Risen for my present

Risen for my present.

Intro: Welcome back To our Easter series

A. Series Question:

· There have been a lot of civilizations/empires/peoples. A lot of legends, myths and god’s. *None have had the tenacity of the so-called myths in the Bible

· Especially… that a man came, called Himself God, let himself be crucified, and after 3 days He rose from the dead and we still talk about it 2000 years later.

B. Last week Risen for my past

· We talked about the Event, the evidence, and the experience of the resurrection

· That he died and rose again so our past can be redeemed

· That we can experience today 2000 years later the resurrection and be made right with God

C. This week Risen for my presence.

· God didn’t rise from the dead to throw us to the wolves.

· He didn’t Rise again so you could struggle through life waiting for that city to come keeping our heads down. Just trying to get through.

I f you want to pick up last weeks Easter sermon you can go to myfw.church. To day I want to talk about how the resurrection affects the life you are living now.

John 10:1–10 NLT

“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Jesus is speaking to the pharisees and is talking about the difference in his leadership and anyone else’s. I say that because the word shepherd here is a metaphor for King since the time of King David. If you look down at v24 they ask Him if he is the messiah the coming King.

Jesus is speaking to the pharisees and is talking about the difference in his leadership and anyone else’s. I say that because the word shepherd here is a metaphor for King since the time of King David. If you look down at v24 they ask Him if he is the messiah the coming King.

>>> Jesus is speaking to the pharisees and is talking about the difference in his leadership and anyone else’s. I say that because the word shepherd here is a metaphor for King since the time of King David. If you look down at v24 they ask Him if he is the messiah the coming King.

I. The Shepherd parable. Jesus leadership

A. The true shepherd comes through the gate V1-10

· This is his contrast between His leadership and their leadership

· In , God condemns the failed leaders of Israel, who have stolen from the sheep, killed them and caused them to become scattered.

· God says that he will remove these hired shepherds and replace them with himself

B. I am the good shepherd who lays down his life V11-13

· He is not a hired hand and will not run when he sees a wolf coming.

· This is because he actually cares for them.

C. I am the good shepherd I know my sheep V14-18

· He says my sheep know me and I know them

· I lay down my life. No one can take my life I give it voluntarilyV18. I have the authority to pick it up again.

I want us to look at the v10 and grab a hold of a deep spiritual truth.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

D. The contrast is brutal.

· You religious leaders who will not go through the Gate which is Christ are the thieves and the want to steal and destroy the sheep.

· His purpose by contrast is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

He we have a glimpse of what Christ wants for our lives. This life. What his purpose is for our present. He goes on to shar with them I lay down my life and take it up again for my sheep. So they can enjoy my purpose for their presence. What does Jesus mean by a rich satisfying life? I have three things that I think he meant by it. When you and I hear Rich and satisfying we think money. At the same time, we know money doesn’t do either.

II. Rich and satisfying Life

1 – Peace

A. The way of the warrior (Erwin McManus)

· You can’t be a warrior until you personally find peace.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Resurrection

Resurrection

· We can have peace in Him because he Loves us. We are worth it to Him. Worth what? His sacrifice.

“You cannot give up on yourself when God considers you worth the fight.” -Erwin McManus

· You can’t stumble out of it. I’m holding it all together. You have peace in me, and that peace is part of a rich and satisfying life.

B. Peace is hard sometimes. How can we insure our peace.

Romans 8:6 NLT

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

· This is tough. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and fill our mind with him. This is what leads to life and peace.

· This is tough. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and fill our mind with him. This is what leads to life and peace.

· He needs to be our focus

Jesus’ purpose for your life is peace, without peace you can’t have a rich and satifying life. The next part of it is…

2 – Purpose

A. Without purpose our lives are blasé.

4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice

· We follow Him into the purpose in our lives.

B. What is our purpose / To be light, reflect His glory and be like Him

● Is that all????

● I feel like I’m further away now than I have ever been. How can I ever live up to this purpose?

● The closer you get to God the further away you feel. God presences makes you aware of your need. Of his greatness

● It seems like I am losing but I am winning. You say Satan is all over me I keep failing. If the devil isn’t messing with you, you are not a threat.

● When did Jesus “seem” like He was weakest? On the cross he was the most powerful and look the weakness.

● Consistency is underrated. You get no compliments for consistency.

ILLUS: Losing weight, parenting

● The Greatest compliment is the one never given because you are expected to be that way.

Philippians 3:12–14 NLT

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

● Don’t get discouraged You are doing better than you think you are.

● Don’t get discouraged You are doing better than you think you are.

● FOCUS, Forget the past and Press ON! Jesus is leading and calling you on.

● The closer you get to Him the more you recognize your weakness and how big the gap is. That is what’s happening. Press on!

You need peace, you need purpose, and you need…

3 – Power

Romans 8:11 NLT

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

A. Same power in us

A. Same power in us

● To have the rich and satisfying life we need to recognize the power that is living in you

● Sometimes its hard. We see the things that we keep going back to.

● God has given you the power to say No.

ILLUS: I don’t need to do anything to lose weight but say no. Fast by church council

B. We carry around our grave clothes.

John 20:3–7 NLT

Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings.

● You and I have a tendency to try and wear our old grave clothes.

● Jesus took off His grave clothes and left them in the grave.

● You and I have a tendency to try and wear our old grave clothes.

● Those attitudes, habits, prejudices, that belong in the grave.

● We have to take those off, they affect our ability to live in the power that lives in you.

● That power that gives you the ability to say Yes to Christ and no to yourself is inhibited by those old grave clothes.

Summary: Jesus made a mission statement. “My purpose is that my sheep will have a rich and satisfying life”. Your purpose is to realize that Life in Him. You can realize it by living in His peace, embracing your purpose by forgetting what is behind and pressing on and tapping into the power of the resurrection that lives in you. I know you feel like you get farther away but you are not. Take Heart people of God Jesus has over come the world. Resurrection Power live in you right now.

Pray: I know your purpose is for me to have a rich and satisfying life so right now. I’m forgetting what is behind and I am pressing forward to realize your peace, and my purpose, through that same power that brought Jesus out of that tomb.