John 10: 10

Take your Bibles now and turn to the gospel of John. The gospel of John chapter 10. Every class has to start someplace and this class on Power for Abundant Living begins with the subject dealing with the greatest secret in the world today. There is a great secret in this world and it’s such a secret, the reason it’s a secret is because people just don’t know it. Once something is known, it’s no longer a secret. What you women have in your purses is a secret. But if we take those purses and sort of turn them upside down and put them out here on the floor in this auditorium, the secret would be revealed - the mystery would be made known.

Now the greatest secret is not in the woman’s purse, I guarantee. The greatest secret in the world today is that the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God. That’s the greatest secret. That the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God. That is the greatest secret in the world because nobody believes it and that means just nobody. Not even the fundamentalists who say they believe the Bible, believes that statement. When they first hear me make it, they sit in the auditorium at times and I hear them say amen. But I know all the time, they don’t mean it. Because the reason I know they don’t mean it is because later on when I get in the class and all I do is read the Word of God then they stand up and say oh that’s not for us.

We believe in this class on power for abundant living that the Word of God is the Will of God. Anybody’s welcome to the class even if they don’t believe this. That’s right. I’m always glad to have people, especially high school, college students and frustrated adults. The adults who have fossilized. They’ve come to the place they’re absolutely convinced that the Word of God is full of error. That there are many divergent opinions regarding the Word that nobody can really say thus saith the Lord and that there are noodles of contradictions in the Bible. They are welcome. I’m glad to have you. You know why? Because you have a right to be in this class. For this is a class. This is not a church service where you have to believe what I say. That surprises you, ha? That’s right. Because I don’t give a hoot what you believe. That’s surprising too because I’m not responsible for what you believe. You are responsible for what you believe. But I do believe and for this I dedicated my life that I believe that every man, every woman has a right once again to hear what I have researched and what I teach. Then you have a right to make up your own mind without my shoving it down your throat. You make up your own mind as to the reality of that which I teach, whether it’s right or whether it’s wrong. But, for the people, the critics on the outside who never sit and listen to the class, they have no right to make a decision whether it’s right or wrong.

For instance, you’re serving on a jury. Do you have a right to make up your mind whether that man is innocent or guilty until you’ve heard all the testimony or all of the facts concerning the case? I think the attorneys would disqualify you and I’m sure the judge would kick you out, wouldn’t he? You’have to wait until the all the effects concerning the case have been assembled, taught, presented both from the witnesses, from the defense and all the rest of them. Then finally the judge instructs the jury and he says now you go out and deliberate. And then you come in with a verdict. You be as honest with me in this class on power for abundant living as you would have to be if you sat in a secular court on a jury and we’re going to have a tremendous time. You withhold your decision on the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word until all the facts concerning the case have been presented. When I have finally wound it up, then you make your decision whether the Bible is the revealed Word and Will of God, whether this is the greatest secret in the world today or whether it isn’t.

In the gospel of John, in the tenth chapter and in the tenth verse, we read the following:

The thief, the thief cometh not, but for to what? Steel and to kill, and to destroy. Jesus then says the rest of it. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it what? More abundantly.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. -- John 10: 10

That’s the verse of Scripture that shook my life many, many years ago. That one just racked and ruined all of my theology overnight. When I finally sobered up to it. It was Jesus Christ himself who said that he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

Now it shook me at two places. Number one that we may have life abundantly. That shook me because I was brought up in the background of my life. I’m old enough to be brought up this way. Some of you are not old enough. But I was brought up that if you were a minister, especially if you were a minister. This was my background. It’s not this way in the ministry anymore, you know that. They’re the most overpaid people I know today. But it was taught that if you were a minister, you were always supposed to have less than anybody else in the congregation. So that at no time would you be their superior, materially for instance. And so I learned just to be poverty-stricken. We started out this way, we continued this way. I happened to go to a church where they paid the last minister they had I think they paid him $1200 a year and they owed him $850 some from the last year they hadn’t paid yet. I stepped in to that situation and you can imagine how rosy and glorious it was.

It was in that congregation where I heard the story of the deacon who had prayed, Lord you keep our minister humble, we’ll keep him poor. That’s why I love deacons who don’t deace. Elders who don’t elde, deacons don’t deace. So anyway, so we went along. And within our heart, was built this thing that you can’t ever have anything. Then I learned that God made people sick so I was praying Lord if this is the key, I want to get sick. So I manifested. And you know what happened? Within 6 to 7 months of the first ministry that we had. We were getting less and less and less day by day, week by week and one time I read John 10: 10.

Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it worse and worse and worse and worse. No, he said he came that we might have life and have it how? More abundant. I missed the word more. I miss that for years. But he said he came and said that we might have life and hace it abundantly. And I said to myself there something wrong someplace. Either God’s a liar or He told the truth. Now if God’s a liar, then why should I be a minister? Why should I try to tell people that God’s Word is true when I know he’s a liar? I don’t know if your minds ever function this way, but you if you ever get a little logical, you’re going to have to come to this conclusion. Because if you can’t trust God in John 10: 10. If you can’t trust His Word there in John 10: 10, how can you and I trust His Word in John 3: 16? C’mon and I hear people all the time quoting John 3: 16 ’For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe it in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ That’s a belief. Well how can you believe that and deny John 10: 10? Why, first of all, it’s in the same book.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -- John 3: 16

Just a skip and a jump away from it. People, this verse is the foundational Scripture of this class on power for abundant living because it is this verse where you start making up your mind. Either Jesus Christ told the truth or he lied. It’s as simple as all that. That’s right. It’s as simple as all that. Either that’s the truth or it’s a lie. If it’s a lie, you know what we do? Be honest. Give it up. Chuck the whole thing and have it over with. That’s right. But if its the truth. If it’s the truth. Then somewhere someplace somehow, he must be able to tell us how we can receive this life which is abundant.

Well, not only is this true, but he said he came that we might have life and have it more than abundant. I did not see in my ministry and I would venture to say none of you basically have seen a life which is abundant in the denominational churches to which you belong when your honest.

Now, of course, I know what you’re going to do it immediately. You’re going to put your hands up because you want to fight. I don’t want to fight – I have nothing to fight about. But I believe in the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word. We never fight in this class. We just teach the Word of God and get the fight out of you. Get you to believe God’s Word. How many Christians have you seen in your immediate environment who are manifesting an abundant life? How many? Very few and you know it.

Many times the sickest people in your community physically are the Christians. Many times the people who are most defeated in your community are the Christians. Those who manifest the greatest amount of poverty are the Christians. Did you ever look at their faces as they come out of the church doors at 12 noon on Sunday? Do they come out with a great smile on their face, a great radiation saying, Boy I’m going in the world today with the power of God I’ve just received there and I tell you there is nothing that can stop the power of God today. No! Why, the average man coming out of the corner saloon looks 10 times as happy. He’s imbibed in a better spirit, or something. At least he’s got something in him. This is why sometimes you see the Christians, there burying all these burdens, you know. We got characters in the class, you’ll learn them as we go along. We’ve got Maggie Muggins, and Johnny Jump Up, and Henry Boloko and the other ones I can’t think of. Snow Ball Pete, that’s a good one. Some time I’ll tell you who all of these fellows are. But, you see people going along, you’ve heard them, why they’re always praying for somebody. And they’re always bearing somebody’s burden and they’re so overburdened because old Maggie Muggins is just out there in the world sinning like crazy. And we gotta pray for Maggie and we gotta carry all those burdens. And we gotta be sure to stay humble cause we’ve got to bear our sicknesses.

Ever heard that? Ever heard we’ve got to bear the cross of Christ? Don’t forget you’ve got to take up your cross and follow him. And therefore, you’ve got the cross on this shoulder and you’ve got Maggie Muggins and all her sins and I tell you she loaded on this. And old Johnny Jump Up hasn’t been jumping so good lately because these all burdened down too. And here we come out. My oh my we’ve got to pray today. Just all burdened. Let’s have a big old prayer meeting and so we gather round and we pray and we keep on praying. That’s right. And we come out of the churches or in the Christian fellowships walking around like you know all beat. All defeated. You call that an abundant life? The guy that comes out on the corner saloon spends the last dime he’s got. Hasn’t got a penny in his pocket. Comes out there, holds up his trousers, buttons up his shirt, throws out his chest, takes a breath and he starts down the street. And he says, I’m the best man in town tonight. I can lick anybody tonight.

The average Christian, don’t you smile. You might break your jaw. Don’t you ever think that you can have an abundant life. Why? Because it’s God’s Word. He not only said he came that we might have abundant life and people, for years, I think many of us would have been thankful if we manifested an abundant life, right? He didn’t say that. He said he came that we might have life and have it how? More than abundant. Boy, oh boy. He said it, I didn’t, he said it, I didn’t. And either God is a liar or he told the truth. He said that he came, Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it more, more than abundant. Well bless God, that’s wonderful. How can you know God’s Will? Only one way you could know God’s Will.

Read the Readers Digest, Life, Look, or Time, Saturday Evening Post, Playgirl or something else. No. You never get to knowing God’s Will by reading Reader’s Digest. You’re going to know God Will you’re going to have to read God’s what? God’s Word. That’s right. You can never know God’s Will until after you know His Word. Now if a person thinks he knows God’s Word, but he doesn’t know God’s Word, he still doesn’t know God’s Will.

Rufus used to say “if you think you’ve got it and you haven’t, you’re not going to go looking. For people who think they know the answers, but they don’t know it, they’re not going to look for the answers. If you’re convinced you know it, but you don’t know it, you’re not going to go looking for it. The knowing of it. If your convinced tonight that you have tapped in to all the resources you’re ever going to tap into, that your life is exactly as far as it can go, you’re never going to go any farther. Because you cannot go beyond what you can believe. If we’ve got our minds made up, that terminates our growth. It’s like I say in many of my classes, it’s many times what we learn after we think we know it that really counts and makes all the difference in our life.

Tonight I said let’s sing hymn number 69. How did you know that my will was to sing number 69? Why didn’t you sing 12, why didn’t you sing 17 and you 14 and you 13 and you eleven and somebody else? How’s come you sang 69? Now, come on. Because my word was my what? My will.

Now let me ask you something. On sheer logic, if there is a God, if there is one. And if that God is what the Word of God says He is. The one who created the heavens and the earth. If there is a God, do you think he can be as smart as V.P. Wierwille? Ha. Don’t answer. It’s almost hypocrisy to think about it, isn’t it? But look at what we’ve been saying in the world.

We believe a man, but we refuse to believe God. You call that logical. I don’t. If we can believe a man, we can certainly believe God. You believe your banker. How about believing God? The reason you know what you have in the bank is because of their word. They send you a statement which is their word. You read that word, that word is their will. That’s how you know it. Well, what about God’s Word? How are you going to know God’s Will without knowing His what? Word. If you want to know the rules of football, you read the tennis directions. No. You read the rulebook relating to what? Football. If you want to know the rules and regulations of basketball, you read the rulebook of basketball. When you want to know God’s Will, you read and study God’s Word. For here are the rules and regulations of God’s ballgame.

That’s why the Word of God, the Word of God is the greatest secret in the world today. That this Word of God is the Will of God. That it means what it says and says what it means. And that God has a purpose for everything He says, where He says it, why He says it, how He says it, to whom He says it, when He says it.

Do you ever ask yourself why is John 3: 16 where it is? Why is Galatians 2: 4 written? Why is I Corinthians 15: 58 written? Did you ever asked yourself that? It’s a good question. It’s a good question. The answer is if it was at any other place than where it is, it never fit. You take John 3: 16 and put in Galatians 2: 4, and you can’t put the Word of God together if you set yourself on 4 ends. You take I Corinthians 13 and put in I Corinthians 12 and you can’t fit the Word. You take the book of Revelation and put it back to where the gospel of Matthew is, it doesn’t work. This is remarkable. But you see what’s involved. It’s the integrity and the accuracy of God’s Word. We have people that talk about the Bible. They’re always saying well you ought to believe the Bible, you ought to read the Bible. You ought to do this and you ought to do that. But do they really believe the Word? Or do we just believe that part of the Word which corroborates and substantiates our preconceived theology or ideas? I’ve got my mind made up, maam so now I go to the Word and find that Scripture which collaborates what I’ve already decided it should say. How would you like to play football on those rules and regulations? Or basketball? Or running track? Any other field? No. That’s why in this class we let the Word speak for itself. Because Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it more than abundant. If we’re ever going to find out whether he lied or told the truth, were going to have to listen to him.

We’re going to have read literally what he said and understand that what he said he meant, meant what he said. And not to write our own keys to the Scriptures. He is that key, the key is right in the Scriptures. It is not for us to say this is what the Bible says, but here’s the key to it, this is what it means. Then it no longer says what it means, no longer means what it says. This verse of John 10: 10 is so foundational that once you have made up your mind on it, you’re able to move one way or the other. And it’s simply either Jesus Christ told the truth or he what? Lied. If he lied, let’s chuck it. If he told the truth, then it is not 2 weeks a short period of your life? To give, to find out what those keys are or at least listen to them and then make up your own mind whether you think those are the keys and whether they will work or won’t work.

That’s why I tell our people that this class in a class on keys. I don’t expect to change your theology, I just expect to get rid of it that’s all. This is a class on keys. I don’t expect, really, I don’t care. This is the easiest class in the world. Because I don’t care what you think. As a matter of fact, I don’t care what you’ve done in the past. Aren’t you lucky? I don’t care what you believe, what you said, what you’ve done because I can’t help you in the past, I wasn’t there. But now I can help you. You’re here tonight, you’re in this class. That’s why I’m not concerned about your past, I’m concerned about what can we do now together. What can I work with you and the Word of God to help you now? So that you can manifest that more abundant life. That you can grow with the greatness of the power of God within your life.

That’s why it’s a class on keys. I’m not going to teach you the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in two weeks time, that’s impossible. But I am going to teach you every key that will unlock every Scripture from Genesis 1: 1 to Revelation 22: 21 in two weeks. Every key. Once you have the keys to unlocking the resources, the treasure chest so to speak, the utilization, the operation of those keys resides within your own free will. Suppose you have the key but you do not want to unlock the door. You know what you do? Keep it locked. Sure. But once you have the key and you decide to unlock the door, then what do you do? You unlock it. You see, if you have keys then you can walk in. But suppose that main door in this auditorium was locked. Now how are you going to get in? Well, I know what you’re going to do you’re fine Christians, you’re going to stand out there and you’re to pray until you are blue in the face. I tell you something, the door is still going to be locked. To get in that door, you’re going to have to have a key. So, I walk around the outside, give you the key, you just quit praying, you know what you do. Put the key in the lock turn, and walk in.

But you see, it’s much more religious, maam, to pray. It looks so nice. Because once you get with a certain group of people, and you act prayerfully enough, they’ll think you’re real dynamite, you know. Even if no door ever opens, they think your at least working at it. Some of us got so tired at working at it, we just want the door open. Right? We got so tired of begging God we just wanted to see some answers.

A lady in the class some time ago 63 or 64 years old, and said this was the first time in her life during the course of this class that she could literally say that she ever literally gotten a prayer answered the same night she prayed for it. And she’d been in a church 40 or 50 some years. Well why? Not that she wasn’t a good woman, not that she wasn’t a born again Christian. Its because she did not know what she had. She didn’t know it.

Look. If I didn’t have this dollar bill, could I spend it? Could I spend it if I didn’t have it? No. So the first thing you have to find out in tapping the resources for the more abundant life is what have you got. What’s available? That’s what you’ve got to find out. Now I got this dollar bill. How much can I spend? Well it depends on the government. If they are spending or I’m spending it. But literally I imagine there’s about 100 cents in here is we’re right honest, right? Now, can I then spend 110 cents out of this one dollar? No. Why not? It’s not available. So not only must I learn exactly what I have, but I’ve got to learn what to do with it. Could I spend $.50 of it? Could I spend one cent of it? Now you got it.

And in the Christian walk we’ve been, let’s say we had the dollar. We’ve been very fortunate if we even spend a penny of it. Why? Because we didn’t know we had the other 99 cents. And if you do not know you’ve got it, you can’t spend it. That’s why the greatest thing any man can do for you or for me is not to teach us all the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation, but to teach us keys that unlock every Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. Then once we have the keys, we can utilize those keys. We can unlock the doors and walk in and some of us came to the place in our lives that as Christians we were not satisfied just sitting on the periphery, on the outside of the circle and looking in. We wanted to get on the inside to experience the abundance of the greatness of the presence of the power of the reality of God. And to do that, you’ve got to have keys.

Now I know once your saved and you’re inside of the house, your tootsies are warm and you will stay there. I know that. But you see it’s like in the Bible research center here, if you just came in the back door, you haven’t seen this place. You ought to see the back room. That’s something, I tell you. You ought to see the printing department- that’s terrific back here especially when 17 of them are working back there, it’s just fabulous. Love each other stand close, have too, can’t get around. Boy, your sense of humor is terrific tonight. Must be all frozen up. I think we’re going to have to get some Prestone in here. Press you to be something so you quit being stones. But, the point is if you want to see this whole place, you have look in the back room, you go downstairs, you go in the kitchen, you go into the student lounge. Why? Then you’ve been a part of the whole biblical research building center.

Well, what about God’s Word? Are you just satisfied being saved? Most people in the fundamental churches are. They’re just satisfied to know there saved. Well now that’s wonderful. I thank God for it. But boy, you can be saved 40 years and be miserable going to heaven. That’s right. You can really be miserable. Why? Because you are not having any success in getting prayers answered. You do not know how to believe to receive. You do not know how to pray to get those prayers answered. You do not know how to receive the more abundant life. This is why we not only need to know what salvation is, we need to know what we have in Christ Jesus. That’s why this is a class on keys. Keys that will unlock the doors. The way you’ll find out if the doors are unlocked is put the key in it. Got the wrong key, stand outside and pray, it won’t change it any. Get the right key, right? Once you have the right key, all you need to do having that right key is put it in there, turn it and unlock it. That’s what I want this class to do just for you. And it’ll do just that. Because Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it how? More than abundant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~