You Can Have Abundant Life

Brother Jerry, would you lead us in prayer? Amen. Take your Bibles, turn to John ten ten if you would. Yeah, I could. Thanks.

Alright. There it is on the screen. Everybody see me okay? Yeah, are you okay? Alright.

Are you okay? I'm okay. I will be fine. Thanks for that. John ten ten, it's up on the screen too.

The thief thank you, Jules. Appreciate it. The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. Here in this verse, we have the thief and we have Jesus speaking of himself.

I am come in contrast to the thief. The thief comes, a thief comes into your house to steal and to plunder and to do you harm. But Jesus came into this world not to steal, not to do us harm. He came instead to do us good. Amen.

He came in this world not to take but he came into this world to give. But let's start for a moment and let's talk about the thief. Who is the thief? Well, the thief is someone we know as Satan or we also know him as the devil. He is the thief.

He is the enemy of mankind. You see, it is Satan who broke into, who intruded into God's creation, into God's garden, into mankind's home. God created the world to be our home. He created it for us to enjoy it, to fill it, and to take care of it forever. But Satan had other plans, particularly for us.

He came to steal that which was rightfully God's. To take it for himself because you see, Satan is not God. Right. Satan is weak. Satan is powerless.

He could not create on his own. So instead, he thought to rob that which belonged to God. Because he is vile and uncaring, he cared not for the well-being of mankind. So, fought to twist and distort it and destroy it, making it into his image. So he came into the garden.

He deceived Eve and she sinned. And Adam sinned after her. So, that which was innocent and very good became tainted with Satan's evil. Encuring the wrath of a holy God if Satan knew that it would. Robbing God of his most precious treasure, bringing death to us all.

Romans five twelve, wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. So death passed upon all men for that all have sinned. That day, we died. That day, we were separated from our creator and under the condemnation of hell. But what Satan did not bargain for was the extent of God's love for his creation.

And Jesus Christ enters the picture. John three sixteen and seventeen. Tells us, I don't have it up here. It tells us in Galatians four but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son. Who was that?

Jesus Christ. To redeem us. Us. What does that mean? That means to take us what?

To take us back from the enemy who had stolen us away. John three sixteen says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. So, we saw the thief and now, we're going to look at the savior.

Remember John ten ten said, the thief comes to kill and to steal but I am come that they might have what? Life and that they might have it more abundantly. That's right. So now, we see the savior. Satan came into this world to destroy it, to destroy you, to rob God of that which was rightfully his.

Jesus entered to this world. God become man. God who left heaven to become one of us. So that he might take our place. On the cross of Calvary.

Unlike the thief, Satan, the son of God, entered in creation, humbled himself, became one of us, a creature, not to condemn us, not to destroy us, but to save us. Right. That's the Lord. That's why Jesus came into this world. He's the opposite of the thief.

He doesn't come to take. He comes to give. He came to save us from the clutches of Satan who thought only to destroy us. He came to save us from Satan's perversion and misery. He came to save us from sin's bondage.

He came to save us from hell and a place called the Lake Of Fire, sin's end. Revelation 20, John describes for us the last judgment. Tells us there, and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. This passage tells us that mankind will be judged based on their works and what will God find based on our works? He will find that they are tainted by sin. We'll find that our works are evil.

The Bible says, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that doeth good. You say, but I do good. I I'm nice to people. I I give to people.

I, you know, I'm not in jail this morning. I'm in church. I'm a good person. I'm I'm okay. Yeah.

But how about those 10 commandments? Have you ever taken name in vain? Have you ever disobeyed and not honored your parents? You ever told a lie? Are you really that good?

No matter of fact, those are things we do all the time. We're not good. We deserve punishment because we have rebelled against our creator. We do those things that please who? Us and not the things that please him.

You see, if you if you made something and you created something, you invented something and and it was to serve a particular purpose. And you got done making it and you started it up. And it didn't work. Would you be upset? Would you be disappointed?

God created us to bring glory to him. Right. Instead, we want to bring glory to us. We want to do our thing. We don't want to do his thing.

And we're worthy of condemnation. And if we were to stand before this judgment, we would all be cast in the Lake Of Fire if it's based on what? Our works. But I want you to notice there is a way out. It says, and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the what?

Lake Of Fire. So that tells me that there is a book of life. At least in the mind of who? Almighty God. And in that that book, the book of life, there are names written.

And whoever's name is written in the book of life is not going to be cast into what? Lake Of Fire. There's an out. There's an out. Even though you're a sinner and I'm a sinner, there is a way out and that's to get your name written in God's what?

In God's book of life. Well, how do you do that? Jesus Christ. That's why he came. Luke nineteen ten, for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Who's that? That's you. He came to seek and to save you. From what? From the lake of fire.

Right. From the bondage of sin. From our misery and sin. From our enemy, Satan. First Timothy one fifteen, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of who I am chief.

Now, that's the apostle Paul. He was a sinner alright. He had Christians thrown in jail, arrested and thrown in jail, and executed for their faith before he met Christ on the road to Damascus. And he truly considered himself the chief of sinners. But if Jesus can save him, then Jesus can save who?

He can save you. If Jesus died for him, then you can be assured Jesus also died for you. That's right Matthew one twenty one and she, that's Mary, shall bring forth a son and that shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins. Who is that? Well, that's you.

What is Jesus mean in in the Bible names often have meanings. The name Jesus means the Lord saves. That's what the name means. So, every time you say Jesus, you're saying, the Lord saves. Why call him Jesus?

Because he came into the world to save us from our what? From our sins. And our punishment in a place called the Lake Of Fire. Acts four twelve says this, neither is their salvation and any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby must be saved. We often call this the gospel.

We're sinners in need of a savior and Jesus Christ came into the world to save us from our sins. That is that good news? That's what gospel means. It's good news. Amen.

Because if Jesus didn't come into this world, if Jesus didn't take my place, if he hadn't done that for me, there wouldn't be a book of life. There wouldn't be a way of escape. There wouldn't be a way for me to be reunited with my creator. There would not be a way for me. To be freed from the bondage of sin.

Only because Jesus chose God the son to come from heaven and and take a human form so that he could be with us. Be one of us to die for us. This is why Jesus came into our house. He came into our world not to take from us or to do us harm, not going to to condemn us but to save us, to save us from the enemy, to restore to us life, eternal life, abundant life that Satan robbed us of. Way back there in the Garden Of Eden.

He came to give you eternal life. That you might someday spend eternity with him in heaven and not eternity away from him. In a place called the Lake Of Fire. Romans six twenty three says this, for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The wages of sin is death, death and hell, the lake of fire.

That is what we have earned. But Jesus earned something else for us He knew no sin and he died in our place to pay the price that we could not. To buy for us a gift. That we could not buy. That's what he did for us on the cross and he offers it to us, eternal life.

Romans five eight tells us why but God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Yes, God was disappointed when his creation turned against him but you know something? Even in our sinful state, God still loves us so much. Right. Praise God.

That he didn't want to throw us away. He didn't want us to face our just punishment. No. Instead, God sent his only begotten son to the cross. Why?

Because he loves you. So much that he took your punishment upon himself. So much that God became a creature. So much that as he hung on that cross, he said, father, forgive them for they know what not what they do. He wants to give you eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. How do you get your name written in the book of life? You accept God's gift of life through Jesus Christ, his son. Amen. That's how you get it.

Amen. You put your faith and trust in the only one who can give you everlasting life and that's not me. And that's not a priest and that's not anybody else but who? But Jesus Christ Only he can give you everlasting life and he offers that to you today. He paid the price to purchase that so they could give it to you.

Did it cost? Yes, it cost Jesus everything. It cost you nothing. If you will receive it. He wants to give you everlasting life.

He wants to give you abundant life. The life God wants to give doesn't start when you die someday. This body quits functioning and you go, your soul goes to be to heaven with him. Now, that's that's that's not when it begins. It begins when you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and he gives you eternal life, abundant life, beginning now.

Amen. God wants to do something now for you. He wants to change your life. He wants to give you life more abundantly. In John ten twenty seven and twenty eight, it says this, My sheep hear my voice and I know them.

They follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. God wants to give you eternal life in heaven but he wants you to know it when. He wants you to know it now. Some churches teach people, well, you can go to heaven if you do this and this and this and this and you keep doing this and this and this and this and if you're on the day of your death and you're doing this and this and this, maybe you'll make it into heaven. But that's not what the Bible says.

The Bible says, if we trust Jesus Christ as savior and make him the Lord of our life, we become a child of God and he's reserved a place in heaven for us and we will never what? Perish. In the book of first John, John writes, to them that believe on the name of the son of God, that they might know that they have everlasting life. You can know where you are going when you die today. Right.

You don't have to wait till the day you die to know where you're going. You can know today. So, what God has to offer you just isn't just eternal life. What God have has to offer you is a life of peace and security. Because you can know today like I know today.

That when I put my head on my pillow at night, then I'm going to wake up here or I'm going wake up in heaven. Not everybody can say that, can they? But if you know Christ, you can. He offers you a life of peace and security. He offers you a life of hope.

And joy. I'm just going to read some verses here from first Peter chapter one. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and the fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. What does God have for you?

He offers you living hope and by hope, he doesn't mean, well, I hope it rains tomorrow. No, that's not what it's talking about. It is a certainty but it hasn't happened yet. I'm not in heaven yet but I have a hope, a certain hope knowing that what has not yet to occur will occur because my God has promised that it will be so. And what he has to offer you is living hope.

Sad to say, not everybody has that today, do they? Why is it that the fentanyl crisis is taking life after life after life after life after life of young people? Some the age of these guys that came to visit this morning. How does how does that happen? Young people without what?

Without hope. Without hope. They're strung out on drugs. They have no hope. If you know Christ, you have hope.

That's right. And if you're here this morning, you can't have hope. And it's not in a bottle and it's not in a drug. It's not even an earthly relationship. It is in a relationship with the God of heaven.

Praise God. Through Jesus Christ. You can't have hope. It is a life of companionship. For he said here in Hebrews thirteen fifteen, the last part of that verse, I will never leave thee nor what?

Never leave thee nor forsake thee. Amen. He said, I'll stick with you to the end. When you need me, what? I'll be here and as Ian sang, Lord, I need you and I need him every day and guess what?

He's there. He's just a prayer away. He's he he invites us in Hebrews come boldly before the throne of grace that we may receive help in time of need. He's there for his children. That is if you will accept him as your Lord.

He'll be there for you. If you will accept his offer It's a life filled with love. It's a life filled with love. Everybody wants love. It's one thing we all have in common.

We all want to be loved. Well, I'm here to tell you this morning, there's somebody that loves you. His name is Jesus. God of heaven loves you so much. He sent his son.

Jesus loves you so much. He died on the cross. And he tells us here in Romans thirty eight and thirty nine, for those who will receive him, he says this, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What does that lengthy list mean? It means this, nothing can separate you from the love of God.

That's right. If you'll receive it but he won't force it on you. He loves you but He won't force you to take his gift. He won't force you to accept his love. It's a choice you have to make.

Will you hold on to your your sin and your rebellion or will you repent and trust Christ and accept his love and his gift for you? Do you want the lake of fire? Do you want eternity in heaven? I can't make that choice for you and God won't either. You must make a choice Jesus came and he died and he rose again and he lives in heaven He died and he did this for us to fix that what was broken because we were broken.

To restore our soul and our relationship with God. He did it to save that which was lost and we were lost. Lost in the darkness of sin and on a route to eternal punishment. He wants to fix you, but you have to recognize that you need to be fixed, and you have to come to the one who has the remedy. He wants to save you but you have to admit that you're lost and you need saving.

That's right. This morning and come to him to be saved. Will you acknowledge your sin and rebellion to him? Repent of it. The Bible says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, that's you.

That's me. We've all failed him. Send his son to die for us anyway. And he offers us eternal life this morning. If you will repent of your sin, sin will cost you if you hold on to it.

Salvation, that's a free gift from God. If you will receive it. Will you believe in Jesus who died for you and rose again and accept him as your Lord and his forgiveness for sin and eternal life? Romans ten nine and thirteen says this, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be what? Let me read that again.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, that Jesus is what? Who? Lord, of your life. And shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord in faith shall be what?

Saved. Do you need to be saved? Do you? Do you need to be saved? Can you be saved?

Saved from what? From sin in a place called the Lake Of Fire. Saved to do what? Saved to live an abundant life in Jesus Christ in service to the one who made you. He will save you.

If you will accept him as your Lord and savior today. If you will believe in Jesus Christ who died for you and rose again, You can be saved. Have you done it? Have you called on him to be your Lord and savior? I did.

I was nine years old. I was sitting in a pew like you this morning. I don't remember what the sermon was about, but I remember when the invitation was given, I grabbed ahold of that pew in front of me and I didn't want to let go. But I also I knew something else and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Now, I was nine years old and you say, pastor, you really remember what, yeah, I remember this like it was yesterday.

Because it was the day that my life changed forever. When it hit me like a ton of bricks that I was a sinner, that Jesus died for me, and that I had a choice. I could accept him as my Lord and savior. And be saved and have eternal life in heaven. Or I could reject him and spend an eternity in hell.

I chose that morning to accept him. I chose that morning to ask him to be my Lord and savior. And though I have failed him many times, he has not failed me and he will not fail me and he will not fail you. Right. Have you done that?

Do you remember the day you accepted Christ as Lord and savior? Are you depending on the fact that you grew up in a Christian home or or you go to church or you're better than the guy that's in jail? Sorry, that's just not good enough. There's only one who's good enough, that's Jesus Christ and he took your place and he offers you what you can't do for yourself. Have you done that?

Will you do it? Bible tells us John fourteen six, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father. But by me. I'm want to give you one more illustration then we're going to give close the service here in just a minute but I do this for for Vacation Bible School except I bring a wheelbarrow with me and I actually have a wheelbarrow.

Now, hopefully, most of you know what a wheelbarrow is. Some of the young people here might not. A wheelbarrow has two handles in the back and a wheel in the front and it's got a big box like barrel thing that you put dirt in it and you pick it up and you wheel it around. That's a wheelbarrow. And the story goes, this was on a record I had when I was a kid.

There was this guy that strung a rope across Niagara Falls. Now, it didn't really happen this way, though I think somebody has walked across Niagara Falls now. A Wallinda guy or something like that. And anyway, this is how the story goes. The guy put a tight rope across Niagara Falls, and he's over on one side, and he's going to walk to the other side, he's got people on both sides, and he turns and asks the people, you think I can do this?

And they go, yeah, yeah, you can do it. So he gets there. He gets on tight rope and he walks across to the other side. He gets the other side. Everybody's cheering.

He has a wheelbarrow over there. With with the wheel off or special wheel on it. That he set the wheelbarrow on the tightrope. And he looks to everybody and says, do you think I can roll this wheelbarrow back across? To the other side.

And they all cheered, yeah, do it, do it, do it. And he points to Phil over here and he says, sir, Do you believe I can drive this wheelbarrow to the other side? And the guy says, yeah. He says, great. What do you say next?

Get in the wheelbarrow. You believe I could do this? Get in the wheelbarrow. Now, that's the difference between saying I believe and really truly believing. A lot of people, you ask them, oh, I believe in God.

Oh, I believe in Jesus. Are you in the wheelbarrow? Are you trusting in Jesus to get you to the other side? Are you going to try to get there on your own? Yeah.

But don't don't think that's going to happen. I'm not walking on no tight rope across Niagara Falls. I'll fall about three steps out and that'll be the end of me. Same thing goes with eternity. I'm not reaching heaven on my own good works.

I'll just walk right off the cliff. But Jesus Christ made a way. He didn't just make a way. He is the way. And if you will accept him as the Lord and savior of your life, what he did for you on the cross and you will trust him to save your soul from sin and hell.

He will his promise. He will receive you today and you can have eternal life and you can have abundant life and you can have peace and security and hope and joy and companionship in Jesus Christ, your savior. But you can have that if you hadn't haven't gotten in the wheelbarrow. If you haven't trusted your soul to the only one that can save you. Amen.

Now, I'm going to do something a little bit different than I normally do this morning. I'm going pray in just a moment. We're going to give an invitation. I'm going tell you ahead of time what I'm going to do. I'm going to ask a question after I pray.

I'm asked this question. Here's the question. If you're here today and you're not sure you're in the wheelbarrow. If you're here today and you're not sure that you're going to heaven, there's any doubt, Imma ask you to raise your hand. Imma have everybody else, everybody's head bowed and eyes closed.

So, nobody will see you but me. Imma ask you if you raise your hand so I can pray for you. And then after after I pray for you, we're going to sing an invitation hymn. And I'm going to have a couple people waiting at the back, counselors, brother Bob, brother David. And they'll meet you back there.

You don't have to walk up here. You can just walk right back there to them and if you'd like to talk to somebody about knowing for sure you're going to heaven, you can talk to them and they can give you the answers today. Matter of fact, I'm going ask miss Becky if she'll join them too. In case we have a lady that wants to talk to somebody this morning. And you can speak with them and they can tell you how to be saved and you can leave this place today knowing that you have life in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray. Heavenly father, thank you Lord for this day that you've given us. Thank you, Lord. For Jesus Christ, our savior. Thank you, Lord for all that you've done for us.

On the cross Of Calvary and I pray Lord if there's one here today or two or three or four to 10 that have yet to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of their life I pray that today, they'd be willing to make that step and trust you as the Lord and savior. Of their life. In Jesus precious name, I do pray. Amen.