Planned For God's Pleasure Series

Planned for God’s Pleasure

The Purpose-Driven Life, pt. 2

Wildwind Community Church

David K. Flowers channeling Rick Warren

October 21, 2007

We’re in this series right now called “40 Days of Purpose.” Today, we’re going to look at the first of God’s five purposes for your life. God has five reasons for creating you, and today we’re going to look at the first. Number one, let’s read Revelation 4:11 out of the Bible. Would you read it with me?

Rev. 4:11

You (God) created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.

The Bible says you were created for God’s enjoyment. God made you just to enjoy you. God planned you for His purpose.

Raise your hand if you are a parent. How many of you enjoy watching your kids? Most of the time! And I think the same thing is true with God, most of the time He enjoys watching you be you. You were made for God’s pleasure. When you were born, God was there in that room, and he was happy, because He wanted you made. He made you for His purpose.

Now, last week Dr. Joe talked to you about how you were created to be loved by God. This week we’re looking at the flip side, the first purpose of your life, which is that God wants you to love Him back. One day Jesus was walking down the street and a guy came up and said, “Lord, what’s the most important command in the entire Bible?” Jesus goes, “okay, I’m going to give it to you. This is the most important thing. If you don’t get anything else, get this. It’s the most important.” It’s Matthew 22. He said,

Matthew 22:35-38 (MSG)

(35) One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up:

(36) "Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?"

(37) Jesus said, " ’Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’

(38) This is the most important, the first on any list.

God says if you don’t get anything else, here’s what you’re supposed to do in life: you’re supposed to learn to love Me back, because I made you to love you I want you to know and love me back.

Now, there’s a word for this. It’s a word we misunderstand so a lot of people don’t use it. It is the word “worship.” Worship is knowing and loving God back. Now, the problem is, worship is misunderstood today. When I say the word “worship,” what do you think of? Well, you may think of prayer. You may think of singing. You may think of ritual or communion or going to church, something you do in church. But worship is far more than all those things. See, your first purpose in life is to worship God. It’s your primary objective. It’s your highest priority. We’re going to talk about what that means today because, unfortunately, as I said, worship is misunderstood.

Mark 12:30 (HCSB)

(30) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

This is the memory verse for this week in the 40 Days Campaign.

I want to point out that God wants us to love Him three ways: First, God wants us to love Him thoughtfully. It says, “love Him with your mind.” Thoughtfully. In other words, He wants you to think it through, to not just do it without thinking. Second, God wants me to love him passionately. He says, “with all your heart and all your soul.” I want you to love Me passionately, because I passionately love you. And third, God wants us to love him practically. “Love Me with all your strength”, with your abilities. You see, the truth is that even though God created the entire world and the universe and He created you, there are three things God does not have unless you give them to Him. He doesn’t have your attention unless you give it to Him. That’s loving God with your mind. He doesn’t have your affection, unless you give it to Him. That’s loving God with your heart and your soul. And God doesn’t have your ability, unless you give it to Him. That’s loving God with your strength. Of course, all those things He gave you first. Whenever you take the things God has given to you and you give them back to God, that, friends, is the heart of worship.

So worship is focusing attention on God. Now, how do you do that? Well, you have to realize, first of all, that we are very easily distracted.

Romans 12:2 (MSG)

(2) Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God…