Life More Abundant — Aaron Hurst

What is life? What is life, really? What's life? What is the purpose of my life? To glorify God. Amen. Get ready for eternity. Sometimes life is crying out, like that little baby. We had that in our psalm this morning.

Life has been described in many different ways. In our humanity, without an eternal perspective, life can look... Oh, it's been described as, life is a race. That can have a biblical ring to it, life is a race.

But sometimes people have said, life is a rat race. Life? What is my life? What is my purpose? You know, sometimes we may be asking that question. Is this all there is? Life. The Christian life. The Christian life.

Is this all there is? Our experience in life sometimes leaves us feeling like we're coming up short. I felt that way already. Am I the only one? Have you ever felt that way? I think there's got to be more.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at Jacob’s Well

One day as Jesus was traveling with his disciples, they left Judea. And they came again to Galilee. And as they went through Galilee, they came through Samaria. And went through this little village, Sychar.

And arrived there at Jacob's well. And Jesus, it says, was wearied from his journey. And he sat down there on the well. You find this recorded in John chapter 4. And then a woman of Samaria came out. And she came to draw some water.

And Jesus was sitting there on the well. And when he saw her, he said to her, give me to drink. And this woman of Samaria, she said, well, I see you're a Jew. I mean, I can tell you're a Jew. And the Jews, they have this prejudice against the Samaritans.

They don't stoop that low to ask of anything of a Samaritan. How is it that you would ask of me a drink? Being a woman of Samaria. And Jesus said to her, if you would know the gift of God. And who it is that's asking you for a drink.

You would have asked of Jesus for a drink of water. And he would have given unto thee living water. So her desire, her interest was sparked. And she said, living water? Well, I'd like to have some of that.

But sir, you have nothing to draw with. And the well is deep. From whence do you have this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? Which gave us a well, drank thereof himself and his children and his cattle.

Jesus told her that whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. But whosoever will drink of the water that I shall give him, he shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus said, if you knew the gift of God. And who it is that saith unto thee, give me to drink. You would ask of him. And he would give thee living water. And the water that I give you shall be in you a well, springing up into everlasting life.

And the woman said, sir, give me this water that I come not thither and thirst, neither come hither to draw. She wanted that water. I just love the way Jesus, looking at her, knowing her, knowing her need, he told her, go call your husband.

The woman answered and said, I don't, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you have said well, you have said the truth. You have no husband, for thou hast had five husbands. And the one whom you now have is not your husband.

So what you said is true. You spoke honestly. You answered honestly. That's right. Jesus, give me this living water. Jesus said, go call your husband. He put his finger on a very deep need in her heart.

Don't want to read too far into this, but you could maybe say five failed marriages, broken relationships, wounded hearted, a shameful thing, embarrassing. Many times as we look at life and we say, Lord, what, why is it that I'm not fulfilling and being fulfilled in my Christian walk?

Where's that living water? Where's that flow of that living water? Lord, give me this, give me this water. And Jesus puts his loving wisdom and care and touches a very deep need in our life. Bring your deepest need to Jesus.

Open up your heart to Jesus. Of your greatest disappointment and failures in life. To be honest with Jesus. Well, the woman said, I know that when Messiah cometh, who is just called Christ, he will tell us all things.

And then Jesus said unto her, I that speak unto thee, am he. What is life? Jesus said. I am come. That they might have life. And they might have it more abundantly. Life. More abundantly. The thief comes to steal and to kill and to destroy.

Abundant Life Through Christ and the Good Shepherd

But I am the good shepherd. And the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And I am come that they might have life. And that they might have life more abundantly. What is life? What is your life?

What is my life? You see, without Christ, we are of all men most miserable. We are without God, without hope in the world. And life can be very disappointing. Now there are some people that say they don't need God and their life can look on the outside like it might be pretty successful.

And it might look like they're having a good time. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while they live. Many times there is deep depression and sorrows underneath the laughter. And the famous comedian with all the money he was making was found dead by suicide.

He just made everybody else laugh and was very famous and popular. But inside he was an empty hollow shell of a man. Life. What is my life? What is your life? Jesus said I am come that they might have life.

And have it more abundantly. Oh, I want that life. I want to be partaker of that life. I want to be partaker of Christ, of that divine life of Jesus Christ. One of those that he says, and you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sin.

You see, sin brings death. The wages of sin is death. And without Christ, we are dead. Though we live. But Christ, Jesus, when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ. For by grace are ye saved.

And has raised us up together and made us sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Life. Life more abundantly. People were musing and wondering, is Jesus a Christ? And they were come together for the feast.

And when they were in the midst of the feast, Jesus stood up in that great day of the feast, and he cried, if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly or his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.

That sounds like life to me, doesn't it to you? The life of Christ Jesus. He that believeth on Christ Jesus, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which he that believeth on him should receive.

For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. According to what we hear from the lips of Jesus, I believe it's safe to say that it is the will of God that we experience in reality an abundant life in Christ, where we drink at those fountains of living waters, and Christ in you, my brother, my sister, his life is lived out through us.

Christ in you, and out of our innermost being shall flow rivers of living water. When I look at my own life, and look at my own experience, I can become discouraged, because I see how far short I come from what Jesus declares that he purchased for us on Calvary's cross.

But I want us today to not look in ourselves and become discouraged and depressed, but rather to look unto Jesus, the author, the completer of our faith, and to believe him. He that believeth on me, said Jesus, out of his innermost being shall flow these rivers of living water.

And where I find that that is not consistent in my life, to not lie against that truth, but to acknowledge my need and come to the Lord and say, Lord Jesus Christ, this is what you say in your word. I believe you, Lord Jesus.

I believe you to take me on with you into that fullness of the blessing of the Lord. While there might be various reasons why my experience is falling short, maybe I'm full of other things. Maybe I'm eating too much junk food, and so I'm not hungry for the good things of God.

Maybe my affection is not set on Christ, but it's on things of the earth, things of this world. You know, it's amazing to me that what a person will set their heart and affection to, what they love, what they strive and pursue to become and to do and fulfill, it's amazing what people can accomplish when they set their heart and affection to it.

Of course, God's in control. People don't always succeed. People end up in the ditch and in the gutter and in prison and all those kind of things because they're not seeking the right thing. But I have a question for us this morning.

What am I desiring? Where's my affection? Or am I just somehow satisfied with so much less than what Jesus Christ died and paid for? And he longs to pour out his blessing upon his people, but I've been eating the candy of this world.

And so I'm not very hungry. My desire has been skewed. Where's my desire? Why is the river just a trickle? Lord, I want more. I want a deeper reality. One thing I've desired of the Lord that will I seek after.

Seeking Christ Above All Other Desires

You know, if we could see into each other's hearts and minds where our affections are and what excites us and what motivates us and gets us going. I just want us to be honest here today. Am I desiring that abundant life of Jesus Christ with all my heart?

Is my desire after the Lord to dwell in his house, to be in his presence, to tapernacle with him? That one desire. Like Mary, she sat at Jesus' feet. Jesus commended her. He said, one thing is needful.

Mary, she chose that good part. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for that prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I press toward that mark. Maybe one of the reasons the river is a trickle is because I have just made myself contended with that and I have become satisfied there and I'm no longer pressing toward the prize.

Philippians 3, 13 and 14. Press toward the mark of the prize. I want to give us just a few practical things. You may turn to 1 Corinthians 10 for a few verses. 1 Corinthians 10 and verse 23. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient.

All things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. What is he saying? Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. Everything is permissible, but not everything builds up.

No one should seek his own good, but the good of the other person. So how do I live my life? Do I live my life by what's wrong with it? It's lawful? Come on, what's wrong with it? It's lawful for me, there's really nothing sinful about this.

Or do I live my life by what does it edify? Everyone who seeks for that prize and for the mastery is temperate in all things. I press toward that mark, toward that prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, for that relationship with Christ Jesus, for that oneness with Christ Jesus, for that river of living water with Christ Jesus, that satisfies deeply the longing thirst of my heart.

You know, you can look at two different people who have a testimony of salvation, say five years ago. Fast forward five years, and the one may be excelling, and it's like they are just so growing in the Lord and the life of Christ Jesus is just evident in them.

They're such a sweet fragrance, they're a blessing to be around. They're just full of inspiration, Eric. They're full of encouragement. They keep their hearts encouraged in the Lord and they're just growing in grace and they're going on to know the Lord Jesus and you can just tell.

There's water flowing. There's a river flowing. When they speak, they have words of life and blessing and joy. And the other person, who also says they got born again, you know, they're just sort of stumbling along and their life is maybe up and down, often discouraged.

What's the difference? Could be many things, but I'm going to suggest this morning this one fact. Just a very simple thing that we can all get a hold of. Do I live my life with, well, what's wrong with it?

It's permissible. It's not sinful. Or do I look at it and say, oh, but it's just edifying. Does this build me up in the most holy faith of Christ? Do I want to live my life in such a way that whatever I can get away with, live as close to the edge as possible to sin, but not sin?

Or do I want to live my life as close to Jesus as I can? And to be edified and growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus. You know, just listen. Listen. What are they saying? That person whose life is up and down and they're still in first grade.

The other person who's excelling with Christ and growing in the grace of Jesus. Listen to what they're saying. Listen to how they live their lives. I don't have time for that. And I won't, I'll let you fill in the blank.

Redeeming Time and Pursuing Holiness

You see, are you redeeming the time God has given you? Are you investing the time God has given to me and to you into the kingdom of our Christ and to knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, loving righteousness, loving God with all your heart?

And I don't have time. Oh, but there's nothing wrong with it. Come on. Yeah, but I have a higher calling. I'm seeking for a prize, a high and holy heavenly prize. Sorry, I don't have time. I don't want to fill my mind with those things.

You see, what we fill our mind with, what we have our affection set upon, what we dwell on, what we follow after, has a huge impact on what we become. So maybe the next time you're tempted to say, but what's wrong with it, Dad?

Stop and check yourself. Or asking the Lord. Well, Lord, it's really not sinful. It's not really bad. Others are doing it. Well, you know what? There's a lot of other lukewarm Christians. Do you want to be one of them?

Oh, my dear brother, sister, the living waters, the abundant life is worth losing all. It's worth all self-denial. Paul said, everything that was counted gain for me, I count but loss. For the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, oh, that I may be found in Him.

Yes, it's worth taking up the cross and denying myself and losing my life so that I may find my life in Christ Jesus. Yes. Thessalonians 5. Rejoice evermore. Verse 17. Pray without ceasing. You know, a lot of that stuff that's sort of just about half lawful but not really edifying, it'll rob you of your prayer life.

Many times it does. It's a robber of our abiding in Christ and our fellowship with Christ. Yeah. And everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Verse 19. Quench not the spirit.

Verse 20. Despise not prophesying. I'll just pause a moment here and make a little application. Movie you're watching, is it pleasing to the Lord? Is it pure? Is it upholding righteousness? Is it promoting godliness?

Is it promoting self-denial? Is it promoting humility? And sobriety? Or is it grieving the spirit of God because it's promoting folly? It's promoting self and what I accomplish. It's boasting and jesting and prideful.

And it's grieving the spirit of God. Oh, but there's nothing really, really wrong with it. But by whose standard? By the standard of the word of God? Put away foolish talking and jesting which are not convenient.

Put that stuff away. You see, if you want to be experiencing the blessing of the waters of living water flowing from Christ Jesus, you're going to put away those things. You're not going to just live by what's lawful or permissive, but rather does it edify?

Testing All Things and Guiding Children

Does it put a smile on the face of my Savior? Prove all things. Am I on this mic? I am sorry about that. I thought I heard that one time before. I think I'm on this one now. I think I turned it on. Sorry, sound men.

You do so well. God bless you. Prove all things. Examine all things carefully. Run it through the filter of the anointed, inspired word of God. Prove it. Test it. Examine carefully so that you can recognize that which is good and edifying.

Prove all things and hold fast that which is good. I just want to urge us as moms and dads today, yeah, we don't have the television in our house. Yeah, we don't want that wicked thing. We won't set that wicked thing before our eyes.

But have you proven the things that your children are partaking in? Have you proven them and tested them? See, foolishness is bound in the heart of a child. You don't have to feed them more and feed that thing.

You want to feed them the good word of God. You want to feed them the good missionary stories. You want to feed them the things that will challenge them to grow and to think and to be stimulated into thought process and discernment for that which is good and that which is evil.

To recognize and to discern and to prove that which is right and good. Please do not defile their little consciences with false teaching. Making out Noah to be some funny man and the flood being some silly thing that happened with a bunch of animals on a boat.

And he totally misses that this was a judgment of God. And many people died because of their sin against the Holy God. Brothers, sisters, we live in a day that we must prove all these things. Test them and to abstain from every form of evil.

So how do I live my life? My life in Christ Jesus by the power of His Holy Spirit. By the discernment of the Holy Ghost of God. And God puts a check in your heart. No, don't look at that. No, don't go there.

And you're listening to the Spirit of God. And you're walking in obedience to the Spirit of God. And you're keeping yourself. You're keeping yourself and you're abstaining from all this wickedness and evil.

Building on Christ’s Foundation for Eternity

You see we're building. We are labors building. Let every man take heed how he builds. For other foundations can no man lay which is laid which is Christ Jesus. And now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work what sort it is.

So how are we building? I urge us today. I beg us today. We do not have time to be building with stubble. We do not have time to be building with hay. Now there may be some nice wood can be incorporated and some precious stone and some silver and gold.

But brother, sister, before you just partake and pick that thing up and take it into your spirit consider is it gold, silver, precious stone and wood, adorable wood or is it hay and stubble. It's going to burn.

It's going to burn. It's going to burn. And if any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss. Oh the grief and the weeping and the wailing over the loss. Everything that I lived for that I had my affection settled in my heart settled is burned up.

Oh if only if only I had not been so consumed by business. If only I had not been so consumed by love of pleasure. If only I had not been so consumed by satisfying this flesh. But the fire has declared that it is burned.

And all the loss and the weeping and the wailing the loss the loss but maybe just maybe in God's mercy just maybe in God's exceeding great mercy he yet shall be saved but so as by fire. Oh brother, sister I urge us today how are we building?

What's the rule of my life? That which is permissible? That which is lawful? What's wrong with it? Or that which is edifying? That which draws me closer to Jesus. That which sanctifies my life. That which convicts me of sin and causes me to walk in repentance.

Taking Up the Cross and Receiving Living Water

Dear brother, sister if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall save it.

This is eternal life that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. I have declared unto them thy name and will declare it says the Lord Jesus that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them.

This is the will of God that we be one with Christ I in them. The water that I shall give him water that I shall give him shall be in him. A well of water springing up to life everlasting. What is your life?

What is your purpose of life? Are you pursuing empty dreams heartaches ruin that which will pass away or are you pursuing and seeking after this one thing the living water of Christ I am come that they might have life that they might have it more abundantly.

If any man thirst let him come to me and drink. Are you thirsty today? Hungry for Jesus? He that believeth on me as the scripture said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This he spake of the Spirit which he that believeth on him should receive.

Asking God for the Holy Spirit

Ah I say unto you says Jesus ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and the door shall be opened unto you for everyone that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh the door shall be opened.

Ah yes yes amen amen for if a son ask bread of you of any that is a father will he give him a stone or if he ask fish will he for a fish give him a serpent or if he ask for an egg will he give him a scorpion if he then be evil know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him yes yes. That's where we're going to close today. Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Believe God put off the old man with his deeds make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

Don't live on that edge of what's lawful but seek for God with all of your heart and believe God he wants to give you the Holy Ghost that there be rivers of living water Oh God have mercy upon us let's bow our heads together Father we come in the name of Jesus and we ask you Lord God oh that you would in your mercy and in your goodness Lord speak to our hearts oh God and Father that we would be honest like that woman there at the well we wouldn't lie against the truth yeah I've had a lot of heartache in my life I made a mess out of things I had a lot of failure but oh Jesus I want that living water.

I want that healing Lord Jesus that you said you'll give yes Lord Jesus here am I here's my whole life open before you hiding nothing yes Lord come in and sanctify and cleanse and forgive I confess I repent I believe yes Lord thy will be done in my life in Jesus name Amen.