Sermon
delivered on October 26th, 2014
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Text: John 10:1-18
Introduction
Signs
of the season are all around us today as you drive around, as you go to the
shopping malls or theme parks or restaurants or school or work places. It is
everywhere. Halloween is a major celebration this time of the year.
Listen
to one article written in America On Line 2013 ...
From
what once was a simple tradition of children trick-or-treating for a pumpkin
full of confectionary delights wearing their favorite ghoulish costumes, Halloween
has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar, global, annual celebration
for all ages, surpassing every holiday except Christmas. The
Halloween industry has grown 100% in the past ten years in the U.S. alone.
According to the National Retail Federation, around 158 million Americans
will be partaking in the frenzy this year, slightly down from last year's peak of 170 million, with a total spending on festivities
to reach $6.9 billion. Even pets are in the act, as consumers will
spend over $330 million on their costumes in 2013.
What is Halloween?
To
kids - It's about candies, trick or treating and cute costumes
To
the young people and grown ups - Scary costumes, wild parties,
thrill of being scared
To
others - escape from reality. "For adults, you can put on a Halloween
costume and forget about work, the bad economy, and other pressures," - Kelly David,
Spirit Halloween spokesperson in a South University article.
But
it is obvious as you drive around and see the displays and decorations, it
cannot be denied that in the face of Halloween at bottom is a celebration of
death, darkness and the devil. It's the Day of the Dead. A
discerning person will detect that there is something demonic that underlies
Halloween.
Halloween
is glorification of death, darkness and the devil. It is a celebration of fear
- fear of death, darkness and evil.
Why is there fascination (attraction, obsession) with
death and dead people?
People
spend time and money to be scared, to be terrified, to be horrified. People pay
people to scare them. People find themselves entertained by Zombies and other
scary things.
Why
would 158 millions Americans spend a grand total $6.9 billion
in a given year to be scared and celebrate death and fear of death?
Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trespasses and sins;
People
love what they are part of. That's what people
are, who are outside of Christ. That's what we were. A part of the dead. People
who do not have relationship with Jesus Christ are going on their daily lives
and they are living in darkness.
Proverbs 21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of
understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.
The
person who strays from, who wanders away from common sense will end up
and remain in the company of the dead.
But
ultimately this fascination with death comes from ...
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your
father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not
in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Satan
is the murderer and his message is destruction. Satan is the thief who comes to
steal, to kill and to destroy. Satan is great life destroyer.
Why
does Satan hate life? Because he hates man. Why does he hate man? Because man is
created in the image of God and Satan hates God. He cannot get at God so he
tries to get at man.
Proverbs 8:35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall
obtain favour of the LORD. 36: But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
all they that hate me love death.
The sermon today is not about Halloween but it is about
the One who came and destroyed death and delivered us from the fear of death.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 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.
It is a mission of Divine love.
1. Christ came
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. (have
it to fullest).
Aren't
you glad He came? We cannot come to where He is, so He came to us, to where we
are.
He Came To Me
The gulf that
separated me from Christ, my Lord
It was so vast, the
crossing I could never ford (cross)
From where I was to
His domain, it seemed so far
I cried "Dear Lord, I cannot
come to where You are"
CHORUS
He came to me, He
came to me
When I could not
come to where He was, He came to me
That's why He died on Calvary
When I could not
come to where He was, He came to me
2. Christ came to give
John 10:10 ... I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
Satan's
mission is to steal, to take away from men what they have, and deprive them of
what they may have. But Christ came that men may have. He came to give, to
benefit the mankind. He came not for His own sake, but for the sake of others.
He became poor to make the world rich.
We
are being like Christ when we are giving. we are being like the devil when we
think of getting and taking.
3. Christ came to give life
What
did He come to give?
John 10:10 ... I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
Satan
may be the great thief and life destroyer who decided long time ago that his
reason for existence is to oppose God and to come to steal, to kill and to
destroy. But our Lord Jesus Christ who is way, the truth and the life who is
the resurrection and the life came to give life.
(1)
He gives physical life
Obviously,
He has already given you and me, physical life.
Acts 17:28a For in him we live, and move, and have our being ...
John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not
any thing made that was made. 4: In him was life; and the life was the light of
men.
We
live because our Lord gave us life. We are not the product of time and
chance as evolutionists claim. Evolution is scientifically impossible.
Doctor
Wall Professor of
Biology in Harvard (Novel Prize)
There
are only two possibilities as to how life arose (came about): one is
spontaneous generation arising to evolution and the other is a supernatural
creative act of God ... I will not accept that philosophically because I do not
want to believe in God, therefore I choose to believe in that which I know is
scientifically impossible.
Evolution
is not science it is bias against God.
Psalm 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right
well.
(2)
He gives spiritual life
John 14:6 Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me.
I
am the life without me there is
no living and growing
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and
the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he
live: 26: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Believest thou this?
Christian
are not just nice people who are trying to do better, who have accepted some creed
or some code. They are new creatures. They have been made alive through
faith in Jesus Christ.
(3)
He gives eternal life
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. (have
it to fullest)
Eternal
life it speaks of the
quality of life and the quantity of life.
A
little boy went to the pet store to buy a puppy and he saw this cute and
playful puppy wagging his tail. And the little boy said, I want that puppy
with the happy ending.
That's
what I want, I want the life that has the happy ending.
4. Christ came to give life to its fullest
John 10:10 ... I am come that they might have life, and that
they might have it more abundantly.
Life
to its fullest. He wants us to have life and not just mere existence. He wants us not
only to be just alive but fully alive!
5. The life the He came to give is within the reach of all
John 10:10 ... I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
They - all who would
come to Him for life.
All
without exceptions, regardless of their gender, race, education, religion, etc.
Christ
came to the world to give eternal life to all who would repent and believe.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name.
6. This Life is free but at a great cost
It's
free not because it is cheap. It's free because it is priceless. It is given
free because nobody could afford
it. It could not be bought. It could not be earned nor worked for. Even if you
work for it for eternity, you could not pay for it.
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth
his life for the sheep.
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am
known of mine. 15: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I
the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers; 19: But
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot:
The death of Christ is not ordinary death
Our
Lord made it possible for us to have live and have it to the fullest by laying
down His life for us. He died so that we might live.
It
is the taking of our sins upon Him. The pouring of wrath upon Him. The wrath
that He did not deserve but that we all deserve.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him.
Do you need life?
If
you want life, you must get it from Christ. If you need more life, you must go to
the same place. Do not look to Christ for the beginnings, and then somewhere
else for the ending! Christ has come that you might have life and have it more
abundantly.
Isn't
that the point of all what Christ is saying in this chapter; I am the Door; I am the Shepherd; I have authority
to lay my down my life, and as My dead body lie down on a tomb, I have
the authority to take it up again. what is the point of all this? To
get you to Christ. He is your life!
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2: Set
your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3: For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4: When Christ,
who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
And
these things are written you may believe. I pray that you will. Come to him as
your Door! Your Shepherd! Your life!
2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they
which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him
which died for them, and rose again.
Today
we are offered life and blessing or death and cursing.
Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I
have set before thee this day life and good, and death
and evil;
19: I call heaven and earth to record this day
against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
It
is a token of the great mercy of God that He is very earnest in His pleading with men
to choose life. There is hope for all in the all-sufficient Saviour.
The
choice was left to us but God appeals to us to choose life and good! So run to Him
without delay. Therefore choose life!