Abundant Life
Dorothy Dalton
April 17, 2010
Midland SDA Church
Abundant life is our topic this morning. The dictionary defines abundant as a quality that is more than enough or very plentiful. And you will find preachers who teach that you can have the abundant life today; if you live right, have enough faith and support their ministry. Books declare that when you become a Christian your problems disappear and you will become very prosperous. If not, you are not living right. Come with me as we investigate this topic to see exactly what Jesus is telling us. Open your Bibles to Philippians 4: 11-13 where we will begin.
In November of last year the nation was surprised and disappointed, when we heard the news that Tiger Woods, the all American boy, had been in a vehicle accident. Then as the story unfolded, in the coming months, it was discovered that he had been living a secret life. To outward appearances it seems he had it all: fame, good looks, talent, a magnificent home, a beautiful wife and family, plus more money than I can imagine. He was living the American dream: the abundant life, right? The dictionary defines abundant as a quality that is more than enough or very plentiful. He certainly had abundance so what more could he possibly want. And yet, he recently continued his quest for fame and more money as he pursued yet another Augusta National Golf championship and the coveted “green jacket.” As we continue our search for those living the abundant life we don’t have to look far to find additional examples in the lives of the rich and famous with their multiple homes, private jets, large yachts and extravagance. But, in this quest we also see the heart wrenching pictures of starving and abused children, floods and earthquakes destroying homes and taking lives. The drive-by shootings, auto accidents, the ravages of war, the homeless, the terminally ill, friends loosing their jobs and the list goes on. Life is hard! Life is unfair! Why such disparity? And the question persists, where is this “abundant life” that Jesus has promised and why is it so elusive?
Come with me if you will to the most populated prison in the world. More inmates than bunks, more people to feed than food to feed them. The place is crowded. And not only is it the most populated prison in the world it is the most oppressive prison in the world. Just ask the inmates. The bunks are hard, the walls are bare, the food is cold and they never have enough. The place is over-populated and underprovided. And worst of all it is permanent because few inmates never leave. Once they get in there they get stuck and they cannot escape! The name of this prison: permanent, oppressive, over-crowded. The name of the prison is rainbowed in an iron sign over the top of the gate. It is spelled out in four letters. The prison of W-A-N-T! The prison of want. They don’t want much, the inmates don’t. They just want something bigger, faster, better, thinner. And they just want, one. Not asking much. They just want one—one new job, one new house, one new transfer, one new spouse. And when they have that one, they will be happy! And you know what, when they have that one; they know they will get out of prison. They won’t be in the prison of want any more; they will be satisfied. And they are right! When they get that one thing, they are happy, but then something happens? The new car-smell passes, or the new job has some unexpected responsibilities, or the new T.V. is nice; but the neighbors T.V. is larger, or the new computer is great, but did you hear; they just came out with a newer, better model. And the new spouse has some of the same old hang-ups. And before you know it, an ex-con breaks parole and goes back to jail: back to the prison of want.
Ever been there? Are you in there? You are in there, if you feel better when you have more and worse if you have less. You are in there, if happiness is a change of circumstance rather than a change of attitude. You are in prison; if your joy is one delivery away, one new job away, one award away, a smaller suit size away, or one make-over away. You are in the prison of want if your happiness is something that you drink, drive, deposit, or digest. And if you are in prison you need to face it! That’s the bad news. The good news is that you have a visitor, this morning!
Someone has come to the prison to visit with you; they want to help you out of jail. So leave your cell and walk down the hallway and step into the reception room then sit down at the table across from the apostle Paul. He leans over and whispers, “Come here, I want to tell you a secret. I want to talk to you about the secret of satisfaction.” And he tells you this secret recorded in (Phil 4:11-13 NCB) 11“I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. 12I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. 13I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength.”
Notice the word that Paul uses. He doesn’t say I have learned the principle of being happy, or I have learned the concept, the truth of being happy. He says, I have learned the secret of being happy, at any time. A secret, by its very nature is something that other people do not know. If you want to get out of prison you need to learn a secret. And I wonder if we can summarize Paul’s instruction with one sentence. And that sentence is something like this: what you have in Christ is greater than what you don’t have in life. Let me say that again:: What you have in Christ is greater than what you don’t have in life. Paul begins this paragraph indicating that what you have doesn’t matter. Think for just a moment about the things that you have…… Think about the clothes you wear, the house you live in, the car or pickup that you drive, the insurance policy, the bank account, the toys and tools that you have. Think about your stuff!
The Bible makes two clear and oft repeated statements about your stuff. First it is not yours. Contrary to the opinion held by most people, more “things” do not necessarily mean more happiness. Happiness depends, not on “things,” but on the state of one’s mind and heart. The Wiseman of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, wanted to help those, who would live after him lead a fulfilling life and in Chapt 2: 1-11 declares the futility of pleasure and possessions and Jesus in Luke12: 15 states “watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And Testimonies vol 6 pg 191 provides this insight. “Whatever may be the position or possessions of any individual who has a knowledge of the truth, the word of God teaches him that all he has is held by him in trust. It is lent him to test his character. His worldly business, his talents, his income, his opportunities are all to be accounted for to Him to whom by creation and redemption he belongs
It reminds me of a story Max Lucado told about his cousin, Homer, who had gone to visit a rich rancher in Texas. The rancher shows him one exhibition of culture after another: paintings, sculptures, antique cars, and finally they came to this room full of antique furniture and the rancher with a wave of his hand said, “All of this goes back to Louie the 14th. And Homer said, “now, I can understand that; because my couch goes back to Sears on the 15th.”
The truth of the matter is that it all goes back, eventually. Doesn’t it? It all goes back: just ask any coroner or funeral home director. Have you ever seen a moving van following a hearse? John D. Rockefeller was one of the richest men in America. When he died his accountant was asked, “How much did John D Leave? And he replied, “all of it!” Again I am reminded of the words of the Wiseman, (Ecc 5:15 NIV) “Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.” All that stuff is not yours. It will have to be turned in one day, just like a rental car. And all that stuff, it is not you! Who you are has nothing to do with the clothes you wear, how much you have in the bank or the car you drive. Jesus said, “Life is not measured by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12:15 Message) The Lord doesn’t think of you as the lady with the nice suit, or the fellow with the cool car, or the kid with a neat bicycle. But, you may be thought of as the person with a warm heart, or the quick mind, or the deep faith or the passionate prayers. When the Lord looks at you no thought of stuff comes to mind and you know that is not a bad way for you to look at yourself.
Contentment comes when you can honestly say, with Paul in Phil 4:“I have learned the secret of being satisfied with the things I have. I know how to live when I am poor and I know how to live when I have plenty.” This is equally true of your circumstances, which is point #2 from this passage. After first what you have doesn’t matter, secondly, what happens doesn’t matter. Look what Paul says, “ I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough.”
You may have heard the story of the man on his death bed, with his last ounce of strength he turns to his loving wife and says, “you know, honey, when you married me I had nothing and yet you loved me and married me anyway. Then what little I had, I lost in the depression and you stuck with me anyway, then when I went overseas in the war and came back injured, you cared for me and you loved me anyway. And since then our life has been just one mishap and misfortune after another. One struggle after another and now here I am dying and every morning when I awake the face I see: is your face. You know what honey, I have decided something. She leaned forward anxious to hear. He said, “You’re bad luck!”
Now, what kind of attitude is that? That’s a bad attitude, isn’t it? That is an attitude that cannot see the blessings, when blessings are looking him right in the face. Paul says those that learn “the secret:” learn they are surrounded by blessings even in the midst of challenges. That’s what Doug McKnight learned even though at the age of 32 he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis; even though within three weeks after the diagnosis he was in a wheelchair; even though the disease cost him his position as a CEO of a multi-million dollar oil corporation. Within a matter of time he couldn’t feed himself or dress himself and he was in the constant care of care givers. In time the disease took much from him, but it never took his joy. Doug never lost his sense of gratitude. Evidence of this was seen in his prayer list. He was an active member of a church in Fort Worth, Texas. Friends in his congregation asked him to compile a list of prayer requests so they could intercede for him. His response included 18 blessings for which to be grateful and six concerns for which to pray. His blessings out-weighed his needs three to one. From his wheelchair he oversaw a program that sent Bible correspondence courses all over the world. During the years that he oversaw this program over 900,000 courses were mailed around the world and at least, what they know of, 1989 people made decisions to follow Christ and joined a local church somewhere in the world. To make sure it was known that he was a Christian, even after he was afraid he might loose his voice, he wrote out his testimony on a sheet of paper and anyone who came into his room was given that sheet of paper to read. At least 5 caregivers became Christians after reading that testimony. Doug McKnight had learned something about the” secret of being content: that what happens doesn’t really matter. (Psm 144: 15 NIV) tells us “How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!” (ML 161) tells us “If you would find happiness and peace in all you do, you must do everything in reference to the glory of God If you would have peace in your heart, you must seek earnestly to imitate the life of Christ……Those who in everything make God first and last and best are the happiest people in the world.”
(1 Timothy 6: 6-12 NCV) “Serving God makes us very rich> if we are satisfied with what we have. We brought nothing into the world, so we can take nothing out. But, if we have food and clothes, we will be satisfied with that. Those who want to become rich bring temptation to themselves and are caught in a trap. They want many foolish and harmful things that ruin and destroy people. The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have left the faith, because they wanted to get more money, but they have caused themselves much sorrow. But you, man of God run away from all those things, Instead, live in the right way, serve God, have faith, love, patience and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever.”
We are instructed to live in the right way, not passively but to fight the fight of faith and grab hold of life. ““Life” includes the physical, intellectual and spiritual. Physical life is regarded as abundant in a body that is full of vigor and in perfect health. Jesus’ miracles of physical healing gave an abundant physical life to those whose life was ebbing. But physical restoration was by no means the complete fulfillment of Jesus’ mission. Man also has intellectual and spiritual life, which must also be made alive and abundant. For “Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deut 8: 3) Important as the physical and the intellectual aspects of a well-rounded life are, no life is fully complete unless the spiritual nature is nurtured.”[1]
Men and women have searched the world for peace of mind and an untroubled heart. Billions of dollars are being spent annually as man endeavors to find contentment in amusement, travel, liquor and the satisfaction of physical passion. Yet, the object of their quest eludes them because man must still live with his conscience and face the question of his eternal destiny. However, the gift of God is not only eternal life; it also brings an untroubled mind, one that has learned to trust a loving God amid all the uncertainties of life…..The fleeting glory of earth is not his master; he knows of a better land and a more dependable Master. With God as his only helper the Christian needs nothing more.[2] (Luke 12: 22-23 NCV) “Jesus speaking to his disciples says. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes…….v31 “Seek God’s kingdom and all the other things you need will be given to you.”
I would like to read a dream that Ellen White had in 1868 recorded in Life Sketches Chapter 33
This was only a dream but vividly pictures what is important in life. So the question to be answered is: Where have you placed your trust?
Perhaps you have heard the story of the businessman, who noticed the fisher man closing up his vessel at noonday. This bothered the businessman and he stopped and asked the fisherman, “Why are you tying up your boat?” And the fisherman says, “Well, I want to go home. I want to sit on the porch and sip lemonade with my wife.” And the businessman said, “Well you still have half a day and you can still fish, don’t go home so early.” And the fisherman replied, “I have already caught enough fish for today. Now, I want to go home.” And the businessman said, “No, you need to go back out and fish some more.” The fisherman said, “Why would I want to go and catch more fish?” The businessman gave this answer. “Well, the more fish you catch, the more fish you have to sell, the more fish you sell the more money you will make, the more money you make the richer you are, the richer you are the more boats you can buy, the more boats you have the more fish you can catch, the more money you can make and some day when you have enough money you can sell all your boats, and you can go home and sit on your porch and sip lemonade with your wife.” The fisherman thought for a second and he said, “I guess I am rich enough then; because I can do that today!” Very seldom do we hear the phrase, “I am rich enough!” It is almost an unspoken phrase in our culture, isn’t it? The desire for just a little more can take our contentment.
The wealthy land owner was asked, “How much property do you want?” He replied, “I don’t want much just that which buts up against what I already have.” We always want just a little bit more and so we remain in the prison of want. Can we ever complete our imprisonment sentence, or receive a full pardon or be released?
The answer is a resounding, yes! We need only look to the Psalmist, David who writes, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Ps 23:1). David has found the place where discontent goes to die. What is the one thing that is separating you from joy? Fill in this blank. I will be happy when_____________. When I get that raise; when I get my own apartment; when I get married; when I graduate? How would you finish that statement? What if your dream never comes true? If not, then you continue to sleep in the cold cell of the prison of want.
What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life? In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine. Let’s look at the words of Paul in 1 Cor 2: 7 “I speak God’s secret wisdom, which he has kept hidden. Before the world began, God planned this wisdom for our glory. Vs 9 “But as it is written in the Scriptures No one has ever seen this and no one has ever heard about it No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But, God has shown us these things through the Spirit. The spirit searches out all things, even the deep secrets of God.”
Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life---specifically eternal life---is provided by Jesus Himself: (John 17:3 NIV) “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you , the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family or occupation. As a mater of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God which is the key to a truly abundant life.
Tiger Woods did not win the Augusta National, or receive another green jacket. He finished the game very much alone. The winner, Phil Mickelson, a stark contrast to Tiger Woods had this comment about his win. His wife has been battling breast cancer and he wondered if she would be waiting for him. She’d been there the first two times he won the Masters, but he would’ve understood if she decided to skip this victory celebration. Yet, there she was, waiting. When questioned he stated, “I normally don’t shed tears over wins. When Amy and I hugged off 18, that was a very emotional moment for us. To have her here and share this moment and share the joy of winning and to share this with my kids, is something we’ll look back on the rest of our lives.” As Paul Harvey would say, Now for the rest of the story:iThis had been a trying year for Mickelson, who not only dealt with his wife’s illness, but his mother’s diagnosis and battle of beast cancer too.[3]
What have we learned? We have learned that our Christian’s life, revolves around, “growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Peter 3:18) Secondly, that abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring and overcoming. Thirdly; true abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit not an abundance of “stuff.” Lastly; abundant life consists of life that is eternal and as such our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us to: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God (Col 3 :2-3) In a world rocky with human failure, there is a land lush with divine mercy. The life spoken of here is that which the believer receives when he accepts Christ. Jesus said, “He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life: (John 3:36). It is his now, and will be translated into glorious immortality at the second coming of Christ (John 8:51)[4] This is the abundant life. This is life everlasting that you know Jesus and the love that he and his Father have for you. Jesus would rather go to hell for you than live in heaven without you.
Rom 15: 13 NAS “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”