GYC Great Lakes 2011

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GYC Great Lakes

Valmy Karemera

The Marks of an Abundant Life

I'm thankful to be here after a long week.

Last night in our small group, the question was passed around, what is it that you're thankful this week?

And I said I'm grateful for a friend that I know who had said, you know, I believe God is calling me to go do something else.

And after 3 years, they have come around to the same voice of God and say, you know, I think 3 years ago God was speaking to me.

And I'm thankful today to say that when I prayed for my friend 3 years ago, today, last night, that prayer was answered.

I don't know what you're thankful for, but I'm thankful also to be alive.

Well, GYC Great Lakes, Here we come again.

I don't know why you came to chose particularly this Sabbath morning to be at GUIC Great Lakes.

There are so many services around here, Andrews.

If you've been in Berrien Springs, there are about 30 churches in the community.

So I believe there is a reason you are here.

And so I invite you, as we study the Word of God, that you whisper a prayer in your heart for the Lord to speak to your heart, and also to speak to my heart, as I share this message with you this morning.

It is entitled, The Marks of an Abundant Life.

It is short, straightforward, maybe I'm not saying the truth, it is not short.

It is simple and straightforward, the marks of an abundant life.

It can be summed up in the following words, believe and you shall have life and have it more abundantly.

Believe and you shall have life and have it more abundantly.

Unlike Matthew, Luke, and Mark, The Gospel of John is unique in different ways.

The Gospel of John does not mention anything on the baptism of Christ.

The Gospel of John does not mention anything about transfiguration.

It does not mention anything on the life of Christ in that trying hour in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Gospel of John has only 1 parable, Very unique.

The Gospel of John is the only gospel also to mention about the resurrection of Lazarus.

Throughout the Gospel of John, John emphasizes 1 thing, the divinity of Christ.

He wants you and I to trust that God, that Christ indeed is God.

That Christ indeed is God and this is revealed in the very first verse of John.

In the beginning, there was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

So John is emphasizing this very 1 thing, that Christ indeed is divine.

And to emphasize this, to make sure that you and I understand this, John uses 7 miracles in the book of John.

7 miracles for us to grasp that Christ indeed is divine.

Moreover, John uses a keyword, pisteo, believe, believe, trust.

John uses this word more than any other gospel writer.

For example, Matthew uses this word to believe 10 times, Mark uses it 17 times, Luke uses it 11 times, But John uses this very word 98 times.

3 times more than the other Gospels, Gospel writers.

This morning, our message is entitled, The Marks of an Abundant Life.

I want to share with you only 2 simple points, 2 simple points.

The marks, the 2 markers of an abonnent life.

In other words, it believes the Word of God.

The second marker is that it is selfless.

Heavenly Father, as we open your word, this morning Lord, we want to invite you to be with us as we study the Gospel of John, as we seek to understand what it is to have an abundant life, to live life and have it more abundantly.

Turn your Bibles with me to John chapter 10.

And the Bible reads, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that enters not by the door into the ship fold, but climbs up some other way, The same is a thief and a robber.

Verse 2, But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the ship.

Verse 3, To him the porter opened and the ship hear his voice and he calls his own ship by name and leads them out.

Verse 3, to him the portal opens and the sheep hear his voice.

Turn with me the same chapter to verse 27 and verse 28.

The Bible reads that, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

Verse 28, and I give unto them eternal life, and I give unto them the abundant life, amen.

They hear the voice of God and God gives them an abundant life.

Number 1, the marker of an abundant life, it is, it heeds the Word of God, it heeds the voice of God, amen.

As we look at this, how throughout the book of John, John paints this picture of the markers of those who live truly an abundant life.

John chapter 2, as John performs the first miracle, as Jesus performs the first miracle.

John chapter 2, reading from verse 7, And Jesus said unto them, fill the water spots with water.

And he said unto them, draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast, and bear it.

Verse 9, When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and you not wince it was.

But the servants which drew the water knew.

The governor of the feast called the bridegroom.

And he said unto them, Every man at the beginning does set forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse.

But thou hast kept the good wine until now.

The Marks of an Abundant Life

Transcript

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