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Living Abundantly JOHN 10:1-10
Jesus is the shepherd leading us to an abundant life in green pastures, and guarding us from the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy. The Greek word translated “abundant life” means superabundant, overflowing, a life considerably more than what we would expect or anticipate. God gives us a life far better than we could ever envision. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2.9, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” The abundant life is more than physical life, more than flesh, blood and breathing; a life where wealth, prestige, position, and power are not high-priority items on God's list of blessings. God gives us abundant life which is eternal. Jesus said, John 17.3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." The abundant life is eternal. Note that this definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, occupation—in fact, the only thing it mentions is knowing God! Eternal life, the abundant life is about quality, not quantity. The abundant life is a relationship with God that is eternal. 1 John 5.11-12, “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.” Eternal life, which begins now in our relationship with God, continues through death. We can’t imagine what God has prepared for us beyond the grave. We take comfort and hope in Jesus’ statement, “Because I live, you shall live also.” The abundant life is not static or stagnant. The abundant life is a process where we, 2 Peter 3.18, "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". The abundant life is a process of learning, practicing, growing, maturing, and includes failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming. But, the thief comes to destroy the abundant life. One such thief that is especially effective today is stress. A study claimed that more than 50% of Americans report having some kind of stress, anxiety or depression. Another survey found that 40% of the things we worry about never happen, 30% are in the past and can’t be helped, 12% concern the affairs of others that aren’t our business, 10% are about sickness – either real or imagined – and 8% are worth worrying about. I would submit that even the 8% aren’t really worth the energy of worry. Another survey pinpoints the most stressful time of day as 7:23 a.m. with the first case of “drama” occurring around 8:18 a.m. Examples are traffic, waking up late, spilling something on clothing, burning food, accidentally dropping and breaking a glass or a bowl. The average person experiences an average of three dramas a day. Friday I read of how stress speeds up the aging process. Stress, anxiety, worry, depression destroy the abundant life Jesus came to bing us. So, what do we do with stress, worry, anxiety, depression? Jesus said, Matthew 6:31-34, “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?” …Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Don’t worry, don’t stress. Give it up, let it go, release it. Another word is detachment. Do not become attached. Detach yourself, separate yourself from stress, worry and anxiety. I try to compartmentallze—put the stress in a little box and set it aside. On Easter morning, Mary Magdalene was weeping in the garden. She had found the tomb empty; the stone was rolled away. She thought it was a gardener who asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him.” All Jesus had to say, so that she would recognize him, was her name “Mary”. Was he exasperated with her for not recognizing him? Or, with tenderness, compassion, love? “Mary.” There, in the garden, Jesus walked with her, talked with her and told her she was his own. Then, Jesus gave Mary something to do! He told her to go tell the disciples. The abundant life is a relationship with God who gives us something to do. We receive the abundant life, not to keep it for ourselves, but to act, to do. I believe every Christian is called to do ministry in the church and in the world. An abundant life is a life of service. Our church is filled with people who serve—teach classes, serve on committees, repair the buildings, faithfully sing in the choir or VirTual, provide food for the residents of Hotel de Zink, visit the home-bound, make cookies for shut-ins, build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Some go around the world to do mission work. Nancy Glaser helps young girls in Kenya. Brenda Birrell, who we blessed this morning, is on her way to three countries in Africa. We can’t all go to Africa but we can all do acts of kindness. According to the Mayo Clinic, an act of kindness can decrease your blood pressure. improve your disposition and increase your feeling of well-being! Acts of kindness can be as simple as giving people an unsolicited compliment or a word of encouragement. There is a woman in Philadelphia who walks around the city giving compliments to strangers. She calls herself “The Compliment Squad,” The idea came when her family had a yard sale. To draw attention to their home, they put up signs around the neighborhood advertising free compliments for people who stopped by, and she discovered the power of kindness. When I was pastor in Merced, a member of the church brought an 11-year old boy to the worship service. She discovered that he had not eaten, so she first took him out for breakfast. After the sermon, I extended the invitation for people to come forward to commit their lives to Christ, be blessed, or pray for a special need. The boy came forward and knelt. I asked him how I could help him pray. He said, “I want to pray for my Dad who is in prison.” Several Sundays later, my wife Ellie noticed him and his cousin pouring lots of cream and sugar into cups of coffee during the Fellowship Time. She asked if they were hungry, and took them to her Sunday School room where she had leftovers from a class dinner. During Holy Week, one of our church men brought two bicycles for us to give to kids who needed them. On Easter, the boy again came forward to kneel, this time for a blessing. He announced, “Today is my birthday.” I asked him if he would like a bicycle for a birthday present. You would have to look far and wide to find a happier boy with bigger eyes! Notice the ministry our members happily provided: inviting and bringing a neighbor to church, feeding the hungry, loving a lonely boy, and giving bicycles. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Living abundantly is an eternal relationship with Jesus who walks with us, talks with us, tells us we are his own and pushes us to go and do acts of kindness. © 2023 Douglas I. Norris |