(stories at end of sermon)
It’s hard to believe we’re at the end of 40 days. We are here to celebrate. I have been asking you to write your stories about what have you learned during 40 Days of Purpose. Those are compiled in today’s Celebration Packet unless you asked me not to print yours. And I am so proud of you and what God has done through you and in you and to you and for you.
SLIDE 2
Look on your outline. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 11:2, "Remember today what you have learned about the Lord through your experiences with Him." Would you circle the word "remember." The Bible says we are to remember the lessons we have learned.
Some things we only learn through experience. And what an experience the last 40 days have been in our readings and in our services and in our Sunday School groups and in our sharing and in the ministry fair and so on.
So today, I’m going to look at what have we learned about God, about ourselves, about life, about growing, about our community.
SLIDE 3
So what have I learned –- what have I learned about God? The first thing I’ve learned is that it’s all about God. All of my life, all that I have is about and from God.
The Bible says in Hebrews 2:10, "God is the one who made all things and all things are for His glory. He wanted to have many children share His glory.” I started this 40 Days by saying the purpose of your life is far greater than anything you can imagine in your life. You were made by God and for God -- and you can probably finish this by now -- and until you understand that, life doesn’t make sense. You were made for God.
Look at this verse: "Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.”
Now, when you understand that, doesn’t that change everything? Doesn’t that just kind of change your priorities and your perspective and a lot of other things?
Listen to what one of our life time members had to say about this campaign:
READ STORY NO. 2
It is all about God. Let’s sing a song that expresses this well:
SLIDES 4- 9
SONG: The Heart of Worship
SLIDE 10
Now, the second thing, that I learned about God is this: that God still does miracles.
This is reflected in your stories: I hope you will read the stories if you haven’t had a chance yet.
Listen to this story:
READ NO. 1
There are so many things that God has done in the last 40 days, so many, many miracles.
The Psalmist declared: "You are the God of miracles and wonders! You still demonstrate Your awesome power." Ps. 77:14 (LB)
God is a miracle-working God and nothing is impossible to Him. He is good. And He is worthy of our praise. Let’s thank God for his graciousness for all that He’s done in the last 40 days.
SLIDES 11-15
SONG: God Is Good
SLIDE 16
Next, what have I learned about Life through this experience?
Number one, I learned that life is preparation for eternity. Life is preparation for eternity. In fact, if someone were to say to you this question: What is the meaning of life? I can’t think of a better three-word answer than “preparation for eternity.”
READ STORY # 4
So when somebody asks you what life is—say it with me, three words—“preparation for eternity.”
Look at what the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11. “God has planted eternity in the human heart. It takes a lifetime for all of us to learn. It’s what John Wesley would call going on to perfection—it’s a life long process.
Now I have also learned more about the 5 purposes of life. To the extent that I can learn to live out these purposes, to that extent I can balance the purposes of life.
This is going to be the review section of the service this morning. I’m going to take just a few minutes to review what we talked about these last 40 days, these five purposes. And let’s just see how you do. All right? There are fill-ins there on your outline, you help me with the fill-ins; all right?
SLIDE 17 TITLE
I’m counting on you guys in the front row, especially; all right? You guys look especially smart today. If you don’t do well, you have to move to the back row, and the back row has to move to the front in just a minute.
Five purposes…No. 1, I was planned for what? -- for God’s pleasure. You’re not doing well to begin with. I was planned for God’s pleasure. The Bible word for that is "worship." Absolutely. Front row, you’re letting me down, but there’s a smart one right back there, those guys are smart, man!
Secondly, I was formed for God’s family. Family. I was planned for God’s pleasure. I was formed for God’s family. And the Bible word for that is "fellowship." We’re on a roll now.
I was created to become like Christ. And the Bible word for that is "discipleship," becoming like Jesus Christ.
And then the fourth purpose, I was shaped to serve God. This is only a couple weeks ago, so we should get better on these last ones. I was shaped to serve God. The Bible word for that is "ministry," that’s what God made me for.
Then the last purpose, the fifth purpose, I was made for a mission. And the Bible word for that is "mission."
SLIDE 17 B--Content
Let’s say those together again now that we all have them.
· I was planned for God’s pleasure.
· I was formed for God’s family.
· I was created to become like Christ.
· I was shaped to serve God.
· And I was made for a mission.
That’s the purpose of life. That’s why God put me here. That’s why God put you here, to do those things in our lives and through our lives.
SLIDE 19
8:30 -- Well our dear friend Ron has been struggling with finding his purpose in life. Here come the Bethany Players to update us on Ron’s journey.
11:00 – Today we have our District Superintendent, Susan Garrett with us. She’s going to bring greetings from the District and commend you on the work you have been doing as a church family to fulfill God’s purposes.
How exciting it is to know that God made us to live for His purposes. I was created to live for God.
SLIDE 20
What have I learned about spiritual growth during these 40 days? I think I learned that I grow through making commitments, and I grow through fellowship. And if anything summarizes what the last 40 days has been all about, it has been about those two things: Making commitments and fellowship. It takes more than coming to church to grow. You’re not going to grow just coming church. You have to act on what you learn.
The Bible says in James 2:17, "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is" -- what? -- "is dead." You can go to church the rest of your life; but if you are not growing spiritually, it does you little good.
Now, almost all of us have made significant commitments in the last 40 days. We have ___ people today who are becoming members of the Bethany church family, some of you are making public confessions of faith for the first time, some of you are renewing your faith as you remember your baptismal vow you received in another church. Others will be joining in the future weeks ahead who could not be here today.
SLIDE 21
Right now I want to recognize those of you who have made these commitments – will you come forward as I read your name:
RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS AND BAPTISMS
In addition to these commitments of belonging to God’s church family here at Bethany, several of you committed to being involved in ministry and church leadership through the ministry Fair and invitations sent to you by the Lay Leadership Committee. Some of you who have never served anywhere in Bethany signed up for ministry. That was a major step of commitment.
READ NO. 6, 7 AND 14
We grow not by sitting and listening. We grow by making commitments, and the people who have grown the most in the last 40 days are those who stepped up.
SLIDE 22
I need to go to the next level of maturity. I need to go to the next step in my spiritual journey and in my growth to maturity. I grow through commitment. I also grow through fellowship because God’s plan -- we talked about this and it is in the book -- always involves other people. You cannot grow on your own.
In other religions, the holy man is the person who hides himself away from humanity and lives up in the mountain by himself. Not in God’s Book. God says if you’re going to be holy, you have to be around other people, because holiness is love and you can’t love people unless you’re around them. So you got to get with other people.
Some of you made a real step, a real step for some of you, to get involved in a Sunday School group. Many of you for the very first time said, “I’ll go to a fellowship and I’ll have a daily devotional reading,” -- in fact, I want to ask everybody who was in a group during 40 Days, would you just stand, if you were in a Sunday School group. I want to you look at this. Look at this. All right? Now stay standing for just a minute.
I want to you read this verse while you’re standing with me. Proverbs 27. Let’s read it aloud. “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other." I want to ask you a question: How many of you would say I grew more with other people than I would have on my own. Can I see your hands? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Be seated. I know I did. With the change we made in our time schedule I was able to lead a SS group and I have really benefited from the fellowship. We plan to continue the group.
Look at this next verse, Philippians 4:9, let’s read it aloud together. “Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard, and the God of peace will be with you.” Do I need to comment on this verse or is that clear enough? Okay? He’s saying why would you stop doing what helps you the most? You need stay in a group.
SLIDE 23
Feeling all alone? Then you need a buddy—stay in a class or group or get in one if you haven’t yet.
Now, you have three options; okay? One is you can stay in the group you’re in, and that’s fine. Or No. 2, you can join a new group. Or No. 3, you can start a new group, because some of you as you were in this thing, about halfway through it, you figured you know what? I could have been a leader. So if you want to start a new group, well just let me know, write on your card “leader," and we’ll let you start a whole new group. We’ll get you some information.
Hebrews 10:25. "We should not stop gathering together with other believers. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more." Why? Because we grow through fellowship.
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So I’ve learned about God, about life, about growth. What did I learn about our community?: that people are hungry for spiritual matters. The world is hungry to know God’s love, to know God’s purpose. And the big myth is that they are not interested -- as we learned last week in the Gallup polls that I shared with you.
READ NO. 8, 9
Look what the Jesus said in John 4, "Look around you! Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us and they are ready now for reaping." God will use you if you’re available.
God wants to use you. He wants to use you in ministry and mission because this is your destiny. Let’s sing about it.
SLIDES 25-28
SONG: I Give you My Heart
SLIDE 29
Now, what are we going to do? What’s next as we come to the end of 40 Days? Now what?
Well, let me tell you a couple things God wants us us to do. Number one, -- write this down -- start living what you have learned. Start living what you have learned.
Let’s read these three verses -- John 13, Ephesians 5, and Philippians 3 together. First, let’s read John 13, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." The blessing doesn’t come in knowing the purposes of life. The blessing comes in doing the purposes of life.
Let’s read the next one, Ephesians 5, "Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do." Did you know that you are more responsible than you were 40 days ago? You know more. You know what life is all about. And God says don’t live -- you can’t go back to the old way of living. Why? Because you know more fully the meaning of life now. So he says you have to live responsibly.
I was planned for God’s pleasure, so I better worship God today. I was formed for God’s family, so I better fellowship with some other believers. I was created to be like Christ. I was shaped to serve God. I was made for mission; therefore, I will build my life on these things. I can’t go back.
As Philippians 3:16 says, look at the next verse, "Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it!"
Let me give you a couple suggestions for doing this. One, let me ask you, how many of you remember everything you read in the book? Can I see your hands? That’s what I thought. Our minds have an amazing capacity to forget things. So I want to suggest that you reread the book. Because basically we compressed the entire Christian life into 40 days. You could read a chapter a day again and maybe get a journal this time and maybe start writing down some of your thoughts. If you want to do it in a group again, that’s fine. Actually, in the back of the book, there are some questions, there are 36 questions I wrote for groups we didn’t even use during 40 Days. But I would suggest you review it.
Secondly, keep having your daily devotional, having the time with the Lord.
And a third thing I want to suggest—is consider how God has called you to be faithful in your finances as well as the rest of the other areas of your life. We have great things going here at Bethany but it takes financial resources to keep these ministries going.
So I want to challenge you today—it this church means something to you at all-if you are a regular attender here--consider giving a Thanksgiving offer above and beyond what you typically give on Sundays. I’m going to do it today myself. If you are not prepared to to do it today—consider giving a Christmas gift to Bethany as an expression of your gratitude to God for what is happening in your life through this church. I challenge you to do that today or some time during the Christmas season.
SLIDE 30
Number two, pass it on. You only keep what you give away. You only keep what you give away. And you will not retain the things you have learned unless you pass them on. God doesn’t want you to be a reservoir. He wants you to be a funnel. He wants you to be a straw. May your prayer be, “God, I’m a straw. Use me to bless other people.” And if you pass it on to others, you share a truth, you write it in a letter, you send an e-mail, you send them a tape, you give them a book, you bring them to church, whatever you do, you pass it on, then you’ll keep growing.
So now, Start living what you have learned.
SLIDE 31
One way to pass it on is invite your friends, relatives, neighbors and associates to our Advent and Christmas series: from Hambugh to Halleujhah. We’ll be showing video clips from the movie A Christmas Carol in the 8:30 service
8:30 -- If time permits
Here’s a preview
VIDEO CLIP
As I close these thoughts, I want to say this again, I’m so proud of you. There is no church like Bethany Church. Thank you for taking the risk to go through this spiritual growth campaign.
SLIDE 32
Romans 1:8 is a verse I think of when I think about you, “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for every one of you because the news of your faith is spreading throughout the whole world.”
SLIDE 33
I told you when we started, we’re not alone in this one -- 1565 other churches in all 50 states and ten countries. It is a God movement. When God blesses a church like this, what is our response? Two responses: Gratitude and humility. God, we’re grateful and God, we humble ourselves before you. And we’re going to trust you to lead us as you lead us on.
As we close in this service, I want us to pray a prayer together with our eyes open. Inside your program is a Purpose Driven Life page, I want you to open to this page. This is the commitment for the 40 days. There’s nothing to sign up for; there’s nothing to sign.
I want to suggest to you to put this in a prominent place to remind you of what is the purpose of life. Put it on your dashboard or your mirror or office or refrigerator, someplace like that. But I want us to read it aloud together as a prayer as a church family. Let’s read it aloud together. Let’s start with "since life." Read it with me.
“Since life is preparation for eternity, I want to use my time on earth fulfilling God’s five purposes for me. I was planned for God’s pleasure,” that’s worship, “so I will use this day to get to know and love God better. I was formed for God’s family,” that’s fellowship, “so I will use this day to show love to other believers. I was created to become like Christ,” that’s discipleship, “so I will use this day to make choices to grow my character. I was shaped to serve God,” that’s ministry, “so I will use this day to serve God by serving others. I was made for a mission,” that’s evangelism, “so I will use this day to share the Good News.”
SLIDE 34
The Bible says in Psalm 126, “The Lord has done spectacular things for us.” And truly we are on holy ground.
Let’s sing this song as our prayer today:
SLIDES 35-36
SONG: Holy Ground (Take Time to Be Holy)
SLIDE 37
My Story
Below are just a few examples of how people’s lives were changed during the 40 Days of Purpose.
I don’t think that us beginning to attend this church at the time the 40 Days of Purpose started is just coincidence. I personally was seeking what my spiritual connection was, especially after the death of my dearest friend of all, my mother. I needed to fill a void in my heart and life that I only knew could be through God. The Sunday messages as well as reading the book have made me begin to realize exactly what I needed to do in my life. I have begun to feel such a heaviness lifted out of my heart, that has been replaced with a peacefulness that I know will continue to grow. Thanks! - Lisa Stickley
The Purpose Driven Life is the greatest God-centered and helpful program that Bethany has ever sponsored. I enjoyed and was inspired by every phase of the 40 Day study and emphasis on our relationship with Jesus Christ. Even though one has read and studied the Bible and participated in the program of the church, I soon learned this is not enough. God created us for a purpose, that His love for me is more than I can comprehend. He expects me to love Him with all that I have and I must show my love to others in winning them to Christ and meeting their needs. This has been a great study! A study that challenges me to greater things for my Lord. I pray that, with my fellow church members, we will show a deeper love and commitment in fulfilling God’s five purposes in our lives.
- Bev Roller
I learned about God, how to be a church member and how to get baptized. - Cory Johnson
Even though we got a late start (because of cataracts, pacemakers, etc.) we are finding the Purpose Driven Life very helpful and informative. Along with your Sunday messages, it is helping us to see the Big Picture of how all the pieces of our life fit together and help prepare us for eternity.
- Earl & Louise Motley
The reading on fruits of the spirit impressed me. I have a tendency to expect perfection - this helped me to see that I am not failing when I don’t do everything right. I am growing. And so are those whom I would have criticized. I am joining a church ministry and intend to use my free time to care about others, not to be so involved in my own selfish interests
. - Shirley Davies
Participating in church ministries. I am now part of the Junior High Youth Group which the Lord has been asking me to do for months. I am also taking on several projects from the family coordinator. Helping with children and family are important to me. I have been approached by several choir members to sing in choir - haven’t given into that one YET!! - Cindy Kite
I have learned God will give you what you need to step out of your comfort zone. No matter what talents we have they are to be used for the Lord. - Anonymous
It has been an eye opener for better ways of ministering to the least of these. You only get out what you put in. I shared with a young lady in Super Shoes that was raised in church but because of a relationship with a Jehovah Witness is not churched but wants to be. - Louise Jennings
Bethany Church must keep "Fishing". It is so wonderful to see our growth and spirit of this congregation even though so few are making invitations. Imagine if only.... - Alan Yeo
I have not been faithful reading like I should have. I’m very moved by what I have read - that God made me for a special purpose. I’m going to continue to read and know God will continue to bless me. - Marcia Chittum
In the mist of all of daily life this 40 days has given me great assurance of my relationship with Christ. But also pulled me out of comfort zone to know I need to be excited, serving here and the world what I feel because of the personal relationship I have with Christ. - Bess Via
That I can let go and let God take control and giving over control is so nerve wrecking. That we are in this world and there are failures and disappointments but only God, not this world, can use them for good. - Anonymous
Revealed my ministry and mission is at hand, One soul at a time. We must wait upon the Lord. People do need to talk about God. The Word is the core. The Holy Spirit is the power. It’s not me. - Jim Liptrap
Through this time we have been studying the 40 Days of Purpose I have felt the Lord telling me that UMW is my purpose at this time. He has been giving me ideas of ways to reach others and I know he has great things in store for the UMW at Bethany. For about a year I have been asking hime to help the women flourish and asking him to show me what to do. I look forward to seeing other ways he has for me to serve in this way. - Rosemary Wagoner
What an adventure this has been - I never imagined as our church began this 40 Days of Purpose that I would grow as spiritually as I have. One special blessing to me is the new Sunday School Class that started which I have been a part of. It’s been great to be a part of this group and I look forward to the group continuing. - Don Hawks
