John 10:7-10
I had a friend of mine who had retired and he was so excited, as he promised to help me with a project, but made it clear that this would be his last project. He was done with anything resembling work and not to ask for anything…again. Watching him in the subsequent years was like watching a flower wither. He just kind of sunk into the background. Though a believer, his story is sad; not one of an abundant life in Christ.
We’ve spent the last two weeks looking at Romans 1 and the trapping power of desire. It was an obvious and ugly picture. So, with sin that obvious and painful, who would fall into that abyss? If the enemy really was horrifically ugly with the red pitchfork, wouldn’t everyone avoid him? Yes, they would. That’s why he changes it up and why one of our best defenses is to stay in the purposeful life that Christ designed for us.
The Enemy is Strategic and Focused
With Christians, the enticement of direct sin doesn’t work the same. He doesn’t have to trap a person in gross sin; all he must do is make them unproductive. That becomes one of the enemy’s chief goals. What might that look like? Make them angry so that they don’t want to bring the gospel to others. Make them depressed so they don’t think they can help, etc. I remember when we were going through foster care classes and the marital stress became the worst ever. Right as we were preparing to do this amazing thing, the enemy attacked our marriage trying to get us to quit that endeavor. Like 1 Peter 5 says, the devil is prowling about, looking for a way to devour you. He is studying you and working to find a weakness. Maybe you’ve been pushing hard for a long time and need good rest, but then you experience sleepless nights – that could be the enemy trying to steal the rest you need! This can lead you off on a short trail or even derail your life. We had some friends a number of years ago who began to dive into discipleship and ministry and were then hit with a cancer diagnosis which flipped everything around for them. Though she survived the cancer, their marriage did not. The enemy won, stopping their productivity. Be clear, the enemy does NOT want you working actively in the harvest and will try whatever he can to keep you from your calling.
Jesus is Our Connection to Eternity Now
This is what makes Jesus’ self-description as a door so vastly important. Our world often seems hopeless – even lifeless. There is brokenness, sadness, depression, pain, and death all around. If death is all there is in front of us, that’s what is there for people to look forward to; what are they supposed to sing about? That’s why romance is really the only happy subject in secular music. It’s all just a coating of the pain until they (in their understanding) go back to being worm food. Yet Christians can celebrate life, even in death. 1 Cor. 15 poses the stanza, “o death, where is your victory?” With trust in Jesus, Christians are able to look at death without dread: it is but a passage. With him we can trust that there is a better experience coming. All the good we have now is veiled and marred by sin, giving us a lot better to look forward to. Now, if you are here today, then you are still living in this broken world, but that door (Jesus) allows us to live with a foot on the other side which provides us connection with God; glimpses, peace that passes understanding and real rest to shield us from that bleakness.
The Christ-filled Life is Purposeful
My brother told me once that he thought being a benchwarmer would be a great job. We were kids, so I don’t know that he understood all that went into it, as he thought the main part of their job was actually keeping the bench warm, but even still it’d be nice to make all that money while not having nearly the pressure of a starter on your team. But, while it would be nice to get paid for not having the work and pressure of a starter, how could you do your best while being constantly bored? Purpose, I believe, is the deep secret to longevity and vitality in life. Purpose is fuel, an energy that drives us to be on our best. We’ve seen lots of Olympians thrive recently while pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. I think we experience that, in short form, after a hard day’s work – dirty fingernails, a messy kitchen, completed and successful days are wonderful because we’ve been purposeful. There is a satisfaction in knowing that we’ve accomplished something.
This is the exact thing that Jesus wants us to have! He came so that we would have an abundant and personal life – that’s why He didn’t call us to an easy life, but to a vastly important life. In the Kingdom life, retirement is promised, but it’s not going to be experienced on this earth. Paul told the Philippians that God is doing a good work in you that will be completed on the day of glorification—when we get our eternal bodies—when we die. And even then, we will still have purpose (Rev 5:10).
Next Steps
Kingdom living is defined by purpose in Christ. The enemy wants us to stop and sit, but Jesus wants us active, alive, and useful. He offers grace, fuel, and empowerment towards a greater purpose in seeing all people come back to life through the gospel.
- Prepare for an attack by keeping close to God through Scripture.
- Use devotional times as a chance to rest in Jesus, not to fulfill a duty.
- Engage Christ’s mission today! Go meet new people and join in the call.
Will you join in the call?
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