Abundant Living

John 10:1–10 ESV

1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

1. The door we use determines the life we live

Verse 10 contains two distinct lives

The enemy’s mission statement is, “Steal, kill, and destroy”

He came to steal

He deceives you to embezzle from you

He misappropriates what God has given you

He stills your joy, peace, confidence, and so on

He wants to steal the gift of life

He came to kill

Kill you

Slaughter you

Has a connotation of stealing your chickens to kill them and eat them

The enemy wants to eat your lunch

He wants to kill you eternally

He came to destroy

He want to ruin you

He will get you in the wrong crowd just to ruin you

The point is to give you eternal destruction

Jesus’ mission statement, “To give you life in abundance”

2. Jesus gives life that is extraordinary

You need to live a supernatural life

You are not made to be ordinary

You are the masterpiece of God

Ps 139:14 “14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Don’t settle for ordinary

You are the head, above only, a lender

No weapon formed against you will prosper

You can speak what is not as though it were

You have been transferred from ordinary to extraordinary, from the natural to the supernatural

You have a life that is more than enough

3. Jesus gives beyond what is necessary

Eph 3:20 “20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

When Jesus fed the thousands there was baskets full after

When Jesus turned water into wine, He gave the best

Those that drink from Him will never thirst again

Jesus quenches your thirst for life

Jesus satisfies the longing in your heart

Jesus gives you more than what you need

Ps 23:5 “5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

The Psalmist said, “my cup overflows”

His anointing overflows

He also said, Ps 23:6 “6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

His blessing is permanent

Prov 10:22 “22 The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.”

He is bringing a blessing without any trouble with it

Job had a blessed life with trouble

God exceeded that in the latter part of Job’s life

Job 42:10 “10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.”

“12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys.”

“16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.”

A double weighted blessing is on the way

Remember the most you had, now double it

4. Jesus gives life to the dead and beyond death

The power of God on your life gives life to dead things

Elijah brought back a dead boy, 1 Ki 17:20-22 “20 Then he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” 22 The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived.”

Elisha’s bones brought a dead man back to life, 2 Ki 13:21 “21 Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.”

Jesus’ command brings the dead to life, Jn 11:43-44 “43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.””

Jesus has given you enough life to resurrect dead things in your life

Call your marriage back to life

Call your family back to life in Christ

Call your finances back to life

Call your health back to life

Those who believe in Jesus will never die - we have eternal life