1. Esther 4:14
2. Philippians 3:7-15
3. Psalm 4
Let me start off by asking you a question.
What is the purpose for your life?
When you wake up in the morning what it that drives you is;
What is your purpose?
• When you get to work,
• or when you go to school,
What is it that makes you want to excel?
As you think about this question, certain pictures may come into your mind or example;
• you might be motivated by a child hood dream,
• expectation of family members,
• Or just trying to live the Dream.
The Dream, isn’t that what we all want?
The Dream says that we can do anything we want to do. Be whatever we want to be. It says that we should live our lives to the fullest, exceed what our parents accomplished. (read text)
As we all think about what our purpose is in life, or even as we try to find our purpose,
Let’s all understand that God has a purpose for our lives.
By the way what is purpose?
Purpose defined is; That which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished; the end or aim to which the view is directed in any plan, measure or exertion.
In other words,
• We build a house for the purpose for shelter,
• We labor for the purpose of sustenance.
• (Illustrate a pen; its purpose to write)
• But sadly enough, many Christians don’t have a clue what that purpose is.
Illustration
The little girl who went to her mother and asked “Mommy, why do you cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” The girl’s Mother thought for a moment and said “I think it’s because it adds to the flavor by allowing the meat to better absorb the spices, but maybe you should go ask your grandmother, because she always did it that way.” So the little girl went to her grandmother and asked “Grandma, why do you and Mom cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” Her grandmother thought for a moment and said “I think it allows the meat to stay tender because it soaks up the juices better, but why don’t you ask your Nana, because I learned it from her and she always did it that way.” The little girl, getting a little frustrated, goes to her great grandmother, climbs up on her lap and asks “Nana, why do you and Mom and Grandma cut the ends off the meat before you cook it?” Her great grandmother smiled and said “I’m not sure why they do it, but I did it because my pot wasn’t big enough.”
Let me share with you some of the benefits living with a purpose:
1. It will reduce frustration
• By knowing your purpose, you can reduce meaningless work. Otherwise, you may feel like your always busy, but not accomplishing much).
• Many of us have so many irons in the fire that we’re putting out the fire.
• We’re burning the candle at both ends and we’re not as bright as we think we are.
From the begining and in the creation we see how the purpose of God is revivled
At the same time from the beginning satan’s purpose was to break God’s pupose and plans in the entire raise of human.
2. It will increase motivation
If there is no purpose then, why get out of bed?
When you know what God wants you to do, you get excited, it gets you motivated to experience what God has in store for you today!
Principle To live a Purpose and a Purposed filled Life:
I. Decide To Know Christ. (Philippians 3:8)
Paul to find his direction in life, he had to come to the point in his life where he recognized that everything that he was doing was for personal gain and self-centeredness. So what did he do? He counted all of his accomplishments as a loss.
II. Forget the Past & Live For Today. (Philippians 3:12, 13)
Paul had a lot of reasons to feel sorrow. In Acts 7 Paul was know as Saul. He was already a man of prestige working his way to the top and consented to the 1st martyred death since the accession of Jesus Christ. I’m sure that Paul thought about his death a lot and it probably made him ashamed.
When you think about it we all have done things to make us feel ashamed, and we all live in the tension of what we have been or what we have done. But because our hope is in Christ, we can let go of our past guilt and look forward to what He will help us become through that personal relationship with Him.
Let me ask you do you have guilt in your life right now that is keeping you from living your life with purpose? Friend don’t you dwell on the past, but instead take that energy and focus on today and the purpose God has for you. Grow in knowledge by concentrating on your relationship with Him.
III. Moving Towards the Mark. (Philippians 3:13,14)
Paul identifies his purpose and places his cross hairs on the target. How? Recognizing that laying up heavenly treasures in heaven would be a lot more promising than trusting in worldly things.
Mat 6:19-20
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
The thieves purpose was to steal pride and joy from you. When you place trust in the world, it will fail you. But when you take all 168 that are in a week and live them for God today through that personal relationship with Him guess what? You are laying up treasures in heaven.
I want to ask you the same question that I asked earlier, what is the purpose in your life right now? When you wake up what drives you? Is it your relationship with God or the world? Is it for the prestige? Possessions? Pleasures? Friend if that’s you this morning would you consider a different purpose? One that points to eternal prestige, possession, pleasure? Do you even feel that you have a purpose?
Having said that, let me as all the most important question, if you died right now, where would you go? Heaven or hell, if you don’t know, friend you can now, and you can right now start living a purpose driven life.
Start by coming forward and making it public, then follow Christ in scriptural baptism and go to work with Him in this church.
Rev. NORMAN BERNAD
BANGALORE, INDIA
+919036696832
normanmab07@gmail.com
