Week 2 – Jeff Maness – September 22, 2019
Jesus said His purpose for us was to give us “life to the full”. A rich and satisfying life. The problem is, if we misunderstand the life Jesus gives, we can miss out on the life He wants me to live. In order to experience that life we need to understand what it is and how to get it.
Why? Life To The Full
Vision — We exist to guide people to experience life to its fullest, connect into meaningful relationships and make a lasting impact.
John 10:10 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (Other versions say, “abundant life” or “life to the full”)
Big Idea: If I misunderstand the life Jesus gives, I will miss out on the life He wants me to live.
Big Question: What should I understand about the life Jesus gives?
Main Scripture: John 10:1-10
John 10:1-9a 1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” 6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9a Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.
1. It’s available to anyone but only through One
A Place To Call Home — We will love people for who they are so we can lead them to where they need to be.
John 3:16 16 “For this is how 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.
John 14:6 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father (be saved) except through me.”
You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. — C.S. Lewis
John 10:9b They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.
2. It provides freedom but only to follow
John 10:4-5 4 After he (Good Shepherd) has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Romans 6:20-23 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. (death) 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 10:10 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (Life to the full)
3. It fully satisfies but only in the spirit.
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