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Are you living the Good Life yet? This is the conclusion of our 3 week series called The Good Life. We have talked about Happiness, Blessing, and now we will talk about GREATER THINGS.
The Good Life that Comes from the Good Shepherd always has Greater things ahead of us. We serve the God of Greater.
The Good Life 3: God of Greater from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
The Good Life 3 – Greater to come
by Chris Fluitt
**Bumper Video –
Good Life Title
Many people when asked what living the good life is would dream of a different life…
You really don’t need to make that drastic of changes to start living the Good Life. Usually if we would just be aware of the good things already in our life and actively celebrate them then we would feel like we are living the good life.
The good life is the Life that the Good Shepherd gives.
John 10:10-11 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(NIV)
Good Life Good Shepherd
Week 1 we talked about the Happiness and Joy that is found in the life the Good Shepherd gives.
Week 2 we talked about the Blessing that is found through relationship, inheritance, and obedience.
This final week we want you to know the Good Life has greater things to come.
Your life AFTER CHRIST is supposed to be better than BEFORE CHRIST.
The world needs to meet some Christians who are living a full life, the Life Jesus talked about in John 10:10.
God has a way of bringing greater into our lives.
Christ has a way of bringing greater into our lives. He doesn’t just do this one time, He continually brings greater into our life.
Far too often in Christianity we hear someone say “God did this great thing for me back in such and such year…” That’s great and you should keep telling that testimony, but there is something wrong in your faith walk if you don’t have any other testimonies. There is something wrong if God hasn’t been doing greater in your life.
The story of God doing Greater in your life should include recent history!
The story of God doing greater should never end.
2 Corinthians 3:15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(NIV)
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.(NIV)
Ever increasing Glory! It’s continually increasing.
Remember when you first came to faith… You stepped into something greater! That veil that was covering your heart like 1 Corinthians 3:15 says… That veil is taken away. Jesus has a way of bringing greater into your life! That’s the GLORY that 2 Corinthians 3 is talking about..
Remember when you took the next step of repenting, turning from your sins and being set free from the guilt and shame. That was Greater! You went from Glory… to Glory!
But Jesus didn’t stop there… You were baptized in the name of your savior, Jesus Christ, and your sins were washed away and you made a public declaration that you belonged to Jesus. That was even Greater! Glory to Glory to Glory
As great as that was He still has Greater! He filled you with His Holy Spirit and now God’s power is living inside you. God starts talking to you through a direct pipeline because God isn’t just with you – He is inside you! That is Greater still isn’t it… but He doesn’t stop there…
That Spirit starts working in your life to minister to others. You prayed for people one day and the Gifts of the Spirit started to flow and God helped you minister to that person. Maybe they were healed or maybe God supernaturally gave you knowledge of their problem and wisdom to deal with it. How Great is that!!
Is this where God stops…? NO GOD NEVER STOPS GIVING YOU GREATER. EVER INCREASING GLORY!
He is the GOD OF GREATER
One day that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will cause you to rise from the grave and be with Him in Heaven! Greater things are coming! Your life AFTER CHRIST is supposed to be better than your life BEFORE CHRIST. Ever Increasing Glory!
This God of Greater does Good things but then he follows them up with greater things.
Adam Good Jesus Greater
In Genesis 1, on the 6th day, God creates man and woman and declares it to be “Very Good.”
God creates Adam and he is Good. He is the 1st Living Being.
Paul tells us this in 1 Corinthians 15:45 “The first man Adam became a living being”
We wouldn’t be talking about LIFE much less the GOOD LIFE without Adam. God of course is the source of Life… but this physical life we experience flowed through Adam first.
Adam good Jesus is Greater
As good as Adam is. As good as the gift of life is. Jesus is greater.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:45 last Adam, a life-giving spirit.(NIV)
See Jesus is greater. He is our LIFE GIVING SPIRIT! You want the Good life? Look to Jesus – He is the Life Giver!
Jesus is the Last Adam. He is the greater prototype & template. Jesus isn’t just a living being that can spawn other physical beings. Jesus is Greater than that. He makes you FULLY ALIVE. He gives us that full life, abundant life.
Sometimes people make the mistake of calling Jesus the 2nd Adam. If Paul called Jesus the 2nd Adam then we would be asking if there was a 3d Adam. No – Jesus is the 2nd & LAST Adam.
Jesus is the Redemption of Adam and all of Adams seed.
The First Adam was good… The last Adam is Greater!
We see this pattern of Good and Greater continue…
Jesus goes to a wedding party that was running out of wine.
John 2:3 Mary, Jesus’ mom goes to Jesus… They have no more wine
Now this is an interesting response… Learn something about Jesus here…
John 2:4 He says “Why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.”
Sure Jesus can do something about this but he has bigger things to handle right now… Saving the entire world. The time for Him to reveal his Divine Deity has not yet arrived…
He didn’t say he wouldn’t fix this situation… But He didn’t say He wouldn’t.
Mary recognizes this and says to nearby servants John 2:5 “Do whatever he tells you.”
Can I preach to you? You have some things you’ve been crying about, worrying about, praying over and you haven’t heard Jesus say he would fix it… You haven’t felt the Spirit goosebumps… But you haven’t heard that He won’t!
Remember you are serving the God of Greater! Have faith like Mary and get ready to do whatever he tells you.
You see you are in a great situation… Because no matter what the landscape of your life looks like – Greater is about to happen. Jesus is about to happen.
Mary knew Greater was in the House!! Do you know?
If you’ve been in church for a while you probably know what happens. If you haven’t been in church for long listen up. This is Jesus’ 1st miracle. He tells the servants to fill Jars with water and to start pouring it into wine glasses. When that water came out it was wine, but not just any wine. It was greater wine according to the wedding guests who said…
John 2:10 “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Usually the best wine is served at the start… but this wine that comes from Jesus is greater than the wine served in the beginning.
We serve a God of Greater.
Good & Greater
Your 1st birth was good. People cried when you were born (good tears). They smiled and took your picture. They celebrated at your 1st birth.
But you know what is greater? Your 2nd Birth is greater.
Jesus in John 3:7 says “you must be born again”
If you haven’t been Born Again I have to tell you that it is Greater than anything you have ever experienced. When you are born again all your sins are forgiven and washed away, you are given the power of the Holy Spirit. When you are born again you walk in a NEW LIFE and not even death can take that life away. YOU ARE GOING TO LIVE FOREVER!
And when you are born again there is a celebration.
Luke 15:7 ..there will be rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…
We serve the God of Greater! When you are living the Good life – Greater is always in front of you.
Holy Spirit
Do you realize how much Greater the Holy Spirit is?
Wouldn’t it be great if you had Jesus standing right beside you? It would sure make witnessing easier… “Have you met Jesus?” We would love to have Jesus standing right here in this room right now… Wouldn’t it be easier to live for Jesus if he were standing right here?
But there is something Greater than Jesus standing right here. As good as it would be for Christ to be standing here it is better to have the Holy Spirit.
Check out what Jesus said…
John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.(NIV)
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–(NIV)
John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.(NIV)
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.(NIV)
As good as Jesus walking the earth would be, He tells us the Holy Spirit is better. Because the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ living inside of all of us. Jesus can be everywhere because He is living inside us. That is greater!
But also let’s remember the earth shattering promise of John 4:12
You will do Greater things because Jesus, His Holy Spirit, is living inside you. GREATER THINGS THAN WHAT JESUS DID.
If you haven’t received the Gift of the Holy Spirit then you need to get excited because God wants to give it to you. He has something greater for you. You can receive that today. You can have an Acts 2 experience today and you’ll leave this place saying… I never felt something like that in my life. I felt something Greater!
MUSICIAN
We do 3 things every time we come to Redemption Church.
1 Everybody Worships
2 Everybody receives the word of God
3 Everybody Talks to God. We are about to do the 3rd thing right now… But first…
I wish I could preach to Joseph
I wish I could preach to Joseph when his brothers betrayed him because of their jealousy.
I wish I could preach him this sermon when he was in the pit and when he was sold into slavery. I wish I could preach to him when people said he wasn’t worth much.
I wish I could preach to him when Potiphar’s wife lied about him and ruined his reputation.
Joseph, I wish I could preach to you when you were in the dungeon, when all you felt was cold darkness.
Joseph, I wish I could preach to you when the cup bearer forgot about his promise and you felt like everybody had forgotten you… your brothers your mother your father EVERYONE!
I’d say JOSEPH! Oh yeah… I’d yell it. I’d get indignent. I’d shake that boy and say JOSEPH! You are still your Father’s favorite! You are not forgotten! Your Father in Heaven has Greater for you!
I can’t preach to Joseph – But I can preach to you!
“Greater things are yet to come. Greater things are still to be done in this city.”
Are you walking in that Ever Increasing Glory?
