TITLE: Living The Abundant Life
TEXT: John 10:10

For far too long Charismatic and Pentecostal congregations have focused on "good services." Revivals are identified by what happens within the sanctuary. Revival, real revival can be defined as Christianity getting back to normal. It is about us being Christians and living consistent Christian lives.

I'd like to introduce you to the person God wants you to be and the life God wants you to experience. If you are a Christian, then the Bible describes you as "Blessed" or happy.

The Psalmist said, "Blessed-happy, fortunate, prosperous and enviable-is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly….But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law-the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God-he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1, 2, AMP)

In His Sermon on The Mount, Jesus described the citizens of His kingdom as being "spiritually prosperous [that is, with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of the outward conditions]" (Mt. 5:3, AMP).

John records Jesus as declaring, "The thief comes only in order that he may steal and may kill and may destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance-to the full, till it overflows" (John 10:10, AMP).

In John 7:38, Jesus describes the believer as being a wellspring of life. He said, "…he that believes on Me, out from his innermost being springs and rivers of living water shall flow (continuously)." He doesn't say that every-once-in-a-while we might have a good day, but that everyday we would overflow with life. Inherent to this life is peace and joy.

Paul says that citizens of God's kingdom live in an atmosphere characterized by "righteousness-that state which makes a person acceptable to God-and heart peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Ro. 14:17).

Peter tells us that it is a joy that is inexpressible (1Pe. 1:8).

Paul says that the very peace of God is ours. It is "…that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding…" (Ph. 4:7).

That is keyhole view of the person God wants you to be and the life He wants you to continuously experience! His desire is that you be…
  A believer who knows that your sins have been forgiven and that you have right standing with God.
  A mighty man or woman of God whose peace and joy are constant and consistent with God's eternal nature.
  A man or woman who is unshaken by circumstances, whether adverse or triumphant.
  A Christian who is envied by his or her neighbors.

Does this describe us? Does this describe anyone in this building? If not, why not?

Why do we feel the way we do? I'm not talking about our physical condition, but about our emotional and spiritual state. Why are you depressed, discouraged and defeated?

Someone is sure to object, "But I'm only a human being, Louis." Jesus came so that we human beings might experience life in such abundance that we would be the envy of those who do not know the Life Giver. The problem isn't our humanity!

Typically, we place the blame for negative emotions on something or someone else. When God asked Adam if he had eaten of the forbidden, Adam responded with, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12). Eve, in turn, said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (Gen. 3:13).

We tend to do the same thing.
" It's my wife. She's the one who makes me feel this way.
" It's my husband's fault.
" My job isn't satisfying me.
" It's my parents.
" My friends are disappointing me.
" The Church I'm attending isn't meeting my needs. The people aren't friendly.
" The Pastor hasn't called me or visited me.

So, am I to understand that the life Jesus died to give you can only be realized in a perfect environment where everyone does everything right and nothing ever goes wrong? Help me get this right! Your peace and joy are dependent upon
" your spouse,
" your job,
" your friends,
" your Church,
" your Pastor and
" the condition of traffic on your way to work tomorrow morning.

I don't want to take your pacifier away from you too soon, but you need to know that your current emotional state was not determined by your spouse, your boss, your friends, your children, the grass growing in your front yard or your overdue Sears bill. It is not events past or present that make us feel the way we feel, but our interpretation of those events. Our feelings are not the product of our circumstances. Our feelings are caused by what we tell ourselves about our circumstances, whether in words or in attitudes.

"Come on Louis, I'm just facing the truth. I'm living with reality." Are you? Are you telling yourself the truth about your situation?

ILLUS: Jerry was facing a divorce he did not want. After 15 years of marriage, he was being forced to live alone. To say he was miserable would be an understatement. He was a wreck; an emotional basket case. He spent evenings medicating himself with liquor. As far as he was concerned his life was over. There was no reason to live. He was so unhappy he wanted to die. Two weeks ago he went with a friend to see The Passion of The Christ. Since then he's stopped thinking about death and started thinking about living. He's back in Church and he's making some positive changes in his life.

What happened?

Jerry realized that the root of his depression wasn't due to the impending divorce, but what he was telling himself about it.

He had been telling himself things like…
" What's the use? Nobody loves me or cares about me.
" I'm not worth being loved.
" I'm a total failure.
" I can't do anything right.

His thinking was distorted and totally focused on himself. He was disappointed, frustrated and angry because he couldn't get what he wanted.

It took some work and determination, but he refused to allow the lies he'd been telling himself to destroy him. He began to argue against the lies by telling himself the truth!
" I made some mistakes in my marriage, but that doesn't make me a mistake.
" The marriage failed, but I'm not a failure.
" My wife says she doesn't love me, but that doesn't make me unlovable.
" I miss my family and that hurts, but there are better ways to deal with my pain instead of medicating myself with liquor.
" Instead of focusing on me, I'm going to focus on others and their needs.

Jerry's circumstances did not change, but he began to change as what he told himself changed.

I realize that people and circumstances can cause us great difficulty and pain, but I also recognize that they aren't to blame for how we are feeling today. Someone may have done us wrong or something may have gone wrong, but the adversaries and adversities aren't responsible for our current emotional state.

Those of us who are experiencing defeat don't have to look far to find the cause. All we have to do is listen to what we are telling ourselves.

Most of us could use a checkup from the neck up to expose stinking thinking and negative self-talk, and then we need to take the following steps to eliminate it at its very source.
1. Locate our misbeliefs. Acknowledge the lies we've been telling ourselves.
2. Replace misbeliefs with the truth. Argue against the lies.
" "I made a mistake, but that doesn't make me a mistake."
" "My wife says she doesn't love me, but that doesn't mean I am unlovable. God loves me. He loved me enough to send His Son to die for my sins."

KEY: No lie can survive a collision with the truth.

"Well, Louis, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm just trying to deal with reality. I'm merely responding to things as they really are."

I have no problem with admitting reality, as I am a realist. Where you and I are different is in our interpretation of reality.

Paul wrote Philippians while in a Roman prison. The reality, he was incarcerated and under guard 24 hours-a-day. He didn't deny his situation, he acknowledged it. He didn't go pseudo-faith on his readers and say, "This isn't prison and I'm not here." Where he differed from 98% of us is found in his refusal to allow the reality, his imprisonment, to determine the truth about him and his situation.

God's truth helps us rightly interpret reality. We are not defeated by circumstances, but by our interpretation of real circumstances.

The Reality: Paul was in jail.
The Truth: "…my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." (Philippians 1:12-14)

Paul did not deny the reality, but neither did he misinterpret the reality. Instead of blaming God for his situation and feeling abandoned, he looked for God's purpose in the situation.

"…we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

God doesn't cause all things, but He does use all things. He causes all things to work together
" for the benefit of the Kingdom (His purpose),
" for the benefit of those who love God and
" for the benefit of others.

Faith does not call us to deny reality, but neither does it misinterpret reality.

All too often we interpret the outcome of situation before they ever happen. How many of us have missed out on life because we prematurely determined that we would fail before we ever tried.

Likewise, we experience depression, discouragement and defeat because we misinterpret reality.

The greatest hindrance to living the abundant life isn't Satan, other people or negative circumstances. Our greatest hindrance to living an abundant life is sourced in our misinterpretation of reality. What we believe and think determines how we feel and what we do. We believe a lie and then die defending it.

What would happen if we, like Paul, faced our reality determined to rightly interpret it?

Instead of settling for the lie, here are three questions that will help you get a proper perspective on your situation.

1. How can my present situation be used by God to bring glory to His name?
2. How can my present situation be used by God to bring growth to my life?
3. How can my present situation be used by God to bring good to others?

SOURCES:
Fierce Conversations, by Susan Scott
Telling Yourself The Truth, by William Backus and Marie Chapian