Planned For God's Pleasure Series

Planned for God’s Pleasure

Purpose #1 WORSHIP — 40 Days of Purpose

Mark 12:30

Adapted from Outline by Rick Warren—Saddleback Church

INTRODUCTION:

The Chicago Tribune reported this true story about a man named Bill Mallory who traveled to India to discover the purpose of life. Unfortunately, he didn’t find the answer. After returning home, he noticed a sign at Chevron gas station that simply said, “As you travel, ask us.” So every time he pulled into a Chevron station, he would look to the sign and say, “I’m a traveler. I’d like to ask you a question. What is the purpose life?” He got these real answers from attendants. The first guy said, “Sorry. I’m new here.” The second guy said, “I don’t remember anything in the manual about that.” Another guy said, “I’m not much for church myself, sir.” Most people just gave him a blank stare, cleaned his windshield, but Bill continued asking at all the Chevron stations.

One day he got a phone call from Chevron Customer Relations saying, “We understand you’ve been asking our dealer questions and getting unsatisfactory answers.” The man suggested Bill write out his question and send it to Chevron Corporate with a self-addressed stamped envelope. So Bill Mallory wrote these six words, “What is the purpose of life?” and sent it to Chevron Gas Company. A couple of weeks later, he found his self addressed, stamped envelope in his mailbox. Had someone at Chevron finally answered his question? The only thing in it was an application for a credit card!

If you want to know the purpose of life, you are not going to find it in a gas station. You won’t find it on a talk show, or in a self-help book. If you want to know the purpose of life, you need to look to your Creator. God has spelled out the purpose of life—the purpose of your life and mine in the “owner’s manual for life.” Life will not make sense until we open the Bible and follow God’s instructions.

• Revelation 4:11 (NLT)

You 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. You may find it hard to believe but the first purpose of your life is based in the reality that God gets enjoyment out of watching you live your life.

Parents enjoy watching their kids! Well, most of the time! God, our heavenly Father, likewise enjoys watching His children—most of the time He enjoys watching you be you. On the day you were born God was right there smiling from ear to ear, because He created you to enjoy you. God made you for His purpose.

Last week we talked about God’s motive in creating you. GOD MADE YOU SIMPLY BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU! You are the focus of God’s love.

This week we’re looking at the flip side; God wants you to love Him back. The first purpose of your life is to bring pleasure to God through loving Him.

You probably know this story. One day Jesus was questioned by a guy who was known as an expert in the Law; he said, “Lord, what’s the most important command in the entire Bible?” If we could sum up the Bible with just one statement—wow wouldn’t that be great?! Get ready because Jesus puts it all together for us. This is God’s #1 rule. If you do this everything else falls right in line.

• Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV)

[37] Love the Lord your God . . . [38] This is the first and greatest commandment.

Circle “first” and “greatest.” Jesus says if you only hear one thing I tell you, here’s what you’re supposed to do in life: LEARN TO LOVE GOD IN EVERYTHING YOU DO.

We have a word for loving God; it’s the word “WORSHIP.” The simplest definition of worship is “love God back.” Our first purpose in life, the greatest and most important thing we can do is WORSHIP GOD.

Here’s the problem—worship is misunderstood today. When I say the word “worship,” what do you think of? What does a person look like when they worship? Have you ever thought about that? Most people have the same mental image of worship; you can find it pictured in magazines or see it on TV. If you were looking around this morning you saw it here. Worship is arms raised, eyes closed and mouth open [demonstrate comically]! Yes, we can worship God by raising, even waving our hands (Susie likes to blow God kisses), and worship can be sung, but worship is far more than [demonstrate again].

This morning we are going to look at what it means to really worship God. This is our #1 priority in life; nothing is more important than learning how to love God, so we ought to learn what it really means if we’re going to do it right.