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03 Aug 2014

The Real Life!
  • Topic: CHRISTIAN LIVING

Overview

1 John 1:1-4 The Real Life: The Real Life! Pastor Jason Lim 03 Aug 2014 A wise man once said, “Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you. ” What is it that gives true rest? What truly satisfies? Come & discover "THE REAL LIFE" here. It can be your life! Download

1 John 1:1-4
The Real Life: The Real Life!
Pastor Jason Lim
03 Aug 2014

A wise man once said, “Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in you.”

What is it that gives true rest? What truly satisfies?
Come & discover "THE REAL LIFE" here.
It can be your life!


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Sermon Transcript

If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to the book of 1st John, we are beginning right there, and we are looking at the subject of life. And really, it is about real life. Many of us, are not really clear about what life is really all about. And so today, this message is about the real life.

Have you heard about this South Korean couple? They were addicted to computer games, they were addicted to this role-playing game called Prius online. A more popular game, would be called Second Life, but Prius online is something like that where they create for themselves a virtual existence in the virtual world, in the computer world and they would be playing the characters in this computer world. So, this couple, played another couple or played a couple in this computer game and they together, while raising this girl. You know, it is like, so silly okay, to me, you are playing someone else, you are playing an alternate world and and imagining yourself to be in that computer game and so they were raising this girl called Anima and they spent hours and hours playing this game, and raising this girl. So, one day after 12 hours of nonstop playing, they decided to go home together and when they got home, they opened the door, they got in, they found that their infant daughter, this is the real baby, they found that their 3 month old infant daughter is dead. No one is around the daughter, no one is around the little girl, she is dead and after an autopsy was done, she was found to be dead or she died from malnutrition.

It is a shocking thing, that this couple, would spend so much time in a virtual, unreal, make-believe world and when this make-believe character, that they would neglect their real life. But, maybe, we are not very different from the South Korean couple. Because, many of us, we spent our time, our energies, our efforts, many years of our life in the things that maybe do not matter, ultimately. We spent our lives, on things that are not real, not lasting, not significant. We spent our lives, and we find that at the end of our journey, we are still left lost and empty, and lonely, these things, that we have invested in, do not really satisfy, they do not fulfill us.

You see, Oscar Wilde is right when he says, To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist, that is all.

Most people just exist, they just live from day to day. They live, so that they could work, they work, so that they could get money, they get money, so that they could buy food, they buy food so that they could eat and they eat, so that they could live and that's the cycle of life. Most of us, exists, but how many, really live. The question do you really, is therefore, what is life?

Is life an endless repetitive, meaningless cycle of actions and plans or is there something more to life. What are you made for? What's your purpose? What's your goal? What really, satisfies you? What will really, give you lasting joy? Where are you heading? These are the questions, that come together, when we ask ourselves, what is real life.

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Let me say this, I don't have an answer, but God has. I am not sharing with you, what I think. We are sharing today, what God says. So, today, in order to look at real life, let's look at the Bible and God's Word is so amazing. You know, God is the One who gave us life, He created you and me, He created this world, He gave us rest, He gave us life and He also gave us His Word to guide us into true living in this world.

So, let's turn to 1John and here, we see a passage about real life. It says

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—

Let's pray, and ask God to bless this time, shall we, once again. Father, we thank you, for the privilege to unfold the Scriptures, right here, right now and we pray that You will open our eyes and open our hearts that we would have good soil within our souls to receive the seed of God's Word and me You be pleased to bring forth fruits, in its due season, souls may be saved, lives, would be changed and that we would live to please You and glorify You. So, have Your way, Spirit of God, do this work in all our hearts, we pray this humbly in Jesus name Amen.

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This is a great passage, because this is a passage about life. Why do I say that, because, in these 2 verses, the word life, happens 3 times. So John, without giving any introduction, he doesn't bother to say, I, John the apostle, the servant of Jesus Christ, greetings to you, peace be to you, grace, he doesn't do that. He almost, as it were, was rushing, I can't wait to tell you what this is all about, I want to tell you about life, this Epistle, these 5 chapters, I want to share with you, about the real life and he gives us, the introduction, right here, right away.

You say, what kind of life is John going to speak about. Well, in the English language, the word life simply means life. There's nothing very elaborate about it. But you realize, that the Bible, while we really in English today, it was not written in English in those days. It was written in the Greek at least for this letter, it was written in the Greek language. And the Greek language, is very, very precise and specific. For us, in English, life is life. But for the Greek, there are 3 words that describes, 3 ways of living, three kinds of life. The Greek for example, they use the word Bios, I know, it's more pronounced, bios, today, I suppose, but the word, Bios, describes a kind of life, Bios, or bios, is where you get the word, biology. That's right, the biology class, is a class to study about life, life sciences, plants and animals and human beings, biology.

And so, the Greek has the word, Bios, that describes, physical life. This is the word, that would encapsulate words such as likelihood, food and raiment and clothing, these are the necessary physical things for physical life. Make a living, that's Bios. So, the Greek say, there is a way of living that is Bios level of living, it's living in the physical realm. But they say, life is more than just Bios. There is also this word, Psyche (pronounced as psukhe) , I know it looks like psyche. But the Greek pronounced it as psukhe. Well, this is the word that gives you the English word psychology, I'm glad you never say psycho, but, psychology is like a psychiatry, what ever you have. Psychology, because, Psyche is the word, that describes the way we think, the way we will, the way we feel, it includes our emotions and this is life on the psychological plane. That's really who you are as a human. This is what you have, this is who you are and so, there is a level of living there is Bios, we can understand that, that's where the organs are functioning, the heart is pumping, we are eating and all those necessary functions and then, there is the level of Psyche, this is the way you think, the way you feel, the way you choose, the way you decide. But then, there is a 3rd word and, this is the word Zoe. I suppose, this word is very popular in Singapore, because of Zoe Tay. But, it is not supposed to be pronounced Zooe, a supposed be pronounced Zoe and the word, Zoe, is life in the spiritual realm. This is the life, that is divine, this is the life, from God, with God, this is the eternal life, this is really quintessence of life. So, if you are merely, living on the Bios plane, or on the Psyche plane, that's not real life, real life, is when you have three-dimension, you also have Zoe.

So, what Zoe? Well, in John 17:3, the Greek again, is specific, and this is eternal life, English, you just say life. But the Greek, will say, this is eternal Zoe, is not eternal Bios, is not eternal Psyche, it is eternal Zoe. This is the word that is most use, in your Bible, Zoe, God is about Zoe life and what is Zoe, that you may know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom God has sent.

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Real life, is knowing God, who made you and me. And John says, I'm writing to you not about Bios of Psyche, I am writing to you about Zoe.

The renowned writer, philosopher, GK Chesterton, said that, before he came to know God, his life was like a sphere, like a bubble. There are moments of happiness on the surface, but deep within, it is empty, he is lonely, he is sorrowful. He says, that's my life, looks good on the outside, sometimes, but deep within, I am not satisfied, I am empty. And he said, after I know Christ, after I came to God, there are struggles and hardships on the surface, but, there is a joy that comes from within. It's filled up. What is he saying, he is saying, before I came to know God, I only have Bios and Psyche, I don't have what is missing and when I have Zoe, when I knew God, when I have a real, living relationship with Him, there is joy on the inside.

And I think, he saying, what Augustine would have said, let me say in the verse or statement:

“You have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless,
until they can find rest in you.”

See, you are made, not just to live for Bios, your mate, not just to live for Psyche, you and I are made to live with Zoe and until you find your rest in Zoe, you will not be at peace, you are always longing, there is this void, this aching, this yawning gap that is within your soul. Augustine is absolutely right.

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The question is, are you alive today. Well, if you go with me to a graveyard and we go to a plot where someone is recently buried, we dig him up and we put that corpse in front of you. Is he alive? Is he alive, no, he is not alive. How do you know he's not alive, there is no Bios, there is no breathing, there is no organs functioning, he is dead, there is no life, no Bios, no life. Suppose I transport you now to the ICU of a hospital, and there, you see, patients, hooked up everywhere, he is breathing on his own, but not much brain activity, not really thinking, not responding, not able to. Is he living? Is he living? Yes, he is alive, but not quite alive isn't it, because, he has Bios, but he doesn't have Psyche. He is living, in a sense, he is merely breathing, existing, his organs are functioning but he is not really living.

You go to Orchard Road today, you see lots of people walking, they are bargaining, talking, buying things, eating, are they living? Well, yes, but also, not quite, because, while they have Bios, they have Psyche, they are many people today who do not have Zoe and the Bible says, we are dead in trespasses and sins, is actually dead men walking, they don't have a relationship with God. That's the world.

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Life is not just about accumulating wealth, it is not living on a Bios realm, so many of us, we have been indoctrinated by Singapore and USA, live the American dream, the Singapore dream, the 5 C's, life is about a bank account that is rich, life is about a car you can drive, life is about a condominium, life is about all these Bios things. Maybe, we graduate to more things like self affirmation, or life is about acceptance by people, or life is about approval, fame. But that again, doesn't really satisfy you and those things, don't last. Don't you realize that the people were most desperate in life, people who are most depressed and miserable in life are people who are successful. Why? Because, they have always thought that if I have this and I achieve that I would really be satisfied, but when you came, when it comes to the end of the road, when they go right to the pinnacle of their success, they find it is still empty. Because, we are not just made for Bios and Psyche, we need Zoe. You have the life of God flowing in and through us, to know our Maker, our Creator and our Lord. This is what your life is about.

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You came this morning, or maybe, you are wishing that there will be some advice of how you can be a better businessman, a better teacher, a better this, I am saying, we're not talking about those things. The Bible here, is talking about Zoe; do you have it? Because that's the need of all our hearts, we are restless, until we find rest in God. The question is, where did you get this Zoe? Okay, I know I need Zoe, but where do you find it? Can I buy it, eBay or some mall? Oh no, you can't. Where do you find this Zoe? Well, John tells us, that this Zoe, is found in this Word of life. This life that was made manifest and this life is made manifest, you have seen, we testify, we proclaim to you the eternal life and this Word, was with the Father and was made manifest to us.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
(1 John 1:1-2 ESV)

What is John saying? Life is found in something, or in someone called the Word. Now, if you have studied the Bible at any point of time, you probably would have gone to John 1 and John, by the way, is written by the same author here. This is his letter and join the Gospel, is the Gospel, it's a story, is an account of the life and times of Jesus Christ. Then, the same author gives us, clarity in John 1, when he says,

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God……

And if you read on, you will realize, this refers to no one else but Jesus Christ. Why is Jesus Christ called the Word? Think about it, words express our thoughts, express, who we are. Jesus Christ, is the manifest expression of God the Father. If you're seeing Me, you have seen the Father, He says. That's why, John, uniquely gives Jesus this title. He is the Word. So, in the beginning, before the creation of the heavens and the earth, in the beginning, God, the Son, the Word, Jesus Christ was there and Jesus was with God and Jesus is God and in Him, in Jesus Christ, was Zoe. Not Bios, not Psyche, it's Zoe.

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Life, Zoe, is found in Jesus Christ. Not only, does John says that about Jesus, Jesus Himself, says, I am the Bread of Life. I think, He is very specific, I am not the bread of Bios, the people gathered around Jesus to get Bios. Jesus says, I have not come to give you Bios, I am the Bread of Zoe, a life is about knowing God and worshiping Him and serving Him and enjoying Him, I am that bread. He goes on to say, I came that they may have, they may have Zoe and have it abundantly. I am the way, the truth and the Zoe. No man comes to the Father but by Me. There is only one Source, there is only one Way by which we can feel the depth and abyss of our hearts and that is through Jesus Christ because, life is from Him.

You say, why, why is life only from Jesus Christ? Why, because we have lost it. Humanity, we all lost it. When? At the garden of Eden. When God created the world, when he created the garden, He said, it was very, very good, it's great. And man has all that he needs and man is walking in fellowship with God, God is with them in the garden and it is a beautiful life and God says, you can have everything, just don't eat of one fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, just that one thing. But man become very "tee kee" (colloquial for stubborn, argumentative). We are stubborn, we are rebellious, we are stiffnecked, we purposely, Adam, purposely, Eve, purposely, decided to eat of that particular fruit. And with that act of rebellion, we have disobeyed God, sin penetrated the world and death reigned. What is death, death is separation and now, he who is supposed to enjoy all things good, when we are supposed to enjoy communion with God, we are separated. When God chased Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, he set angels who have flaming swords to guard the entrance, that there is no more entrance by man, by himself into all that is good. Death has come in, because the wages of sin is death.

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But, the Bible is about this Good News, that Jesus Christ came to once again, bring life to a world of death. He would come, and He who is life, would give His life, so that you and I who has no life, would receive that life. As the Bible would have put it, He is that corn of wheat that falls to the ground and died and when He died, it brings forth fruits abundantly, that dying of the corn, brings about (cannot hear what pastor is saying) ..... life.

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And that's what Jesus did. He gave His life, for you, so that you and I today can talk about Zoe and you and I really received this Zoe. That's why, Paul continues to write in Romans 6, yes, the wages of sin is death, for your hopeless and we are helpless in and of ourselves but look at this, there is a free, free should wake Singaporeans up, this is a free gift of God; eternal Zoe in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is not what you achieve, it is what you receive, this is not what you work up, this is what God sent down. Jesus is the Lamb of God that came to die for your sins and He is the One who will give us and provide for us eternal Zoe. It's all in Jesus, it's all found in Him.

Question to you is, do you have Jesus Christ in your life? Why do I need Jesus, you say, I am a successful businessman, I have a good family, life is good? Let me tell you, your life is not complete and one day, you will be judged for your sins. And you're not really living the life you made to live, you are not really having peace and satisfaction that will satisfy. Your life will ultimately not matter, it is almost like playing the anima game, the Prius online game, is not going to matter. Why? Because you have no Zoe. You have got to receive the gift. Now, there are people who say are you sure John, you're teaching is, are you sure? We heard that Jesus is not really God who came as man. He is John, he wrote the 1st Epistle of John, in a circumstance where there is a lot of false teachings and heresies. Those who have studied 1John, you will have this minimal background that oh, there were lots of people trying to confuse the church, there were lots of people were trying to sway them away from doctrines of the faith, there are lots of people who say, Jesus cannot be God came as man, because the flesh, the body, matter, physical things are evil. God is spiritual, physical things are evil, so, he cannot be that Jesus is God Man, because, body, physical things are evil.

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Well, a term that is given to these false teachers are Gnostics. They are people who are teaching Gnosticism, even in those days of John, so John says, I've got to tell you what's right. These false teachers say, Jesus is no God, Jesus did not come to die for our sins, but I tell you, I know Jesus, He is real, He is the source of life. How do I know that? Well, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life. So, John is saying, this is my personal testimony. I have heard Jesus, He said that I am the resurrection and the life, He said, I am the Bread of Life, He said, whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. We heard him say that. We have seen Him, we have seen the way He healed, we have seen the way He forgave, we have sinned the way He rose, raised Lazarus from the dead, we have seen that. And not just a cursory glance, but we looked upon, that is to behold, we stared, we observed, we, we really investigated His life, He is the real thing.

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He's the Son of God and He gives life. And he says, He's the One we touched with our hands. The word touch, is to grope, it is the picture of blind men, they do not know where to go, instead, they go around, and they, I, I, I have to open my eyes to see. They has to grope and try to figure out his, touching Him all over. Imagine, a man trying to figure out, is this my friend, he puts his hands on to the face (??) And he gropes him all over. He says, we felt Jesus, He is the Man, the very Man. But, He is the life giver, He is the Zoe Giver, I know Jesus. What we, the apostles have experienced, is not a fiction, a figment of our imagination, it is not a fairytale, it is not a theory, it's not a philosophy, He is real. Who are you, gnostics, to say that, there is no Jesus, He is not God.

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A story goes like this, there was a class in university and by and by, they invite guest speakers and this time, the truth will got a guest speaker, who is an atheist, he doesn't believe in God. And so, the atheist topic for the day is to show that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a hoax, it's a lie, it's a myth and he is a very eloquent speaker, he spoke at great length, gives lots of citations, quotations from big names and he systematically sought to debunk the teachings of the Bible and say that there is no such thing as the resurrection of Jesus, therefore, Jesus is no God, therefore the Christian faith is a farce, is a hoax, it's a lie. The students listen, and they cannot find a way to retaliate, because he was so eloquent and so well presented, his arguments.

But then, at the session, a man raised his hand and say, sir, can I ask you a question and the professor said, sure. At that point in time, this young man took out an apple, rubbed it and say, sir, I have this question, crunch, crunch. I do not know all the citations you gave, crunch, crunch and I am definitely not as eloquent and educated as you are, crunch, crunch. But, I just want to ask you, crunch, crunch, what is the taste of this apple, crunch, crunch ? Is it sweet or is it sour, crunch, crunch and he puts it into the bag.

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The professor very cleverly I suppose, says, well, son, I can't possibly answer you this question, because I have not tasted your apple. And the young man then says, precisely, you have also not tasted my Jesus. That is the argument, in a sense, John is giving. You Gnostics do not know what you're talking about, you're just spinning lies; we heard Jesus, we saw Jesus, we touched Jesus, He is alive in us and He has come as man, to die for us on the cross. John is so zealous for the church, because he is now an aged man, he's 80+ and, somehow we have been talking about lau kock, kocks here (colloquial for old people), there is Daniel and then John, 80+, is the last apostle of that time, he is so concerned about all the heresies and the lies that are infiltrating the church, he says, this is what I tell you, we have testified, we now testify and proclaim to you, it's real. I want you to know this, he says, because, if you do not know this, you have no Zoe. Zoe is only in Jesus Christ.

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What happens when you really have Zoe, we all need Zoe and this Zoe is found in Christ. What does Zoe do to you, what does Zoe change? Well, there are 2 things, I think that changes, immediately as you realize, from this passage. In verse 3, we see this word, fellowship

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, (Added by Pastor: we preach Christ to you, why? So that you may have Zoe, so that you may have life, why ?) So that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, and with us. So, if you have God and with brothers and sisters in Christ.

that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
(1 John 1:3 ESV)

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So, this word is fellowship. You say, what is fellowship? Churches today, have corrupted it to become, feilowship (fei low is the Cantonese word for fatty) so churches, let's have fellowship so our definition of fellowship is let's eat and into our hearts content, let eat till we "fei low". But, fellowship is not feilowship. Now, fellowship can involve feilowship, that's part of, that's why we still do feilowship. It's quite difficult to eat together, we do it with sinners and publicans, no, we get together because that's what the book of acts, they tell us,life they do life, they do life together, it involves eating.

But, the word fellowship, is the Greek word koinonia which means, to have partnership, to share together. And these deep sharing, is a sharing of life. It's not just sharing your chopsticks, is not just sharing your food, it's a sharing of life. They say, blood is thicker than water, but there is something even thicker than blood and that is the bond of Christ in people who have received Zoe. It's something amazing. Pastor Vic, and myself, he is a Yeo, I am a Lim. He is 50+, no, 30+ (Laughter in the congregation), he is 50+, I am 30+, he stays in the East, I stay in the West, I have not known him before, in church, until church. We have no relationship, previously. But you know something, this relationship we have is thicker than the relationship I may have with my relatives. Why?, Because, this Zoe is eternal. I pray my relatives will also come to have this Zoe but that Zoe that unites the church of Jesus Christ, gives us koinonia. And, I am not talking about everyone in this room, because I don't there to assume that everyone in this room has received Jesus and therefore have Zoe. But if you and I have Zoe in our lives, we are one people, one nation, one Sing.., Okay, (Laughter in the congregation- because this is a Singaporean song) one church, we are.

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I like this simple statement by Eugene Peterson. He says, so, why church? Is it just to listen to a sermon? No, he says, the short answer is because the Holy Spirit formed it to be a colony of heaven in the country of death.

Like I said, we live in a world where there are dead men walking everywhere, they live, they trade, they eat, they work, but they are dead, they don't have Zoe. But, you and I, who have received Jesus Christ, we are of the people who are of the living, we are the Zoeites, if there is a word like that. And we rejoice, we rejoice in our relationship one with another, that's why we have got to have Gospel transform thinking to realize, we are not casual acquaintances, let's, let not your thinking be, coming to church is about having casual acquaintances and just hearing preaching, no, there is something deeper, there is a Zoe life that unites all of us. Celebrate that, celebrate life, celebrate the unity in Jesus Christ, that's what church is all about. But there is more, not only will we finally find a place of belonging, well, finally we have acceptance and this is where we are loved, we love, this is where we serve and, as served, we receive something else and it says, you received joy. When you have Zoe, you have joy and we are writing these things, so that our joy may be complete. He says, so that you may have this joy. And notice, he's also saying, my joy will be complete, he saying, you have such great message, the Gospel message, the message of Jesus Christ, that it is my joy to share it with you. And so, he says, this Zoe brings, really, many people into the colony of heaven, so that we all may rejoice.

I want you to know that he didn't, he, he, that is a biblical understanding to joy that is distinct from happiness. Happiness, is the right from the word happenstance, which is a kind of happiness that is the right from circumstance. So, when things are doing well, you are happy, when things are not well, you are sad, when your son, got 110 for PSLE, you are sad, you are devastated, but if your son gets 290 PSLE, you are elated. Now, that is happiness. When you strike, Toto, you are happy. That's happiness. But, the biblical understanding of joy, is not dependent on circumstance.

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GK Chesterton, he says, my life is like a sphere, there may be times of happiness, but there is a sorrow within, or, after, I have known God, they are struggles and difficulties, but I have a joy within. You say, what's the difference, because there is only, and Zoe brings joy, joy that is irrespective of circumstance, because this joy is the fruit of the Spirit from the inside out.

So, when you have Zoe, you will experience a joy that surpasses all understanding, a peace that surpasses all understanding, it is not dependent on the outside, it is a constant fountain and springs from the inside. Do you have this joy? But, pastor, I have been coming to church, I am raised in a Christian home, I have done many things in church, do you know that I do this, I do that. Oh no, wait, wait, wait, do you realize, Zoe cannot be worked for, and you're not born with, Zoe has to be received. Question, is not whether you have been to church, question is not whether you have done good works, question is not whether your family is Christian, your father or mother is Christian, the question is, have you received Zoe, have you received Christ into your life. If you have, you were in some measure, experience a peace and a joy that surpasses all understanding because, that is what the Scripture presents.

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There is a very smart man in France, who lived years ago and died early in life. He said:

“There was once in man a true happiness of which there now remain to him only the mark and empty trace, which he in vain tries to fill from all his surroundings, seeking from things absent the help he does not obtain in things present? But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.”
Blaise Pascal

He's saying that man today is searching for Bios and Psyche, but this hole, this huge, lobang, in your heart, is like an abyss, a bottomless pit and a can only be filled by the infinite God, who gives you Zoe. You see, only God is the answer to your life today, it is not your bank account, it's not the fact that you will marry your dream lover, is not the fact that God will give you, or that you 5 kids or a big house. These things, do not fill the void of your soul. Many people throughout history, have sought to fulfill and fill that need of their souls and they have always come back disenchanted, they have gone to that far journey, distant journey and says, when I reached there, I will be happy, but they have sailed back and said, that is not where joy is found. Right here, today, God is saying, don't go on those journeys, new life is in Jesus Christ.

That's why, when Karl Marx said,

'The first requisite for the people's happiness is the abolition of religion’ , he is absolutely wrong. He is communist, don't believe in God, because when you believe in God, you have no joy, you have no happiness. If you really want to be happy, don't talk about God. Wah, he is totally mistaken.

But, Lewis is right, when he says:

Joy is the serious business of Heaven.

C.S. Lewis

Time stamp in audio 0:39:21.2.

You know, what's the Bible about, you know what Christianity is about, you know what preaching is about, it's about joy, amongst many things, but it's about joy. Got wants to bring joy, He just doesn't want you to find counterfeit happiness, in all broken systems? He wants to come and realize, that you are made for Him and you will be satisfied, only if you will so come. The preaching of God's Word, is to call people away from the illusions of this world, to find joy in Jesus Christ. Joy, is the serious business of heaven.

My time is up (Laughter in the congregation). And, I close with this last slide. A man, who changed, from having Bios to having Zoe, would have gone through as big a change, as a statue, which changed, from being a carved stone to be a real man. That is precisely what Christianity is about. This world, is a Great Sculptor's shop, we are the statues and there is a rumor, going around that some of us, are someday going to come to life. There is a Christian message that tells us, you can come alive, you can. We lost it all, when Adam and Eve sinned, we lost life, but there is news, that our Creator still wants to give life. You can't earn it, you can't work it up, but He wants to give, He is that merciful Creator and our merciful God, our merciful Creator who reaches down because, the only way you can have life, is when the Son, gives up His life, and whosoever believes in Jesus Christ, shall not perish, but have everlasting Zoe. He who has the Son, has Zoe. Would you have Zoe today in your life, would you, come to Jesus Christ.

Bow with me, for a word of prayer together. Father, we thank You this morning, for Your Word and as, the voice of man, will see, we pray for the voice of God, to continue to stir within our hearts. Your Spirit Is the Spirit of Life, there are those that need to be born from above, dear God, would You bless them, with this new birth. We, plead with You to call them to salvation and life, humble and break them, that they may turn from sin and believe in your Son, please, do that for Your own namesake, and we pray for Your church, or brothers and sisters in Christ together that we would be a channel of life, we will be people who rejoice in this life, we will be a people who demonstrate this life. Help us, dear God, turn to you, once again for abundant life in Jesus Christ, we praise You, we asked this now in Jesus Name Amen.

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