7 Things a Christian Can Do Every Day to Live Abundantly

Well, thank you again, Mr. Mango. Thank you again, Mr. Howson. Appreciate your service to God's people on this Sabbath day. Well, we are approaching the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice. And historically, that's been a time in pagan cultures of celebration and merriment and lots of drinking and all those kinds of things that people do at the winter solstice. That's not something the Hebrews traditionally did, but it's certainly true in most parts of the world. The winter solstice is actually coming up this Monday, December 21st. Even during normal years, it's easy to slip into the doldrums with the short and cloudy days that we have ahead of us in January and in February.

And particularly in this area of the world, Cleveland, Ohio has an enormous number of gray, cloudy days that sometimes seem to go on and on. With that, it's easy to get into a malaise. It's easy to get into a little bit of discouragement and the doldrums because of the days that are ahead of us that we experience outside. And this year, it's even more complicated with COVID-19 encircling the earth. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was published in August found a tripling of anxiety symptoms and a quadrupling of depression among 5,470 adults that were surveyed compared to the exact kind of survey done in 2019.

So in one year, they found an incredible uptick in anxiety symptoms and depression because of COVID-19. So as these short and bleak days roll on, how can we of all people remain positive and productive? And we need to remain positive and productive because we're completing a difficult year. But we're starting 2021 with a pandemic. We didn't start 2020 in this part of the world, in this continent, with a pandemic, but we're starting 2021 beginning with a pandemic, with some political changes going on with our government, with social instabilities and pressures.

Ladies and gentlemen, put on your seat belts because it could be a rocky ride in 2021 and in the days ahead. How can we remain positive and productive in spite of what's going on in this world? How can we go to bed at night saying, you know, I really had a good day today today, in spite of what's on the news, in spite of what your neighbor says, in spite of what's in your bank account, in spite of what someone else, even in your own household, is saying, how can you go to bed at night and say, I really had a good day today?

Well, in this Sabbath, I'd like to offer seven things a Christian can do every day to be your best. Jesus stated in John chapter 10 and verse 10, he said, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. Jesus says the thief comes to take something away from you, continuing.

He says, I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. So Jesus says, the thief comes to take something away from you. I have come to add something into your life, to add purpose, to add richness, to add fulfillment to your life. And it's interesting that the word Jesus uses abundantly is kind of an over-the-top word.

It's the Greek word that's perisos and it means super abundant in quality or superior. So it's kind of a word that means, when we think of the word abundantly in English, it's a Greek word that means big, dramatic, awesome. Jesus says, I've come to give you an awesome life. And he wasn't just talking about the life beyond in the kingdom of God.

He was talking about the lives that we have now. I usually don't give titles to my sermons, but I am going to give a title to the sermon today. And the title is, The Seven Things a Christian Can Do Every Day to Live Abundantly. Again, the seven things a Christian can do every day to live abundantly. All of these, by the way, require some form of self-discipline. That's why so few people do these things that I'm going to mention today. They all require a certain degree of self-discipline. And the more of these simple things that we do each and every day, we can ensure that when our head hits that pillow at night, we can say, no matter what's going on on the outside, we can say, God blessed me with a wonderful day.

I had a really good day today. So let's begin taking a look at these seven things. Number one, and you've guessed it, you know what it is. And if we're not doing this, everything else I mentioned today is unnecessary.

The most important thing, the first thing, and the reason it's number one, is every day make a spiritual connection with God. For nearly 50 years, I've seen people gradually move from being excited about the faith, excited about coming to Sabbath services, excited about fellowship, and I've seen so many veer off to become bitter and angry, criticize the ministry, criticize the church, have marriage problems, and it all begins with losing your connection with God. It's first, foremost, the most important thing that we can do. And the major tools that are involved in that, of course, are prayer and Bible study and meditation. This is best done in the morning as we start our day, because knowing human nature, and I've experienced this myself, if we don't start our day doing this, the entire day will pass and it won't happen. Something else will always come up that'll become a priority, that'll intervene in our lives, and if we don't start our day with making connection with God, it's probably not going to happen.

Taking time each morning to acknowledge God and His sovereignty is essential to remaining spiritually balanced. As I said, if we skip this part, everything else that I talk about today is immaterial. This is first and foremost absolutely an essential ingredient. The first thing that Benjamin Franklin did when he woke up each morning is he said he, quote, addressed powerful goodness. That was another way of saying that he started his day with prayer. He would turn his thoughts towards his creator and ask for help and ask for guidance. Brethren, we need to do this as well. Let's take a look at three scriptures from the book of Psalms regarding this point. Psalms chapter 17 and verse 5. If you will turn there with me. Psalm chapter 17 and verse 5. Many, many years ago when I was a young man in the church, the church put a lot of pressure on individuals to spend 30 minutes in Bible study, 30 minutes in prayer, as if 30 minutes was some magic a number. Well, 30 minutes is good, but it's not a biblical concept to put pressure on people to spend 30 minutes in prayer or Bible study. That's your personal choice. What I want to encourage everyone to do is take the time to make a connection, and whether that connection is 10 minutes or three hours, depending on your situation in life and whether you're retired and have nothing else to do, that is your choice. People shouldn't put pressure on you to have a clock ticking by your nightstand or your bed, but we should all make sure that as a priority we're setting aside that time to make a connection with God. Psalm chapter 17 and verse 5. Let's take a look, and this will discuss prayer. Uphold my steps in your path, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon you, for you will hear me. O God, incline your ear to me and hear my speech. What's he doing? And this could very well have been King David himself writing this. What's he doing? He's praying to God. He's taking time out to let God know his needs and the things that he's dealing with in that day. Verse 7, show your marvelous loving-kindness by your right hand. O you who save those who trust in you from those who rise up against them. In other words, protect me. I know that you have the power to protect me from people who don't like me, maybe from an unhappy employer, maybe from a virus that's existing in the world. Verse 8, keep me as the apple of your eye. That's a metaphor in English, meaning someone cherish. Continue to cherish me. Someone who's the apple of our eye, and the roots of that go back to the little pupil inside of the arpeiture, inside of our pupil of our eye, which when you look into, supposedly you could see the human soul looking directly inside of a human being. That's a cherished relationship. That's a level and a form of intimacy. So the writer here says, keep me cherished. Keep me loved by you. Hide me under the shadow of your wings. So David is praying to God and asking for his mercy, his kindness, and his protection. This is something, brethren, that we need to do every day. We need to make that connection. Let's go to now chapter 119 and verse 11. Take a look at the importance of knowing God's Word, and the only way we can know his Word, the only way we can know his commandments, is if we study the Scriptures. Psalm chapter 119, and we'll begin in verse 11. Your Word I have hidden in my heart. In other words, your Word is written in my heart. Isn't that one of the qualities of being part of the New Covenant?

That God's laws are written on our hearts. They become part of us, continuing that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your statutes. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of your mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies. As much as in all riches, I will meditate on your precepts and contemplate your ways. We're going to see that the very next thing we want to talk about actually is meditation. But verse 16, focusing on studying the Word of God. I will delight myself in your statutes. I will not forget your Word. Deal bountifully with your servant that I may live and keep your Word. How do we know God's Word? We study it. How do we know his expectations for us? How do we know what to contemplate when we contemplate his ways? We do it by studying his Word that reveals to us the will of God. Verse 18, Open my eyes that I may see the wondrous things from your law. We can only see the wondrous things from God's law if we're taking the time and opening up this book and studying God's law and the wondrous things of his law. God's Word should be written in our hearts. It should become our spiritual instinct. The first thing we do is a reaction to things that leads and guides us in what we say and do, beginning to have a godly reaction to events and things. Not the human nature reaction, which is usually aggressive and offensive to things that we don't like or see, but to begin to have a spiritual instinct and have a godly reaction to things. That's so very important. Let's take a notice here in chapter 63 beginning in verse 4 that David also mentions meditation, which he mentioned here in Psalms 119. Let's see him reinforce it here in Psalm chapter 63 verses 4 through 8. These are all important tools, the most important ways to make a spiritual connection with God each and every day. One of the things a Christian can do every day to live life abundantly. Psalm chapter 63 verse 4. Thus I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. Now it's not our church culture to lift up hands during our services and it frankly can be very distracting if you're sitting in the back and people are waving their hands, but there is certainly nothing wrong. Sometimes in my prayers I lift up my hands in order to to praise God in my very own prayer. Sometimes when I've just received incredible blessings I'm jumping around like a pogo stick throwing my fist in the air praising God because some wonderful things have happened. That's certainly a great thing to do. Again, in the privacy of your home I will lift up my hands in your name. Verse 5. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness. In other words, you satisfy me so much as if I just consumed the best foods like a big delicious meal.

My relationship with God satisfies me and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips. When I remember you on my bed I meditate on you in the night watches. Have insomnia?

Having trouble going to sleep at night? You might use that time productively. Think about the blessings that God has given you. You know, we have that old song, count your blessings instead of sheep. Well, instead of counting sheep, count the number of ways that God has blessed you in your life. Rather than just tossing and turning and being frustrated, get out of bed and use that time productively. That's exactly what David did. Verse 7. Because you have been my help, therefore, in the shadow of your wings, again with loving protection, I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind you. Your right hand upholds me. So, brethren, meditation is focused thinking on a topic or a subject. It's not daydreaming. It's not mental wandering. It's not recycling negative self-talk. Those are all things that carnal minds do. In meditation, we train our attention or our awareness to attain wisdom or peace or stability or to find answers to very complex problems that we're dealing with. Meditation is intended to be spiritual guidance that we seek from our Father. These are the three most powerful tools, prayer, Bible study, meditation, that help us to make a connection with God. Other spiritual tools to spiritually connect with our Father include occasional fasting and worship, whether it's personal worship in our own homes or making sure we're making that connection on the Sabbath day either here or in Zoom to participate in a worship service and also singing hymns. By the way, it's another beautiful tool used to make that connection with our Father. So, again, that was number one every day. Make a spiritual connection with God, the first, foremost point that I could mention. Number two, every day, make a connection with your loved ones. Every day, make a connection with your loved ones. This is especially true of those who live within your own household. If we're not careful about our relationships, we soon become ships who pass in the night. Every member of the family inside that home, everyone's doing their own thing and taking care of their own tasks in their own little world, and it's very easy to stop talking to each other. We can run around so busy today that many couples, married couples, don't even eat together anymore because they have different job requirements and different times, so they're not even able to spend time eating together. It's very important, brethren, that we focus on connecting with those relationships in our own household. The older I get, the more I understand that personal relationships add a certain richness and fulfillment in our physical life that can't be replaced by other things, can't be replaced by savings or your favorite foods or good health or anything else that we may think is important. None of them are as important as having great relationships. If you no longer have anyone at home with you, that's okay. Then you can reach out to a loved one by phone or by some other form of communication, but reach out and make a connection with at least one loved one each and every day. 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 4.

It's a few words from Paul's famous love chapter.

Some of the most beautiful scripture ever written in the unique way that probably the Apostle Paul was only capable of because of his skills. He says in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 4, love suffers long and is kind. Paul is saying there is no excuse to be a jerk. There may be reasons we act like a jerk, but that's not an excuse. It's not acceptable behavior for a Christian. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It doesn't try to draw attention to itself.

It's not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. In other words, it gives other people the benefit of the doubt. Someone does something that, hmm, I'm not sure about that. Someone does something you're uneasy with.

Love, you give them the benefit of the doubt. Now ultimately, they may prove themselves to be exactly what you fear, but with love you don't make a rash judgment on something someone says the first time, or an action that you may misinterpret the first time. You give it time. You give people the benefit of the doubt. Verse 6 does not rejoice in iniquity. Let's say, oh goody-goody, someone is suffering, and I never liked that person anyway. Doesn't rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Yeah, we have a pandemic in the world, but we're enduring all things. Yes, we have a weakened political structure in the United States compared to our previous history, but in spite of that we're going to endure all things because we know that it's those who endure until the end will be saved. These inspiring words from Paul are hard to live by. These are the soft skills that are so hard for those of us who are on the walk of discipleship, but it's important, and I encourage you to make at least one family member a connection each and every day and share some of your life with them. Ask them how they're doing. Let them know how you're doing. If you don't have a physical family member for some reason, you have a large spiritual family that you can connect with. As the Apostle John wrote in 1st John chapter 4 verses 7 and 8, he said, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. In verse 8 he says, He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. When you reach out to make a connection with at least one family member each day, you say, I love you. I love you enough to have made the phone call, to have sent you an email, to sit down and give you five, ten minutes out of a very busy day that may be going on in your life or in their life. So let's make sure that we understand that it's important to make a connection with at least one loved one every day. Let's not allow time or circumstances to pull us away from doing that. Okay, number three. Every day do at least one thing you truly enjoy. Every day do at least one thing that gives you pleasure. There's an old proverb that states, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Have you ever heard that proverb before? It means that without time off from working, a person becomes both bored and boring. And we don't want to be bored, and we certainly don't want to be boring to other people. The exact origins of this phrase are unclear. The first time it was recorded was in 1659. But here's the point. Life was intended to be filled with joy. We've had a few sermons on this in the past on the essential quality of joy, especially since it's the fruit of the Holy Spirit. So I'm not going to talk about it in great detail today. You can go back and listen to those sermons. But I want to encourage you to take time each and every day to do something that brings you personal delight. It might be a hobby that you're interested in, or have had an interest in for years and need to start.

It might be some other things like reading a good book, enjoying your favorite beverage, and savoring it as you sit on your favorite chair. It might be calling a friend, someone who just talking to them brings you joy and pleasure. It might be laughing at yourself at your own foibles and the silly things that we all do as human beings. Whatever it is, do at least one thing you truly enjoy and savor that moment each day. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse 10. Let's turn there. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse 10.

The author of Ecclesiastes was inspired to write, I have seen the God-given task. So this is something that's God-given, what he's going to describe. The God-given task, which the sons of men are occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

And yes, I know some of you, particularly you younger kids, are looking out there and you look on Zoom or you sit in services and you say, who's that shriveled up old prune speaking to me today?

Who are those old people that are always giving sermons and sermonettes? And I want to assure you that there was a time in our lives when we were beautiful. There was a time when we were in our prime, when we were young, and we weren't looking like prunes. We weren't looking like old people. We were young and vigorous and had our whole lives ahead of us. You know, when I was young, I had hair that was so thick and wavy when I would go to a barber, they literally would break their combs trying to comb my hair. When I was young, I used to put head and shoulders in my hair.

Now I use mop and glow.

But my point is that there was a time when even we were beautiful, because as the Scripture says, everything is beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into their hearts. In other words, most people hope for some form of immortality. Most people want to live on beyond this physical life and the things they experience in this physical life. Continuing, He says, except that no one can find out the work that God does from the beginning to the end. The only way you can know is if God reveals to you what His plan is, as He's done to His church. Verse 12, I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice. This is part of God's given task to you and to humanity. And to do good in their lives. Rejoice and to do good things in your life. And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor. It is the gift of God. So the end results of your hard work and your labor and saving up and being able to enjoy the benefits of that. According to the author of Ecclesiastes, that's good. That's a gift from God. That's a God-given task to be able to experience that and to be able to benefit from it. Verse 14, I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nothing taken from it. God does it that men should fear before Him. I've mentioned before that God has an individual plan for your life. He's doing a work in each and every one of us. It's His intention for you to rejoice in this life while God is working on you. And we have to be so careful in understanding that, you know, religious people have a reputation, and I have clients in my business that are not religious people. Religious people have a reputation of being serious all the time and judgmental and having a look in their face like all they do is eat lemons all day long. Hard and nasty and rigid and judgmental.

That's what many people think of when they think of religious people. If you look at a typical Hollywood movie and they show a minister in that movie or they show people that are supposedly religious, you usually will find very stern and cold and people who look like they're unhappy that somehow godly they have a sneer on your face all the time. But, brethren, that's not true at all. Some people act as if laughter and smiling and joy are the work of Satan.

And they're not the work of Satan. They are the work of the Spirit of God working with us, helping us to transcend what's going on in the world. Maybe the negative things that we see and hear and sense with our other senses. Jesus stated on the eve of his death, knowing the torture that lay before him and crucifixion. Here's what he said in John chapter 15 and verse 11. He says, these things I have spoken to you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. Not a little bit of joy. Not some joy. Not someday in the kingdom. He's telling the physical disciples right then and there, in spite of what he's going to experience, that I want my joy to remain in you, that your joy may be full. So let's feel free to do some things each day that bring joy into our lives. God has a plan for us. He has a plan for humanity that can't be denied, that can't be stopped. And that's why it's said there in verse 14, I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before him. Number four. Point number four. Every day do something that takes you one small step closer to a personal goal. Every day do something that takes you one small step closer to a personal goal, whatever that goal may be for you. Did you know that God is a planner? That God is an organizer?

Yes, God has personal goals. And every day he's moving one step closer to completing his plan of salvation. Let's see an example of how God has goals and how he takes one small step every day to accomplish the things he once accomplished. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 29. We're just going to read two verses here. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 29. Here's what it says. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 29. Then God saw everything that he had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening in the morning were the six today, thus the heavens and the earth and all the host of them were finished. So how did God finish the earth? Each day of creation he took another step towards finishing. It started out in the first day and the earth is re-modified so it can support life with oxygen and all of those wonderful things. And each of those six days of creation, God adds another layer, adds something more, takes one small step closer to achieving his personal goal of finishing the creation of the earth. His goal was to have a very good creation.

Brethren, we who are created in his image should take a lesson from this example from God.

Our personal goals are going to be different because we have different needs, we have different desires, and we're in different stages in our lives. Some are young, some are middle-aged, some are seniors. Your personal goal may be financial, it may be relationship-oriented, it may be learning or achieving something new. Again, it's going to be different for each and every one of us. But I encourage you, whatever your personal goals are, to do one small thing each day to move towards one of your personal goals. And yes, it's going to require a small investment of your time that day. And like all of the points that I'm mentioning today, it's going to require self-discipline. Self-discipline is you do something even when you don't feel like it.

You do something because it's right to do, you need to do it even if you don't feel like you want to do it. In Psalm 31, verse 11, I'm going to be reading from the New American Standard Bible. It states, the counsel of the Lord stands forever the plans of his heart from generation to generation. Now, we may have never thought of it this way, but God is moving one small step closer to his plan for saving humanity from generation to generation. And let me explain how that works. God's working throughout each generation to develop kings and priests for his service in the kingdom of God. Some of his faithful children die every day, and the Father has concluded his personal development plan for them. They have been trained, and their reward awaits them at the resurrection. That's part of his plan. He's adding new people to serve as kings and priests in the kingdom of God. Every day, somewhere, God is calling new individuals into his spiritual family to work with them and to prepare them for service for all eternity. Day by day, he's taking one small step towards his personal goal of having a kingdom and having kings and priests to serve in that kingdom from generation. He's working to generation. If time should go on, there are those yet unborn, whom the Father will call into his spiritual family to work with them and to prepare them for service in his kingdom and ultimately part of his family. Step by step, day by day, for millennia, the Eternal takes a step closer to his goal of salvation for all humanity.

And so should we in achieving our personal goals, step by step, day by day, at least doing one thing, one small but essential thing to know that we're moving forward. And we heard about the importance of that in our sermonette today, that we're moving forward towards the completion of a personal goal. We've had sermons in the past on creating a personal mission statement and on personal goals, so I'm not going to go into that in more detail today. So again, that was point number four. Do something that takes you one small step closer to a personal goal.

All right, number five. Every day, do at least one thing that is new or different.

Every day, do at least one thing that's new or different. The only way that we grow and change for the better is when we get out of our rut and out of our comfort zone and learn something that's mind expanding and new, something that's positive. And I've said before, brethren, that unfortunately, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, some of us are in a rut, personal rut, life rut so deep, the walls are so tall that if we look straight up, we can barely see daylight.

And it's time to get out of those ruts. It's time to begin learning and doing something new. Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 18. Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 18.

Isaiah wrote, Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Did you hear what he wrote? New creatures in Christ.

Hear what the prophet wrote. Now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness. The rivers in the desert, the beast of the field will honor me, the jackals and ostriches, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to get drink to my people, my chosen, this people I have formed for myself, and they shall declare my praise.

Brethren, the truth is that God is constantly doing new things, and 99 percent of them we don't even recognize, we don't even understand because they are spiritual things. They are things that don't influence our realm of existence. But we do know from Scripture that God often does new and different things. Let's talk about a few. How about creation of the earth? That was new. That was different. How about the great flood that wiped out all life on earth? That was new. How about the exodus when God took a chosen group of people from one single man, Abraham, and he brought them out of the most powerful nation on earth so they could establish a new kingdom? That was new. How about parting the Red Sea so that they could walk through it, not be destroyed by the Egyptians, the water spreading to the point where they it wasn't even muddy, where they traveled between those walls of water. It was dry. That was new. How about establishing the nation of Israel? How many times has that been done? That was new. How about the old covenant, the captivity of Israel and Judah? That was new. God took the very people he took into the Promised Land because of disobedience. He had them taken out of the Promised Land. How about the birth of Jesus Christ? How many times has that happened? How about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

How about the new covenant? How about the establishment of the church in 31 A.D.?

My point is that God's always doing new things. There are a lot of new things up ahead of us, the return of Jesus Christ, the founding of the kingdom of God. That will be new. The Great White Throne Judgment. Again, my point is that God is always doing something new. So those of us who were created in God's image, how are we doing regarding this? The only way that we can stretch and grow as individuals is to learn something new. How you choose to do this is up to you. It may be from reading, listening to a podcast, watching a documentary, volunteering for a new role, studying the scriptures in a brand new translation from cover to cover. It's up to you what new is and what you decide to do, but I encourage you to make it a personal goal to do at least one new or different thing each day to broaden your understanding of life and God's will for you. Investigate a new topic, a new word, a new skill, a new opportunity. When you hear someone in the news mention a word that you don't know, don't be like 99% of the human race and fake it and pretend you know what they're talking about or using the context, try to interpret what you think that new word means. No, open up your dictionary and find out what that new word means. It may enlighten you. At least once every day do something that's new or different. As Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 5, he said, therefore purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened for indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Notice Paul's contrast between something old and something new.

A new lump isn't burdened with the past. It's fresh. It's unspoiled. It's ready for new growth in Jesus Christ. He also stated in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17, therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Are we still allowing God to work on us? You know, he's not done in your life creating. He's not done with the creative process in your life. He's still working on us.

Paul said, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. So what's new in your life? What are we doing that's new or different to expand our minds, to expand our perceptions of human life? Again, that's number five. Every day, do at least one thing that is new or different. Number six. Number six.

Every day, perform at least one small act of service for another. Every day, perform at least one small act of service for another. The entire purpose of our lives after conversion is to learn to serve other people as God serves humankind. This sincere form of service brings glory to God our Father, and it pleases God. And that's the whole reason we continue to exist after our conversion is to learn how to serve as Christ served, as the Father serves.

First Peter, chapter four, beginning in verse eight. If you'll turn there with me, First Peter, chapter four, beginning in verse eight, perform at least one small act of service for another. Peter wrote, quote, And above all things have fervent love for one another. For love will cover a multitude of sins, be hospitable to one another without grumbling. Oh honey, are you having them over for dinner?

We don't want to have that attitude. Verse 10. And as each one has received a gift, minister, actually a very poor translation from the Greek word serve, serve it to one another as good stewards, the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If you have a role that you have the blessing of speaking in the church, speak as if it comes directly from God. And that means we have to be very careful not to dump our own ideas and opinions into our messages, but speak as the oracles of God, as if what we have to say comes directly and should be rooted right here from this book. Let him do it with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Let's take a look at this from a better translation. I'm going to read it from the new international version. I think it says it more clearly. Above all, love each other deeply because love covers a multitude of sins, offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others. So do you have the ability to organize things?

We have things for you that we need done in the church. Are you hospitable? Are you friendly?

We have things with those qualities that we need to serve the church. Do you have the ability to clean? We certainly have those needs within the church of God. We've got a 5,000 square foot facility that we need to keep clean. Whatever your gifts are, whatever your abilities are, he says here that we should serve others faithfully, administering God's grace in his various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

So, brethren, service is the reason that God has made us a new creation. Do you remember in Matthew chapter 25, Jesus told the story about a group of people that he calls a righteous who did many honorable acts of service towards those who were hungry and thirsty and needing shelter and some were naked and some were sick and some were in prison and Jesus praised them and they didn't get it. They were so used to doing those things. Those qualities were so much a part of the spiritual instinct of the righteous they didn't even realize when they had done it for Christ. And Jesus says in Matthew chapter 25 verse 40, and the king will answer and say unto them assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. So, brethren, let's focus and make sure that every day that we perform at least one small act of service for another. It may be something as simply sitting on a card, making a phone call, shooting out a quick email to encourage someone. It may be volunteering time to help them with something that they can't do or don't know anything about. It might be bringing them food. You know that they don't have a lot to eat in their homes. It might be just helping them in their grocery shopping. It could be any one of hundreds of things that we can do to serve others. But I encourage you to do at least one small act of service for another each and every day. The seventh and the final point that I want to bring across today is every day focus on demonstrating a fruit of the spirit. And what I suggest you do, what I've done in the past that helped me out a lot, is I would choose one fruit and focus on it for an entire day and go out of my way, consciously force myself to demonstrate that fruit to others. And of course, we know the fruit is love and joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control are the fruit of the spirit. The bottom line is that we are a spiritual new creation. And someday, everything that's physical about us will be upgraded to a spiritual life. Nothing physical will remain. What will remain from us is that character that we've developed from our individual trials and dealing positively with personal life choices. Those are the things that will always remain with us, even though this physical tent will be discarded and all of our material possessions and everything physical in this world will eventually fade away. What will remain is who and what we are on the inside. What's really important is not the things we have, but the person we have become. Who and what we are is reflected by how much we have developed the fruit of God's Holy Spirit. Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 14. If you'll turn there with me, Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 14.

Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 14. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit and the inner man. You see, Jesus Christ and the Father made their home within us.

That's our inner man. They gave that very powerful and precious spirit that they share, and they've given that spirit to us. And Paul is praying here that it be strengthened with might through that spirit that dwells in the inner man. That means each and every day becoming more focused on the fruit of the Spirit and less focused on carnality and what I want and what I think my opinion is and what I think is important. Every day more towards what God thinks is important.

Let's continue here. Verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love—love is the first fruit of the Spirit, by the way, from Galatians 5—may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. You see, that's our commission. To be filled with the fullness of God.

When we were converted and God gave us that transforming spirit inside of the inner man, as Paul uses this phrase, it was so that we could all begin to have the fullness of God.

And we need to focus on that each and every day. I think that's so very, very important. God desires that we be filled with His fullness. How can we do this? By choosing, consciously choosing, to develop the fruit of His Spirit because they reflect who God is, and we want to be like our Father. He's made His home in us, and He wants us to become as He is, and He does that through His Holy Spirit. As Paul wrote in Romans chapter 7 and verse 6, he said, but now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by. So we've been delivered from the consequences of sin, which is death. Continuing, Paul says, so that we may serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. This actually has three points we've talked upon today. If you think about it, service is one. Newness is another point we talked about today, and the Spirit, developing the fruit of God, is one of three points we talked about today. So, brethren, I encourage and exhort all of us to step outside of the mindless confusion of this world and focus on demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. My recommendation to you is that rather than just trying to develop all of them at one time, hoping by osmosis and life challenges that you'll grow, that it may be far more beneficial to say this today or this week, I'm just going to focus on a single fruit. I'm going to focus on joy, and I'm going to smile more, and I'm going to actually laugh at my mate's jokes, no matter how corny and cranky they are, and I'm going to watch a Groucho Marx documentary and have some chuckles, or watch an old red skeleton episode, and maybe just for jollies, I'll listen to a politician for 60 seconds tell me how much he's doing for me. That'll be a good laugh. But I'm going to focus today just on being joyful, being thankful for the things that I'm given, trying to influence other people with a happy, jolly disposition, and it's something that I'm going to focus on today or this week, and I'm going to consciously choose to do these things. And then, as time goes on, choose another fruit of the spirit to work on. I encourage you, brethren, because at the end of the day, we should be able to say that I showed love, or I reflected joy, or I experienced peace, or I demonstrated long suffering, or I gave kindness, or I acted with goodness, or I maintained faithfulness, or I gave gentleness, or I revealed self-control to someone today. We should be able to say that. These traits are the heart and core of Christianity and discipleship. It's not knowing everything. That's the heart and the core of Christianity. We can't know everything. Paul said, we see through a glass darkly. The heart and core of Christianity is developing to the fullness of God. That's Paul's phrase, filled with the fullness of God developing the fruit of the spirit. Well, in conclusion today, we looked at seven things a Christian can do to live life abundantly. The more of these things that we do every day, the more fulfillment and satisfaction we can have that God has blessed us with a positive and productive day. The more of these things we do, some of them are just so simple, we can realize that we were blessed with each day.

We can lay our head down on the pillow knowing that I really had a great day. I achieved a lot of wonderful things today that are important, and that can give us more fulfillment and satisfaction than we've ever had before, especially in the gloomy days that are ahead of us and the world events that are ultimately going to spiral out of control. I beseech you to turn off all of the confusing chatter and talking points of this dying culture and focus on the things that God wants us to focus on. To focus on those things that can help us to be positive and productive each and every day. I'll conclude the sermon today by quoting the very encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, who wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 11. He says, frankly, brethren, farewell, become complete. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Have a wonderful Sabbath day.