Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Life in its fullest measure Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA April 17, 2005 Main Scripture text: John 10:1-10. In his book, Wild at Heart, John Eldredge quotes the Roman Catholic writer, Gil Bailie: "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." There is a difference between just living and really being alive -- and this is what Jesus is talking about in John 10. He said He came that we "might have life and have it to the full." The literal meaning is: "life in its fullest measure." What did He mean by that? This may sound silly but what came to mind was my toothpaste tube. I squeeze it, roll it and smash it until all the toothpaste is gone. I think that is the way God want us to live; get all of the goodie out. I've found four things that help me in my pursuit of life in its fullest measure. The first is the knowledge that life in its fullest measure is our spiritual DNA. It is the substance of what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be the Church. As our friend from Nigeria, Bishop Joseph Ajayi says, "God intends us to live on the level of grace, not the level of grass." Yes we are made from the dust of the earth, but we have the breath of God to give us life. Our lives are supposed to be contagious; we are supposed to be people who can handle life with all of its irrelevancies, problems and pain with poise, confidence and the calm assurance of ultimate victory. The second truth is that life in its fullest measure is possible for all Christians. It is not reserved for super saints -- it is the norm for every born-again child of God. Jesus has made this life available to us but we have to believe it is available to us -- and seek it. The third truth is that there is a thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. We are born into a world at war. There is an enemy and he is not nice. He is cunning and mean and he doesn't play by any rules. If the devil can keep us from coming fully alive in God, we're not much of a serious threat to him. If he can get us to buy in to some watered down version of the gospel it acts like a vaccine that it immunizes us against the real thing. This is why we have to fight to get and keep life in its fullest measure. The fourth truth: Life in its fullest measure is not the same as happiness. Happiness depends upon circumstances. But Christian victory is a victory that comes in spite of circumstances. We can have joy when we are unhappy; we can have peace in the midst of turmoil and strife. Our peace and joy are not rooted in circumstances but in God's power and faithfulness. Friends, when we live life in its fullest measure, with confidence in God's faithfulness and power and with an ear inclined to the voice of Jesus, then we will live life in its fullest measure. Supporting texts: Acts 16:22-34 | 1 Peter 3:15 | Matthew 17:19-20 | Romans 8:37 | 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here (35:00). (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S. requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 050417a: Life in its Fullest Measure. © 2005 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us