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We are one church. 
We love God, love people, love 

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His mission, and love His 
church. 

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Welcome to the One Church 
podcast. 

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Josh introduced me. 
I am a pastor, but I am also a 

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sheep. 
I wasn't always a pastor because

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at one time I was a very lost 
sheep. 

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Around 50 years ago now, which 
is a long time, I cried out to 

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the Good Shepherd, whose name is
Jesus, and I was on one path. 

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I was lost. 
I was confused, didn't know 

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where my life was going. 
And I had my eyes opened and I 

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called out to him and I was 
transferred to the path of life.

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And I just wanted to tell you at
the beginning today, just a few 

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things that the Good Shepherd 
has done for me. 

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Well, he gave me life, full 
life. 

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And I've experienced this 
increasingly through the years. 

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I needed forgiveness. 
And he cleanses me completely 

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every day. 
You know, if you're worrying 

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today, he is worthy. 
He is worthy. 

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He is worthy. 
Well, am I worthy? 

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Well, no, we're not. 
None of us are worthy. 

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But we can all come to him 
because he's done it all for us.

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And that's what he's done for 
me. 

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I tended towards insecurity as a
person, and yet he has become my

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safe place. 
I feared the future, but He's 

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gone ahead of me and He's led me
step by step through my life and

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will lead me forward as well. 
I was troubled as a teenager by 

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what happens after death, and He
gave me absolute assurance in my

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life with Him that life after 
this life is eternal. 

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Our life does go on. 
And after death, because I 

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turned to Jesus, my life would 
only be better because I'll see 

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Him and I'll be like Him, and 
eternity will be wonderfully 

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vibrant and exciting. 
So there you go. 

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So there's a few things that the
Good Shepherd has done for me. 

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But enough of me. 
Because so far on Sundays across

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the life of one church this 
year, we've thought about and 

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we've been changed by some of 
the amazing things that Jesus 

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said. 
We a few weeks ago learnt how 

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Jesus said, pray like this. 
Our Father in heaven, a pattern 

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for our prayers. 
I am the light of the world, how

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we are called to show the world 
our good deeds and by that 

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showing them the Father and his 
love and the light of Jesus. 

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Last week, ask, seek not because
a wonderful message went out 

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across the whole of church. 
I invite each one of you today 

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to hear another of Jesus words 
this morning because they're so 

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clear and also so deep. 
And I found all these words of 

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Jesus are both on the one hand 
very clear, but on the other 

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hand as well. 
There's so much in that. 

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Listen to this John 10 verse 10.
The thief comes only to steal 

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and kill and destroy. 
I have come that they might have

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life and have it to the full. 
Let's put these words in their 

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context. 
This is in John 10, seven to 11.

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Therefore Jesus said again, very
truly I tell you, I am the gate 

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for the sheep. 
All who come before me are 

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thieves and robbers, but the 
sheep have not listened to them.

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I am the gate. 
Whoever enters through me will 

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be saved. 
They will come in and go out and

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find pasture. 
The thief comes only to steal 

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and kill and destroy. 
I have come that they might have

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life and have it to the full. 
I am the Good Shepherd. 

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The Good Shepherd lays down his 
life for the sheep. 

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Now Jesus is speaking to people 
in the Middle East 2000 years 

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ago, who would understand that 
God spoke of his people as sheep

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and their leaders as shepherds 
and of himself as the chief 

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shepherd. 
And here Jesus says a lot of 

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amazing things. 
He says he is the shepherd. 

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I am the Good Shepherd. 
He's the gate for the sheep. 

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I am the gate. 
He brings salvation. 

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Whoever enters through me will 
be saved. 

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He brings freedom. 
They will come in and go out and

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find pasture and he gives life 
to the full and Jesus contrasts 

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himself to the one he calls the 
thief who cares nothing. 

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It says in the verse just after 
this verse 13, the thief cares 

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nothing. 
It says for the sheep. 

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He only wants to steal, to kill,
to destroy. 

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And people when they heard Jesus
say these things, they were 

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divided because some people 
said, and he can read this in 

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verse 21, they said he was demon
possessed. 

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He was crazy. 
But others said these are not 

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the sayings of a man possessed 
by a demon. 

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Can a demon open the eyes of the
blind? 

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And you know, Jesus opens the 
eyes of the blind. 

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And today I want to teach, to 
pray that not only in the 

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physical sense, but in a 
spiritual sense, we would all 

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have our eyes opened. 
Some of us need to see more of 

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what is really real and all of 
us need to see a little bit more

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of what it really means that 
Jesus came to give us life and 

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give it to the full. 
So Lord Jesus, we ask you to 

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help us right now. 
Open our eyes to see and our 

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ears to hear what you want to 
say to each one of us this 

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morning in Jesus name, Amen. 
So we're just simply going to 

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hone in on the one verse, verse 
10. 

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This morning the thief comes 
only to steal, to kill and to 

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destroy. 
I have come that they might have

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life and have it to the full. 
And here Jesus presents a stark 

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picture, a choice of two ways. 
And when you put it clearly, it 

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seems like there's no choice at 
all. 

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He issues a clear call. 
There's only two ways to live, 

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and it's the same for every 
person today. 

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Here's a few other Bible 
versions of the same one verse. 

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And we also have an image which 
I think just portrays a bit of 

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the contrast between life and 
what is not really life at all. 

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The thief comes only in order to
steal and kill and destroy, says

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the amplified version. 
I came that they might have life

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and have it in abundance to the 
full till it overflows. 

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The passion paraphrase says a 
thief has only one thing in 

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mind, he wants to steal, 
slaughter and destroy. 

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But I have come to give you 
everything in abundance, more 

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than you expect, life in its 
fullness until you overflow. 

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The New Living Translation says 
the thief's purpose is to steal 

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and kill and destroy. 
My purpose is to give them a 

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rich and satisfying life, a 
complete contrast, real life, 

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abundant life versus something 
that might look like real life 

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on the outside, but it's 
actually like the left hand half

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of the tree. 
If we just put that picture up 

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again, just for a moment, 
please, of the tree just helps 

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us to think because the other 
half is life less, there's life 

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and there's life less less. 
And we could think there's 

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multiple ways we can choose to 
believe. 

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You know, all roads lead up the 
same mountain as it were 

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multiple ways to live. 
But let's go back to the 

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simplicity of Jesus words 
because it simply gives us 2 

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choices. 
One choice actually of two ways.

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And it boils down to who will we
follow? 

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And I think this verse just puts
it so clearly. 

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Do we follow the thief or the 
Good Shepherd? 

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Will we choose the one who, as 
we read in that passage, does 

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not care, or one who loves to 
the uttermost to the very end? 

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The thief cares nothing for the 
sheep. 

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The Good Shepherd lays down his 
life for the sheep. 

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Now the thief. 
Here you might be wondering, 

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what does Jesus mean by the 
thief? 

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I think really it's anything 
that is being used to snatch 

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away from us the life that God 
always intended us to live. 

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And as one Peter 58 warns, 
behind that there is an enemy, 

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and he prowls around like a 
roaring lion. 

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He steals, He robs people of 
truth and joy. 

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Jesus told a story that showed 
the thief, as it were, when he 

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told a story about seed being 
sown in a field. 

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And he says there was one type 
of seed where it fell on the 

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path and as soon as it fell, the
birds came and snatched it away 

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and stole it away. 
And he says this in Mark 4 as 

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soon as they hear it. 
This is relating to the people 

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who would hear the word of God. 
Satan comes and takes away the 

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word that was sown in them. 
So Satan is a a thief. 

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Early church leader Paul talks 
about the thief blinding the 

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minds of people. 
The God of this age has blinded 

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the minds of unbelievers so they
cannot see the light of the 

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gospel that displays the glory 
of Christ who is the image of 

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God. 
So the thief comes, and he 

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steals. 
The thief also kills. 

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He leads people into sin, 
knowing, as James says in his 

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letter, it leads to death. 
He destroys. 

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His aim is not just to lead us 
into sin, but his. 

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His aim is the eternal ruin of 
as many people as possible. 

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But he also knows that his time 
is short. 

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He will be destroyed at the end 
of this present world himself. 

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Revelation 12 gives this 
picture. 

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The great dragon was hurled 
down, that ancient serpent 

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called the Devil or Satan, who 
leads the whole world astray. 

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There you go, he leads the world
astray, the accuser of our 

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brothers and sisters. 
If you have accusing voices in 

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your head, this is where they 
come from. 

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Who accuses them before our God 
day and night? 

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But praise God, we have an 
advocate in heaven who speaks 

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out on our behalf, but he has 
been hurled down. 

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So our enemy, what lies behind 
the thief? 

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He lies, accuses, deceived, 
condemns, leads people to death.

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Anything opposing God's 
purposes. 

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Basically false teaching, 
temptation, fear, addiction, 

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blindness, apathy, all traces 
back to the thief, as Jesus 

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would say. 
But Jesus says this is not my 

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purpose. 
So he says, will you follow the 

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thief? 
Will you listen to the thief, or

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will you follow me, the Good 
Shepherd? 

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Jesus said I am the Good 
Shepherd. 

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What a contrast like a shepherd 
with a lost sheep. 

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And next week we're going to 
think about how Jesus went after

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the 1. 
He said he has a heart for the 

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one. 
His heart is drawn to our cry 

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for help. 
Do you know he cannot help 

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himself if we call out to him? 
Run to us, there's no way He 

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cannot reach us. 
He says All who come to me, I 

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will never turn away. 
Is that not a verse of great 

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encouragement to each one of us 
today? 

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If we come to Him, He will never
turn us away. 

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He loves us to the uttermost to 
the end. 

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Romans 8 says, Who shall 
separate us from the love of 

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Christ? 
Shall trouble or hardship or 

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persecution or famine, or 
nakedness or danger or sword? 

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Nothing will separate us or 
nothing can separate us from the

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love of Christ. 
The only thing that can separate

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us from the love of Christ is 
our own choices. 

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This is great news. 
He came to bring life, full 

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life, forever. 
The wages of sin is death, says 

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Romans 6, but the gift of God is
eternal life through Christ 

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Jesus our Lord. 
So Jesus sets out this choice of

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two options. 
Do you want to be someone who 

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follows the thief, listens to 
the thief or the Good Shepherd? 

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Do you want to be a victim or a 
victor? 

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Jesus said the thief comes to 
steal. 

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I've come. 
He says that they might have 

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life to the full. 
You know, the feeling of being 

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robbed is not very nice. 
I remember coming home many, 

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many years ago. 
It's the only time our house has

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ever been burgled, broken into. 
I remember feeling very angry. 

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I think I had there are two boys
with us. 

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David was doing something else 
at the time. 

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I remember little boy Tom lying 
on his bed and saying, but why 

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didn't God protect us? 
And I remember saying to him, 

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well, God did protect us because
they only took a few things, 

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didn't seem to really cut the 
mustard at that moment. 

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But, you know, I'm sure later he
thought about that. 

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There are far more important 
ways, though, to be robbed than 

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to have things taken from us. 
Everyone has a choice. 

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Do we live as a victim of the 
thief? 

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Do we have allow our hope, 
security, joy, peace, even our 

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life to be stolen? 
Or do we live above every 

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circumstance? 
You know, people often say, 

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don't they? 
You say, how are you? 

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They say, I'm all right under 
the circumstances. 

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Well, the Bible tells us in 
Christ we don't need to live 

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under the circumstances. 
We live above the circumstances 

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we have can have a victorious 
life in Christ. 

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In all these things, we are more
than conquerors. 

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Romans 8 through him who loved 
us, What He gives can never be 

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taken away. 
It doesn't perish, it doesn't 

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spoil, it doesn't fade, it 
cannot be stolen. 

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So we can be victors. 
And in case you think I'm just 

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talking about external life 
being this abundant life, we can

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be victors even in real 
hardship, even in pain, even in 

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places where we would never wish
to go, like people who are put 

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00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,720
in prison, say, for their faith 
can still live an abundant life.

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Do you want to be victim or a 
victor? 

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00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,240
What about dead or alive? 
The thief comes to kill. 

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I have come, says Jesus, that 
they might have life and have it

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00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,600
to the full. 
If I came to you today and I 

237
00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,640
threatened your life and said, 
do you want to live or die, most

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00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:40,800
of us would probably say we want
to live. 

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00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,120
We were always meant to be 
alive, really alive, in a 

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relationship with God who made 
us an eternal, amazing quality 

241
00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,560
of life. 
But you know, right from the 

242
00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:55,080
start, right from near the 
beginning of human history, when

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00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,600
the first people were on the 
earth, they were deceived. 

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00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,520
They chose, yes, they made a 
choice, but their innocence was 

245
00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:07,120
stolen and they became alienated
from God because of their sin, 

246
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,400
infected by evil, and it was 
like a virus. 

247
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,440
That virus has infected us 
generation after generation 

248
00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,240
after generation. 
The devil is still deceiving. 

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He peddles a certain sort of 
thing called life. 

250
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:28,400
We see it all around, living for
#1 living for what will not 

251
00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:32,280
last, living for anything that 
is not the one true and living 

252
00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:36,080
God. 
Idolising anything or anyone, 

253
00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,600
experiences, possessions, 
celebrity, entertainment, 

254
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,240
excess, even relationships, 
religious systems. 

255
00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:51,200
All these things are temporary. 
It's temporary, it's toxic, it's

256
00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,800
a sham, it enslaves, it leads to
death. 

257
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:57,440
The life to the full that Jesus 
speaks of actually starts by 

258
00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,440
saying something completely 
different. 

259
00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,920
Not it's all about me, look 
after #1 but actually, I need 

260
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,280
God. 
I need forgiveness. 

261
00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,560
God has made us for Himself, and
our hearts are restless until 

262
00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:16,000
they find their rest in Him. 
Are you going to choose life or 

263
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,960
death? 
Whichever we choose, it's a 

264
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:24,440
decision that continues forever.
Eternally lost or found forever.

265
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,960
That's our next choice. 
The thief comes to destroy. 

266
00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:32,360
I have come that they might have
life and have it to the full. 

267
00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,120
Our enemy's plan is not just 
death, but beyond that 

268
00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:39,840
destruction, eternity without 
Jesus and therefore eternity 

269
00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:44,320
without hope forever. 
Can we imagine the terror of 

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00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:48,240
life without God or anything 
that God brings to this world? 

271
00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,160
Think about everything being 
removed that is good, that is 

272
00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:58,640
kind, that is lovely, everything
that is a wonderful relationship

273
00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,960
or anything that is just good 
but alienated, separated. 

274
00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,680
Judgement will be for everyone. 
Judgement will be fair. 

275
00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,280
You know, we want God to get rid
of evil, don't we? 

276
00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,520
We will might look at the news 
and we say, oh God, will you 

277
00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,280
deal with these people and will 
you deal with these things? 

278
00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,360
But we're infected by evil 
ourselves. 

279
00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,640
So we all deserve hell and 
judgement and we have a choice 

280
00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,000
now. 
Preacher Tim Keller put it like 

281
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,840
this. 
He's now gone to heaven himself.

282
00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,560
Hell is simply one's freely 
chosen identity apart from God, 

283
00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:38,600
on a trajectory to Infinity. 
I'll say that again. 

284
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,880
Hell is simply one's freely 
chosen identity apart from God 

285
00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:47,200
on a trajectory to Infinity. 
In other words, we've been given

286
00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,480
free will, and if we choose to 
reject Jesus offer of eternal 

287
00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,960
life, he will take us at our 
word. 

288
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,680
The writer CS Lewis said this. 
There are in the end only two 

289
00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:04,079
kinds of people, those who say 
to God your will be done, and 

290
00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:08,319
those to whom God in the end 
will say your will be done. 

291
00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:16,079
But the offer still stands until
our dying breath or until Jesus 

292
00:17:16,319 --> 00:17:18,880
returns. 
But none of us know how much 

293
00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:23,560
time we have left. 
Jesus said I have come that you 

294
00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:28,000
might have life, abundant and 
eternal life. 

295
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,280
So this is our choice. 
Do you, do you want this amazing

296
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:36,320
eternal life or are you going to
choose something much, much 

297
00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,640
worse than that eternal 
separation from God? 

298
00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,560
Jesus died, He rose, He lives 
forever, He brings new life, He 

299
00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,560
forgives, He makes us utterly 
clean before God. 

300
00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:50,600
And however good our life is 
now, if we're in Christ, we are 

301
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,080
not yet aware. 
We cannot be aware because we 

302
00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,280
cannot conceive it, of how 
wonderful and amazing we will 

303
00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:02,240
find life after this life. 
All the pages of the New 

304
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,440
Testament are alive with 
excitement. 

305
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,880
I read a book the other day. 
It says the pages of the New 

306
00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,040
Testament are wrestling with 
excitement about what is to 

307
00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:15,400
come, what we will experience if
we are in Christ. 

308
00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:19,400
All the pages of the New 
Testament speak that one day 

309
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,320
we'll experience this life, 
which is absolutely life to the 

310
00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:28,360
full, in completion, with new 
bodies, with purified hearts, 

311
00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:32,360
with eternal spirits. 
No eye has seen, says the Bible,

312
00:18:32,360 --> 00:18:36,480
No ear has heard what God has 
prepared for those who love him.

313
00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,720
And all I can say is I believe 
it will be more fresh, more 

314
00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,000
adventurous and exciting than 
anything we can imagine. 

315
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:48,200
Once we are here, this abundant 
life lasts forever, rich in 

316
00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,760
every way. 
So there you go, John 1010. 

317
00:18:52,120 --> 00:18:54,600
What a choice. 
Thief or shepherd, death or 

318
00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:59,560
life, victim or victor, rejected
or held, separated or close, 

319
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,400
lost or home. 
And Jesus says, hear my voice. 

320
00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:07,960
This abundant life is the life 
that we were always meant to 

321
00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,400
live. 
It's the life the Good Shepherd 

322
00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:15,880
died for us to be able to have. 
So surely you might be sat here 

323
00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:17,680
and say, well, this is an easy 
choice. 

324
00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,560
Why is the whole world not 
following Jesus? 

325
00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:25,440
Because this is obvious. 
Well, you know, sometimes I wear

326
00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,120
an eye mask at night. 
I've brought it here. 

327
00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,000
I thought this is my attempt of 
visual aid. 

328
00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,520
Not very exciting. 
There you go. 

329
00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:34,080
If I put that on, I can't 
actually see anything much. 

330
00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:39,000
We can wear eye masks, you know,
as people, and we can wear 

331
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:40,880
blindfolds. 
When it comes to seeing what is 

332
00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,280
real, what is true, we can be 
deceived. 

333
00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,240
We can settle for less. 
Would you like to hear a little 

334
00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:48,560
story? 
Do you like stories? 

335
00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,000
Well, in The Last Battle, which 
is the final book in the 

336
00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,680
children's Narnia series by CS 
Lewis, the world of Narnia comes

337
00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:58,240
to an end and a new world is 
born. 

338
00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,520
It's an eternal Kingdom where 
Aslan the Lion will rule 

339
00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,120
forever. 
And all the creatures and people

340
00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:07,080
are just revelling in this 
beautiful new eternal world. 

341
00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,240
But the dwarves, who've been 
sort of on the wrong side of the

342
00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,280
battle but had an opportunity to
change, they react differently. 

343
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,280
They've been tied up, but their 
chords have now miraculously 

344
00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:20,320
disappeared. 
But they're still acting as if 

345
00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:23,880
the chords are there. 
It's light, but they still 

346
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,720
believe it's dark. 
They can't smell the flowers or 

347
00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:29,160
see the light. 
To them everything is rotten, 

348
00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:31,720
and they're in this dark hall 
where they're fighting and 

349
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,400
complaining. 
Then Aslan the lion arrives. 

350
00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:39,520
This is what it says. 
The sweet air grew sweeter and 

351
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,960
there stood their hearts, 
desire, huge and real. 

352
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:48,240
The Golden Lion, Aslan himself. 
And through tears, Lucy, who's 

353
00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:51,560
one of the children, asks him to
do something for the dwarves. 

354
00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,360
Dearest, says Aslan, I'll show 
you what I can do and what I 

355
00:20:56,360 --> 00:20:59,680
cannot do. 
He came near and gave a low 

356
00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:04,400
growl, but the dwarf said don't 
take any notice, they won't take

357
00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,440
us in again. 
Aslan raised his head and shook 

358
00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,000
his mane and instantly A 
glorious feast appeared on the 

359
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,200
dwarf's knees, but it was clear 
they couldn't taste it properly.

360
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,360
One said he had a bit of hay, 
one an old turnip, 1A raw 

361
00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:20,120
cabbage leaf. 
They raised golden goblets of 

362
00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:26,360
wine to their lips and said, uh,
fancy drinking dirty water out 

363
00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:28,680
of a through. 
But soon they began fighting 

364
00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,960
over what they had, until at 
last they sat down to nurse 

365
00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,080
their wounds. 
Well, at any rate, they said to 

366
00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,560
each other, we haven't let 
anyone take us in. 

367
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,880
The dwarves are for the dwarves.
And Aslan says this. 

368
00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,120
You see, they will not let us 
help them. 

369
00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:47,600
They're prisoners in their own 
minds, yet they are so afraid of

370
00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,280
being taken in that they cannot 
be taken out. 

371
00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,600
But come children, I have other 
work to do. 

372
00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,640
And he went to the great door 
and they all followed him. 

373
00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:01,560
He raised his head and roared. 
Now it is time and the door flew

374
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:05,080
open. 
Let's have our spiritual eyes 

375
00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,560
open. 
Everyone, what does abundant 

376
00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:11,200
life, life to the full look 
like? 

377
00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:14,320
Just to recap, it starts with 
the truth. 

378
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:19,520
Jesus in this passage says I 
have come to give life. 

379
00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:22,320
I have come. 
How different from all the other

380
00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,600
forces and voices that crowd in 
on us that Jesus says personally

381
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,120
they may not care. 
They don't care. 

382
00:22:28,120 --> 00:22:30,320
Behind them is an enemy who 
hates you. 

383
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,920
It's all lies. 
But Jesus personally came 

384
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,360
because he loves us. 
He came to give us life. 

385
00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:40,720
That is all. 
It's fullness, abundant, 

386
00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,720
eternal, wonderful life. 
And this life begins with a new 

387
00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,200
birth. 
That's what happened to me age 

388
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,880
14, John 33 says Jesus said very
truly. 

389
00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:52,880
I tell you, no one can see the 
Kingdom of God unless they are 

390
00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,520
born again. 
And it comes with a rock solid 

391
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,520
guarantee. 
Whoever believes in the Son, 

392
00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,120
this is John 3 again has eternal
life. 

393
00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:04,640
But whoever rejects the Son will
not see life for God's wrath 

394
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:08,120
remains on them. 
This life to the full, this 

395
00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:11,440
abundant life, it is not earned.
It is a gift. 

396
00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:15,160
You know, some people think the 
Christian life is narrow, 

397
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:17,920
restrictive, but it's not 
narrow. 

398
00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:21,960
Yes, Jesus talks of it as being 
a narrow Rd, but the narrow Rd 

399
00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:27,280
that leads to life, to a big 
life, to a full life, abundant 

400
00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,240
life, more than we could ever 
ask for. 

401
00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,480
You've ever heard somebody say 
this is the life? 

402
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:35,120
Usually people say that when 
they've just gone on holiday and

403
00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,480
they've sat around the pool, 
they've got chips and they've 

404
00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,720
got a drink and they're going 
this is the life. 

405
00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,680
But I tell you, this is the 
life, the life that we live with

406
00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,880
Jesus every day is the life we 
were made for. 

407
00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:50,960
Let's all open our eyes. 
And it starts with bowing down. 

408
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:54,760
And it's not just surviving, it 
is thriving. 

409
00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,360
And maybe it's because it needs 
humility to say I need God. 

410
00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,800
Maybe that's one of the reasons 
why people find it so hard to 

411
00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,800
find that way. 
In the end, it's not about 

412
00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:11,000
external things, but about a 
deep, satisfying relationship 

413
00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,560
with Jesus, who really is the 
Good Shepherd and who is all we 

414
00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,600
need. 
This was true for the early 

415
00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:18,800
disciples and it is true for us 
now. 

416
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:22,280
When Jesus said follow me, this 
is the sort of life that he's 

417
00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:26,120
calling us into. 
Walking with him, knowing his 

418
00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,400
love, hearing his voice, 
learning his ways, being changed

419
00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,800
to be like Him, to become more 
prayerful, more loving, more 

420
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,080
giving, more joyful, more 
patient, more faithful, 

421
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:39,320
compassionate. 
Being a disciple, this is 

422
00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:44,000
abundant life, working with him,
seeing what he does, following 

423
00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,000
him where he leads, laughter, 
tears, excitement, some ordinary

424
00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:52,160
days, some painful days. 
But hearing him say, I am with 

425
00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:56,520
you to the end of the age, 
knowing that death has No Fear, 

426
00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,480
knowing that life is full of 
purpose. 

427
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:04,240
And so, so many reasons to 
choose life and to live the life

428
00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,000
He won for us every day to the 
full. 

429
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,280
This is the path we're on if we 
say yes to life. 

430
00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:14,000
So can I say to you today, 
choose life, receive this gift. 

431
00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,000
There are some of us who know 
here that we're definitely safe 

432
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,440
in the sheepfold, as it were. 
We definitely belong to the Good

433
00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,280
Shepherd, and yet we're still 
not living out of this fullness 

434
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:30,560
for all of us in the room. 
Are we settling for less than we

435
00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,640
could have in this abundant 
life? 

436
00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,120
Let's fight for it. 
Let's fight for it for us and 

437
00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:37,720
for the people around us as 
well. 

438
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:43,600
And let's pray for blindness to 
be removed so that we can walk 

439
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,480
into all He has for us, and for 
blindness in people around us to

440
00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:52,560
be removed as well. 
So Jesus said the thief comes 

441
00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:56,440
only to steal and kill and 
destroy. 

442
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,080
I have come that they might have
life. 

443
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,600
I have come and have it to the 
full. 

444
00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,760
Well, I believe this could not 
be more clear. 

445
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,040
Speaking now to every person 
who's listening. 

446
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,560
The choice is yours, choose 
Jesus today. 

447
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,360
So here's a question for all of 
us as we finish. 

448
00:26:22,360 --> 00:26:24,400
This is a question to take into 
your week. 

449
00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:29,560
In what way am I not living this
life that Jesus has given me to 

450
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,720
the full? 
I think all of us have a way to 

451
00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:35,440
go because we're not yet 
perfect. 

452
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:40,040
So is there something in my life
that the Holy Spirit wants to 

453
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:46,440
highlight in me where I'm not 
living this life to the absolute

454
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:48,480
fullness? 
I'm not living in the absolute 

455
00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:52,800
abundance of all God can do and 
all Jesus has for me. 

456
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,680
And if so, what steps shall I 
take this week to step into that

457
00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:00,440
abundant life that Jesus died, a
particular quality of life he 

458
00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:04,240
died for me to have. 
So let's just pray. 

459
00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:08,000
Well, Lord Jesus, we just ask 
you, open our eyes today. 

460
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:12,880
Open our eyes to see there's 
life to open our ears to hear 

461
00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:18,400
what you say to us that you have
come Lord, to give us life to 

462
00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:22,080
the full in all its fullness, 
abundant, running over, 

463
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,480
overflowing. 
May we live this life to the 

464
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:30,320
full Lord today and every day, 
and may we share this life with 

465
00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:34,960
others. 
The Lord bless you and keep you.

466
00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,760
The Lord make His face shine 
upon you and be gracious to you.

467
00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,640
The Lord turn his face towards 
you and give you peace.