LESSON 12 - THE PROMISE OF ABUNDANT LIFE

Adults 4th quarter 2024

December 22, 2024

GOLDEN TEXT
“I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9,10)

PRACTICAL TRUTH
The Lord Jesus has a promise of abundant life for those who have a full relationship with Him.

DAILY READING
Monday – John 10:10 The Lord Jesus is the source of abundant life
Tuesday – 2 Corinthians 5:17 In Jesus everything becomes new in our lives
Wednesday – Acts 16:31 The abundant life in Christ includes our family
Thursday – 1 Thess 5:16; Prov 17:22 Joy as a characteristic of the abundant life
Friday – 1 Thess 5:18; Ephesians 5:20; Col 3.17 Gratitude as a characteristic of the abundant life
Saturday – 1 Thess 5.19; 1 Thess 5.17 Life in the Spirit and prayer life as aspects of the abundant life

Suggested Hymns: 73, 486, 568 from the Christian Harp

CLASSROOM BIBLE READING
John 10:7-18
7- Then Jesus said to them again, “Truly, I say to you, I am the door for the sheep.
8- All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9- I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he will be saved; he will go in and out and find pasture.
10- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
11- I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.
12- But the hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13- But the hireling flees, because he is a hireling and does not care for the sheep.
14- I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by mine.
15- As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16- And other sheep I have that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice; and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
17- Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
18- No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.

LESSON PLAN
1- INTRODUCTION
Many people live a life context completely contrary to the promise of abundant life that Jesus promised as we read in John 10. Our Lord is the door through which his sheep pass. He is the Good Shepherd who cares for them. Therefore, those who are in Christ truly find the abundant life that He promised. In this lesson, we will see that our Lord is the source of this abundant life and that, through a deep relationship with Jesus, we will enjoy the true life that He promises.
2- LESSON PRESENTATION
A) Lesson Objectives:
I) To present the Lord Jesus as the source of abundant life;
II) To conceptualize and explain the Abundant Life;
III) To list what identifies the Abundant Life.
B) Motivation: Unlike the life that the World promises as an illusion, the Abundant Life that the Lord Jesus promises us has to do with joy, with the willingness to cultivate gratitude for what God does, to experience a life filled with the Spirit of God through His presence through a life of prayer. It is a life of depth with God through Jesus.
C) Suggested Method:Begin the second topic of the lesson by asking the class what they think about the signs of a comfortable life. Listen to their answers and, if possible, record them as they express themselves. Then, present the second topic. At the end of the presentation of the second topic, go back to the students' responses that were recorded. Based on them, reflect on the presentation of the second topic, clarifying what the true abundant life that Jesus promises means.
3- LESSON CONCLUSION
A) Application:The life that Jesus promises is real life. It is not an escape from reality, but a gift for those who develop a living relationship with Jesus, who can experience it in any circumstances.
4- TEACHER'S SUPPORT
A) Christian Teacher Magazine. It is worth checking out this magazine that brings reports, articles, interviews and support resources for Adult Bible Lessons. In issue 99, p. 42, you will find a special support for this lesson.
B) Special Support: At the end of the topic, you will find support that will support you in preparing your class:
1) The text “FULL HAPPINESS” corroborates the content of topic 2, demystifying the mistaken idea that God's servant cannot be happy or live in joy;
2) The text “THE FULLNESS OF LIFE IN GOD” expands on the third topic, demonstrating that the fruit of abundant life in the Lord, besides being noticeable, is also contagious. KEYWORD: LIFE

INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, we will study the promise of abundant life promised by the Lord Jesus, according to John 10. Life with Christ is in direct contrast to life without Him. When we are in Christ, everything we long for and desire has other foundations. The abundant life in Christ fills gaps that, until then, we never imagined could be filled. Therefore, the abundant life is a promise that begins and ends in Jesus, because only through a personal relationship with Him is it possible to enjoy this life.

I – JESUS, THE SOURCE OF ABUNDANT LIFE

1- The source of true life. The Gospel of John, in chapter 10, presents the Lord Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.” This Shepherd relates to His sheep, protects them, and goes before them on the path to deliver them from danger (vv. 3, 4). In addition to this image of a shepherd, John 10 also presents Jesus as the Door of the Sheep (v. 7). This door symbolizes the path of spiritual salvation, in which a personal and eternal relationship with God becomes possible and everything the sheep needs will be found in God. Therefore, our Lord Jesus appears in this text as the source of true life. When we find Him, we can truly live, doing good for the glory of God.
2- The source of abundant life. In verses 8-10 of John 10, our Lord makes a contrast between Him, who is the door, and the others who came before Him, identified as “thieves and robbers” who only bring theft, death, and destruction; Our Lord, on the contrary, came to bring life in place of death and life in abundance (v.10). Here, we can draw a contrast between God’s actions and the actions of Satan and his demons. The Devil, our adversary, seeks to destroy our life, God’s plan for us; God, through His Son, gave us back our life, loved us, saved us, forgave us, erased our sins and gave us the dignity of being saved in Christ. This is the true life that only God, through His grace through Christ, can give us.
3- The source of love. In verse 11, the Lord Jesus again mentions the image of the “Good Shepherd” who gave His life for the sheep, whom He not only protects and cares for, but also knows well; and the sheep also know Him (v.14). Our Lord affirms that, in the same way that He is known by the Father, He knows His sheep deeply and gave His life for them. Therefore, no one can take His sheep out of His hands, because He watches over them. The relationship with his sheep is based on the love that can be witnessed in our Lord’s relationship with the Holy Trinity (vv. 15, 17). Thus, the Lord Jesus is the source of love between the Good Shepherd and his sheep. He is our overflowing source of true and abundant life.

EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE
“10.11 I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
(1) This metaphor (i.e., a symbolic image) illustrates the loving and devoted care he has for his followers. He is constantly looking out for them to guide them and keep them from evil.
(2) The distinguishing characteristic of Christ as the Chief Shepherd is his willingness to die for his sheep. His death on the cross rescues and spiritually saves those who choose to follow him […].
(3) […] True spiritual leaders care about their sheep (that is, the people they lead or influence).” Expand your knowledge further by reading the Pentecostal Study Bible Global Edition, published by CPAD, p.1874.

SYNOPSIS I
Jesus is the source of true life, abundant life and love.

II – ABUNDANT LIFE

1- The concept of abundant life. Through the relationship we have established with God through Jesus, our Shepherd, we can comment on what the “abundant life” mentioned by our Lord in John 10:10 means. Knowing that human beings have physical, emotional and spiritual needs, we can affirm that the abundant life promised by our Lord also fills the spheres of the body, soul and spirit. It is a new and integral life in Christ in which everything becomes new and becomes an authentic newness of life (2 Cor 5:17).
2- The abundant life also influences the family. In the biblical episode, on the occasion of Paul and Silas’ release from prison, the jailer, terrified, asked Paul what he could do to be saved. So the apostle Paul responded: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Salvation in Christ would not apply only to the jailer but, in a comprehensive way, to his entire household. And it would not be limited to physical deliverance from punishment by the State, but to a new type of life for the jailer and his entire family. Thus, we learn that the abundant life promised by Jesus includes our family members.
3- Various blessings that come from the abundant life. When we begin to have a full relationship with Christ, and therefore develop the abundant life, we begin to enjoy abundant blessings, among which we can highlight: peace in God and tranquility in decisions, as this is a reality promised by the Scriptures for those who have an abundant life (John 14:27; Romans 5:1); the practice of love (John 13:34,35); life in unity (Psalm 133; Galatians 5:13-15); the cultivation of hope (Romans 5:5); perseverance in patience (Luke 21:19; Romans 5:4). All these are blessings of an abundant life in Christ Jesus that contrasts with the empty life of the past.

SYNOPSIS II
The abundant life, promised by Jesus, fills the spheres of the body, soul and spirit of the human being.

DEVOTIONAL HELP
FULL HAPPINESS
“[…] Living intelligently, healthily and for the glory of God is a daily learning process. Just like Solomon, we go through several seasons in our lives and we cannot ignore any of them. Each one is unique, and we are responsible for making them special; therefore, my last piece of advice is for you to live each day as if it were your last. Do not be afraid to be happy, to smile, to live. We have a God who loves life, but many believers seem to be afraid of happiness and believe that the authentic believer must always be serious, facing difficulties. If everything is going well, they immediately think that something is wrong. I am aware that we live in a hedonistic society, where people are obsessed with pleasure. Everyone wants to be happy at any cost, but where can we find the much dreamed of and talked about happiness?” (BUENO, Telma. Healthy Church – Educating for a Full Life. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, 2019, p.119).

III – WHAT IDENTIFIES ABUNDANT LIFE

1- The joy of the Lord. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, exhorting: “Rejoice always” (1 Thess 5:16). In the Old Testament, Nehemiah said: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 8:10). Therefore, joy is part of the identity of those who have a relationship with God and live an abundant life; it is a virtue cited by the apostle Paul in Galatians (Gal 5:22). In Proverbs, the wise man says that joy is “good medicine” (Prov 17:22). This virtue shows that we are well, at peace and full of vigor. This is an abundant life!
2- Gratitude for everything. Gratitude is a Christian virtue that reveals humility and, at the same time, total dependence on God for everything that happens in our lives. In the abundant life, instead of grumbling or complaining about things, we learn to give thanks for all that God has done for us: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18). Thus, the virtue of gratitude is fully consistent with the abundant life, because in God we feel satisfied and fulfilled. Let us always give thanks in everything (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17)!
3- Life in the Spirit, a life of prayer. In the abundant life, the Holy Spirit fills the believer. The Bible says that to live in the Spirit, we must be inclined toward the things of the Spirit (Rom 8:5-11). Therefore, we must be filled with the Spirit and walk in Him to have a full life. We can never quench the Spirit (1 Thess 5:19). An indispensable element for those who live in the Spirit is the cultivation of a life of prayer. Once again, the apostle Paul exhorts us: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). At all times, we need to recognize that in the routine of our lives, we should always have an opportunity to pray, whether at home or at work, when we wake up or when we go to bed; the apostle continues to exhort us: “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Col 4:2).

SYNOPSIS III
What identifies the abundant life are the joy of the Lord, gratitude, and a life filled with the Spirit.

DEVOTIONAL AID
THE FULLNESS OF LIFE IN GOD
“All of us, as humans, share a universal desire to be complete, to enjoy the fullness of the fulfillment of our God-planned destiny.
[…] You may be single or married, young or old. You may have suffered unimaginable abuse or lived a charmed life. You may have a Ph.D. or a high school dropout. No matter your background or knowledge, we know at least one thing about you. Every moment of the day you are moving toward or from the person God intended you to become.
[…] When you reach the level of health and wholeness we have been describing, you will begin to feel uniquely good about yourself. Not the kind of good that is selfish, but the kind of good that makes you a positive, generous, and caring human being. It will not only lead you to feel good, but to be good. You will find yourself expressing all kinds of natural and flowing love and sympathy for others. And it will be so contagious that your entire community of friends and family—even strangers you meet—will notice your life moving toward personal joy and selfless love” (WARREN, Neil Clarck; PARROTT, Les. A Vida dos seus Sonhos. Rio de Janeiro: CPAD, pp.14,15).

CONCLUSION
The Lord Jesus is the source of abundant life, for He Himself promised it to us. This promise is available to every believer who develops a personal relationship with our Lord. In this relationship, our family is blessed, we can enjoy abundant blessings, and we can walk in joy and gratitude in the Spirit. The abundant life in Christ is the new life He promised to those who believe in Him as Savior and Lord.

REVIEWING THE CONTENT
1- How does John 10 present the Lord Jesus?
The Gospel of John, in chapter 10, presents the Lord Jesus as the “Good Shepherd.”

2- Who is the source of abundant life?
Our Lord Jesus.

3- What happens when we begin to have a full relationship with Christ?
When we begin to have a full relationship with Christ, we begin to enjoy abundant blessings: peace in God and tranquility in decisions (John 14:27; Romans 5:1); the practice of love (John 13:34,35); life in unity (Psalm 133; Galatians 5:13-15); the cultivation of hope (Romans 5:5); perseverance in patience (Luke 21:19; Romans 5:4).

4- What does the virtue of joy show?
This virtue shows that we are well, at peace and full of vigor.

5- According to the lesson, what does the virtue of gratitude reveal?
Gratitude is a Christian virtue that reveals humility and, at the same time, total dependence on God regarding everything that happens in our lives.