A Church of Life

The Kind of Church God Builds
A Church of Life

I. Introduction

A. In John 17, Jesus lays out for the Church—what He prays the Church will become.

1. John 17:3 (NLT) “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”

B. John 20:31 (NLT) But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

C. John 10:10 (NAS) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

D. John 17:2-3 (NLT) ²“For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. ³And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”

1. “The age to come” would mean a totally healed and a totally healed !

2. Whenever a first-century Jew talked about “eternal life,” they were talking about “the to ”—life in the Kingdom of God.

3. Jesus says that “the age to come”—the Kingdom of God that Jews had been longing for and praying for—has come in !

E. Mark 1:15 (NAS) “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

F. Matthew 12:28 (NLT) “But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”

1. Then—when Jesus returns—the dead in Christ will rise—and this present evil age will to be!

2. “Eternal life”—the quality of life in the Kingdom of God—is something that a person can begin to enjoy !

3. Eternal life is this rotten life for a whole new life—God’s life—the life of the Kingdom of God!

4. Life in the age to come revolves around !

5. Eternal life is not just an added of life. It’s an added of life!

G. “When you grow in your experience of the age to come, you become the kind of person that Jesus’ statements about life make sense to.” (Dallas Willard)

1. Part of my vision for our church is that everyone who’s a part of our church would begin to enjoy the of life in the age to come !

H. John 17:3 (NLT) “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”

II. How Can I Get to Know God Better?

A. By practicing a personal

B. By to other followers of Jesus

1. God permits us to “” off of each other for a time. But not forever!

C. By great Christian books

D. By going through

E. By letting get to know

1. God wants to have the kind of relationship with you where you don’t feel like you have to put on a “” anytime you talk to Him.

2. Psalm 139:23-24 (NAS) ²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; ²⁴and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

3. God has not stopped speaking—but the around us is so loud that we can’t Him!

4. Make room for God in your by going on an inner .

5. How do you want to get to know God?

6. John 17:3 (NLT) “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.”

III. Conclusion