We’ve just completed WHY I BELIEVE study series. We heard at length about creation and evolution.
• Something really stands out for me – God’s deliberate design!
• If this universe is so well-made, orderly, consistent… if this material world is created with such delicate beauty, wisdom and design, then think for a moment, what about us?
• We have the TOUCH of the Master’s hand! Moreover we are made in His likeness.
• Can our lives be ordinary, if we are not products of random chance?
Ps 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Eph 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
God has a design for your life. If this world wasn’t left to chance, how can we be? How could God have made lives to be aimless and without purpose?
• The truth is we are divinely made for a grand purpose; we are fashioned for greatness!
• If we are mesmerised by the universe and its greatness, then we must stand in awe of our own lives, and its greatness.
We cannot allow this life to simply drift on! We cannot waste this life, because by doing so we are doing God a great injustice. We are robbing God of His glory.
• We are not aimless creatures roaming on earth. We are divinely made, with a divine purpose. Our life is a divine-purpose-driven life.
God’s call is for us to live a life worthy of His calling. We are to be disciples of Christ who will make disciples for Christ.
• We are put on earth for this. And when it is done, Jesus will return for us.
We do not, therefore, live to "get the most out of life". We live to GIVE to life. We are called to GIVE to this world, so that this world can be changed.
• This is God's purpose for your life, and mine. Whether you are called to be a pastor or missionary full-time, or a teacher, mechanic, home-maker, student, or whatever.
1. REMEMBER YOUR DIVINE CALLING
Many years ago there was this TV comedy called SEINFELD. Millions of people loved the show when it was aired. A college drama department did a study to find out why Seinfeld was so popular. Their conclusion: its plot-less programming.
Seinfeld just move aimlessly from one scene, one circumstance to the next without connection. No ties, no obligations, no responsibilities of any kind. He personifies a free agent living a free life. The department studies show that people who lead plot-less lives likes plot-less TV programs.
This “plotlessness” is prevalent today. People move from one circumstance to another, one stage of life to the next, without purpose.
• They move from school to college, from university to their first job.
• They are dying to be successful, to get rich, dying to get married and dying to have kids. They are dying to get them to universities, and then out of the house (get married off).
• Then they’re dying to retire, only to find out that they are dying – and never knowing why they are alive in the first place.
We are different. We must be different, because we KNOW a purpose.
• We don’t drift through life; we navigate towards a cause. We know where we want to go (I hope).
• We cannot be victims of the circumstances because God’s hands are in them.
• God changes us to change the world. He has a plot and we are in that plot.
If you believe this, then nothing in life is pointless. Nothing can be meaningless.
• No one day is a dull day, from that perspective. God is actively engaged in our world and in our life today.
• Every day is a day where His eternal purposes are being fulfilled, if you are allowing Him to.
• This is not a dream. This is real, if we see life the way God sees it. It is always His purpose-driven life.
God’s will is for everyone to be a disciple and a disciple-maker!
• This gives your life great significance and value.
The word ‘disciple-maker’ may sound BIG to you but simply put, it means we are to influence others to KNOW Christ and BE like Christ.
• Parents, you are doing that actually, every day, when you teach your children the Word of God and guide them in doing things God’s way.
• Those who serves in the Sunday School, children ministry, or in the small groups, you are influencing lives every week.
• The only thing is that this happens sporadically, occasionally, and sometimes, by chance.
We want to make it a focus in the coming years. We want to make our learning and growing more intentional.
• When we leave this world, we want to leave behind an eternal impact.
• Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep.” We serve God’s purpose in our generation and then we pass on.
Jesus at age 12 said, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?” (Luke 2:49 NKJV). At 33 when He died: “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
• The first words and last words of Jesus. They are like book-ends framing up a life well-lived. This is not just for Jesus, but for anyone who serves God.
• So remember our divine calling, and then get rid of all distractions.
2. IGNORE THE EARTHLY DISTRACTIONS
We cannot get rid of them, they will come at us. You don’t have to look for them, they will come uninvited.
Satan will work against us to distract us, again and again, and get us sidetrack to other ‘good’ stuff.
• Perhaps this is why the author of Hebrew exhorts us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. (Heb. 12:2).
• We need to look at Him all the time, because everything around us is calling us to come away from Him and His purpose for our lives.
I saw an accident right before my eyes on Monday night. I felt indirectly responsible. I was driving and filtering out to the middle lane. It was raining lightly and visibility was low. The car in front wanted to squeeze in and the next second I saw this sport car zooming pass him, at a quicker speed, obviously trying to beat him. The car spotted the sport car and swerved back suddenly.
The next thing, we saw the sport car hit the van in front, which slowed down. It was quite obvious that the driver in the sport car was distracted. He was trying to beat the car on the left. He speeded up to overtake. But in doing so, he forgot to take note of what was happening in front.
You don’t need a lot to be distracted; a split second cause will do the job. Peter was walking well on water and a glance at the storm sank him.
• We don’t need a lot to be distracted today. We have a problem staying focused. We need to make lots of effort to stay on track.
• How can we stay focus on the things that are important? How can we stay committed to the cause of Christ?
IGNORE EVERYTHING ELSE. Ignore the earthly distractions.
• A famous musician attributed her success to “planned neglect”.
• Plan to neglect everything that is not important. Ignore them deliberately.
It is like the story of the frogs having a race up the hill. A group of them arranged for a race up the hill to the top. A big crowd gathered to watch and cheer.
Honestly, no one in crowd really believed the frogs would reach the top. Not long into the race, the crowd shouted: "It’s way too difficult! You'll never make it! It’s too high."
And true enough, after an initial burst of energy, the frogs began to collapse. The shouts went on: "It’s no use! Don’t waste your energy! You might as well give up!"
More and more of the frogs were exhausted and gave up. But ONE continued climbing, relentlessly, higher and higher and higher. Finally, to the disbelief of the crowd, that one frog reached the top! The other frogs were stunned.
How did he make it? What was his secret? As it turns out, the frog was deaf!
He wasn’t distracted by the shouts or criticisms.
• Ignore them – the unimportant stuff. Choose to neglect them, deliberately.
• Ignore your computer until you’ve read your Bible. Don’t open your emails until you’ve prayed. Or don’t switch on the TV until you’ve finished the dinner with your family and had a family conversation without noise?
Practice planned neglect. Think of some things you need to neglect today.
• “Successful people don’t drift to the top. It takes focused action, personal discipline, and lots of energy every day to make things happen.” — Les Hewitt
• We pray that God will help us stay focus on what God has for us. If it is worth pursuing, then we want to give it all our heart. If it is the thing that matters, then we should.
