### **Introduction: Purpose or Performance?**
Video Ill.: Sermon Bumper 2
### **Opening Story + Transition (Refined for Sermon 2)**
Power Outage Teaches Church a Valuable Lesson
Source: Clark Cothern, "Power outage or Power display?" Leadershipjournal.net (10-3-09)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2009/november/3112309.html
In an article for *Leadership Journal*, Pastor Clark Cothern tells the story of a Sunday morning his church will never forget.
They met in a rented gym—no building of their own, just a faithful community doing what they can where they are. On that particular Sunday, the service was going as planned—music was strong, the lights were on, the sound was dialed in. Everything was flowing.
Then, right in the middle of Communion, the lights went out.
No storm. No warning. Just silence.
The electric piano went dead. The microphones cut off.
And suddenly, the entire congregation stood still, holding their bread and cup, in the quiet dark.
And in that moment… something holy happened.
No stage. No sound system. No production.
Just people. Voices. Community.
And the unmistakable presence of God.
They sang together—unplugged, unrehearsed—and the worship became deeper than it had been all morning.
Pastor Cothern prayed, “Lord, thank you that your power is on display, especially when our power is gone.”
And the moment he said “Amen”—the lights came back on.
The congregation laughed—not just because the timing was perfect, but because they all knew…
God had just reminded them: Worship is not about preference. His power is not tied to performance.
### **Transition to the Sermon:**
And I think that’s what many churches today need to remember.
We often believe that if we can just get the right event, the perfect song list, the cleanest production—then people will come, and lives will change.
But Jesus did not call us to put on a show—He called us to live out our faith.
Our purpose as the Church is not to create moments that impress…
It’s to live lives that reflect Christ.
**Key Line:**
Church is not an event to attend; it is a mission to live.
This morning, we are not just talking about faith that fills a seat.
We are talking about a faith that causes us to live with purpose—every day, using our gifts, stepping into our calling, and following Jesus with our lives, not just with our lips.
### **Point 1: Faith Gives Us a New Purpose**
Olympic Medalist Has a Higher Purpose
Source: Morgan Lee, “Meet the Rio Olympians Who Put God Before Gold” ChristianityToday.com (8-5-16); Pat Forde, “Meet Maya DiRado,” Yahoo!Sports.com (7-21-16)
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2020/june/olympic-medalist-has-higher-purpose.html
Sometimes, we confuse goals with purpose.
Goals are what we want to accomplish.
Purpose is why we want to accomplish them—what it all means in the end.
Take Olympic swimmer Madeline DiRado.
In 2016, she qualified for the Rio Olympics in four events. She had narrowly missed the team in 2012 at the age of 23 and knew this would be her one shot at Olympic glory.
And she reached her goals. She came home with a bronze, a silver, and two gold medals.
But that was not her purpose.
In an interview, she said something unexpected:
“I don’t think God really cares about my swimming very much. This is not my end purpose, to make the Olympic team. I think God cares about my soul and whether I’m bringing His love and mercy into the world… Can I be a loving, supportive teammate, and can I bless others in the same way God has been so generous with me?”
That is the difference between chasing accomplishments… and living with eternal purpose.
Many people are running hard after goals—money, recognition, comfort, success—but they are still searching for meaning.
The world says, “Find what makes you happy.”
Jesus says, “Lose yourself in Me, and you will truly live.”
### **Transition to Scripture**
And that is exactly what the apostle Paul is conveying and teaching us in Galatians 2:20. He says:
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2, NLT)
You see, Paul is saying, “My purpose is not mine anymore. It is His.”
It is no longer I who live. It is Christ who lives in me!
When we surrender our lives to God, when we submit to His will, when we accept His gift of grace, our life’s purpose is radically changed.
We have something completely different for which to live.
I am not just living for goals anymore. I am living for God’s glory. Not success. Not comfort. Not applause. But for the glory of God and the mission of His kingdom.
### **Illustration: The Empty Trophy Case**
Not long ago, we were at a district rival school for a basketball game. While waiting on Isaiah to get changed, I walked through the hallway and noticed an old trophy case tucked into the wall.
Inside were awards from decades past—some dating back 50, 75 years or more. Trophies from schools that no longer exist, schools that had been consolidated into this newer one. The names on the plaques were fading, the metal tarnished, and the glory of those victories… gathering dust.
At one time, those trophies represented something huge—celebration, pride, achievement.
But now, they sit largely unnoticed, mostly forgotten.
And I could not help but think…
That is what life looks like when we chase goals but miss our purpose.
When we run after success, applause, and achievements—but not after Christ—we may win a few trophies…
But time will fade them.
Our stuff will be sold, donated, or thrown away.
Even our greatest accomplishments, if they are only about us, will eventually be forgotten.
But when we live like Jesus—when we use our gifts for His Kingdom—our lives take on eternal value.
That is what the old hymn asks so powerfully:
2 In the strength of the Lord let me labor and pray,?Let me watch as a winner of souls;?That bright stars may be mine in the glorious day,?When His praise like the sea-billow rolls. (Chorus)
3 Oh, what joy it will be when His face I behold,?Living gems at His feet to lay down;?It would sweeten my bliss in the city of gold,?Should there be any stars in my crown. (Chorus)
Will there be any stars, any stars in my crown?When at evening the sun goeth down??When I wake with the blest?In the mansions of rest,?Will there be any stars in my crown?
We are not called to live for dusty trophies.
We are called to live for the glory of God.
That is a life of purpose.
That is a faith that goes far beyond belief.
**Application Questions:**
This morning, we need to ask ourselves, “Is my purpose centered around me?”
Or are we allowing Christ to live His purpose through us?
### **Point 2: Faith Points Us to Our Spiritual Gifts**
God did not send Jesus into this world—bringing grace, mercy, and love—just so we could sit in padded pews inside temperature-controlled rooms.
He saved us for a purpose.
He recreated us so we could live out a mission—doing good works that bring Him glory and extend His love.
Paul says it plainly in Ephesians 2:10:
10 …[W]e are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2, NLT)
Works of service.
Works of hope.
Works of love.
And here is one of the best-kept secrets of the Christian life—though it should not be a secret at all:
When God recreated us in Christ, He gave us exactly the gifts we would need to do the work He planned for us.
God knew what He was doing.
He is not going to call us into a life of service without equipping us with exactly what is needed.
Paul builds on this truth in Romans 12:
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have || many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability || to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you || leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. (Romans 12, NLT)
Teaching. Encouraging. Giving. Leading. Serving. Showing kindness.
None of these gifts are random.
Our gifts are not accidents—they are assignments.
Our talents, our passions, our skills—these point toward the unique way God has designed us to make a difference in His kingdom.
### **Illustration: The Toolbox**
When I got my first car—a 1968 Dodge Dart—my Grandpa Jackson gave me something he said every car needed: a toolbox.
He told me, “You never know what might happen. You need to be prepared.”
And he filled that toolbox with tools:
Wrenches in various sizes so I could tighten up a bolt or a nut.
Different sizes of screwdrivers to tighten any screw that might be loose.
Pliers because I might need to hold on to something.
Vice grips because I might actually need to hold on to something very tightly.
And then there were other tools. Some not necessarily car related. A hammer, for example. A hacksaw. Because, you just never know!
Each tool had a specific purpose.
And each one was meant to be used—not just admired. These tools would do no good if the car was broke down and I didn’t pull them out and use them in order to get the car going again.
In the same way, God has given each of us a spiritual toolbox.
He has filled it with the right gifts to accomplish the work He has prepared in advance for us to do.
But just like my grandpa’s toolbox, our spiritual gifts are useless if we never pull them out.
Faith is not just about having the tools. It is about using them.
### **Application Questions:**
This morning, what gifts and talents has God placed in us?
Are we actively using those gifts, or are they gathering dust sitting on a shelf or in a toolbox?
Paul gave us a powerful list in Romans 12—maybe it is time to revisit that list and ask: Where do I see myself?
Let us not just admire the gifts. Let us apply them—faithfully, joyfully, and on purpose.
### **Point 3: Faith Calls Us to Active Mission, Not Passive Events**
Friends, the church is not a venue for spiritual spectators.
We are not here to put on a show for each other.
We do not come so that we can sit back, relax, and just take it all in.
No. Not at all.
Faith is not about attending the best programs or biggest events at the church. Faith is about becoming the hands and feet of Jesus.
Peter echoed Paul’s words in his first letter, chapter 4:
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the || strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. (1 Peter 4, NLT)
Big events may create excitement, but faithful service creates transformation.
Service that is about meeting the needs of the body of Christ, the needs of our family, the needs of our neighbors.
Service is about getting out there with all of our strength and energy, doing the work God is calling us to do.
### **Illustration: The Empty Arena**
Have you ever been in an arena after an event like a concert is over?
The lights start going dim.
The crowd files out.
The energy that filled the room just moments before fades into silence.
The confetti has fallen, the stage is torn down, and the sound system is powered off.
It is always striking how fast the place empties.
Just moments before, it felt like the center of the universe—bright lights, big sound, a sense of momentum.
But now… it is just a room again.
And that is exactly what can happen in the church if we are not careful.
We pour so much energy into events—the production, the presentation, the moment. We put on events to try to grab the attention of the community. And they come in for a while.
And for a while, it feels full.
But what happens when the lights go down and the room is empty?
The real work begins when the seats are empty. When the service is over. When the event has concluded.
The mission field is not on the stage. The mission field is outside those doors.
The world does not need another performance.
It needs the people of God to rise up in purpose—using their gifts, showing His love, and serving with humility.
Church is not about what happens in the room. It is about who we become once we leave it.
**Key Challenge:**
This morning, stop waiting for the next big thing. Start being part of God's everyday mission.
**Application Questions:**
I think today we need to ask ourselves “Are we more focused on having events or meeting needs?”
That said, having events here at the church is not wrong at all. It is a way to expose our community to the church, to God, and to the saving and loving grace of Jesus. But we cannot just be concerned about having events and activities. Our evangelistic activities cannot just be events, holidays, and special Sundays. It is so much more than that! It is living every single day with the purpose that God has given us using our gifts to minister and to change the lives around us!
Do we expect the church to entertain us, or are we committed to being the Church?
### **Conclusion: Living With Purpose**
Faith in Christ is not an accessory we add to life—it is our life.
Faith calls us to wake up every day and say: "Lord, how do You want to use me today?"
Use your gifts. Live your purpose.
Do not sit back and wait for something "big."
The purpose of your life is not an event — it is a daily calling.
I said this earlier, and I want to say it again:
“Church is not an event to attend; it is a mission to live.”
I want us to say that out loud together — not just as a statement, but as a commitment:
“Church is not an event to attend; it is a mission to live.”
This morning, what part of that mission is ours to live out this week?
What has God placed in *us*—what gift, what passion, what opportunity—that needs to move us from sitting in a pew to serving with purpose?
**Closing Scripture:**
Paul said in Galatians 2:20:
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.… (Galatians 2, NLT)
May we live as Christ, showing His love, His grace, our hope to the world today.
May we start by identifying one gift or passion we can use this week to serve someone else.
May this prayer be on our lips: "God, help me to live my purpose, not just attend events."
