Pastor Elwin Ahu
July 23, 2006 - W0630

Our Father God, the creator of life and the universe, has a master blueprint for our life and if we follow it, we will have an abundant life.  It sounds easy enough but it’s not because we are constantly bombarded with interruptions that can distract us from what God has designed us to do.  Take infomercials for example.  The three most popular types of infomercials on television are (1) how to make more money, (2) health and beauty, and (3) cosmetics.  If you think about it, the popularity of these infomercials is an indication of people’s dissatisfaction. We’re always looking for answers and quick fixes.  Well that’s not the kind of life God wants for us.

“Yes I am the gate.  Those who come in through Me will be saved.  Wherever they go, they will find green pastures.  The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:9-10 NLT)

In this scripture, God talks about how His purpose is to “give life in all its fullness”.  God does not want us to be dissatisfied or unhappy.  It is not His will that we have a life that is lacking and unfulfilled.  Rather, His will is that we have an abundant life but…

·        A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE REQUIRES A CHOICE.

Once again, it sounds easy enough but sometimes we’re faced with so many choices that things get confusing. For example, I recently went to the grocery store to buy some orange juice.  I thought, “I’ll just pick up some Tropicana orange juice,” but when I got there, there was Tropicana Original, Tropicana Low Pulp, Tropicana No Pulp, Tropicana Low Acid, Tropicana with Fiber, Tropicana with Calcium, Tropicana with Fiber and Calcium, and so on.

Sometimes there are so many choices that it becomes difficult to choose. Yet, if we don’t choose the life we want to live, life circumstances will choose for us.  Then to complicate things even further, we must remember that our choices will not only affect you, but they may also affect those around you or those who follow you.

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”  (Deut. 30:19)

This series, Designed for Abundant Life, is interactive.   In the beautiful brochure that the Greeters were handing out today, there’s a Spiritual Growth Checklist included to help you assess where you are and to suggest what next steps you may want to consider.  It’s all about taking the next step.  And although it may be uncomfortable, taking the next step is essential.

1.     MAKES AVAILABLE TO US WHAT BELONGS TO HIM.

The Lord has great power – resurrection power – and it is available to us if we believe and agree to enter into a relationship with Him.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches…of His inheritance…and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Eph. 1:18-19)

When we don’t appreciate the true power of our God, we reluctant to trust in Him and obey His will.  But when we begin to appreciate the magnitude of God, the more we are willing to listen to and follow His calling.  When we understand His significance, we can also appreciate all that He does for us.

“Blessed be…our Lord Jesus Christ, who…has caused us to be born again to a living hope…to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Pet. 1:3-4)

When we understand His greatness and we follow His will, and He sees our hearts trying to be so much like Him, He’ll pour into our life so we can have an abundant life.  When the Lord hears a prayer of a man or woman who wants to be like Him, He answers those prayers.

Why is it so hard to trust God?  We trust more in the pilot of an airplane that takes you to Disneyland than we trust in God.  We often say, “Seeing is believing,” but with God, the opposite is true, “Believing is seeing.”  When we believe in God with our whole heart, He is able to pour out His blessings on us.

So what does trusting in God do for us?  It… 

2.     CHANGES OUR PERSPECTIVE OF OUR PRESENT.

“Do not be afraid, for I have…called you by name; you are Mine.  When you go through deep waters and through…rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression…the flames will not consumer you.  For I am the Lord…your Savior.”  (Is. 43:1-2 NLT)

Isaiah 26:3 also says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts you.”                                                                                                                                                          

When we say, “yes” to Jesus and trust Him completely, there is a peace that comes with that steadfastness of mind and heart.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:22-23, 25)

Live a life of patience and self-control, faithfulness and peace.  God is faithful.  God will provide.

When you worry and get mad, you are not staying faithful.  You are not trusting the Lord to handle whatever situation you are facing.  Lastly, trusting in Him…

3.     ALLOWS US TO ACCEPT HIS PROMISES FOR OUR PAST.

“Who is a God…who pardons sin and forgives…You will again have compassion on us; You will …hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Mic. 7:18-19)

Let me illustrate this point with a story about a little girl from Traverse City, Michigan whose parents overreacted to her nose ring, the length of her skirt, and a variety of other personal choices that the girl made…

One day, when the girl had had enough of her parents, she screamed, “I hate you!”  She stormed out of the house and ran away from home.  She caught a bus to Detroit – a place she felt her parents would never look for her in because of its reputation for drugs and crime.  As soon as she arrived, she met a man who bought her food, provided her with a car and a place to live, and a pill that made her feel very good.

Soon enough, she was working for the man and clients paid a hefty price for her, in part because of her age.  After a short while, she was living in the best apartments until one day, she had shown signs of an illness that would make her undesirable.  She was turned out onto the streets where she had a chance to reconsider what she had been through.

She finally decided that she wanted to go home.  She made three straight calls to her parent’s home.  Her call was picked up twice by the answering machine and on the third time, she left a message telling her parents that she was sorry for running away and that she wanted to come home.  She told them that she wanted to come home and that was catching a bus there.  She told them that if she didn’t see them at the bus station, she’d probably just stay on the bus and continue on to Canada.

When the bus stopped, the girl got out to see if her parents had come.  Much to her surprise, the bus station was filled with about 40 of her siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, etc. – all with hats on.  When she saw her father, she tried to apologize for the past year but her father wouldn’t hear of it.  “We have a party, in your honor, to go to.”

That’s the heart of the Father…not to discuss your past and failures.  Rather…He has a party waiting for you at home.  You don’t need to pay for that anymore, Jesus already paid for it with His life.                                     

God wants us to have abundant lives but it requires us to make choice to live for Him.  He makes available to us what belongs to Him and changes our perspective of our present.  His grace allows us to accept His promises for our past and He welcomes us home, no matter what we’ve done or have been through.  By accepting Him as our savior and living the life that follows His will, we can the abundant life that He intended for us.

On this communion Sunday, renew your commitment to Him and He will pour out His blessings on you.

“Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it…This is My blood…which is poured out for…the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matt. 26:27-28 NIV)

DISCUSSION TOPICS

1.      What distractions has the enemy placed in your path to divert you from God’s will?  How have you dealt with that?

2.      Is there any decision you’re facing where you’re unclear what the right answer is because of the numerous choices you’re presented with?  How can you shift through the choices to find the answer that God is looking for?

3.      Tell about a time in your life when you made bad choices and you felt distant from God.  What eventually happened?  How did you finally resolve the issue with God?

4.      How has your commitment to and trust in God affected your life?  Are you experiencing the peace that comes with steadfastness of heart and mind?  If not, ask your group to pray for you and watch as God does His work in your life.