Today we are begin a new series called “Don’t Duck Your Destiny.” We’re going to talk about living the purposeful life God calls us to live. I want to be right up front and say that if we are going to discover the reasons why we are here and the purposes we should be living for, that we cannot do that apart from God - specifically, Jesus Christ.
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When it comes to discovering your reason for living, you do not have any good alternatives if you take God out of the equation. You are left only with alternatives that will leave you empty. You see, there are basically two approaches we can take to discovering our purpose in life.
1. Speculation.
There are those who leave God out of the equation and try to find meaning in life by simply looking around.
A. The Survivalist says, “The purpose of life is to stay alive.”
“Only the strong survive.”
B) The Hedonist says, “The purpose of life is pleasure.”
“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.”
C) The Materialist says, “The purpose of life is all acquisition and accomplishment.”
“Get all you can and can all you get.”
D) The Naturalist says, “The purpose of life is simply to perpetuate the species.”
Jeff Cook, a former atheist says he once held this view concerning life. But when he had kids, he didn’t find the idea that we are the product of a mindless process of chemicals and atoms to have much hope to it. So he chose at that point to adopt a worldview that included God, because without God, there is no hope. Without God, you become fatalistic.
Oprah Winfrey once did a program on discovering your purpose in life. At every single break during that hour long show, she would say “Now, come back because we’re going to tell you your purpose.” Did she tell who stayed tuned in their purpose in life? She didn’t even come close. She didn’t even attempt it.
All she did was this: as the credits were rolling at the end of the program, she looked through the camera at her TV audience and said, “And remember, you’ve got to figure it out by yourself.” Those who were watching Oprah hoping to discover their purpose in life had wasted their time. That’s what you do when you look for your purpose by simply looking around - you’re wasting your time.
Which brings us to the second way we can discover our purpose in life.
2. Revelation.
There are those who leave God out of the equation and try to find meaning in life by simply looking around. They find nothing by frustration. Then there are those who factor God into the equation and find meaning in life by looking above.
In his book, “The Purpose Driven Life” Rick Warren begins by making this point: “It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.
“We look at this Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” - Colossians 1:16 (The Message)
There are three questions we need to ask of God in discovering our purpose for living.
Question #1: Why am I alive? The question of existence.
In this series, we will consider five reasons God put you on this planet. But today, I just want us to see God’s motive.
“Long before He laid down the earth’s foundation, He had us in His mind and settled on us as the focus of His love to be made whole and holy by His love.” - Ephesians 1:4 (The Message)
God says He made you to love you. You were created to be loved by God. God is love and God wanted to create something to love and so He created you. He didn’t need you. He wasn’t lonely. But He made you in order to love you. He didn’t need you, He wanted you.
Question #2: Does my life matter? The question of significance.
God made me to love me. But what’s more, He invites me to live for Him. This is important to understand because we were created with a desire to live lives that count for eternity.
“He has planted eternity in the human heart . . .” - Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT)
The God who has love for me, invites me to live for Him. This means He invites me to live a life of significance, because He invites me to live for His purposes, to be involved in things of eternal significance.
“His purposes last eternally!” - Psalm 33:11 (Good News)
“Your life is like the morning fog - it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” - James 4:14b (NLT)
But no matter how brief our life, it be significant if we know God and live for His purposes. The benefits of knowing God and living for Him are eternal.
By the way, do you want to know how much you matter to God? You matter so much to God that He wants to keep you with Him for the rest of eternity. That means I am significant!
Question #3: What am I here for? The question of purpose.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” - Ephesians 1:11-12 (The Message)
God’s intention is for you to have a personal relationship with Him through faith in Jesus Christ. He is at work, seeking to draw you to Himself. Once you come to know Him, you discover why you’re here, what really matters, and what your purpose in life is.
“There are two great days in a person’s life - the day we are born and the day we discover why.” - William Barclay
You have already experienced the first day mentioned - the day you were born. But have you experienced the second day mentioned?
That day is experienced when you realize that God loves you; that you are significant to Him; and that through a personal relationship with Him, you can participate in His eternal purposes.
Conclusion:
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. You have been born again. This new life did not come from something that dies. It came from something that cannot die. You were born again through God’s life-giving message that lasts forever.” - 1 Peter 1:18-19; 23 (NLT)
How do I begin the discovery of living a purposeful life?
ADMIT that apart from God, you are condemned to a purposeless existence, both now and for all eternity.
BELIEVE that God has come to our rescue in the person of Jesus Christ. That Jesus paid the penalty for our sin through His death on the cross, in order to provide us with forgiveness of sin; the possibility of a personal relationship with God; and the chance to live a life of eternal significance.
CHOOSE to receive this new life through faith in Christ as my personal Savior and Lord and being to live a life of purpose and eternal significance, both now, and forever.
“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” - Acts 2:40 (KJV)
