Skip to content Getting a Grip on the Basics - How To Live The Abundant Life? Oct 6 · 23 min ...more
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Beth Jones is a Bible teacher and founder of The Basics With Beth, a non-profit Christian teaching ministry dedicated to helping people learn the Bible basics.
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0:15 Hey. Thanks joining me for the basics with Beth. We are having fun digging into the bible, and we are in a series together. We have been getting a grip on the0:26 basics. We're gonna talk about how to experience the abundant life. And Jesus said these words in John 10 10. Jesus said, I have come that you might have life and that you0:38 might have it more abundantly. I mean, the very reason Jesus came was to bring life to us. And not just life, but abundant life. Super abundant,0:49 overflowing life. And so the question is, what does that mean, and how do we experience it? And Hopefully along the way I'm gonna answer a couple of questions because in your mind as we go through this you may have a1:00 couple of yeah, but what about kinds of questions that come up and I'm gonna try to make sure to address some of those. But let me just start by saying this, You know, we say oftentimes to people, God bless you. Somebody1:10 sneezes, we go, God bless you. And so the question is when we say, God bless you, what do we mean? What what does it mean if God blesses you? What does that look like? Well,1:22 again, I just mentioned it, but in John 10 10, Jesus defined it. I have come that you might have the abundant life. Here's the definition. Here's the literal definition from the Greek language, which1:34 the Bible was written in. Abundantly means super abundant in quantity and superior in quality. Like, that's the actual literal definition of Jesus'1:46 words. The implication is excessive and beyond measure, to have more, more than enough, overflow, surplus. And so you need to get in your mind, and again, may have to take off, you know, a pair of glasses that you've1:57 been wearing all these years thinking God was stingy, or thinking God wanted you to have a barely get by mentality, and that it wasn't until you get to heaven and the streets are paved with gold, that's when you can2:08 experience abundance, but in this life, not so much. God wants you to have an abundance of peace, of life, of joy, of his goodness. And then even in the material and financial areas, God wants your life2:20 blessed to be a blessing. And we're gonna get into that in today's lesson, this whole idea of abundant life. And so in Proverbs 10 22, the blessing of the Lord makes 12:32 rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. It's the blessing of the Lord that makes 1 rich, and he adds no sorrow to it. You know, sometimes people get2:44 this impression, give this idea that you shouldn't be blessed. And in fact, you've heard these phrases, of course, you've all heard these phrases, know, I don't believe in the prosperity gospel, or the health and wealth,2:55 or the name it and claim it. I mean, I don't believe in any of that. And on 1 hand, I get it. I mean, there has been excess, and so on 1 hand, totally, I get it. We don't want to be in an extreme. But right on the other3:06 hand, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let's not set aside what Jesus paid a very high price, a mighty high price on the cross for your sins to be forgiven, for my sins to be forgiven,3:17 and for us to then, in addition, experience life, eternal life and everything that goes with it. All of the abundance that goes with it. And we've talked about in previous lessons, and again we'll get into some of it,3:29 but our salvation, you know, the Bible says don't forget in Psalm 103 it says forget not all of his benefits. I mean, this is a benefits package you and I3:40 got. This salvation you and I have experienced. This is bigger and more generous than we even knew what God has provided for us. And so when we see a verse like this, the blessing of the Lord makes3:52 1 rich and he adds no sorrow to it. I get how there has been excess and people have taken it to the extreme and I get how people can get can get a bad taste in their mouth about it, but don't throw the baby out with the4:04 bathwater as I said. Let's just define it. Okay? Let's define it. Blessed to be a blessing is a big part of it. So back to this verse, when my husband and I first started out our church, first started pastoring our4:16 church, of course we didn't have 2 nickels to rub together and everything we had we put into starting the church. And so my husband wore the same suit for like 3 years, same 2 suits he alternated for like 3 years, and we4:26 were raising 4 little kids and you know we really didn't have a lot of extra money. So but we were believing God, we were believing John 10 10 that his his will for our lives was abundance in every way. Well,4:37 spiritually, was abundant. With our kids, it was abundant. Our church was doing well. But in the material and financial arenas, we were not we were not in the abundant in the abundant state. And I'll never forget this 14:48 season, somebody in fact, several things happened right in a row. 1 person that we knew that did not attend our church, but they were friends of ours, they came up to us and they said, hey, how would you guys like a4:57 boat? How would you and your kids like a speedboat? We're like, what? Yeah. Sure. Absolutely. So they gave us it was an older speedboat, but we didn't care. It it putts around the water and we could pull the kids5:09 tubing. It was awesome. So all of a sudden, here we are, these young little pastors with a boat in our driveway. And then somebody else came over and said, hey, how would you like it if if we gave you a trampoline? Our5:19 grandkids don't use it anymore. Would you like our trampoline? Well, it wasn't brand new, but it was a trampoline. So now we got a trampoline in the backyard. And then a gal in the church said to me, she goes, I'd like5:30 to buy you some new suits. Now this was back in the day, some of you remember, of skirt suits and pant suits. Now I know in some places they're still very stylish and they look a whole5:41 lot better these days than they did when I had them. When I wore them wore them, boy, they were mine mine mine were boxy and and not cool. Mine were not cool. Can I just be honest? Mine were not cool. But I was thankful.5:52 Hey, it was it was a nice gesture, so I got 2 new skirt suits. 2 new boxy skirt suits. All of a sudden, I've got new suits. We've a trampoline and we got a boat in our driveway. And6:04 I remember having this thought like, oh, wow. We I we should apologize. Maybe we should explain to the neighbors. Like, hey, these are gifts. Like, we didn't buy these. Somebody gave these to us. Like, we somehow felt6:15 this need to apologize. What in the world was that all about? Why did we feel that need? Well, because we needed to get the pair of glasses off that I'm trying to tell you to get off. We needed to get into the Bible and6:26 find out it's the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, blesses you, and he adds no sorrow to it. No apology needed. You don't have to explain. Girls, don't we do it all the time? We buy something and then6:38 somebody says, Oh, I love your new blouse. And we're like, Oh, well, you know, got it on sale. Because God forbid we tell somebody we paid full price. Right? What is that? It's just a mindset that we have. But let's get6:49 past that mindset. Let's get into an experience of God's abundance, and not just from selfish, covetous, you know, covetous materialistic mindset. Not that at all, but from the angle of7:00 appreciation and thankfulness to God that he paid such a high price for us to experience his goodness, and then let's have a generous spirit to share that same abundance with the people in our world.7:12 Amen? Okay. I said a lot there, but that was the setup for where we're going here. Let's go over to third John 2. Beloved, this is the Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle7:24 John. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health even as your soul prospers. You know 1 version, the King James version actually, it7:36 says, beloved, I pray above all things. I pray above everything else. This is God's heart. Above everything else, I pray that you would prosper and be in health even7:48 as your soul prospers. That you would be blessed with abundance and increase and goodness and good health even as in the proportion to which your soul is8:00 prospering. What is that? That's a picture of spirit, soul, and body prosperity. Spirit, soul, and body abundance. This is God's will for you. Okay? So quit letting people talk you out of it and quit8:10 apologizing. Let's just have the right heart and the right motivation for it, and let's experience it. Okay. Good? Let's go over to another verse. Let's look at this verse8:22 in Psalm 1 0 3. Okay? I love this. In Psalm 1 0 3, it says, bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and8:34 forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, and crowns you with loving8:46 kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. And all the women over 508:57 said, all the women said, how about how about all the people said, our youth is renewed like the eagles. That's a benefit. Forget not all of his9:09 benefits, he said. Bless the Lord, forget not all of his benefits. Remember your benefits. Listen, I guarantee if you have a job and you have a benefits package that includes9:20 major medical, dental, optical, some kind of retirement benefit, I guarantee you know what's in your benefits package And that when you retire, you're gonna make sure you get every last penny. Why? Because9:32 you know your benefits. We ought to have the exact same tenacity when it comes to God's word and when it comes to what Jesus has provided. Forget not all of his benefits. And he tells us a couple9:44 of them right here. He forgives all your sins, huge benefit, the best benefit, isn't it? You've been made righteous, your sins are forgiven, awesome, and heals all of your diseases.9:56 That is a major benefit. And then I love the last 1, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Man, oh, man. That's abundant life, y'all. Okay. Now, here's the question.10:08 Why? Why did Jesus want us blessed with abundance? What's the reason? Does he want a bunch of self absorbed Christians running around? Of course not. But he does want blessed Christians running10:20 around. Blessed to be a blessing. You've heard us said many times. Blessings to us and blessings through us. But let's see that from the Bible. Is that what the Bible teaches? Let's see. Go over to first10:32 Timothy 6. I love this. This is a great a great passage. First Timothy 6 verse 17. It says, command those who are rich in this present age not to be10:43 haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good that10:55 they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share. Okay. So there's a lot in this little passage here. First Timothy 6 7 17 and 18. There's a lot in this. He's talking11:07 to rich people and he's not mad at rich people. Jesus, in fact, a lot of his disciples were wealthy, fishermen, businessmen before they were called. So Jesus is not against rich people. He's just telling rich people what11:18 to do with their abundance. He said, don't be haughty. Don't be lifted up. Don't look down your nose at others. But, he said, trust in God. In fact, he said,11:30 don't trust in uncertain riches. Let me just give you a little rabbit trail here. Over and over in the Bible when Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler and said sell everything you have and give to the poor and the rich11:40 young ruler went away sad. The Bible says because he trusted in his money. He loved his money more than he loved the Lord. The Lord is okay if you have money, just don't love your money. It's the11:52 love of money that's the root of all evil. It's okay if you have money, but don't trust in uncertain riches. So in the parable of the sower, I mean, that's another 1. Jesus talked about that the thorny soil, it12:04 quit producing fruit. The word quit producing because that person got distracted by the love of this world, the love of other things, the busyness of life, and the deceitfulness of12:16 riches. So there's this idea that God does not want us to trust in or to be deceived by money. Have money, trust in God. Be blessed to be a blessing. You catching the you catching the vibe? Okay.12:28 So he tells us what else here. He says, trust in the living God who richly gives us all things to enjoy. There's a 2 part equation here. Number 1, God gives us richly all things to12:39 enjoy. So it's okay if you enjoy life. Permission granted to enjoy your Christian life, to enjoy your walk with God, to be blessed with stuff. Permission granted, enjoy12:51 life. But part 2, he tells us, and do good. Be rich in giving. Be generous in good works. So I just want you to catch the spirit13:02 behind God's goodness towards us. 2 reasons why. Be blessed. God loves you. He wants you blessed. Number 2, God loves others, and he wants you to be a blessing to others. Okay? You got the you got the heart13:14 motivation behind it? Let's go over to Philippians 4 11 through 13 because I want to talk really quick about this element of contentment. While on 1 hand, we use our faith, we believe God, we find out13:26 he wants us to live this abundant life, and by faith, we turn the switch of faith on and believe him for that. Believe him for all the things we've been talking about, and right on the other hand, we also keep a content13:37 heart on the inside. In other words, we're not covetous, we're not envious, we're not materialistic, we're not, you know, jealous of what others have. I'm content. You're content with13:48 such things as we have, while at the same time believing God for increase that he promised. So listen to what it says here in Philippians 4. The apostle Paul said, now I speak in regard to need for I14:00 have learned in whatsoever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, to have nothing, and I know how to abound everywhere and in all14:12 things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Isn't it interesting that verse?14:24 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Isn't it interesting that verse is on the heels of the contentment subject? Paul's talking about being content. You can be content. I can be content.14:36 You don't have to be jealous or envious or covetous or judgmental or suspicious about people that are blessed. You're in the same line. Come on, you're in the same line. Years ago I worked for a surgeon, he was quite14:48 wealthy, and my sister and I got invited to his house for a dinner party with a bunch of our coworkers and when we walked into his house it was beautiful, it was stunning. And my sister said, kiddingly but you know he14:59 overheard it, she said, Man I'm jealous. She was kidding but it was a beautiful house. And he said to her, he said, don't be jealous. He said, you're a believer. You're in the same line. We're all in the same line. Learn15:11 to be content with such things as you have. And believe God, be diligent, work hard, do all the things you know to do from a wisdom and from a stewardship point of view, and you'll be blessed with this15:23 abundance he's promised. Okay. Now, finally, I wanna wrap up with this. 2 areas of the abundant life. There's a lot of areas, I wanna talk about 2 in particular. 2 areas, and that has to do with health, healing15:35 health and healing, and prosperity and abundance. Now I've already mentioned it, and I know sometimes when you talk about these subjects, people right away put up their guard, you know, health and wealth, name it, claim15:47 it, prosperity gospel. But like I said, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. You you cannot give what you do not have. So you say, I wanna be generous, but you can't give what you don't have. So in order to be an15:58 exceptional giver, you have to prosper. You have to have abundance. In order to do all that God's called you to do, it's hard to do it when you're feeling weak and in pain and and can hardly function in16:10 life. No. You need God's energy, strength, health, wellness, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually to stand perfect and complete in all of his will. And that's what he wants for you. So16:22 rather than stiff arm it, let's not stiff arm this. Let's open up our heart and say, Lord, let's have the Bible explain itself. What does your word say about your will for me when it comes to health, healing,16:34 wholeness, and this idea of abundance, prosperity, and increase? And all the people said, amen. Amen. Preach it, Basics with Beth. Preach it. Okay.16:46 I think I will. Let's go over to Galatians 3. Galatians 3 13 and 14. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,16:59 having become a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ, and that we might17:11 receive the promise of the spirit through faith. So Christ has redeemed us from the curse to the blessings. And specifically, we see the blessing he's talking about here is the blessing of Abraham. And that's a whole17:22 study, and I encourage you to dig into it, but the cliff notes are this. Abraham was the father of our faith. Man, he was a faith man. And he was a father of our faith, and by faith we see in17:34 Abraham's life, he lived a good long life in health and wellness, and at a good old age, Genesis 24 says, at the good old age, after he'd lived a long life, he went to go be with the17:46 Lord. So we know he lived a good life in terms of health, healing, wholeness, energy. We also know he lived a prosperous life. I mean, man, you look at the life of Abraham and you see he had, you17:58 know, his wife, his kids, servants, 300, I think it was 300 servants, you know, helpers that lived in his house. Well, that's a pretty big house then. Pretty big piece of property that all of his18:10 employees dwell with him to accomplish and to fulfill the things God had called him to do. He was a prosperous man is the point. He had gold and silver, it was all multiplied. I mean, the dude18:21 was wealthy and healthy and he was the father of the faith and he was a friend of God. So I mean, God was not against it. God was for it and Abraham's heart was in the right place. He was blessed to18:33 be a blessing. So we know that this blessing has come upon us, the blessing of Abraham. In fact, Galatians says if you're in Christ, you are Abraham's seed and heirs18:45 according to the promise. The same promises that were given to Abraham, in fact, were 7 of them, are now yours too because of what? Because of Jesus. You're in Christ. You're Abraham's heir. Following?18:57 So again, there's a lot you could dig into in more detail, but let me go to 1 other thing with our time remaining. I wanna talk about this because I think this will help. I really think this will help you. This is19:09 God's blessings and the curses. Okay? Let's talk about that. Deuteronomy 28 is the classic chapter on the blessings and the curses. We're talking about how to experience this abundant life. And is it really for me? Is it19:20 really for today? Does God want me just to live more in the poverty, get know, barely get along street kind of mindset? Does God really want me to have energy and health and wellness? I mean,19:32 is it really for me? Yes. It is. And we can prove it from another passage of scripture, Deuteronomy 28. In Deuteronomy 28, the first 14 verses, it talks about the blessings. And19:44 it starts off by saying something like this, and all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you because you obey the voice of the Lord your God. You keep his commandments.19:55 Therefore, blessed shall you be in the city. Blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds and of your cattle and your20:06 offspring, and your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket, that's your shopping cart, and your kneading bread. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out, and on and on it goes. It20:18 talks all about the blessings. But interestingly, the first verse says this blessing is contingent on you keeping all the commandments. But we have a problem. Because you've not kept the commandments,20:30 I've not kept the commandments. We don't qualify. So maybe the blessings aren't for us except for Jesus, except for the cross. Okay? So follow me here.20:42 So many times we live in this mindset of the if then versus the because then. We live in this mindset, okay, God, if I do all these things, then I'll be blessed.20:54 And on 1 hand, yes, to live a life pleasing to the Lord should be your desire, but not from the if then mindset. It's the because then mindset. Here's what that means. Because Jesus21:06 kept all the commandments. Because Jesus fulfilled the law. Because Jesus went to the cross in my place, shed his blood, died, went to hell, was buried, and then on the third day rose21:18 again and is seated at the right hand of the father because Jesus has been raised from the dead. Then I get the blessings. I didn't keep all the commandments, Jesus did. If you keep all21:30 the commandments, I didn't keep all the commandments, but Jesus did. So because Jesus kept all the commandments, then I get the benefits of the blessings and so do you.21:41 Amen? The blessings include health and wealth and wisdom and family and relationships and shopping. I mean, the blessings are amazing. I hope you're21:53 getting it. I hope you're catching the spirit of it. Like, hope you're going, Lord, I have just put you in a box. I've just had such a small little God in my small little box. Well, let's bust that box up, and let's just22:03 see how big God is. How big is your God? He's huge, and he's good, and he's generous, and Jesus said, I have come that you would have life and have it more abundantly in22:14 every area. Now does it happen overnight? No. It's a progressive walk of faith. This faith adventure we call it. So I hope you're stirred up. These are basic things, guys. It's basic stuff, and yet22:26 it's rich, it's meaty, it's deep, and yet it's basic. So I hope it's helped you. Hope your roots are just going down deep and sucking up all the water of the word today, and you're growing22:38 up in Christ as am I in teaching it. So alright. Love you all. Thanks for joining me today for today's episode. I fired myself up. I hope I fired you up too. I'll see you next time. We're gonna talk22:50 about the basics, getting a grip on the23:04 basics throughout the week and stay encouraged in your faith. And don't forget to share these messages with your friends. If you'd like more information about our ministry, you can always go to thebasicswithbeth23:16 dot com. That's thebasicswithbeth dot com. It's been great to be with you and I will look forward to seeing you next time right here on pray dot com.
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