you believe? How much certainty does your belief provide?
In John 3, we meet Nicodemus – a religious leader and devout Jew. To him, being of Jewish descent was enough to have eternal life. Jesus said, "No, it's not.” Let's briefly look at that conversation.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Nicodemus had the wits to recognize that Jesus was different. He had an authority and power that set Him apart from other religious leaders. There are a lot of people in our world like Nicodemus. They might say that Jesus was a model human and a great moral teacher. Though that’s a good start, but it drastically falls short of who Jesus was and is - fully human, fully God. Like Nicodemus, they will take the human part, but not the God (Lord) part.
In verse 3,
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
God’s Kingdom – wherever God is, there is His Kingdom, His values on earth and eternal Kingdom in Heaven. Verse 5,
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus makes it clear - a person cannot comprehend or enter God’s Kingdom – you cannot become a part of His family in this world or the next (i.e. Heaven) without being born again. Being born again is not something you do; it’s something God does in you and for you. It's a gift and must be received by faith. You have earthly parents who gave you physical birth, but if you want true eternal life, You need to be born again, anew, spiritually. The Bible calls this adoption and salvation. A new family.
Wait a minute! I thought we are all God’s children. No, we’re not. We are all made in the image of God, but our sinful, rebellious, prideful actions toward God, living life on our own terms, defining for ourselves what is right or wrong separates us from a relationship with God.
Here’s the thing, unlike these other religions, Jesus removes the subjectivity and the uncertainty and pressure of self effort to earn salvation.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
And the only way through Jesus is by believing or trusting in who He truly is – the Son of the Living God. Nicodemus said, “Jesus, you’re a good teacher.” Jesus said, “That won’t cut it. That's not enough. Being Jewish is not enough – you must be born again.”
How does one become born again?
For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Let’s reduce the 4,000 religions to 100. 99 say it’s up to you to save yourself. One says you cannot – and because you cannot, God Himself became flesh to save us.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.
For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Maybe this morning you’re like Nicodemus, you haven’t fully accepted Jesus Christ as Lord, King ….
Part II
So here’s the Good News or the Gospel – Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God became a man (can’t kill God), died for our sins and conquered death by His resurrection so that we could be forgiven of our sins and also conquer death and be united with God in this life, but also for eternity in Heaven.
Some might think that Jesus came so we could go to Heaven and go to church and that’s it? That’s only part of it.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Abundant life? Isn’t Christianity all about dos and don’ts and following rules? There’s some truth to that, but name one authentic loving relationship that does not have dos and don’ts and rules. If you have a relationship where there are no rule or boundaries, you can do whatever you want - that’s not a healthy loving relationship.
It’s interesting how many people imagine God sitting on a throne barking out commands like a dictator, and these commands make our lives miserable. That’s not God. God’s commands are always in the context of relationships. They are about love, truth, freedom, and living the best way possible with one another. His commands are designed to help us be the best humans possible.
So, what is this abundant life? Before we answer that, curious – how would you define this abundant life and are you experiencing this abundant life Jesus promised? The word means (περισσός, perissos) beyond or extraordinary, but the context in which it’s used means to be content, to flourish, or to be fat (i.e. satisfied).
There’s a future aspect to this - eternal life, rather than eternal death. But there’s also a present aspect – here and now in our world. Now, we need to be careful - the abundant life Jesus spoke of is not an Americanized version of abundance. It’s not necessarily about our comfort, our prosperity, or living a pain-free, struggle-free life.
So what is it? Understand that the abundant life is always lived within your context. Your context includes your age, physical limits, perhaps diseases or disorders that are beyond our control. Context includes being single or married, in school or in a career, where we live in the world, our strengths, experiences. All those things and more factors into our context. So, because every person’s context is different, each person’s abundant life will be different.
For the sake of discussion, let’s define abundant life. I’ve used this before, but I believe it fits –
The abundant life “is becoming the person God calls you to become, and doing what God calls you to do – in His way, and according to His timetable” within your context. ~ Peter Scazzero
I would add, within your context. That’s where the extraordinary comes in – being and doing what God designed.
But here's a problem – we have an enemy - many enemies and many thieves that want to steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life God has for us. We have an enemy that tells us we’re not lovable, we’re not good enough, or we if we just had that then we’d be happy … and the list goes on. So we continually search for an abundant life everywhere else in fleeting things and we always come up short – more money, more sex, more booze, more … but it never provides or satisfies. We either keep searching or we give up and settle in – become little Eeyores.
Curious – what in your life might be stealing, killing, destroying your what God has for you? Do you keep searching everywhere else but God? Or have you settled? What do you want to do about it?
I cannot tell you what the abundant life will look like for you, but I do know the One who gives life and gives it abundantly – His name is Jesus – and He alone is the Christ, the Savior …. Over 2,000 years ago He hung on a cross to pay for our sins so that we could be forgiven and free from death. He was placed in a tomb for 3 days but rose again that we might have abundant life – in this world and in the next.
So take a hard honest look at your life. Would you use the word abundant to describe it? If not, invite God's Spirit to shine His light into your life to expose what needs to be exposed. Then, come to the one who said,
On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and
let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
And
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Jesus is giving us an invitation, not only to be saved and have eternal life, but to also have abundant life here on earth.
At this time, I’d like to invite you to come and celebrate Communion. Come and receive the elements and return to your seat in contemplation – give thanks for His sacrifice but also allow His Spirit to speak to you. Perhaps this is a time to Confess Christ as Lord for the first time, or to surrender to His Lordship.
