Full Life Now, 27 March 2016
Full Life Now
John 10:10
Big Idea: Jesus didn’t just die so we could go to heaven, He died so we can live now!
Jesus didn’t just die for our future. He died for our future, present, and past. Eternity has begun.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and it’s a life God wants to be abundant, fruitful, exhilarating, and full.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
My name is Kirk and I’m thrilled you’ve chosen to spend your Resurrection Sunday morning with us! There is no greater day on the calendar than today. This is our Super Bowl, New Year’s Day, Summer Vacation, Mardi Gras, Memorial Day all packed into one 24-hour period. Today is the ultimate celebration of life.
We often take life for granted…until it is threatened or lost. We live life day after day, perhaps wishing for a better job, better weather, better relationships, or a better car. We’ve all been fed the message that the pursuit of happiness is something we all deserve, and nearly every advertisement is designed to convince us we’re not living life to the full until we have their product or service.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up. Why are you here? No, not why are you in this place at this time, but why are you on this planet? This question has haunted people for generations. What’s the meaning of life?
Earlier we saw a promo for Alpha, an interactive exploration of this question I have experienced several times. Whether you’re an atheist dragged here today by a family member, an agnostic searching for answers, or a follower of Jesus looking to deepen your faith, Alpha is a fantastic way to deepen your spiritual life.
Life. There’s that word again.
Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Here’s the way one enemy of early Christians who later followed Jesus describes it:
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NLT)
With all due respect to other faiths, unlike many religious figures throughout history who are no longer living, the message of Christianity is that of a living God, a God who conquered death. It’s the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection, Christianity is, uh, dead. Paul, quoted earlier, continues…
And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:17-20, NLT)
Today we celebrate that Jesus is alive. His resurrection surprised many, but 700 years before the birth of Jesus Isaiah prophesied that Jesus
On Friday we remembered the death of Jesus on the cross. It’s important to remember why He died.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT)
Jesus died for every man, woman and child…Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, Christian, and agnostic. He died so our sins can be forgiven. He died to pay the punishment we deserve to pay for our evil deeds. He died to reconcile us to our perfect, holy, heavenly Father who sent Him.
This is love.
This is life.
Have you experienced the love of Jesus?
Have you experienced the life of Jesus?
The passage says those who believe—those who surrender their life to Jesus—will have eternal life.
Years ago I heard the story something like this:
God loves us.
We sin and are separated from a perfect, holy God who cannot tolerate sin.
Jesus died in our place, to forgive us, to reconcile us to God, to make us holy and pure.
We need to believe in Jesus, receiving the gift of eternal life He offers us.
This is all true, but it leaves one lingering question…
What do we do now?
If Christianity is just about what happens after we die, what do we do in the meantime?
If Easter is about a past event and eternal life is about the future, what about now?
Jesus said,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
He came that we would have full life now. We are promised an eternity with God. That’s fantastic, but He wants us to experience full life now.
A life with hope—hope that someday every wrong will be righted, that every war will cease, that justice will prevail, that peace will come.
A life with joy—not merely happiness but a deep sense of contentment no trial or tragedy can erase.
A life with love—unconditional acceptance from our heavenly Father which allows us to love and forgive others, not because they or we deserve it but because we’ve been given the ultimate gift of love from Jesus…His very life.
A life with meaning—realizing we’re not an accident but cherished children of Almighty God who created us in His image with dignity, value and worth.
A life with security—knowing nothing we can do can make God love us more than He already does…and nothing we can ever do can make God love us less.
A life with grace—undeserved favor from our Father just because He loves us but won’t force Himself upon us which is why we must receive the gift of life, Jesus.
Religion is spelled D-O. It’s all about what we try to do for God.
Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what God has done for us.
When my son was younger he wanted to learn about other religions. I said, “Go for it! Study other religions. We are the only ones with grace. Every religion says you must pray, study, eat or not eat, drink or not drink, do certain things…and hope God will love you. Only Christianity has grace.”
The Bible says
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT)
It’s all about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. One of the most popular songs is called “Amazing Grace.” Grace truly is amazing. You cannot earn it. You cannot do things to get it. You cannot work for it. You cannot buy it. Like any gift, you can only accept or reject it.
Will you accept or reject the gift?
Will you accept or reject Jesus?
Do you want to continue to be in control or are you ready to let go and let God…be God and King and LORD?
God’s love, His forgiveness, His grace…they are incredible! They are the reason for Easter. Today is a celebration of life…eternal life, full life, dynamic life.
Are you living a full life now? I love what N.T. Wright says…
…we should make Easter a forty-day celebration. If Lent is that long, Easter should be at least that long, all the way to Ascension. We should meet regularly for Easter parties. We should drink champagne at breakfast. We should renew baptismal vows with splashing water all over the place. And we should sing and dance and blow trumpets and put out banners in the streets. And we should invite the homeless people to parties and we should go around town doing random acts of generosity and celebration. We should be doing things which would make our sober and serious neighbors say, “What is the meaning of this outrageous party?”
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve met boring Christians. That should be an oxymoron! We have more to celebrate than a sports victory, a job promotion, or a birthday. Followers of Jesus should throw the best parties…and live the best, most fulfilled lives.
Jesus told one woman…
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; (John 11:25)
Jesus is the resurrection.
Jesus is the life.
Know Jesus. Know life.
No Jesus. No life.
Ironically, many have died simply because they claimed Jesus was alive. He didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus came to make dead people come alive. When we die to ourselves, our agendas, and our pride and fully surrender our lives to Jesus He is able to do more than we can ever dream or imagine. It may not always be easy, but we are never alone. He promises to be with us always. He promises to lead us and guide us. He promises to give us full life now…and forever.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
John 10:10
Big Idea: Jesus didn’t just die so we could go to heaven, He died so we can live now!
Jesus didn’t just die for our future. He died for our future, present, and past. Eternity has begun.
Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and it’s a life God wants to be abundant, fruitful, exhilarating, and full.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
My name is Kirk and I’m thrilled you’ve chosen to spend your Resurrection Sunday morning with us! There is no greater day on the calendar than today. This is our Super Bowl, New Year’s Day, Summer Vacation, Mardi Gras, Memorial Day all packed into one 24-hour period. Today is the ultimate celebration of life.
We often take life for granted…until it is threatened or lost. We live life day after day, perhaps wishing for a better job, better weather, better relationships, or a better car. We’ve all been fed the message that the pursuit of happiness is something we all deserve, and nearly every advertisement is designed to convince us we’re not living life to the full until we have their product or service.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up. Why are you here? No, not why are you in this place at this time, but why are you on this planet? This question has haunted people for generations. What’s the meaning of life?
Earlier we saw a promo for Alpha, an interactive exploration of this question I have experienced several times. Whether you’re an atheist dragged here today by a family member, an agnostic searching for answers, or a follower of Jesus looking to deepen your faith, Alpha is a fantastic way to deepen your spiritual life.
Life. There’s that word again.
Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Here’s the way one enemy of early Christians who later followed Jesus describes it:
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, NLT)
With all due respect to other faiths, unlike many religious figures throughout history who are no longer living, the message of Christianity is that of a living God, a God who conquered death. It’s the foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection, Christianity is, uh, dead. Paul, quoted earlier, continues…
And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. (1 Corinthians 15:17-20, NLT)
Today we celebrate that Jesus is alive. His resurrection surprised many, but 700 years before the birth of Jesus Isaiah prophesied that Jesus
- - Would die (Isaiah 53:8b)
- - Would be crucified between two thieves (Isaiah 53:12)
- - Would be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9)
- - Would resurrect from the dead (Isaiah 53:10-12)
On Friday we remembered the death of Jesus on the cross. It’s important to remember why He died.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT)
Jesus died for every man, woman and child…Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, Christian, and agnostic. He died so our sins can be forgiven. He died to pay the punishment we deserve to pay for our evil deeds. He died to reconcile us to our perfect, holy, heavenly Father who sent Him.
This is love.
This is life.
Have you experienced the love of Jesus?
Have you experienced the life of Jesus?
The passage says those who believe—those who surrender their life to Jesus—will have eternal life.
Years ago I heard the story something like this:
God loves us.
We sin and are separated from a perfect, holy God who cannot tolerate sin.
Jesus died in our place, to forgive us, to reconcile us to God, to make us holy and pure.
We need to believe in Jesus, receiving the gift of eternal life He offers us.
This is all true, but it leaves one lingering question…
What do we do now?
If Christianity is just about what happens after we die, what do we do in the meantime?
If Easter is about a past event and eternal life is about the future, what about now?
Jesus said,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
He came that we would have full life now. We are promised an eternity with God. That’s fantastic, but He wants us to experience full life now.
A life with hope—hope that someday every wrong will be righted, that every war will cease, that justice will prevail, that peace will come.
A life with joy—not merely happiness but a deep sense of contentment no trial or tragedy can erase.
A life with love—unconditional acceptance from our heavenly Father which allows us to love and forgive others, not because they or we deserve it but because we’ve been given the ultimate gift of love from Jesus…His very life.
A life with meaning—realizing we’re not an accident but cherished children of Almighty God who created us in His image with dignity, value and worth.
A life with security—knowing nothing we can do can make God love us more than He already does…and nothing we can ever do can make God love us less.
A life with grace—undeserved favor from our Father just because He loves us but won’t force Himself upon us which is why we must receive the gift of life, Jesus.
Religion is spelled D-O. It’s all about what we try to do for God.
Christianity is spelled D-O-N-E. It’s about what God has done for us.
When my son was younger he wanted to learn about other religions. I said, “Go for it! Study other religions. We are the only ones with grace. Every religion says you must pray, study, eat or not eat, drink or not drink, do certain things…and hope God will love you. Only Christianity has grace.”
The Bible says
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT)
It’s all about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection. One of the most popular songs is called “Amazing Grace.” Grace truly is amazing. You cannot earn it. You cannot do things to get it. You cannot work for it. You cannot buy it. Like any gift, you can only accept or reject it.
Will you accept or reject the gift?
Will you accept or reject Jesus?
Do you want to continue to be in control or are you ready to let go and let God…be God and King and LORD?
God’s love, His forgiveness, His grace…they are incredible! They are the reason for Easter. Today is a celebration of life…eternal life, full life, dynamic life.
Are you living a full life now? I love what N.T. Wright says…
…we should make Easter a forty-day celebration. If Lent is that long, Easter should be at least that long, all the way to Ascension. We should meet regularly for Easter parties. We should drink champagne at breakfast. We should renew baptismal vows with splashing water all over the place. And we should sing and dance and blow trumpets and put out banners in the streets. And we should invite the homeless people to parties and we should go around town doing random acts of generosity and celebration. We should be doing things which would make our sober and serious neighbors say, “What is the meaning of this outrageous party?”
I’m embarrassed to say I’ve met boring Christians. That should be an oxymoron! We have more to celebrate than a sports victory, a job promotion, or a birthday. Followers of Jesus should throw the best parties…and live the best, most fulfilled lives.
Jesus told one woman…
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; (John 11:25)
Jesus is the resurrection.
Jesus is the life.
Know Jesus. Know life.
No Jesus. No life.
Ironically, many have died simply because they claimed Jesus was alive. He didn’t come to make bad people good. Jesus came to make dead people come alive. When we die to ourselves, our agendas, and our pride and fully surrender our lives to Jesus He is able to do more than we can ever dream or imagine. It may not always be easy, but we are never alone. He promises to be with us always. He promises to lead us and guide us. He promises to give us full life now…and forever.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.