More Sermon Series
Part 2
The Agenda
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Intro: First Mention Principle of the word “more” is actually Satan.
- Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.
SUBTIL: shrewd, crafty, sly,
Satan also is known for “more.”
Satan brings more of everything that is wrong and hurtful.
Jesus called him “the thief.”
Satan has an agenda.
Everywhere he goes, everything he touches, it has an evil motive and agenda.
- John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
A. More Detraction – cometh not, but for to steal…
When someone steals from you, they take what you once had away from you.
Have you ever been robbed?
They take what you earned, worked hard for or was given to you and they steal it.
There is now an empty place; a void where something of value once was.
- Satan will steal your fellowship from God. – Adam hid from God in the Garden.
- Satan will steal your joy. – Psalms 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
- Satan will steal your testimony.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
- Satan will steal away the seed of the gospel.
Matthew 13
- 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
- 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth [it] not, then cometh the wicked [one], and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
B. More Death – …and to kill…
From day 1, Satan sought to kill God’s creation.
God told Adam and Eve that in the day that ye eat of the tree, thou shalt surely die.
Satan immediately made a plan to get them to eat of the tree.
He wanted them dead – physically and spiritually.
Satan will kill you emotionally, mentally, anyway he can.
Satan is obsessed with death.
As a matter of fact, all those that hate God love death.
- Proverbs 8:36 …all they that hate me love death.
C. More Destruction – …and to destroy.
Satan’s agenda is pretty simple – steal, kill and destroy.
He wants to destroy you, your marriage, your family, your church.
Satan has never created or built anything good in his entire existence.
All he does is break down, tear down, steal, kill and destroy.
On the other hand, God has an agenda.
Jesus said in our text:
- John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I. The Access – “…I am come…”
What a statement – that God would come to us!
- Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
- John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
- Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Still He Came
Verse 1 – He stood up in heaven, and he looked down through time, And he saw all that waited ahead
He knew that a stable is where he’d be born, And in a manger, he laid down his head.
Chorus
Still he came, still he came, Hallelujah, Jesus came.
Though he saw every trial he would face, He could have said, My Father, no!
The price is great, I will not go, Yet because He loved us so, still he came
Verse 2 – He knew he’d be tempted and he knew he’d be tried, And he knew earthly men would mock his name.
He knew on Mount Calv’ry he’d be nailed to a cross, But He knew his Father’s will and still he came.
II. The Agenda – “…that they might have life…”
He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Not more stuff; but MORE LIFE.
Not more belongings, but MORE LIFE.
Not more toys and playthings, but MORE LIFE.
Not more according to the world’s definition, but more according to God’s definition.
The world may have MORE stuff, but that is irrelevant.
- Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Turn to Psalm 73.
- Psalms 73:7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.
What changed Asaph’s mind? He saw their END.
What did Satan get the wicked to focus on? According to Psalm 73?
- Vs. 3 – prosperity
- Vs. 4 – strength
- Vs. 5 – no trouble; no plagues
- Vs. 6 – pride
- Vs. 7 – fatness, more than heart could wish for
But notice their END.
Once Satan has had his way with them, and lied to them, and deceived them, notice their END.
- Vs. 18 – thou castedst them down into destruction
- Vs. 19 – how are they brought into desolation; they are utterly consumed with terrors
Satan’s mode of operation is to distract and divert people’s attention from the LIFE that God offers.
Instead, he directs them to a life of sin, false prosperity and false hope.
He knows that they will spend eternity in Hell.
He knows that they will suffer eternal destruction.
So, he lies, he deceives, he does everything within his power to bring about your ultimate destruction.
III. The Abundance – “…and that they might have it more abundantly.”
The resources that God offers is beyond description.
The first time we find the word “more” is in Genesis 2 describing Satan’s attribute of deceit and subtilty.
But we find the word “abundantly” twice in Genesis 1.
Jesus came that we might experience MORE – more than we could ever imagine.
- Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Conclusion:
Our theme this year is MORE. We need to understand that God has MORE.
Jesus came that we might have MORE.