THIS
IS THE LIFE!
JOHN
10.1-10
APRIL
13, 2008
WESLEY
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Douglas
Norris
When
you hear “Oh, this is the life!” what image comes to mind?
Basking on a sandy beach in Hawaii? Barbara, Mona, Jody, Tina and
Carolyn just returned from attending the Western Jurisdictional
meeting of the United Methodist Women in Honolulu. Mariellen was one
of the speakers. Can’t you see them reclining on their beach
chairs, wiggling their toes in the sand, enjoying a beverage with an
umbrella in it? Oh, this is the life!
What
about you? What is “the life” for you? Relaxing in a hammock?
Listening to music? Retiring? Watching the A’s beat the Giants?
Nothing
you can picture can compare with the life Jesus came to bring us.
John 10.10, Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have
it abundantly.” Jesus came to bring us life. What God wants for
you is to have life, abundant life. On Easter Sunday, I challenged
you to choose life rather than death. This morning let’s look
further at the life Jesus brings.
The
Greek word translated “abundant life” means "superabundant,"
"superfluous," "overflowing," "over and
above a certain quantity," "a quantity so abundant as to be
considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate."
God promises 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.”
However, before we begin to have
visions of palatial homes, classic automobiles, around-the-world
trips, and wads of pocket money, we need to step back and consider
what the Bible means by "life." The abundant life is
more than physical life, more than flesh, blood and breathing. All we
need to do is glance around to know that wealth, prestige, position,
and power in this world are not high-priority items on God's list of
blessings. Perhaps the most telling biblical definition of
life—particularly eternal life—is uttered by Jesus
in John 17.3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." Note
that this definition makes no mention of length of days, health,
prosperity, family, occupation—in fact, the only thing it does
mention is knowing God!
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”.
Can you imagine the tenderness, the compassion, the love in his
voice. “Mary.” Jesus affirmed her, gave her special attention,
and acknowledged their friendship. There, in the garden, Jesus
walked with her, and he talked with her and he told her she was his
own. Life, eternal life, the abundant life, is a relationship with
God. God reaches out to all of us, reaches out to you, wanting to
enter into a relationship with you, wanting to be your God, your
Savior, your friend. God reaches out and calls you by name: Mary,
Joe, Peter,
Eternal life, the abundant life,
is not determined by wealth or duration but by a relationship with
God. This is why, once we are converted and have received the gift of
the Holy Spirit, we already have eternal life. 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—the life God offers us through Jesus
Christ is about quality, not quantity. 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.”
Physical blessings may or may not
be byproducts of the abundant life; neither wealth nor poverty is a
sure indication of our standing with God. Certainly, God desires that
we "prosper in all things and be in good health" (3 John
2), but the bottom line is "I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth" (verse 4), not that we live like
royalty.
The abundant life is not static
or stagnant. The abundant life is a process. As Peter put it, in 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, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering,
adjusting, enduring, and overcoming.
The
abundant life is a growing, developing relationship with God that
begins now, when you believe, and continues through death into
eternity. And, there’s more. Let’s go back to the garden.
After
Jesus called Mary by name, and reestablished a relationship with her,
notice what was next. 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. I believe every Christian is
called to do ministry, teaching Sunday School, teaching public
school, working to make the world a better place. An abundant life
is a life of service.
Our
church is engaged in ministry, very effective ministry, and this
morning I’d like to highlight the important role volunteers provide
to enable the success of God’s ministry. No church can get along
without volunteers. You were greeted at the door this morning by a
volunteer. You were handed a bulletin by a volunteer. Volunteers
sharpened all the pencils in the pew racks. We honored the choir
this morning, a dedicated group of volunteers. Volunteers teach
Sunday School, Bible classes, lead Scout meetings, prepare meals.
Volunteers go to Louisiana and Mexico on work projects. A group of
men volunteer one Tuesday a month to make repairs. We have a host of
committees, all staffed by volunteers. Volunteers prepare meals for
homeless shelters. Volunteers do a myriad of tasks for memorial
services.
Volunteers
do ministry. When I was pastor, a member of the Merced 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.
During the worship service, I extended the invitation for folks 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 Eleanor, 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.” We 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 the volunteers
happily provided: inviting and bringing a neighbor to church, feeding
the hungry, prayer, loving a lonely boy, and giving a bicycle.
In
the bulletin this morning you will find a yellow form, challenging
you to continue moving from spectator to disciple. Will you
prayerfully see where you can volunteer so our church’s ministry
will prosper.
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