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Six years ago we
arrived on a bleary Saturday morning—tired but joyful after an amazing night of
images from exuberant people right round the world!
Some of our young
people had survived the crush of 3 million people massed along the Thames for
the
We had arrived at
the year 2000, and even the computers survived the transition.
New hopes, new
dreams, new optimism, new resolve, a new world!
If we had known
then what we know now there would have been new fears, new warnings, new care for the future. For the old human nature was
unchanged, the old rivalries and bitterness were still there, the world may
have been enlightened by the fireworks but was still in darkness as the
smoke-pall of rebellion hung over us.
In coming Sunday
mornings we’re looking at John’s gospel and continuing this theme at Thursday
break with the I AMs—again from John.
It isn’t John’s
business to simply tell the story of Jesus—at least three others had already
done that by the time John wrote. He didn’t want to duplicate but to expound.
John’s gospel is pre-occupied with
Jesus’ gift of NEW LIFE!
· John opens his
book with life - John starts as Genesis starts—the creator giving life.
· Only 3 verses further
on into his book John introduces the One in whom was
life. ‘In him was life and that life was the light of men’.
·
At the end John tells us why he has written his gospel—(Jn 20:31) - That you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ, the son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name!
· We’ll see on
Thursdays that every one of the I AMs is full of the
gift of Life in Christ.
Our motto verse is
John 10.10b. I have
come that you may have life and have it to the full.
If you stayed up
last night to see the New Year in I guess I have 2 things to say to you:
1.
Well done for getting here this morning.
2.
I bet you don’t feel much like abundant life this morning!
And when you
consider the coming year and what it could bring—you feel you’d rather turn
over and go back to sleep wrapped in the warm comforting embrace of your duvet!
Jesus makes an
amazing offer to us—
Receive
my life! I’m the source of it,—I give it to you freely, - that’s why I came!
What is he talking about? - What
kind of life?
Well clearly he’s
not talking about mere bodily physical life—
There are
2 ways of looking at this life Jesus offers:
1.
\everlasting life - A life that goes on for ever! The sure
and certain hope of the resurrection—the path which goes on through the door of
death—the goal of our pilgrimage.
Well—yes—Jesus is
talking about that—that’s why he conquered death—to open the doorway to glory
and everlasting life—to give us a hope and a future— given to all His children.
I wonder how many
of us know that when we die we will be with the Lord?
Do you know where
you will be in the year 2106? Do you have this future and hope? Jesus conquered
death & gave us everlasting life! And
Jesus proved his ability to give such life by raising Lazarus from the sealed
tomb (John 11) and rising himself!
Do you make provision for the
future? Do you save—have ideas of what retirement may bring? If
we spend effort on those few years why not at least a similar concern for eternity.
2. But Jesus didn’t only come to
give us a future and a hope—Christianity isn’t ‘pie in the sky when you die’ -
there’s ‘steak on your plate while you wait’!
All the
commentators on this verse point to Jesus’ offer as not simply a matter of
everlasting life but of a grace filled, Christ filled spiritual life here.
‘They enjoy a
richer, fuller life—He does not offer them an extension of physical life nor an
increase in material possessions but the
certainty of a life lived at a higher level in obedience to God’s will and
reflecting His glory. (Tasker—Tyndale
commentary)
Too many Christians are
content with the idea of an extension to life—everlasting life. It is a great
warm and comforting duvet to wrap ourselves in when we think of the end of our
lives.
Too few think of what
Jesus has offered in terms of quality—of the spiritual life—walking with
Christ, living in faith, a unique quality of life unknown by those who do not know Him.
It is life in the Spirit, lived out
in the Spirit of Christ!
Far from being something
that gently wraps us up, it is where the life of the Holy Spirit gets into us,
and empowers us for living in Him—for praise, for work, for prayer, for
ministry, for love, for changing the world he has put us into.
John 1:16-17—words
of John the Baptist declaring why Jesus came -’From the fullness of his
grace we have all received—one blessing after another … grace and t
You can come to
Jesus either because you need insurance against your death—or you can come to
him to ask for, search out and receive all the riches of His grace - that He
longs to give us—overflowing into our laps.
Too many
Christians come to him for insurance, too few for life!
I have a dream of
·
where God’s people are
looking for abundant spiritual life—not insurance—
·
where they are
prepared to live praising lives not critical lives,
·
where they have life
in the Spirit with a zest and appetite for more—
·
where they are taking
this life of Christ out into Bromley— to make a difference
·
being players rather
than an audience.
And I want to be part of that
Church!
·
Young people—do you want this life in Christ? Come and lay
your youth, your enthusiasm, your adaptability, your future and potential at
his altar at the start of the year.
·
You who are moving on in family life or in your career—what
will that career be without the dynamic life of Jesus—just a 9-5 treadmill!
Come and lay your skills, your training, your energies at his altar as you re-commit
yourself to Christ and know His dynamic Spirit re-commission you.
·
You who feel you’ve moved on from this—you feel it’s time
for the others to serve now or that there’s nothing left for you to
discover—come and lay your years and your experience at his altar and learn new
tricks—receive new gifts, be open to new life in the spirit. The time of
discipleship is never ended! The time of living in Pentecost never comes to an
end. When you were young you were the life changers—you broke the old mould and
moved the church on. What changed?
A spirit filled Christian is one
whose life is dominated by thirst - a want for more
People who would
venture with Jesus, take risks in faith, not tied to their comfort zones. It’s
that abundant spiritual life that has motivated and empowered God’s people to
go anywhere and do anything for Him!
There may be some
here who don’t have life. Let me ask you if you have this life? If you have the
assurance of life with Christ after this world has gone, but also if you have a
hunger for something in this world too! For Jesus to give you a future and a
hope, for Jesus to send His Spirit on you that you should be born again and
live for Him!
You can have this
Life—abundant life, satisfying life, everlasting life, eternal life just for
the asking!
Jesus offers life
freely—it’s why he came—and calls all who want to come.
One pastor tells
of an ordinary member of his congregation—’The Man from outside’ - p.104 top.
Come and
walk in the light—the light of LIFE!