Text: John 9:1-3
Title: Born for a purpose
Introduction
1. Opening Story
50th birthday party. Party favor/spinner…This is How to find your purpose in life after you turn 50.
Question: What is your purpose in life? Why are you and I here on earth?
We find our purpose in life written in the Bible. One place in the Bible where we find our purpose in life is in John 9:1-3
“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him,’ Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”
Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.”
I want to share 4 truths that I see here in these 3 verses in John chapter 9
1.I see that we are all born for a purpose.
2.I see that we are all born- blind to our purpose.
3. I see that it has to take a miracle of God in order for us to see our purpose
4. I see the purpose for which we were all born….. So That the work of God may be displayed in our life
1.I see that we are all born for a purpose
As Jesus traveled with his disciples along the road they came across a certain man. The scripture tells us the disciples immediately saw that the man was born with a problem. The bible tells us the disciples saw that this certain man’s problem was that he was blind from birth. But Jesus however saw that the man was also born with something else. Where the disciples only saw a man born with a problem. Jesus saw a man born with a purpose. For this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life. Jesus and his disciples were both looking at the same man but they saw that man 2 completely different ways.
The disciples saw a man who was born with a problem. Jesus saw a man who was born with a purpose. That the work of God may be displayed in his life.
Application: This begs the question: What do we see in our own lives?
Do we see our problems or do we see our purpose! You might say today… but I have really big problems! God wants you to know today …your problems may be big but your purpose is bigger!
Your purpose is always bigger than your problems.Your problems are temporary but your purpose is eternal. But you might say today…When I look at my life ”I only see my problems!”
Today God wants you to leave here also seeing your purpose. You were born for a purpose.
The truth is that God formed you for his purpose. “You were created by God and you were created for God.” God says to us “Let your purpose define who you are, not your problems”
God gave each one of us all a promise long before we were all born. For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and to give you a hope and a future. You were born for a purpose
Even though we were all born for a purpose I see in John 9:1-3 some bad news
2. We are all born blind to our purpose
You and I are that blind man in John 9! Now when I say you and I are that blind man in John 9…’m not saying- like him we were all born blind physically. I’m saying like him we were all born blind spiritually. Is there a difference?
You can’t see your purpose in life with physical eyes. You can only see your purpose in life through spiritual eyes.
We have a perfect example of this in our story
Consider the 2 different ways the disciples and Jesus looked at the blind man. The disciples looked at the man born blind through their physical eyes. And because they looked at the man born blind with their physical eyes they couldn’t see his purpose…they could only see his problem. Jesus on the other hand looked at the man born blind through spiritual eyes. And because Jesus looked at the man born blind through spiritual eyes… he could instantly see that blind man’s purpose.
You can only see your purpose in life if your spiritual eyes are open. That’s one reason why the Bible says we must be born again. Only when you are born again by the Spirit of God can your spiritual eyes be open. I once was blind but now I see…
Recap
Everyone is born for a purpose
Everyone is born blind to that purpose
Then it must be true that…
3. It has to take a miracle of God in order for us to see our purpose
Without a miracle from God our natural tendency might be to react just like the disciples did.
The disciples played the BLAME GAME.
The first thing they said to Jesus was “Who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind?.” They immediately looked for someone to blame.
Either it was this man who sinned or it was his parents who sinned because there’s no only reason why he was born blind.
Notice that the BLAME GAME got stopped fairly quickly by Jesus.
Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.”
While the disciples were only interested in fixing the blame- God was only interested in fixing the person!
When you are tired of playing the blame game… God has a miracle for you.
You might think that your problem is bigger than your purpose…God doesn’t think so.
For every mess God has a miracle! For every sin God has a savior! Jesus
You might say it will take a miracle… God specializes in miracles!
I can’t see my life having any purpose! God can! But I’m too old to change. Maybe this blind man was your age or older! I can’t forget all the mistakes I’ve made. God says I can! I can’t see the purpose for which you created me.God says "I can"!
Finally we come to the 4th truth in our passage
4. The purpose for which we were born is that the work of God may be displayed in our life
That is why you were born. So God could display his work in your life. He wants us to be a trophy of His Grace
There are 4 responses we can have to our purpose
Response # 1
I don’t want God to display his work through me
Here is the truth: You are blind and you don’t even know it!
You would rather have your problems than God’s purpose
Response #2
First let me fix my problems then God can display his work through me
If you fix all your problems (which you never will) how is God able to display his work through you.
It’s not the righteous who need a doctor but the sick
Response #3
My problems are too big for God to display his work through me.
God specializes in big problems
The harder the better!
Nothing is impossible with God
Response #4
Yes God I want you to display your work through me!
