Why You’re Not Experiencing the Life God Promised

Text: John 10:10, James 2:17–18, Luke 6:46, Matthew 7:24-27, Hebrews 11:6, John 14:21

Introduction:

For the past year, we’ve been on a journey together — learning what it means to be apprentices of Jesus. Not just believers in Jesus, but followers with Jesus. We’ve explored what it means to live each day in the present reality of His Kingdom, and most recently, in our last series, we looked into how we’re called to live that life together as a community.

But today I want to shift gears just a bit — not away from those themes, but deeper into them. and i want to begin by posing a question that I have been wrestling with for more than a little while. It is a question that is personal to me and so i imagine it might hit close to home for y0ur as well.

Why is it, that for so many Christians — maybe even you — the life Jesus promised seems distant, elusive, or even dare i say, disappointing?

Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

And yet, many who claim His name live anxious, joyless, frustrated lives. They believe in Jesus the way we believe in gravity or weather — true in theory but not transformative in daily living.

So what’s missing?

I want to suggest today that the biggest reason many Christians do not experience the Spirit-filled, abundant life Jesus offers is this: we don’t really believe Him.

I don’t mean we don’t believe in Him. I mean we don’t believe Him.

Not deep down. Not in a way that affects what we do and how we live all that much. We don’t trust what He said enough to do what He said.

And here is what I have found to be true about you and me.

1. What You Believe Is Revealed not by what you say, but By What You Do.

Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are GOING to do”

The same can be said about living a spirit-filled abundant life.

And let’s be honest: if you don’t believe something is true, you won’t act on it.

James 2:17-18 puts it plainly:

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead... Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

In other words: you do what you believe.

If you say you believe a chair will hold you but never sit in it, your belief doesn’t mean much.

If I say I believe that exercise is good but never work out, do I really believe it?

If I say I believe a bridge is strong enough to hold me but I never walk across it, am I trusting the bridge.

You say you believe that prayer works — but you never actually pray much, if at all.

You say you believe God provides — but you still live in panic when your paycheck is short.

You say you believe the Holy Spirit empowers you — but you never step into anything that requires His power?

We say we believe it’s better to give than to receive — but we hoard our time, our money, and our attention.

That’s not real belief. Because belief shows up in what you do.

You can say whatever you want. But your life will always tell the truth.

And so many of us claim to believe Jesus — that His ways are better, His words are true, His Kingdom is real — but we continue to live by our own wisdom, our own desires, and our own fears.

Friends, this is not me attempting to throw a guilt trip on you —I am issuing a wake-up call for all of us. If we’re not experiencing the abundant life, it's not because God hasn’t delivered — more likely it’s because we haven’t really believed.

So I have been pondering this for a while now and here are a couple of thought that have helped me and may help you.

First, I have come to realize that...

2. Belief Begins with Faith, Not Certainty

But here’s where I want to go even deeper.

Because maybe you’re thinking: “I want to believe! I want to act! But I just don’t feel confident enough.”

That’s fair. And here’s the truth: belief doesn’t always come first.

I think the truth is that most of the time, it’s faith that has to go first. Most of us don’t just wake up ne day and claim to believe anything.

Hebrews 11:1 says:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

The BIG confidence we need to say we believe something needs to begin with the smaller confidence we need to step out and try something new, something that goes against our comfort zone. You know, that mustard seed faith Jesus spoke of.

A great example of this is when Peter was on the boat and Jesus told him to let down the nets again.

Luke 5:4–6 - 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing!

Peter is like, well, we’ve been fishing all night and we JUST pulled our nets up from the very place you asking us to let them down again. Peter had no reason to believe that they were going to see a different result than they had seen all night. And if he would have stayed with that, and said, “Nah, we are coming in, there’s no fish here” he would have missed something. In fact he would have missed two things.

He would have missed witnessing something that only God can do.

He would have lost the deeper assurance to believe Jesus words.

In the Kingdom of God, every act of faith will lead to a more confident belief.

Peter did in fact do what Jesus asked. And the result? Peter said,

But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Peter still d not believe they were going to catch any fish, but with a tiny act of faith.…) 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking.”

So when Peter, though tiny, mustard seed sized faith obeyed, the miracle came.

I wonder. How many miracles do we miss simply because we refuse to take a small step of faith and just do what Jesus says?

Peter’s act of obedience opened the door for belief to be born.

This is how it works in almost every area of life.

You don’t believe you’ll enjoy running until you start running.

You don’t believe you’re a leader until you start leading.

You don’t believe you can forgive until you start forgiving.

You don’t believe you can pray until you start praying.

And every one of those starts with faith — with doing the thing before you’re convinced it will work.

Faith acts before assurance shows up. But once you do the thing — and see God meet you in it — belief begins to take root.

What i am trying to say is...

3. You Can’t Experience What You Won’t Step Into

This is why many Christians live frustrated, stagnant, unfulfilled spiritual lives.

Because we want the fruit of belief — joy, peace, power, intimacy with God — without the action of belief.

We want the abundance without the obedience.

But it doesn’t work that way.

John 14:21 — Jesus says:

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Don’t miss this beloved. let’s not move past thins too fast. Jesus said, I will...“Show myself to them.”

To who?

Not to the curious. Not to the cautious. To the obedient.

The ones who act in faith — even when it feels scary.

You don’t experience the Spirit-filled life from the safety of the shoreline. You step out of the boat. You cast the nets again. You forgive one more time. You show up even when you’re nervous. You serve even when it’s inconvenient. You obey even when it doesn’t all make sense.

And in that obedience — the life Jesus promised begins to unfold.

Oh we have to get this! Look at it thins way if it helps.

4. Everyone Who’s Living in the Life You Want, Once Took That Risk of Faith.

Think about someone you know who seems to be fully alive in Christ — filled with joy, peace, purpose. Maybe someone who shares their faith boldly, who serves joyfully, who walks in the Spirit daily.

You know why they’re there?

Because one day, they took a step.

One day, they prayed even when it felt awkward.

One day, they forgave even when it felt impossible.

One day, they gave generously even when it felt risky.

And belief was born from that obedience.

We often envy the fruit without noticing the faith that planted it.

(pause)

In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked a question that still echoes today:

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

It’s not that Jesus wanted passive admirers. He wanted followers. Apprentices. People who didn’t just hear His words but built their lives on them.

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV - 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

You don’t learn the way of Jesus by listening to more sermons.

You learn it by doing what He did.

When He says “forgive,” we forgive.

When He says “don’t worry,” we surrender our anxiety.

When He says “go and make disciples,” we go.

Not perfectly. But purposefully.

Belief is always a verb in the life of a disciple. Not just mental assent, but embodied trust.

And this, I think, is where so many fall short. We’ve settled for “believing in Jesus” as if it were a checkbox — a theological nod — instead of a radical reorientation of how we live.

So beloved, i say all of that to say this to you this morning...

3. The Abundant Life Jesus Promised, Is on the Other Side of Your Obedience

When Jesus promised life to the full, it wasn’t a magic spell — it was a way of life.

The Spirit-filled, abundant life comes not from believing the right things, but from living the right way — the way of Jesus.

Hebrews 11:6 says:

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Do you see that? Faith isn't just belief in God's existence — it's belief in His goodness, His trustworthiness, His desire to reward those who seek Him by actually living His way.

Church, you won’t find the fullness of life Jesus promises by playing it safe or waiting until it’s easy. Discipleship is not easy, it’s radical. It’s “do whatever it takes radical” and what it takes is obedience, and by the way, Obedience does not mean you say you do it, but that you actually do it.

Remember when Jesus tested the religious leaders of His day by telling them a story?

Mat 21:28-32 ESV - 28 "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Now there is a lot that can be said about this passage and it’s meaning. The fact that this happened after Jesus cleared the temple and cursed the fig tree points to Jesus criticism of Israel and he religious leaders hypocrisy. Saying and acting as though they were the obedient people of God and yet bearing no fruit.

But this story screams one thing very loudly to me. What you actually DO is the only thing that matters in the kingdom of God. Comparatively speaking, what you say means very little if anything.

Do you want to experience kingdom living in the here and now? Do you want to find and experience the abundant life that come with being a disciple of Jesus? Folks I a telling you there is only one way.

You find it by doing what He said, trusting that His way is actually better than yours.

That’s when the Spirit fills you.

That’s when joy breaks in.

That’s when peace takes hold.

4. The Spirit Is Given to Those Who Obey

Acts 5:32 says something very important:

“We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

You want more of the Spirit in your life? Obey.

You want to hear God more clearly? Obey.

You want to walk in power and purpose? Obey.

Not as a means to earn God’s love — He’s already given you that — but because obedience is the pathway to intimacy.

We often pray for the Spirit to move in our lives while living lives that grieve the Spirit. And then we wonder why God feels distant.

Remember what i said earlier.

You Can’t Experience What You Won’t Step Into

So, let me ask you this morning...

7. What Step of Faith Is God Calling You to Take?

What’s the one thing you know God has been nudging you to do… but you haven’t done yet?

Is it:

Forgiving someone?

Getting up early to pray?

Starting a ministry or stepping into leadership?

Giving financially even when it’s tight?

Inviting someone to church?

Saying yes to something scary?

You’re waiting until you feel ready — but you may never feel ready.

Because remember, faith goes first.

And once you act in faith, belief begins to grow. And with belief comes joy. Freedom. Abundance. Intimacy with God.

But it starts with faith.

So my challenge to every person in the room today is...

Stop Waiting. Start Walking.

No matter who you are, I would be willing to bet there is at least one thing the Holy Spirit continues to impress on you that you have refused to face. No matter where you are in your spiritual journey, there is probably that one net, that so far you have refused to let down because you don’t believe it will result in anything significant.

Beloved, i promise you, and that is not a word I use often, but I am confident in this.

The Spirit-filled life you long for — it’s not out of reach.

It’s just on the other side of obedience.

You already have the invitation.

You already have the command.

Now you just need to take the step.

Because if you don’t believe it, you won’t do it.

And if you won’t do it, you won’t experience it.

And if you don’t experience it, well, you won’t ever believe it with any measure of confidence.

In case you are still stuck,

Let me offer a few simple, actionable steps:

Ask the Spirit to reveal what you really believe. What do your actions say about your trust in Jesus?

Identify one area where you’ve been saying the right thing but not doing it — and make a plan to obey.

Invite others into the journey. Community reinforces belief. We need each other to stay faithful.

Stay rooted in the Word. Real belief is nurtured in the soil of Scripture.

Practice. Don’t wait until it’s easy. You become a person of faith by doing what faithful people do.

So today — just take that first step. Just one. Pick one. I am pretty sure for most of us there are more than one. You can’t do them all at once. So just pick one.

Not when you feel ready.

Not when you understand everything.

Not when it’s guaranteed to work.

But simply because He said so.

And when you do — you’ll find that He meets you in the step.

That’s where the abundant life begins my friends.

Let me leave you with this question:

What would your life look like if you actually believed everything Jesus said?

What would change in how you spend your time, your money, your attention?

What would change in your attitude toward forgiveness, toward enemies, toward fear?

What would change in your rhythms of prayer, rest, generosity, and service?

You already believe in Jesus.

But do you believe Him?

It’s time to trust Him enough to do what He says.

That’s where life begins. That’s where joy overflows. That’s where the Kingdom breaks in.

Not when we say we believe — but when we live like it. Amen?

Call to Action: A Prayer of Belief and Obedience

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, we confess that though we believe in You, we’ve often failed to truly believe You. We've heard Your words and admired Your life, but we've hesitated to follow. Today, we ask for courage. For trust. For deeper obedience. Holy Spirit, search our hearts and show us the places where our actions, or lack thereof betray what we SAY we belief. Lead us into the life that is truly life — the Kingdom life — through trust-filled obedience to You. In Jesus' name. Amen.