“living in abundance is…
Loving&Knowing”

I Don’t Know About You – But I Want “Abundant Life” – I Want ALL of God’s Blessings On My Life:

Jesus Made A Powerful Statement: John 10:10 (KJV) "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Also, In John 15: 11 He said: “John 15:11 (KJV) "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

I. LEVELS OF OBEDIENCE
A. THE LEVEL OF "FEAR"...
B. THE LEVEL OF “SELFISHNESS"...
C. THE LEVEL OF "LOVE"...

a. "If you love Me, keep My commandments." - Jn 14:15
b. "If anyone loves, Me, he will keep My word..." - Jn 14:23a

II. THE SECRET TO OBEYING IS LOVING

A. GOD HAS ALWAYS DESIRED THAT HIS PEOPLE OBEY HIM OUT OF LOVE…

Warren Wiersbe wrote: “You and I cannot command others to love us, yet God commands us to love Him.

He has the right to command us because He always desires what is the highest and best for us.

You could say it this way:

The more we love Him, the more we will obey Him

The more we obey Him, the more we will abide in Him

The more we abide in Him, the more we will bear fruit

And the more we bear fruit, the more we will truly experience the "Abundant Life!"

I. THE SECRET OF LOVING IS KNOWING

THIS TRUTH IS DEMONSTRATED IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

1 John 3:16 (NIV) “This is how we know what love is:
Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

1 John 4:8 (NIV) “Whoever does not love (His Fellow Man) does not know God, because God is love.”

Knowing God is the first major step in the process of living "the abundant life":

1) By knowing God, we come to love Him

2) By loving Him, we will obey Him

3) By obeying Him, we will abide in Him

4) By abiding in Him, we will bear fruit

5) By bearing fruit, we will experience the joys of abundant living

How can we come to know God in such a way as to produce this' chain-reaction' that leads to the abundant life?"

The answer is simple

II. THE KEY TO KNOWING GOD IS…

A. We Come To Know God Through Communication

B. Communication with God is a two-street...

C. We Also Come To Know Him Through Experience

1) Because to know God is to love Him, and…
2) To love God is to obey Him, and…
3) To obey Him is to abide in Him, and…
4) To abide in Him is to bear fruit for Him, and…
5) To bear fruit is to experience "the abundant life"