Embracing the Fullness of Life in Christ

Christianity is primarily life and it is the receiving of his fulness and as we forget that we miss the greatness and the glory and the splendor of it all our danger knowledge even as Christian people is to be reducing this life eternal life to something which is merely a point of view more a teaching or a of theology anything else we must never do of it the essence is only say that it has a life and that it means receiving of his fullness. [00:01:43]

Are you living in a past experience what on a past decision all are you in this position that you know that you are linked to the heavier that life from the great head is coming down you and permeating the whole of your being this I say is Christianity and it's only as the church is manifesting this life from this fullness that she really functions as the church and cancer told in the world. [00:02:58]

The world outside in its ignorance and darkness and death recognizes one thing only and that is life but it recognizes life that's the whole story of the book of the Acts and the whole of the New Testament so I say again that the great question that all of us should be concerned about is this one question do I know that I have received of usefulness am I still and visit my greatest desire my highest ambition to receive more and more of him. [00:03:35]

The first thing obviously is legumes of any religious men the very religious myth in addition to that he was a very able man he was a master he was a teacher in Isabel he was a man who was a whole life work and occupation was to be a religious and to study the scriptures and to teach and to instruct others it's very important that we should remember all this about it. [00:11:05]

There is nothing better about Nicodemus than this this is the greatest thing about this men that coming into contact with our Lord he's aware recognizes and acknowledges this need this lack of something this lung for the greater fullness and the receiving of a greater fulness from God there is no hope I say in the Christian life unless we're aware of death there is nothing that is more important than any one of us this morning than just this have we a hunger and a thirst after righteousness. [00:20:45]

Nicodemus acts on what he feels why do I emphasize that well I emphasize that because I know from personal experience and I know that you're all exactly the same that one of our greatest dangers of this that something influences us and affects we are suddenly distr perhaps in a meeting of him reading a book or in some event that happens and we are made to feel something of this longing of which I've been speaking something disturbance we feel we can't go on like this we see that there's something better and higher and we are anxious to get this something higher than better but nothing ever comes of it why well because we don't do anything about it. [00:26:36]

He doesn't allow the feeling to pass he doesn't say well very interesting but of course they're sort of thing comes and did God he knew teacher well I've seen many new teachers before nothing's come of them you'll find all that put in detail that around that was the kind of way in which these people argue but Nicodemus is aware that there's something here that he's never seen before and he said I can't I must I'm bound to find out about this so he decides that whatever the risks whatever the cost he found an interview with this new teacher that has suddenly appeared he's so concerned about it that he acts upon his feeling. [00:28:39]

The absolute necessity of application and of action and of following our impulses following our feelings listening to these deep convictions that come to us and not giving ourselves rest nor peace until we have discovered the secret now I could illustrate this to you endlessly in the lives of God's Saints throughout the centuries that's been the thing that's characterized them they have not just sat down and a loud thing to go they've got up they said I must I cannot rest I will there's a determination well you see it's thought in the New Testament ask and it shall be given unto you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you. [00:28:49]

He knows all about us I say that's in a sense of terrifying thing but in the other sense it's the most comforting thing in the world because in your needs and as you are this morning when you go to him you can be certain he knows exactly watching me we think we know we don't Nicodemus thought he knew but he didn't he was wrong with all his Excellency's he's wrong he doesn't know himself none of us knows ourselves we are ever ready to balance the good with the bend the hope of balance sheets we are always ready to rationalize our sins we think we know what we want. [00:34:49]

He'll put his finger immediately on the essence of your trouble he doesn't need any help any aid he doesn't need any assistance and this I say is to me a most comforting and encouraging thought you can cut through all that we've put up and directed around ourselves he'll expose the ill there it is staring us in the face he do that he always got it he did it here with Nicodemus at once he cuts through the conversation brings him to the point and of course we have got of emphasised this he did so in this occasion in a rather sharp manner almost a brusque manner. [00:35:56]

Here's a great principle we've got to submit utterly and absolutely to him if you don't do so voluntarily you make you do it he will insist upon it he's always in charge you cannot go to him with any kind of reservations because he knows every he knows all about you and he will always make it plain he'll bring you to face the one big obstacle in your case that stands between you and receiving of his fulness and grace upon grace. [00:39:18]

The man who eventually receives of their fulness is the man who knows that he's completely helpless and absolutely hopeless there is no more subtle point I sometimes think in the hull of the spiritual life in this particular matter then just that you may feel the need of help but you've got to feel helpless you've got to feel completely hopeless as long as you feel you only need further help you're still standing on your own feet aren't you you're still in charge of yourself you say alright I've arrived here he's one step further I've got to go from here to there now that's the fatal thing in the whole of this metal. [00:45:12]