A talk I gave at PCF (July 2005)

Bible study @ pcf

July 12, 2005

Main verse: john 10:10

“the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; but I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

1. Here is a verse that is quoted in church over and over again. Here is a scripture that you all know by heart. But when we hear this verse, what do we normally focus on?

We always seem to focus in on the first part. We talk about the thief. Satan. Lucifer. The Devil. The Prince of Darkness. This is the big deal. We talk about this boogie man lurking in the night. We speak of how we can spend our lives wrapping ourselves in protection from a foe that we can’t see. It’s exhausting. And I wish that all this weren’t true. I wish that it was no big deal. But it is. It’s real. It’s huge.

2. but what I really love is the second part. It’s the part that gets glossed over. We recite this first part with great emotional fervor and emotion.

3. It’s the second part that is emotionless, dull, an afterthought.

4. but this is the verse that all my hope is built on. All my faith is channeled to, all my love is wrapped in. it’s this idea that the Son of God decided to come for a stroll down this green earth that captures my heart, that has stolen my imagination.

5. “I’m here, so you can live. I’m you Christmas gift…Hope you like me!” “not only do i want you to live..i want you to live it to the full.” I want you to be pouring yourself so fast that all the fizz is running over on to the table…”

6. but when have I felt that my life is being lived to the full?”

I remember the moment in spain that we were hanging out in ciudad Rodrigo, and it’s the huge holiday called Carnival. It’s europe’s version of mardi gras. This town is going absolutely wild, and there are hundreds of crazy spainards heading off to run with the bulls. At no time, did I ever think that this was a good idea. I’m no fool. It turns out, that my friend Lukas Fortunato is a fool. And off he goes. Now I can’t blame Lukas. Lukas is what I call “fleet of foot”. He’s a nike commercial. He was a cross country star for crying out loud. Lukas is a finely tuned athletic machine. But I know better.

Well after all these guys come running into this make shift arena… there are all these bulls chasing around all these foolish men…and there is lots of hoopla, lots of disorder, but everyone makes it through alive….and Lukas makes his way back to us …and we’re sittin there in the freezing cold and Lukas is basking in his glory (slow down)…and it’s a funny thing when carnage is going on around you…and people are leading over large, hostile bovines, you start to think: “hey, I think I could pull this off…this doesn’t look so dangerous.” Now don’t be surprised, because stupid thoughts like this go through the heads of men all the time. We’re usually not thinking much…and when we do….oh boy…you’re running around with bulls. And when you’re an idiot, it’s fine to be what you were born to be…but just don’t voice those dim ideas. Because when you do, there will always be some really cute sorority girl sitting behind you saying: “oh yes tatum! Definitely! That sounds delightful! You should definitely do it.” And of course, when that happens, you naturally have to do it. So I swagger down and then I find myself into this pit of bulls and spainards….(continue story)

And it is one of these few times in my life, that even in the midst of the chaos and the thrill, that I could take a step back and realize that I was actually living. That my life, for just a bit, was firing on all cylinders…that I was doing what men, lying in their beds, had been dreaming of for a lifetime. I was outside my box, I was outside of the safety zone.

QUESTION????? WHEN HAVE YOU FELT THAT YOUR LIFE WAS LIVING TO THE FULL?

The issue for us in this crowd that do not know Jesus is this….and I promise you this…that Jesus is very much motivated to give you a life that is extraordinary….a life that is outside the bounds. I believe that. I really do.

But now the bigger issue is what do we say when we as Christians, are not reflecting that everyday? What do we say to someone who asks “why jesus?” and we say…well…”because theoretically, my life is supposed to be an adventure….theoretically, I should be changing the world, because theoretically, jesus died to set me free.”

Do we believe that jesus’ action on the cross was just something, theoretical or do we believe that it was something real? If we say yes to that, then why do we settle for less when it comes to our lives here on earth? Why do we say that we should be living an extraordinary lifestyle? Why do we say that our lives should be more than they are? Why do we say that we should be making an impact on our schools, our jobs, our friends, our family, our world?

The answer seems simple. The answer seems churchy. The answer seems like something straight out of Sunday school. The answer is Jesus.

One of the groups that has had the largest impact for Christ in this country over the last 65 years is Young Life…and their founder, Jim Rayburn is one of my heroes. The night that he said goodbye to the organization that he dreamt up and build, he made this declaration: “that younglife is about Jesus. It’s only about Jesus. And don’t you ever forget it.”

We go on a lot about how great the early church was. But you know what, most of those early churches were having huge problems, not the least of which was the one of the Ephesians, that they had lost their first love. Their first love, named Jesus from a small outpost called Nazareth.

So when Jesus says that he came so that we could have life to the full, I feel like he has

Said…look at me…look at who I am…look at what I’ve been doing! This is the way. I doubt that it’s a coincidence that there are 4 books, mostly identical books in the bible that are strictly and wholly dedicated to the life and work of Jesus. Maybe that’s a clue….maybe it’s a clue to “life to the full” that it’s his life, that is so expressly written out for us times 4.

So with that in mind…

QUESTION…WHAT DID JESUS DO?

He changed, he talked, he listened, he challenged, he walked, he healed, he raised, he lived, he died, and then he lived again…the man is a verb. Is my life such a verb?

His ministry to earth was a dream that was born in heaven (talking about dreaming big) and he spent his life in a constant state of action. Talking about acting big.

Jesus dreamt big….Jesus acted big.

Jesus’ life was life to the full, and it was full of action to the poor, the alienated, those that were foreigners to God….the sick, the prostitutes….and you know what? Jesus was capable of sinning….I don’t think he had something extra that we didn’t that got him past all the trials and the temptations….it’s just that jesus had a purpose…and he was so over flowing with what he was trying to accomplish…that he didn’t need sin to get his kicks….he didn’t need to get a prostitute in the night, he didn’t need to gossip, he didn’t need to make up lies, he didn’t need to cheat…he got all the thrill, all the fulfillment that anyone could ever need, out of serving us. And that is the key to our own lives being full.

I don’t want to be a person that is confined to the walls of a church..to be shut in like a sick dog, waiting on God to move. God is moving…he’s moving outside with millions of people…he’s been moving since time began. I’m not waiting on God to do something…God is waiting on me to get off my butt…to go outside and see where I can meet the needs of the world. This is the heart of Jesus. Life to the full is a life in Jesus, it’s a life of Jesus..it’s a life just like Jesus….

So when I hear that there are girls that are working to lead a small group, when I hear about a table talk that goes to fold clothes, when david gould tells me that he wants to get our youth group to hangout with old sick people for a little while…that Lauren wants to help an orphanage in africa…when micheal Pritchard says that he’ll help to build a house for someone that needs it…then my heart rate picks up…my eyes get a little wet….because singing is great….talking is great…but Jesus didn’t stop there…..and neither should we…let’s keep pressing on…

It wasn’t like he was trying to keep his cup full. He didn’t revolve his life around church services and conferences and camps to keep his cup full..i’m sure he’s fine with all that…but he could never have done it just that way. He didn’t settle just there.…he would have probably failed from boredom.

Jesus’ life was not a cup, but a river. Jesus was crisp, fresh, flowing water that ran between banks that moved from country to city, from mountain to beach…and that river never dried out, it never receded, he just kept on flowing….not a cup that was trying to stay full..but a river that was overflowing it’s banks….always more water coming in behind…water that changed the landscape..that formed new land. Water that was moving with action…moving with purpose.

The other day I was swimming down highway 74….because if you haven’t noticed, it’s been a tad damp around town these days…I passed over this bridge that had a river flowing about a foot under it….the water had completely over taken the banks, moved down the side of the road to make more rivers…and wasn’t far from washing out the bridge. I thought of how crazy it would be if that bridge fell out because of all that water. All the detours, all the frustration, it would totally shake up the town.

When we begin to live our lives like a river…when we look at Jesus, and we literally copy him….when we become concerned for our neighbor, our town, our country, and our world…then we will flood the bridges and we will wash out the old roads, and we will change the world with the love of Jesus. And we will frustrate some people, and we will be a problem…and people will resist us…but it’s got to be worth it..Not just dreaming about being a river…not just hoping that we can be full..but living lives today that are satisfying and amazing….because Jesus is beating inside our chest now, and he came, so that we may have life, and have it to the full. And to pass it on to others…as the river keeps on flowing…...

You know what they say? Imitation is the highest form of praise….with that being said..let’s get back to the real heart of worship.