Pastor Pat Duffin, High Prairie Christian Centre

The story is told of Michelangelo examining the work of one of his eager protégés. After carefully inspecting the beautiful sculpture of an angel, Michelangelo exclaimed, “Well, it lacks only one thing,” turned on his heel and walked out.

The mortified sculptor was too embarrassed to ask the master what was wrong with his work of art so he asked a friend to intercede on his behalf. The great artist told the friend, “It lacks only life.”

As one preacher said, “The same could be said of a lot of people today. They have the ultimate house, the latest luxury car, the wealthy husband or the trophy wife, and the seemingly perfect kids. They have the successful career. They have money in the bank. They have everything going the way that things ought to go…to supposedly live life to its fullest. But there is something still lacking. They are still lacking life.”

One of the early church fathers, Irenaeus, in the year 185, co-wrote an essay called Against Heresies. One riveting phrase that has echoed down the centuries were these inspiring words, “The glory of God is humanity fully alive!”

Fully alive…abundant life to the full: this is the glory of God and the goal of all spiritual seeking.

The world is full of people who are seeking a fuller life even as they are weighed down by their responsibilities or worry about the future. Others, struggling to fulfill a deep, unresolved need, resort to a plethora of unsatisfying possessions and restless activities which some have summarized as sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Simply witness the ‘bazillion’ dollar advertising industry which makes its wealth appealing to that inner need.

But these shallow pursuits do little to bring inner peace and joy of life. So many people are not really living but merely existing in a paralyzing fantasy of living the good life “someday”.

Someday it will get better and life will be good. Someday all the toil and sacrifice will be worthwhile. Someday dreams will magically come true. Freedom 55 is now revised upward to 75…but someday.

Jesus promises a sure and better way to a fuller, abundant life for anyone who will put their trust in Him. His is more than a vague hope. His promises are powerful, compelling and trustworthy because God is speaking and God cannot lie. Consider His revelation of Himself as the ‘Good Shepherd’ “…I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” [John 10:10’

Wow! This truly is good news in this chaotic world where people are losing hope everyday.

In this passage Jesus also speaks of an enemy who desires only to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus has come to bring us not just life, but abundant life. He is not just the shepherd; He is the ‘Good Shepherd’. He will do what is good for us. He will take loving and faithful care for us. He will guide us. He will protect us and provide for us – not in a stingy, begrudging way but in a bountiful and abundant way. He will make life full and joyful and well worth living. His sincere desire is to absolutely bless us with health and strength and goodness such that we flourish in His extravagant, over-flowing love.

This amazing love cannot be adequately described, nor is it possible to even imagine just how good He is to us. This is something that must be experienced to be believed. Even then, His love and care are so encompassing words fail us.

So, like Andrew the disciple, we can only invite others to “Come and see.” [John 1:39]

He actually delights in taking our brokenness and making our lives beautiful. The more desperate and hopeless the case, the more His power and love are demonstrated.

It truly is His glory to make us fully alive. This is why He came.

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” [John 10:9]