TRUE LIFE

 

The Secret of true life revealed!

 

     People today are seeking true life.  Mankind has always had three desires, significance, security and sufficiency.  We always have wanted food, clothing, shelter and today transportation.  

 

Some people view life this way. “He's not the hero and he's not the enemy.  He's just a boy. And I'm just a girl, a girl who needs to pick up her own pieces and put them back together herself.” ― Amber Smith,

 

“We all have the best laid plans for our children, and they go and ruin it all by growing up any way they want to.  ― Kristina Riggle

 

“Real life is sometimes boring, rarely conclusive and boy, does the dialogue need work.”

― Sarah Rees Brennan

 

I have done hundreds of weddings where everyone believes their marriage will last and stand the test of time and some do and some don’t.  I have been to many high school graduations where they talk about their future.  I have done many funerals where you celebrate a life well lived and others where you ask what was that all about?

 

Jesus stated I have come to give you life and with it more abundance.  We as Christians believe our lives matter and count for eternity.  So what is the secret of life and how can it be revealed.  This message will attempt to answer that.

 

First, I will give you five promises God gives to make  your life more, significant, secure and sufficient.

 

 

The Bible is packed with the promises of God. These promises are incredibly important for us because they help to keep us grounded and give us hope in troubled times. In fact, we should be building our lives upon God’s trustworthy promises.

 

 

1. Life

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it’” (Matthew 16:24–25, New International Version).

 

It seems like an incredible contradiction, but we will only find life when we quit pursuing it. When we stop chasing the things we believe will bring us life and instead, pursue the creator of life, we discover life as it was designed to be (John 10:10).

 

2. Acceptance

“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away” (John 6:37, NIV).

 

Charles Spurgeon once called this one of his favorite verses. In this passage, we discover Christ’s assurance that he will not send those who come to him away. We see this acceptance peppered throughout his interactions in the Gospels. If we come to him, we will find him waiting with open arms. Christ’s invitation extends to everyone, and he accepts all those who follow him.

 

3. Revelation

“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” (John 14:21, NIV).

 

When you get down to it, there’s an element of God’s truth that one can only understand from the inside. All the arguments and proofs for God’s existence pale in comparison to actually experiencing a relationship with God through Christ. Jesus promises us that, when we obey him, he will manifest himself to us.

 

4.  Friendship with God

“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14–15, NIV).

 

Jesus came to reconcile God to mankind. The surprise there isn’t just that a bridge would be built between God and humanity; it’s that we would enter this relationship as friends. Yet, this is is exactly what Jesus promises us.

 

5. Joy

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:9–11, NIV).

 

We’re instructed to continually exist in God’s love, and he tells us that we can do that by keeping his commands. Our obedience keeps the relationship alive and active, allowing us to remain in his love. Why does he want to securely stay in this relationship? So our joy will remain full.

 

Jesus promises us that joy is a byproduct of remaining in God’s love.

 

Now I have a question for you what will you do for the Lord?

 

True Life is found in these three things I about to reveal.

 

First to do the great commandment.  Matthew 22:37-40 New International Version (NIV)

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  We are to love.  Pure and simple.

 

Next to do the great commission.  Matthew 28:19 New International Version (NIV)

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  The words of the song from the angelic singers sum it up nicely.

 

When the Golden sun From the sight descends. And it turns from this earth And it disappears.  Have you sowed good seeds Or you been standing Idle, tell me what have you done for the Lord today? To inhance the Kingdom. Have you helped some soul, That was going astray Have you sowed good seeds

Or have you been standin Idle  Tell me what have you done? What have you done for the Lord today?

 

When you woke up this morning And the sun was shining.   Did you thank the lord.  For a brand new day

Have you testified, And said God is able Tell me what have you done, what have you done for the Lord today?  I love the testimony of Paul. Jesus confronted him. Paul yielded and asked, 'What shall I do Lord?' Paul switched to a personal commitment, an obedient response, and a loyal subjection.

 

Lastly to do the will of the Father.  This was Jesus’ aim He stated that in June 6:38.  The apostles testimony in Acts 4:13.  When you got up this morning and as go through this day is that your aim, goal, challenge and destiny.  Is your thoughts, will, attitude, motives and actions centered on that.  If not it is time to refocus and aim that direction.

 

The apostles went all the way for Jesus here is how their lives ended

 

Peter and Paul

Both martyred in Rome about 66 AD, during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Paul was beheaded. Peter was crucified, upside down at his request, since he did not feel he was worthy to die in the same manner as his Lord.

 

Andrew

went to the "land of the man-eaters," in what is now the Soviet Union. Christians there claim him as the first to bring the gospel to their land. He also preached in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, and in Greece, where he is said to have been crucified.

 

Thomas

was probably most active in the area east of Syria. Tradition has him preaching as far east as India. They claim that he died there when pierced through with the spears of four soldiers.

 

Philip had a powerful ministry in Carthage in North Africa and then in Asia Minor, where he converted the wife of a Roman proconsul. In retaliation the proconsul had Philip arrested and cruelly put to death.

 

Matthew

the tax collector and writer of a Gospel, ministered in Persia and Ethiopia.  He was stabbed to death in Ethiopia.

 

Bartholomew

had widespread missionary travels attributed to him by tradition: to India with Thomas, back to Armenia, and also to Ethiopia and Southern Arabia.  He met his death as a martyr for the gospel.

 

 

James martyred by Herod also the other James is reckoned to have ministered in Syria. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that he was stoned and then clubbed to death.

 

Simon the Zealot

so the story goes, ministered in Persia and was killed after refusing to sacrifice to the sun god.

 

Matthais

was the apostle chosen to replace Judas. He went to Syria with Andrew and to death by burning.

 

John

 

is the only one of the company generally thought to have died a natural death from old age. He was the leader of the church in the Ephesus area and is said to have taken care of Mary the mother of Jesus in his home. During Domitian's persecution in the middle 90's, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he is credited with writing the last book of the New Testament--the Revelation.   He escaped unhurt after being cast into boiling oil at Rome.

 

Every half hour 50 people will be martyred in the world.  I think this following video says it beautifully.  I pledge Allegiance to the Lamb.

 

Let us pray.