Obtaining Abundant Life Through the Love of Christ

Preached on December 1, 2024

Everybody is trying to live an abundant life but what actually is living an abundant life? Are you going about living life more abundantly the right way? Join Pastor McCrary for this week’s message as he shares with us the powerful lesson that Jesus taught through giving sight to a blind man. The Pharisees were blind to what stood before them and many of us are going blind to the beauty of life as our focus is on the wrong things.

Sermon Introduction

Everybody is trying to live “the life” – a life of abundance.  Yet, many are struggling to live the life, why is that the case?  In my message for this week, we need to tackle the struggle of living an abundant life according to man’s law.  Afterwards, we will look to Christ and see what it is that He has to offer to us.

What Does Abundant Life Mean to You?

Everybody is trying to live “the life” – a life of abundance.  When we think of an abundant life, most of us think of gaining so much wealth that we can live comfortably and not have to worry about a thing, right?  So what do we do to obtain that life of abundance?  We were told to get a degree, land in a successful career field, get married, start a family, and get that house with the white picket fence.  

In my story, I got the degree, landed a career that I gave up to start a business with my brother.  When things seemed to be turning for the better for us, life happened and my kidneys failed.  I believe that some will look at me now, and will say I’m not living an abundant life.  I don’t have wealth, I don’t travel, no wife and children, nor a fancy car and clothes.

Well, after my kidney failure, my outlook on life changed.  I was no longer concerned about building an empire and trying to get rich.  All I wanted to do was live – to enjoy and appreciate life.  It’s been nearly 10 years since that happened, with my kidney transplant I’ve learned to appreciate life— God’s beauty.   While I may have my concerns and worries, I more so seek those moments where I can enjoy God’s abundance.

Jesus Gives an Example of Abundant Life 

I feel that many of us are missing out on the beauty of life because  our focus is elsewhere, on the wrong things.  So, to teach us about what’s important in life, Jesus shared an example by giving sight to a man that was born blind.

In John 9:1-7, we are introduced to the man that was born blind.  The disciples wanted to know if he was born blind because of the sins of his parents or something he had done.  Jesus shook His head no and said to them that his blindness would reveal the glory of God.  The “glory of God”, you should know, breathes life into those who receive His glory.

So, Jesus came to the man, made some clay, and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay.  After he washed in the pool of Siloam, the man came back with visual sight. Let’s be clear about this:  Jesus gave the man something that no medicine, no doctor, no wealth, no money, nor power could give him.  Yes, the man now had vision to see but what Jesus gave this man was life and joy in his soul!

Blind to True Abundance 

Now, you would think that such a miracle would have been celebrated, right?  Well, the man’s neighbors were left wondering how his eyes were opened (John 9:10).  After he testified of Jesus’ handiwork, they brought him to the Pharisees and almost immediately the Pharisees began to speak against the miracle.

The first thing the Pharisees did was speak against Jesus, saying that He wasn’t a Man from God because Jesus didn’t keep the Sabbath (John 9:16).  Then, they accused the formerly blind man of not really being blind from birth!  It got so bad that the Pharisees went to verify with his parents whether or not he was born blind (John 9:18-21)!

Then, the Pharisees came back to him again and said to him, “Give God the glory!  We know that this Man (Jesus) is a sinner (John 9:24).”  They failed to see that God’s glory was standing before them!  In response, the man said to them, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.  One thing I know:  that though I was blind, now I see (John 9:25).”  

Again, they failed to see what was standing before them.  Why couldn’t the Pharisees see that God’s glory was standing before them?  Scripture tells us that they reviled the man because he was a disciple of Jesus while they were Moses’ disciples (John 9:28).  Now, we who are of faith know that Jesus and Moses are both on the same page and not apart.

So, in the Pharisees, we see the self-righteous, all-knowing, mindset that blinds and keeps so many from being able to live an abundant life. Jesus would go on to call the Pharisees blind, but He also said that sin was found in them (John 9:41).  Because their sin remained, they blinded themselves from seeing what’s most important.  

Man will say, “do this, do that”, and you too can also “live the life”.  Yet, the same ones will make living the life a nightmare if you try to “do this and do that”.  I certainly understand trying to live a life of comfort because Lord knows we deserve it!  However, I want you to understand that if you desire to live life more abundantly, you won’t ever do so following a way that is blind to true abundance.   

God Gives Life and Hope

So, in John 10, Jesus sat out to further teach this incredibly important lesson about abundant life, what it is, and how to obtain it.  

Jesus began by sharing an illustration of a shepherd coming to his sheepfold in comparison to a thief and a robber (John 10:1-6).  The shepherd enters the right way while a thief and robber sneaks in another way.  The shepherd knows his sheep by name, leads, and goes before them.  Jesus was speaking of Himself coming to His flock in comparison to others but the group struggled to understand this illustration.  So, Jesus moved to make the illustration easier to understand in John 10:7-21.

The door of hope

Jesus, very pointedly, said to them, “Most Assuredly, I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7).”  Shepherds would act as a door by standing in the opening entrance to the fold.  They would do this to protect their flock from both wandering out and from predators wandering in.  So, Jesus was very pointedly saying that He protected the life of His flock so that they could have life.

Now, we know that doors not only shut but doors also open as well, which means that Jesus does more than just protect.  When doors open, they typically open to new opportunities and a chance to fulfill our dreams and hopes.  So, as “The Door” Jesus is the door to our dreams, hopes, and opportunities.

There are those who, just like the Pharisees, believe they can open and shut doors to others.  You see, the Pharisees “cast out” the blind man because he was Jesus’ disciple (John 9:34).  Many of us have had doors slammed shut to us by someone who believes they have authority to do so.  

Should we hang our heads in defeat when this happens?  Sadly, some of us have because a door was slammed shut.  As I said, some of us try to live the life – “the American dream” – while being pressed down the whole time.  Many of us have put in so much hard work only to be met with misery and great struggle.

Yet, when the Pharisees cast out the formerly blind man, Jesus immediately found the man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of God (John 9:35)?”  Jesus opened another door to the man to a far better opportunity!  We must remember that Jesus is the door and when one door closes, He will certainly open another door to a much better opportunity!

The door to life more abundantly

From this thought, Jesus then said, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers (John 10:8).”  This was a statement directed at false prophets and false teachers, like the Pharisees.  Such people pose a serious threat as Jesus warned, In the first part of my key verse, “the thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy.”

 What is the thief trying to steal?  Our dreams, our wishes, our aspirations, hopes, and opportunities.  What are they trying to destroy?  In Matthew 23:13, Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe!  For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men.”  To shut up the kingdom of heaven is an attempt to close the doors to peace and joy— which is life more abundantly. 

So, again, Jesus repeated in John 10:9, “I am the door.”  However, let’s pay close attention to Jesus saying this time, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”  To be clear:  “Anyone” speaks to the fact that both Jew and Gentile have been welcomed to enter by Jesus’ door!

To be “saved” and to “go in and out to find pasture” speaks of a certain kind of life.  This is what led Jesus to say in the rest of my key verse, “I have come that they (anybody) may have life, and that they may have it (life) more abundantly.”  So, Jesus  desires for you to not only have life but to have life more abundantly.  

To make sure this happens, Jesus will tend to you, care for you, and let you out into His pasture to live more freely!  Let’s note that when Jesus speaks of life more abundantly, He didn’t say He came to give earthly riches, wealth, money, power, and titles.  While man may desire those things, they are not what life is all about!

What Is Abundant Life?

Just like the Pharisees, many of us fail to see the abundant life – the glory of God – that is before us.  So, we need to get back to the basics of understanding what life is all about so that we can appreciate what’s before us.  To do this, we must go back to the source – to God – rather than listening to those that say “do this and do that” to live the life.

When God created life, scripture tells us throughout Genesis 1, that He looked at all He created, from the heavenly lights down to the green herb for food, and it was good.  God created life from a place of care and love.  When God created mankind, He created us from a place of tenderness.

Then God inserted mankind into His creation, breathing life into His nostrils.  God’s desire was for man to be fruitful and multiply – to flourish and prosper.  Mankind was to move with life and have dominion.  Dominion means to reign, but let’s understand that man was to reign as the Lord reigns with love, tenderness, and care.

So, when we trace life back to its source, let’s understand that life is moving and flowing.  Life is breathing and nourishing.  Life seeks to grow and to flourish throughout in every direction.  At its core, life is tender and precious, caring, and filled with love – at least it was before sin.

Sin is a thief that seeks to rob us of life.  Sin has already stripped and robbed man of the glory we were created in.  Sin tarnishes the beauty of life and all we are left with is decay and death.  Where death is, there can be no life, no dreams, and no hope.  

This is why Christ had to come!  God’s desire is for man to be able to move, to breathe, to flourish, and to rejoice without suffocating and drowning in sin and death.  Jesus is the good shepherd that helps us to be able to live in the abundance of His freedom.  

Abundant life is being able to live free from sin and death because Jesus frees us from the penalty of sin which is death!  Abundant life is being free from guilt and burden, trial and tribulation.  Abundant life is being able to flourish in every direction without the threat and hindrance of sin.  Abundant life is being able to rejoice not only in your blessings but in the blessings and uplifting of others!  

This is what we are missing out on today because we are too consumed with the dreams of the flesh.  Many of us are robbing ourselves from peace, joy, and God’s wonderful blessing of love because we are too enamored by the flesh.

Laying Hold of Abundant Life

I want to be clear that I’m not preaching this message because I stand against money and wealth because, again, we should desire to live comfortably and enjoy life.  

However, I think of what Paul said when he wrote to Timothy, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain … And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness (1 Tim. 6:6-10).”

There is a line that we shouldn’t cross.  The Pharisees crossed a line where they couldn’t even recognize that the blind man had been blessed, filled with life, and great joy.  In fact, they didn’t even realize that the man was singing praises to the Lord and was God’s glory!  Their hunger for power, control, and authority over the kingdom had blinded them.

My hope today is to persuade you to turn away from crossing the line where you don’t recognize the beauty of life that God has given to all of us.  Through His only begotten Son, the Lord has even put before us the opportunity of life more abundantly.  My hope today is that you will strive to lay hold of that abundant life of great joy.  

To enjoy life and life more abundantly, we must enter into fellowship with Him.  We must choose for Christ to be our shepherd!  With God as his shepherd, David told us in Psalm 23 that God restored his soul.  David said that God anointed his head with oil, which is to say that God shielded and protected him from all danger.  Even in the presence of his enemies, David said that God’s abundance caused his cup to run over!  

David would tell you that in abundant life, your every need will be supplied by the Lord.  Yes, we will still have our struggles, but again, God will remove our afflictions.  So, I encourage you, again, look to Christ and He will give you life and it shall be peace, freedom, and joy in abundance.