Have you ever pondered why Jesus gave His life for you? As the Son of God, Jesus has always enjoyed perfect fellowship with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. He has all He needs. Yet He wants us to enjoy that same perfect fellowship with God and with one another:
“... that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).
Jesus wants those who are His to experience life more abundantly—all day, every day—from the moment He saves us on throughout eternity. He defined His purpose succinctly in John 10:10b:
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Love Worth Finding is exploring the truth that Jesus desires abundance for His people by examining the message series, “Celebrating the Victory,” from Pastor Adrian Rogers. We’re going to ponder what abundant life looks like, why we need to keep our focus on Jesus, and how we can discover that in His presence is fullness of joy (see Psalm 16:11), regardless of circumstances.
Finally, we’ll see that Jesus alone is the one able to provide His “sheep,” those who belong exclusively to Him, with greater abundance than could ever be possible without Him.
The Abundant Life is Freedom in Christ
Many people exist, but they don’t live. They are drawing their breath and drawing their salaries, fighting to live while they live to fight. However, they don’t have the life they want. In Macbeth, Shakespeare wrote, “[Life] is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
But for those who know Jesus, victorious abundance is available to us now through the power of God. We can enjoy God’s presence and God’s promises now because eternal life has already begun.
Pastor Adrian Rogers urged us to consider the story of Lazarus in John 11 and how his resurrection from the dead can show us how to live the Christian life.
Like those in this story, we must exercise faith in Jesus, experience the freedom of new life through Jesus, enjoy fellowship with Jesus, and express faithfulness to Jesus.
We must exercise faith in Jesus.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…’” (John 11:25-26).
Our society will try to raise us from our spiritual death by pushing examples for us to follow. People suggest we change our environment or get a good education. But death is still death; the secret of abundant life is salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus asked Mary to confess her faith in Him, not a cause, a creed, or an example.
We can experience freedom through Jesus.
After Lazarus was raised, Jesus instructed Lazarus’ friends to loosen him from his graveclothes. (See John 11:43.) When we come out of the tomb, there are some things about our former lives that we must shake off: old loves, sinful language, lusts. It may not happen immediately, but as we grow in grace, we will be unwrapped from our former ways.
We can enjoy fellowship with Jesus.
After Lazarus was raised from the dead, he sat down for a meal with Jesus. Once we put our faith in Jesus and experience freedom from sin, we can have fellowship with Him; He calls us friends.
Adrian Rogers said, “Being saved is not some sort of penalty that you pay to get to Heaven. When I invite you to come to Jesus, I’m not inviting you to a funeral; I’m inviting you to a feast.”
We must express our faithfulness to Jesus.
After Lazarus’ resurrection, he received death threats from those who wanted to deny Jesus’ power. But Lazarus could not be intimidated because he was no longer afraid of death.
Realizing our souls are forever alive in Jesus Christ is the way to abundant life. For more about how the story of Lazarus’ resurrection invites you to experience life more abundantly, read the full article, “The Four Keys to Living an Abundant Life.”
The Abundant Life Requires Focus as We Follow Jesus
In Joshua 3, the children of Israel were approaching the Promised Land of opportunity. To get there, they faced a raging river of difficulty. However, they had with them the Ark of the Covenant, which changed everything.
Adrian Rogers taught that abundant living requires us to fix our eyes on Jesus in the face of difficulty.
“And Joshua said to the people, ‘Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you’” (Joshua 3:5).
Joshua instructed his people to keep their eyes on the ark, to move only when it moved.
When we keep our eyes on Jesus, He guides us with His presence.
We don’t have to know the future to walk victoriously, so long as God’s presence leads us. We must be sure not to run out in front of God’s plans; timing is more important than time. We don’t have to know when, where, or why; when the ark moves, we move.
As we keep our eyes on Jesus, He gladdens us with His promises.
Jesus is our Ark of the Covenant; He is proof that God keeps His promises to us. Those promises are good for all saints, all seasons, and all situations. His Word is settled in Heaven, unfading.
When we follow Jesus as our Guide, He guards us with His power.
The children of Israel passed through the Jordan River on dry ground because they were guarded by the God of power. If we believe in God’s unfailing ability as the Israelites did, we’ll experience spiritual blessing.
Adrian Rogers says, “If God commands you to cross Jordan, He will command Jordan to get out of the way.”
The Christian life is to be a life of continual, contagious joy, one that will cause you to say with the Prophet Nehemiah, “the joy of the Lord is my strength” (See Nehemiah 8:10). It is how we are able to face the heartaches and trials of life.
Adrian Rogers taught the joy of Jesus Christ is abounding, abiding, and abundant.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11).
Jesus’ joy is abounding.
When we put our faith in Him, we get all of His joy. Remember, joy is not happiness; it does not depend on outward circumstances, but on Jesus Christ, who never changes. Joy does not remove the pain, but it helps us bear it.
Pastor Rogers said, “Joy is not the subtraction of problems from life; joy is the addition of power to meet those problems.”
Jesus’ joy is abiding.
We are able to rejoice always, because the joy of the Lord will not leave in the dark times. This joy is steadfast in sorrow, triumphant in tribulation, lasting in losses, and abundant in affliction.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Jesus’ joy is abundant.
As we abide in Him, He produces the fruit of the spirit in abundance; part of that fruit is His joy. Like a branch relies on a vine for its life and fruit, we rely on Jesus for joy. John 15:9 says, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.”
The joy of Jesus gives our lives meaning. When we abide in Him, we experience fullness of joy.
In the Old Testament, King Solomon was the apex of all greatness. By all earthly appearances of class, wealth, and status, Jesus did not compare to Solomon. But Pastor Rogers taught that our great Savior is infinitely greater than Solomon and able to bring us even greater abundance than Solomon possessed. Speaking of the Queen of Sheba’s Old Testament visit to Solomon to gain wisdom, Jesus Himself said,
“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42).
Jesus’ wisdom is greater.
While Solomon was wise about life, nature, and direction; Jesus is Lord over all elements.
Jesus’ works are greater.
While Solomon built a majestic temple and hosted lavish feasts, Jesus is building the eternal kingdom, setting a table, and turning us, His people, into living temples of God.
Adrian Rogers said, “Salvation is not getting man out of Earth into Heaven; it is getting God out of Heaven into man.”
Jesus possesses greater wealth.
No one had ever seen a man as wealthy as Solomon. Yet, the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Jesus; every star in the sky is His. This is His world! He has left His followers great spiritual riches no money can buy.
Jesus provides greater worship.
Solomon led his people in worship; it’s why he built the temple and why God established his throne on Earth. Yet, Jesus sits upon the eternal throne in Heaven and He will never dispossess it. We worship one who is greater than Solomon.
Jesus cares for His workers better.
Solomon’s servants were notably happy, dressed, and nourished like wealthy men. But as workers of Jesus Christ, we’ve received infinitely more than happiness; we receive conspicuous, continuous, contagious joy that can never be diminished. We receive the abundant life!
John 10:10; Matthew 6:33; Psalm 16:11; Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1; Jonh 1:12; Luke 6:38; John 14:6; James 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 48:17; Ephesians 5:18; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 31:19
