Over the last several days, we have been studying the series entitled, “The Abundant Life.”
Since we've come to the end of this series, I wanted to take some time this morning to recap what we’ve been talking about and to kind of sync this series to our hearts...
Almost 2,800 years ago, the prophet Joel spoke of people who are stuck in a valley and unable to make a decision.
You would think that after 2,800 years things would be different, that people would be different...
You would think by now, that we humans would be capable of making a decision on some things in our lives.
But apparently, the some of the same struggles that they had in that day, we still have today and one of them is the ability to come to a conclusion on a few very important things in our lives.
800 years after the prophet Joel mentions these people who struggle in their lives with the agility to make a decision, Jesus said…
"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10
So we have this promise from God that we could live an abundant life.
Now, we’ve spent several days talking about what the abundant life looks like, but what’s important to understand, is that every single day of our lives is that The Abundant Life is a decision.
A choice!
We have to make a decision as to whether or not we are going to live The Abundant Life.
It’s a decision
A conscious choice
Every day – decide
I choose The Abundant life
I know that some really crummy stuff is happening in my life right now, but I choose Abundance.
I choose to be happy.
I choose to love others.
I choose to show grace
I choose to be generous
I choose to allow God to work in me and through me to bless others.
And as a result, I will in turn be blessed..
I don’t know about you, but this series has really had an impact on my own life..
One of those areas is when people make mistakes.
I’m learning to be patient and understanding.
It’s caused me to be much more forgiving of other people.
I’ve been showing grace in ways I never really considered in the past.
Now don't think for a minute, it's made me a saint, but when I can I try to show kindness and grace.
"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
Luke 6:38
Now I know we use this scripture when we are talking about our financial giving, but I believe the principle of this scripture goes far beyond that.
I believe a person can make a decision to give in many ways.
You give when you smile at someone.
You give when you go out of your way to say “Hello” to someone.
You give when you show love to someone you just met.
Or someone who does not deserve your love for them at that moment.
You give when you allow someone to make a mistake and you are patient and even help them to correct it.
This is what I’ve been working on in my own life.
Especially the being more patient and more forgiving part...
I know, it's difficult to think of me, being something other than perfect, right?
(laughter)
Well, I'll be the first to tell you, I mess up as much as any of you, maybe even more..
I'm a Pastor, but I'm also human.
And we humans, all make mistakes!
ALL HUMANS! Yes, even you ...and me!
This week I had to do a bit of traveling and when my car to me is was about to run out of gas I thought it would be wise to stop and fill up.
So, I pulled off the highway and went to the first station I came to.
I swipe my card and put the hose into the car and started the pump the gas..
Then it occurred to me, I’ve got 3-4 minutes and so I figure, I’m going to go inside and see if God
has an opportunity for me to witness to someone, I would ordinarily have an chance to meet..
And as I’m in there, I smile as some of the people in the store.
I say “hi” to the person at the register , and several people comment of my T-shirt.
When I'm traveling, I usually wear one of the T-shirts from our store found on this website.
It opens many a door for me to bring up Jesus.. You'd be surprised!
And as I’m leaving I smile at and say “Hello” and hold the door for a lady whose coming in as I’m going out. She also commented on my T-shirt. Giving me another opportunity to talk about my Savior.
I stopped into a pizza place, I over hear them talking, I hear what sounds like a good opportunity for me to enter into the conversation.. and before you know it, a sweet older lady, I believe to be the owners mother, begins to pour out her heart..
She tells me about her grandson, who ended up in jail, has overdosed on drugs several times..
After listening attentively to her story, I offered to pray for her, her grandson and their family.
Then she asks..
"Can I ask what you do for a living? What's your job?"
When I told her Pastor, she smiles and says "Thought so!"
She goes on to tell me she could feel God's presence when I came in..
and thanked me for listening, for praying and for stopping in..
You see, if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, to direct our steps..
If we allow Him to use us when and as He sees fit, we'll find many opportunities to get over ourselves, to listen to others needs,share our faith, pray for others!
An opportunity to sow some seeds of kindness.
Sow some forgiveness into the lives of others!
It felt my heart with an abundance of joy!
What constitutes the Abundant Life for you?
What brings joy to your joy?
Making a decision to live The Abundant Life doesn’t mean that abundance is just going to suddenly come pouring out of the sky just because you know Jesus.
But it is going to happen as you plant the seeds and reap a harvest of the things you need in your life.
Do you need more spiritual blessings in your life?
Than plant some spiritual seeds!
It's theoretically impossible, to reap the harvest of a crop you have not planted?
Isn't that true?
Pray!
Pray with and for others!
Read your bible!
Worship!
Plant spiritual seeds and when you do, spiritual blessing will come your way!
You see, sadly, the only thing some people know about God is His name.
Which is a good first step.
But there is so much more to God..
The only time they have a conversation with Him is when they have trouble in their life, they are like, Hey Jesus, I need your help.
Maybe we should plant some seeds here.
Maybe we should be asking God how our lives could serve Him better.
And how we could be a better witness and example to others.
Maybe open the door so to speak.
I know a person who’s always doing for other people.
She has a very generous heart.
I’ve been watching her make some right decisions in her life.
She text me this week and said she found in her “junk” drawer an envelope with cash in it and written on it was the word Mortgage.
She doesn’t know how it got there, but I believe God does!
Later this week, she shared on her Facebook page, about the job she got!
Followed by the raises she got!
Not after she started the job, but during the interview process!
How did that happen?
She’s chose Abundance!
She has been planting some seeds... in the lives of others, with her acts of kindness, her generosity.
Going out of her way, to help other when she could even though she herself needed help!
Now, the time for her to reap the harvest has come!
Does anyone in here need to forgive someone of something?
Do you need someone to forgive you of something?
Do you know who people forgive?
People who are themselves forgiving!
The Abundant Life for some of us would simply be living in the realization that someone we hurt very badly many years ago has forgiven us.
Do you know how that is going to happen?
When you Forgive!
What you do unto others is what is going to be done unto you.
I know it sounds cliche, it sounds impossible, but it’s true!
I don’t know about any of you, but I choose abundance.
I choose not to be angry.
I choose not to be selfish
I choose not to unforgiving
Not to be self-centered!
I choose to live The Abundant Life!
Do you know what else I choose?
I choose to be happy.
I choose to love.
I choose to forgive.
I choose generosity
I choose kindness
And as believers, followers of Jesus Christ, I'm not sure we're supposed to be living any other way!
I'm fairly certain we are to be living a life that is more like Him, and less like us!
The apostle Paul said: "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."
1 Corinthians 11:1
I just heard someone say "I'm my own man! I don't need anyone telling me what to do!"
Really fella, How's that working out for ya?
Let me remind you, that Jesus is our example and we’ll never truly understand what it is to live The Abundant Life, until we begin to follow Him and His teachings.
"Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Matthew 4:19
Let me tell you this, to become fishers of men was to enter His ministry.
Following Jesus helped those men find God’s purpose for their lives.
And the most confident and blessed and happy people, that I know, are people who have found God’s purpose for their lives.
And I'm also speaking from my own experience here!
It wasn't until I discovered God's purpose for my life, until I decided to accept God's calling to ministry, I became abundantly happy, abundantly blessed..
Now I'm not saying that ya'll need to leave here and become Pastors!
But I am saying you need to let God's will, His purpose prevail in your lives..
God has placed within each of us a gift, a unique talent, are you using yours for our purpose or allowing Him to use it for His?
Can you honestly say you've found that yet?
God’s purpose?
It’s a choice.
Those disciples could have said “no” and kept on fishing.
But instead, they made a decision and immediately set down their nets and followed after Jesus.
What’s your decision today?
Are you going to stay in the valley?
Stuck with the rest of the masses who can’t decide whether or not to know Jesus?
Whether or not to accept Him into their lives?
Whether or not to live the Abundant life?
Whether we know it or not, we all make decisions every day!
We can either choose to live The Abundant Life
Or we can choose NOT to decide, which is also a choice!
We all heard this phrase, “Going Forward”?
Most of us probably say it a lot.
Today, we can make a decision to not stay where we’ve been, and we “move forward”.
And as we “move forward” in Christ some positive things begin to happen. Some small and some not so small changes begin to take place in our lives and as they do, John 10:10 begins to happen as The Abundant Life that Jesus came to bring us begins to take place in our lives.
After you leave here today..
You have a choice.
You can choose to let this message fall on deaf ears
OR you can choose to make a decision.
Today, every one of you have a choice, a decision to make!
What will you choose?
And now may the the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries