Grateful for THE LIFE (Dec. 1, 2024)
Grateful • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 8 viewsLife is often a grind. We often spend much time longing for things to get better. We long for a life that always seems to be just outside of our grasp. Is this what Jesus meant for us to experience in life? Is there more to life than just getting by? This message explores what it means to have life and to find gratitude in truly living!
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
What does it mean to truly live? How would you define living the good life?
This is a question that has plagued humanity from the time of the fall and expulsion from Eden.
For millennia, people have sought the answer for life.
Humanity has turned to religion.
Humanity has turned to power.
Humanity has turned to sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
Humanity has turned to knowledge and many other endeavors, yet most have fallen short of discovering what it means to truly live.
“The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Bring knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of The Word.
All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance,
All our ignorance brings us nearer to death,
But nearness to death no nearer to GOD.
Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
The cycles of Heaven in twenty centuries
Bring us farther from God and nearer to the Dust.”
-T.S. Elliot, 1934
As people long for and strive to find life on other planets, perhaps the greatest search for life is not on mars, but right here on earth!
As our world tries to figure out what it means to truly live, I am grateful this morning to know the answer. I am grateful to know THE LIFE.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” 66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
In Jesus We Have…
In Jesus We Have…
1) …Eternal LIFE!
1) …Eternal LIFE!
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
“Fellowship” - koinónia, means “of the same mind”
If we want to truly live, we have learn to live with an eternal perspective. This current time is just a tiny vapor in comparison to the vastness of eternity.
To try and live for this world and this time is failing to grasp the meaning of real life…eternal life!
10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Eternal life is only found in Jesus. This is why John says, whoever has the Son has life. Whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Only in Jesus do we find life. Only Jesus is THE LIFE.
We can only truly know what living is when we are in Jesus.
Gratitude in life is a matter of perspective and dedication. We must know Jesus and follow Jesus.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
In Jesus and Jesus alone we have life…eternal life. He is able to preserve us and sustain us for all eternity.
Nothing in this world, nor the spiritual realm is capable of robbing us of eternal life when we are truly His: abiding in Him, living in Him, following Him!
I am grateful to Jesus for ETERNAL LIFE!
2) …Abundant LIFE!
2) …Abundant LIFE!
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Not about abundant possessions.
It’s about abundant blessings of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, serving, comfort, strength, opportunity, grace, contentment, etc.
Life in Jesus is not boring…it is full and abundant.
If you find life in Jesus to be boring, you’re probably doing it wrong.
It is exhilarating to grow in God’s Word; to lead another person to Christ; to loosen the ties to temporal things; to wake up every morning and declare with boldness “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice in it;” to see lives changed and transformed; to see hurting people find comfort; to see the majesty of God all around you; to see a glimmer of hope return to the eyes of those who had given up on hope when you show them kindness and love in Jesus’ name; to not loose hope yourself when things are hard; to know you can go on in His strength when all you have is your weakness…
Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV)
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Too often we miss abundant life because are too busy chasing other things and we fail to ask and seek God for it. (James 4:2b–3 “You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” )
If you feel like your life is not being lived to the full, it’s because your priorities are out of focus.
When we fix our lives on Jesus, we will truly experience abundant life.
I am Grateful to Jesus for ETERNAL LIFE THAT IS ABUNDANT!
3) …Meaningful LIFE!
3) …Meaningful LIFE!
“If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it everytime.” - Zig Ziglar
The ETERNAL and ABUNDANT Life in Jesus is also meaningful and satisfying.
Life in Jesus has purpose and is not aimless.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Life is full and satisfying when we are passionately pursuing the purposes of God.
When we are living out our purpose to glorify God, it’s not to see His glory!
We were made on purpose for purpose. That purpose is to know Him and make Him known.
He has revealed Himself to us through His Son, His Spirit, and His Scriptures.
It’s as if He knew we would need Him to write it down for us!
In Him we find our being, our purpose, and our meaning.
If you’re at a place in live you asking yourself, “What’s the point?” Jesus is the point! The glory of God is the point! Your life becoming a beacon of His hope is the point!
I am Grateful to Jesus for ETERNAL LIFE THAT IS ABUNDANT AND MEANINGFUL!
CLOSING
CLOSING
Too many people fail to find gratitude in living because they seek to find fulfillment in their day to day life.
Most people in our world are just going through the motions…and that’s not living. That’s not what we were made for. We have to break free from the ruts and the grind and see that today is a gift.
The Motions by Matthew West
This might hurt, it’s not safe
But I know that I’ve got to make a change
I don’t care if I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t want to go through the motions
I don’t want to go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t want to spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the motions?
No regrets, not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
‘Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of this life
‘Cause I don’t want to go through the motions
I don’t want to go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t want to spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything
Instead of going through the motions?
If we want to be grateful for life, we must stop going through the motions and live all of life all for Jesus!
