A Super-Abundant Life // An Abundant Life in Jesus, Part 3

If there’s one thing we can all agree on about Jesus it’s that He didn’t do anything by half measures. No –– He threw Himself into things and when He said something, He meant it. So – when He promised us an “abundant life” – the words in the original Greek language literally mean – a super–abundant life!  Told you – He doesn’t do anything by halves!

I don’t think I know a single person who doesn’t want to enjoy their lives. And I guess when we think about it that doesn’t always mean happiness. Happiness is great, it’s great to feel on top of the world but then some of the most satisfying moments in life don’t always involve happiness.

You can be exhausted, a complete wreck and yet still experience a deep sense of satisfaction at what you’ve just been through or achieved. Or you can experience a deep sense of contentment in life even if all our circumstances and relationships and finances and all those things aren’t quite what we want them to be.

Then we can experience a sense of peace knowing that we’re safe even though we might have some things going on in our lives that might be a threat. Or we can even experience fulfilment at being comfortable with who we are and what we’re able to do with our lives and even more being happy to let go of aspiring to things that perhaps we’ll never be able to do.

Do you see my point? Happiness ain’t everything. There are so many other things that go into making a full and rich and abundant life. And it’s that abundance that we’re taking a look at this week on the program. And with good reason, an abundant life is something that Jesus promised to His disciples.

For me one of the most fantastic revelations of God and this promise from Jesus of an abundant life is that everything in my life doesn’t have to be going perfectly well for me to be living an abundant life. Now let me say that again because I believe this is incredibly important. Everything in my life doesn’t have to be going perfectly well for me to be living an abundant life.

It’s a huge revelation because I don’t think I can remember a single time in my life, maybe a month or two here or there but overall very few times in my life where absolutely everything has been going perfectly. Every relationship, everything to do with my finances, everything to do with my work, everything to do with my hopes and my dreams and my aspirations; Do you know what I mean? There’s always something there to take the shine or the gloss off life.

The Apostle Paul found that too, he had a thorn in his flesh. Now we’re not quite sure whether that was a physical or a spiritual ailment. The Holy Spirit in His wisdom chose not to tell us which I think is a good thing too. But have a listen to Paul, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 beginning at verse 7. He writes:

To keep me from being too elated a thorn was given me in the flesh. A messenger of satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this that it would leave me but He said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

You see this from a guy who writes almost half the Books in the New Testament. There’s always something isn’t there? Always some thorn in the flesh, and I wonder if that isn’t just God’s plan. I wonder if everything was always going swimmingly well in my life whether I’d even bother seeking God out.

I wonder if everything in my life was perfect whether I’d be of any use to you in these radio programs ’cause much of what I talk about is, in fact pretty much all of it is born out of the struggles and the realities of life, bringing God’s wisdom to bear in our lives.

And interestingly this passage where Jesus talks about His promise of giving us an abundant life is set amidst a struggle. Let’s have another look at it in case you missed over the last few days. John chapter 10 beginning at verse 1:

Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he’s brought out all his own he goes ahead of them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they’ll run away from him because they don’t know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them but they didn’t understand what He was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and bandits but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate, whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The hired hand who isn’t the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.

The hired hand runs away because a hired hand doesn’t care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.’

See the life of a shepherd was a hard one. There were thieves and robbers and wild animals and the shepherd was called to go out there on the plains and find pasture and protect the sheep with his life. And in fact many a time it did cost the shepherd his life back then. Without the shepherd the life of a sheep was a precarious one. A sheep out there on its own would be a sitting duck to be picked off by a wolf, or stolen, or fall down some ravine.

Jesus here is telling a story about life and death struggle. It’s a parable that reaches deep into the realities of your life and mine. It’s a story about a life lived out in a challenging world in which Jesus Himself, through His death and resurrection, becomes our true Shepherd.

A Pastor friend of mine told me a story once about ministering in a country area. One of his parishioners was a farmer of sheep and the farmer told him that when he was a young lad he always observed how the sheep would be standing grazing but when his dad would come into the field they often laid down.

So he asked his father about that, who told him that sheep will only lie down pretty much when they feel safe and that when the shepherd is close they know that they’re safe which is why they’ll often take the opportunity to lie down at that point.

Brings a whole new meaning to Psalm 23: 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me by still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I’ll dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

So often an abundant life is not about being taken out of difficult circumstances. It’s why Jesus tells this story out there in the life and death struggle of a shepherd and his sheep. It’s about experiencing the peace and the protection of Jesus, the one true shepherd, right out there in the middle of the difficult circumstances.

And the incredible power of that is this. If we choose this sort of an abundant life, the one that Jesus has to offer, not the one the world is dangling under our noses. Not the false one, not the one that the thief is dangling under us, he comes only to steal, kill and destroy.

No, if we choose the true authentic shepherd and follow Him and choose the abundance of life that He offers and it doesn’t matter what our circumstances are, good, bad, up, down, positive or negative. It doesn’t matter because even though we may walk through the darkest valley we need fear no evil because He’s with us.

People sometimes ask me, “Berni how can you be so up beat in the middle of a trial?” My answer is, “This is how, because I’ve decided, albeit imperfectly a lot of days, to live my abundant life in Jesus, the abundant life that He promised.”