Fullness of Life!
Fullness of Life! Pastor Gregg
Introduction:
Hi everyone. I am Pastor Gregg of Next Steps Ministries. Thank you for being here. I know, expect and believe that hearts will be softened, and lives will be changed today. Amen! How can I be so confident of that? Because I know whom I serve. He’s changed my life, so I know He can change yours. And whether you believe in Christ or not, I’m glad you are here. At Next Steps, our number One Core Value is that “Every Life Matters!”.
Today is Easter. Most of us know the story of Easter and why we celebrate it. We celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. And what a great thing to celebrate. To know that we can be reconciled with God and have eternity with him because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
1 Corinthians 15 Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.
Jesus, the Son of God was Born, became a man, died on the cross for you and me, rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God. Acts 2:24, 5:32, 10:40 & 13:31
Jesus came so that we could be reconciled to God. He came, died, and rose so that we could have eternal life. What do we have to do? Nothing! It is a gift from God.
Well, not exactly. You and I have a choice. We must believe and put our trust in him. But we can’t earn it, we can’t buy it and we don’t have to be good enough to receive it. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”. That is cause for celebration.
So how do you receive this gift? Romans 10:9, 10 tells us how; “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” All we have to do is tell God, “I believe that Christ is your Son. That he died on the cross for my sins and rose from the grave. I accept Him as my Lord and Savior.” And declare it with your mouth. Tell others. That’s it.
Now that is pretty stinking awesome. Eternal Life! That is something to celebrate, Amen! But as if that were not enough. There’s even more. In John 10:10 (Next Steps Ministries Core Verse) Jesus said, “I have come that they (You and I) might have the fullness of life.”
Wow! Not only does God want us to have eternal life but He wants us to have a full life here on earth as well as in eternity. I could preach a four-week sermon series on that one verse. But since I only gave myself 30 minutes today (I bet you're glad about that. I can be long-winded).
That you might have a fullness of life. Imagine that!
Our minds are going to jump right away to things like Happiness, Health, Success and Material things. We think a full life means having plenty of food, clothing, money, health, happiness, and love, right?
Well, not exactly. While God does want those things for us. The fullness that He wants for us goes way beyond our physical wants and needs.
The King James version of the Bible uses the word “abundantly” instead of “Fullness”. Abundantly in the Greek is “pe-rēs-so's “A few of its meanings are: advantage, exceeding, beyond measure.
A few examples would be:
- · Having peace in the midst of a storm.
- · Feeling joy during a mighty trial.
- · Strength in everyday battles.
- · Courage when fear surrounds you.
- · Wisdom in the midst of confusion.
- · Love and forgiveness when surrounded by hate.
How do we lay hold of and grab a life in the fullness of Christ? It’s simple but can be hard at times. It takes discipline and commitment. If you want a better, fuller life here on earth here’s are six key things you must do:
· First, you have got to make Christ Lord of your life. Romans 10:9, 10 Philippians 2:12 - 2 Corinthians 6:2
· Second, you have got to get the Word into your heart. This goes beyond just simply reading it. Reading it is good, of course, but you’ve got to meditate (think) on it. You’ve got to go beyond knowing what it says and actually use it, apply it in your life every day. You’ve got to act on it. And of course, you must believe every word in it. 2 Timothy 3:16 John 5:39 Psalm 119
· Third, you have got to spend time every day in prayer. God wants to hear your voice, your needs, requests for others, your frustrations and your victories, your sorrows and joys, your thankfulness, praises and love. There is no special format to follow or correct words to use. Just talk to Him. Hebrews 4:16 James 5:13-16
· Next, Surround yourself with like-minded people. Get plugged into a church and faithfully attend. Get involved in small (Life) groups and bible studies. Hebrews 10:24, 25 Acts 2:42
· Fifth, Service and volunteering are amazing ways to get out of yourself and your problems. Plus, the growth and rewards are awesome. Service, volunteering and giving back, whether it’s at your local church, through a local ministry like Next Steps, a ministry like CR/CRI, your church, or in your community are required by God and your growth, joy and successes depend upon it. Matthew 7:2 Luke 10:27
· Lastly, number six, Choice. You need to intentionally seek good choices. God will not force anything upon you. You must take the right steps and make the right choices for yourself. Joshua 24:15 James 4:4
What I hope I convey today is that we should not only celebrate being able to have eternal life, but we need to celebrate that we can have the fullness of life in Christ today, right now. We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven.
We have got to start taking God at his Word, myself included. The benefits of Christ’s life, ministry, death and resurrection for all of mankind go beyond anything our minds can ever imagine.
Pastor Gregg Crisp
March 30, 2018
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