John 10:1-10

John 10:1-10

An “Easter Church” Follows The Leader

Easter 4 April 13, 2008

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

As Christians, we confess that Christ has risen.

We believe that He has risen and lives in our hearts — but we also believe that He has truly and physically risen. We believe that the tomb of Christ is empty. We believe that the power of death has been broken – broken for Jesus and broken for us. We can’t begin to understand the divine power that rose Jesus from the dead. The more we try to understand it, the more astounded by it we become.

But — here is a truth that is even more astounding:

The same power that shattered the prison of death sets us free from all that binds us.

The very Spirit of God that rose Jesus from the dead can live in us to empowers us for the ministry God calls us to be doing in the world.

You see — resurrection power is for us, in us, and at work through us.

We can live as “Easter Christians” – we can be an “Easter Church”.

This means that we not only live in gratitude for our salvation and hope for the future, but we can also live lives that are filled with the power of God for His work in the world. We can be filled with His power and let His power touch every aspect of our lives.

We can be filled with His power – and let His power touch every aspect of our Church.

Christ has risen – and we can be “Easter Christians” – we can be an “Easter Church” – filled with the power of the risen Christ and doing the work of the risen Christ.

During this season of Easter we are looking at different aspects of what it means to be an “Easter Church” – filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – and boldly doing the work of Christ in the world.

We began 2 weeks ago by looking at John 20:19-31 – the story of Jesus and Thomas – and saw that an “Easter Church” believes.

Last week we added another aspect of what it means to be an “Ester Church” as we looked at Luke 24:13-35 – the story of Jesus – Cleopas – and another follower on the road to Emmaus – and saw that an “Easter Church” is on fire.

Today we’re going to look at John 10:1-10 – and see that an “Easter Church” follows the leader.

Read Scripture

A popular idea – or popular trend — these days is having a “personal trainer” – or a “life coach” — someone who helps people get their lives in order and be more productive – or happier – or whatever they are trying to be.

I recently read an article where the TV Talk Show host Oprah Winfrey said that her personal trainer gives her the help she needs to make the best of life she can.

She says that her trainer helps her with meal plans – helps her take off the weight she needs to lose – and suggests exercises that can strengthen her heart.

On the surface, having a personal trainer – or a life coach – sounds like a pretty good thing to have.

We all know that what we eat is important –

“You are what you eat”

they say.

Some of us – and I add myself to this list — also know that losing weight might be a good thing for us to do.

We also know that exercise – especially exercise that strengthens our heart – is a good thing – something that many of us don’t get enough of.

So – maybe a “personal trainer” – or a “life coach” – would not be that bad of a thing to have.

The problem is that they are expensive, and we may not know whether they know more about what they are talking about than we do!

So – life coaches – or personal trainers – for our physical lives might be good – if you can afford it and can find one that you can trust. If not, you may need to just buckle down and do it yourself instead of following someone else’s plan or have someone you are accountable to.

But – what about a personal trainer – a life coach – for our spiritual lives?

O – you can find them also.

Spiritual Directors – Counselors – whatever you want to call them – are readily available – and some have great advice – but again most of the time you have to pay — and you have to be sure you can trust them.

But – you know what?

We are called to be God’s people – and – as God’s people – don’t we already have a life coach – a personal trainer – a spiritual director – a counselor?

Sure we do!

It’s Jesus!

Do you want help with your “spiritual diet”?

Our “personal trainer” Jesus encourages us to not only feed our bodies – but to also feed our souls.

He encourages us to “feed on the word of God.”

He says in John 8:31:

“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples”

Our “personal trainer” Jesus tells us to fill our minds with things that are not healthy for us — but to fill our minds with what is good.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:8:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
We not only have to nourish and exercise our bodies, we also have to nourish our spirits.

Our “personal trainer” Jesus knows that – and has better things for us.
Our “personal trainer” Jesus can also help us cast off the things that weigh us down — our fears, our anger, our guilt. In 1 John 4:18 we read that

perfect love casts out fear

and we know that His love for us is perfect and that we are so loved that we need not fear nor be anxious about anything,

Just as we can develop the strength of our physical hearts by exercise such as walking, so walking in the ways of the Lord can strengthen our souls – and every aspect of our lives.
Oprah says we each have to ask ourselves:

“What kind of a life do we want? And how close are we to living it?”
To reach the life we want, we need the truth about ourselves – and we also need the one who is the truth, our “personal trainer” Jesus our Lord.

The fitness centers’ ads urge, “Sign up today! It’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”

Having Jesus as your “personal trainer” is definitely the best decision you can ever make!

In our passage for today, Jesus says that we can follow Him – follow His advice – follow His directions – in other words, let Him be our “personal trainer” for how we live our lives, and that He will lead us to life that is abundant and that is the life God intends for us.

One of the marks of an “Easter Church” – a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world – is that it follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

Our passage for today ends with Christ saying:

“I came that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly.”
That’s what following Christ – or if you want to call it having Christ as our “personal trainer” for life — can do for us. It gives us life that is full – that is victorious — that is abundant!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

But – you know – it’s not too hard – unfortunately – to find Christians – and even Churches — who don’t seem to be different from non Christians and groups of non Christians. There are some people who may be Christians — but may not see that Christ has made a difference in their lives. There are some Christians who are not following Christ – and don’t have Christ as their “personal trainer” Some have never discovered the “abundant life” that Christ promises.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

So – if someone were living this abundant life Christ promises –

if someone were letting Christ be their “personal trainer” and were living in Christ’s ways –

what do they do?

How can you tell?

And –

If a Church is following the leader – following the risen Christ – what does it do?

How could you tell?

Does it mean that they believe in Christ?

Does it mean that Christ has saved them from their sins?

Yes – but it means more than these 2 things.

Being saved is great. It’s vital. But it’s not the end—-it’s the beginning.

There’s so much more that can fulfill us, complete us, satisfy us, and make us joyful as followers of Christ.

So, if Christ promised an abundant life, why do so many of us go through life as Christians and not appear to be living much different than non-Christians?

I believe it’s because we haven’t let Christ lead us – we don’t have Christ as our “personal trainer” – and we are not living the abundant life Christ promises.

You see — an “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

I see 5 keys to understanding what this abundant life is all about.

First — an abundant life is a yielded life.

What does that mean?

We can find the answer in Romans 6:10-14.
The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

There’s a lot of complicated stuff in those five verses – but — what we need to see is that as Christians, we have a choice about how we live. If we look carefully at the passage, we see that we have a choice to make – whether to yield to God or to the world. If we yield to God, we will enjoy an abundant life. If we yield to sin, we will have to endure a defeated life.

But what does yielding our lives mean?

It means we must give our whole selves to God, all of our heart, mind, soul, body and will.

This may sound more difficult than we can achieve.

And, in fact, it is. We cannot live a life like this alone.

We need Christ and His people in our lives in order to live this way.

We need Christ because of His strength and His ability to live through us. Christ is our great example and model for a yielded life. He yielded to the Father’s plan. He subjected Himself to God’s will — and was even obedient to the point of crucifixion on the cross. He allowed Himself to be separated from the Father in order to provide an eternal relationship with the Father for all of us.

He led a completely yielded life.
We also need God’s people for fellowship and accountability. For a healthy Christian existence, we cannot neglect the gathering of ourselves together for worship, for fellowship, for friendship and to hold each other accountable to be obedient to God’s will and word. This is yielded living among our brethren.

An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

A yielded life is the first key to this.
The second key is that the abundant life is a life of service – letting Christ be our model and example.

There are many ways to serve in an abundant life.

In Romans 12:1-2 Paul writes:
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
We must “present” ourselves to God — which involves choosing to surrender

to God and to His perfect will — even though we may not always understand or see where it’s heading.

We agree to serve – and to follow.

Continuing on, we read “present your bodies”

We must allow God to control all of us.

The abundant life is one that is given completely to God at the expense of our own desires.
An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

Living a yielded life is the first key to this.
The second key is a life of service – letting Christ be your model and example.

Here’s a third key —

An abundant life is one “transformed” to godliness and conformed to God’s will. We are truly happy when our personal desires are put away and we desire what God wants for us.

Paul urges us in Romans 12:2

do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind

Don’t let the world and it’s “wisdom” lead you – but let Christ lead you — then you will discover the abundant life Christ offers.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

Living a yielded life is the first key to this.
The second key is a life of service – letting Christ be your model and example.

The third key is – live a life that is “transformed” – lead by Christ.

Living a Spirit-filled life is the fourth key to an abundant life.

We can have the Holy Spirit living in us, but does the Holy Spirit guide us so that we can have an abundant life? In Ephesians 5:18b-21 Paul writes:

…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ, (Ephesians 5:18b-21).

These verses give us a list of some things we do that keep us close to God and close to each other. These are the result of someone who is filled and guided by the Holy Spirit – and has discovered the abundant and joyful life God wants us all to live.

An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

Living a yielded life is the first key to this.
The second key is a life of service – letting Christ be your model and example.

The third key is – live a life that is “transformed” – lead by Christ.

The fourth key to an abundant life is living the Spirit filled life.

The fifth key is knowing that an abundant life is a mature life.
We need to continue to grow in our lives as Christians.

Sometimes we call this our Christian walk. We begin as infants in Christ and

grow through different stages, much like we grow up as humans. We’re, in fact, created by God to continue to grow in knowledge of Him and to desire to know Him more eventually being filled with to beyond capacity with what God has for us.

An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

Living a yielded life is the first key to this.
The second key is a life of service – letting Christ be your model and example.

The third key is – live a life that is “transformed” – lead by Christ.

The fourth key to an abundant life is living the Spirit filled life.

The fifth key is knowing that an abundant life is a mature life.
If we let Christ be our leader we will live the abundant life Christ promises.

If we live our lives with Christ as our leader – our “personal trainer” — we will have an abundant life.

But, what does an abundant life look like? What does in mean everyday?
In practice, it means a Christian who fosters their union and communion with God through spiritual disciplines and the exercising of their spiritual gifts in order to glorify God and edify the church. This is a mature Christian, regardless of their age, who has the will to put away the things of this world and take on the ministry and gospel of Christ.
If we want to live a life that has everything we need in it, a life of joy and peace, we need to live according to the five keys:

Living a yielded life
Living a life of service – letting Christ be your model and example.

Living a life that is “transformed” – lead by Christ.

Living the Spirit filled life.

Maturing in our Christian life
This week – think about one good idea — one action you will take to begin to live according to these five keys. It doesn’t have to be something that will address them all. But, just come up with one thing that you will do beginning right now so that you can either begin living an abundant life or you can build on the abundancy you’re already experiencing.

An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” is where we can live the abundant life Christ promises.

Oprah tells us to ask ourselves:

“What kind of a life do we want? And how close are we to living it?”

I think it’s better to ask ourselves:

“What kind of life does God want us to live – and how close are we to living it?”

And –

“What kind of Church does God want us to be – and how close are to being it?”

Following Christ – making Christ our life coach – our “personal trainer” – will help us be the Christians – and the Church – God calls us to be.

An “Easter Church” is a Church that is filled with the joy and power of the resurrection of Christ – that is filled with the abundant life Christ offers us — and that is boldly doing the work of Christ in the world. It’s a Church that follows the true leader – our risen Lord Jesus Christ – and it’s members discover this abundant life Jesus promises and shares that abundant life with the world.

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

An “Easter Church” follows the leader!

Hey — I know that I could use a personal trainer – or a life coach – for my physical life – but I know that – more importantly – I need my “personal trainer” – Jesus — to help me become what He knows I can become.

How about you? Amen.