13 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, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast are the sum of them! 18a Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
The captain of the ship looked into the dark and saw faint lights in the distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a message, “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” A return message was promptly received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north.”
The captain was angered; his commmand had been ignored. So he sent a second message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south – I am the Captain!” Soon another message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am Seaman Third Class Jones.”
Immediately the captain sent a third message — knowing the fear it would evoke: “Alter your course 10 degrees south. I am a battleship.” Then the reply came, “Alter your course 10 degrees north. I am a lighthouse.”1
This sermon series is intended to help you answer the most important question in life: “What was God thinking when He created me?” When you discover the answer, you will find your purpose for living. When you discover your purpose, you will receive many instructions from God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to “Alter your course 10 degrees.”
Along with this series, I am recommending that you read, The Purpose-Driven Life (Zondervan) by Rick Warren. My goal is that each person at MFA will start the journey of The Purpose-Driven Life by the end of the year. Imagine what could happen in a congregation that is united in purpose.
In The Star Tribune on November 2, 2003, Bob von Sternberg’s heading reads, “Purpose for life? Millions buy book.” Bob says, “The numbers are eye-popping, more than 5.6 million copies of a book in the hands of readers. The Purpose-Driven Life has ridden high on the best seller’s list since it was published last year, attracting readers such as President Bush, his wife, Laura, and several top advisors. Corportations such as Coca-Cola and Wal-Mart have passed it on to their employees. The concepts that Rick Warren teaches have touched the lives of over 300,000 pastors world-wide.”2
The most recent brain-child of Rick Warren is his 40-Days of Purpose. The 40 day campaign includes Power Point material, sermons, small group meetings, and most notably a daily reading of Warren’s book. Churches all over the Pacific Northwest and around the country are experiencing a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit with 40-Days of Purpose.
Understanding your purpose in life is more important than your job, more critical than your financial portfolio, and more significant than your personal goals in life. If you fail to understand God’s purpose for your life, you will live in a constant state of dissatisfaction, confusion, and misguided priorities. We live in a day of how-to and self-help. The problem is that all this does is compound the problem of not starting in the right place.
Imagine being lost in the mountains; you come upon some hikers and ask for directions, and they say, “You can’t get there from here. You must start on the other side of the mountain.” So it is with life. You can’t understand or comprehend your purpose in life by starting with YOU! It is essential that you start with GOD!3
You’re only here because God intended to use you in His plan for humanity. He has designed His universal plan for man, and it’s incomplete without you. Our text today reminds us that God made you, and you can bring Him great pleasure. You are the object of countless millions multiplied by millions of His thoughts (Psalm 139:17).
God wants you to become all He created you to be. God had His hand in your creation, and until you understand that, life will never make sense to you. “I am your creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Isaiah 44:2a (CEV) As Rick Warren says, “You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.”
The search for purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. Say this with me three times, “It all starts with God. It’s not about me!” Isn’t it amazing that it took an atheist, Bertrand Russell, to remind us of this insight? Russell said: “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.”4
A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God shaped life is a flourishing tree. (Proverbs 11:28 -MSG)
The world is filled with motivational speakers and tapes by everyone from Dr. Phil to Oprah to Chicken Soup for the Soul, but they all zero in on you. They tell you to: Think Large. Be A Risk Taker. Be Positive. Run With the Stallions. Achieve Your Dreams. Do you know you could do all of that and still be empty, crippled, and frustrated because you haven’t committed yourself to understanding God’s purposes for your life? For everything, absolutley everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. (Colossians 1:16 MSG)
As Rick Warren identifies in The Purpose-Driven Life, you were fashioned for five experiences in life. The following is just a sampling of how to apply these purposes to your life. This is not an exhaustive presentation, otherwise you would be exhausted.
Purposes for Living
1. You were planned to bring Him pleasure. “For God planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own pleasure.” (Isaiah 61:3 TLB) God’s first purpose for man is to experience His pleasure. You do this through worship. You love what you worship. Those who study cultures around the world tell us that a common denominator between cultures is that all find something or someone to worship. God has placed within mankind a DNA that draws him to worship. Each of us has a built in magnate to worship. Worship is as foundational as eating or sleeping. God has created us to send all of our affections and allegiance to Him. When we fail to do this it goes off to lesser unions.
Why did God create us with a worship DNA? John 4 reminds us that God our Father is seeking worshippers, “…for they are the kind of worshippers that the Father seeks.” (John 4:23-NIV)
Do you realize that everything you do can be worship to God? It is a very narrow and limiting interpretation to think that worship is just associated with music: In our church we have the worship, then take the offering, and finally the preaching. When we describe our services like this, we make the mistake of discriminating between worship and preaching. The goal in life is to make every activity an expression of worship to God.
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)
The word glory is often associated with worship in the Bible. It is the Hebrew word, doxas, where we get our word “doxology.” It literally means “weight.” It is the “weight” of glory that is present when we worship. It is an identifiable recognition that whatever you do it is dedicated to God and you experience a revelation of His presence. Martin Luther said, “A dairy maid can milk cows, to the glory of God.” The secret to a life that is filled with worship unto God is to do everything as if you are doing it for Jesus, praising Him each step of the way.
When I fell in love with Danice, I thought about her all the time. I thought about her when I was driving to school, taking exams, running three miles a day, and while I cleaned my house. Nothing got more of my time! I would say to myself, self you’re crazy about that girl; self you’re intoxicated with that woman; self, don’t let her get away. The more I thought about her, the more I loved her. The Bible says, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Never forget that worship is far more than singing a chorus or of being in a worship service.
2. You were formed to be in His family. “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1-NIV) Being formed for God’s family includes relationship and fellowshp. Marysville First is making a bold declaration: God wants us to become a church where No One Stands Alone. To pull this off, the ministry staff will have to establish a place where real fellowship is experienced. Now when you talk about fellowship you are almost always referring to food, socializing, and superficial conversation. Have you ever been asked the question, “Where do you fellowship?” which translated means, “Where do you go to church?”
As a kid in a Baptist church, once a month after the morning service we had a fellowship hour. The congregation would immediately retire to the basement fellowship hall (there’s that word again), a room used for talking and eating, for cookies and conversation. When you are twelve, you are most interested in the cookies. The fellowship hour was really—stay after church for refreshments. If you want to really experience the genuine thing when it comes to fellowship, you have to be committed to fulfilling 4 qualities of real life together: mutual effort, mutual support, mutual encouragement and mutual strength. Each of these qualities is found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
The Bible teaches us that the rhythm of a believer’s life should flow back and forth between the temple courts and meeting house-to-house. Everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere heart. (Acts 2:46 -NIV) This verse reminds us that we worship with a crowd but we fellowship with a group. This is a critical insight. Some believers go their whole lives and never learn this principle. When it comes to worship, size is important; the larger the crowd the greater the potential for feeling God’s presence. Have you noticed how wonderful it is to worship in a packed house, all the voices lifted heavenward to the Almighty? It sends chills down your spine. You stand in awe! You hope the moment never ends. Wouldn’t it be great if we could take this with us all week?
When it comes to fellowship and building community, small is the best. It is impossible to experience true community in a crowd. Relationships break down in a crowd. A crowd is not a congregation. An audience is not an army. You were created by God to move from a crowd to a community. This community is often called a small group, a Sunday school class, a fellowship group, a Bible study, a prayer group, a support group. This is where the real fellowship takes place, not in large church services.
Jesus went back and forth between the crowd and the small group. He limited the number of the group to 12. You see, once a group gets larger than 10, some social dynamics take over. First, strong leaders start to dominate. Second, the quiet shy people shut down. Finally, the tension to stay casual gives way to the desire to be religious and church like.
God has great blessings ready to be released when you participate in small group settings. And when two or three of you are gathered together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there. (Matthew 18:20 MSG) Unfortunately, being involved with a small group is no guarantee that you will experience real fellowship. Many Christian groups are crusted over and stuck in a world of superficiality and lack of genuine shepherding care. God’s desire is for our churches to be a place where everyone has an opportunity to experience life-transforming relationships.
We must go much further than saying that God is interested in your relationships with others. He is enjoyed through the life exchange you have with others. This is so important to God that He put over 50 “one-another” scriptures to adhere to in His holy Word. Listen to a sampling.
· Bear one another’s burden (Galatians 6:2)
· Be kind to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
· Exhort (encourage) one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
· By love serve one another (Galatians 5:13)
· Forgiving one another (Colossians 3:13)
3. You were created to be like Jesus. “God wants us to grow…like Christ is everything” (Ephesians 4:15a MSG) God wants us to grow up in Christ. Growing old and growing up are not the same thing. The pastor spends the bulk of his time changing the diapers of the saints. There is a lot of protracted infancy in our churches. There is way too much canned Christianity; too many people speaking the same party line. It’s as if we are standing in a box waiting for something to happen - the Rapture.
At the heart of Christian growth is building spiritual habits of prayer, Bible study, witnessing, giving, and fellowship. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:11 that, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, thought like a child, I reasoned like a child, but when I became a man I put childish ways behind me.”
Dostoyevsky once said, “The second half of a man’s life is made up of the habits he acquired during the first half.” The strength of a man’s virtue is measured by his habits. We are all creatures of habit. There are many things about us that are very predictable.
· Humans are the only creatures that run faster when we loose our way.
· We can be counted on to confess our wrongs incrementally instead of all at once.
· When crisis hits our heart, it most often accelerates in whatever direction it is turned toward.
Habits. Repetition. Unconscious behavior. Addictive behavior. Activity that is so well established that it occurs without thought on the part of the individual. Habits are to be enjoyed, not endured. By the way, if we don’t cultivate good habits we develop bad ones.
Four Spiritual Flaws
Each of these flaws causes poor habits to prevail in our life. Before we build, let’s blast away some erroneous thoughts on building appropriate habits, as suggested by Rick Warren.5
Flaw #1: Spiritual habits are automatic once you are born again. Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen because you get saved. Well then, what do you get when you are saved? You get the act of God declaring a believing sinner to be righteous while still in a sinning state.
But spiritual growth is not automatic. There are lots of people sitting pews still needing their bottles. Spiritual growth and habits have to be intentional. Becoming like Jesus Christ is the result of the commitments we make. We become whatever we are committed to.
Flaw #2: Spiritual Habits are mystical, and maturity is attainable by only a select few.
People often feel that Christian maturity is so out of reach that they don’t even try. The misconception is that spirituality is only for “super-saints.” That if you don’t move to Africa, pray 10 hours a day, take a vow of poverty, or die a martyr, that some how you are excluded from being mature in Christ. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the development of spiritual habits that result in growth is very practical. The path of spiritual fitness is as practical as the path to physical fitness.
Spiritual Flaw #3: Spiritual habits can occur is we just find the “right key.” Oh, this is a popular misconception. Christians are running around looking for the one-minute Bible study, 4 easy steps to maturity, or the key to instant sainthood. Such materials and sermons don’t exist.
Many sincere believers search earnestly for an experience, a conference, a revival, a speaker, a book, or a certain truth that is some how going to unlock spiritual maturity. The truth is, spiritual growth takes time and only happens when spiritual habits are developed. The Bible tells us that Joshua was instructed that he would possess the Promised Land, “little by little” (Deuteronomy 7:22). There are no short cuts to maturity.
Spiritual Flaw #4: Spiritual maturity and habits are measured by what you know. Many people fall into the trap of thinking that maturity is based on what you know, your ability to quote Bible verses and explain theological truth. For some, debating truth is the ultimate proof of maturity. It is true that knowledge is foundational to growth; however, it is not the only means to measure maturity. In fact the truth is, spiritual maturity is measured by behavior over beliefs. Belief does determine how you behave. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds.
4. You were shaped for Serving God. “Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”(Mark 10:43 NIV) God charged the nation of Israel with the assignment of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah beautifully describes that spectacular building project. The rebuilding is a picture of God rebuilding our lives. God is building His church, and to pull this off He uses each of us in that plan through ministry; He needs each of us. Do you realize that you are a part of the greatest Show on Earth? Consider with me these important elements of that show.
So we built the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. (Nehemiah 4:6 -NIV) Every task given by God invites community effort. Chapter three of Nehemiah introduces us to a Who’s Who of the participants who worked on the walls of Jerusalem. We see that men and women of all ages and all walks of life were involved. There were priests, goldsmiths, temple servants (perfumers), and merchants.
We need each other. This can often sound so elementary and can easily be overlooked because there is not a lot of flair associated with this truth; yet these are often the ones that bear repeating.
Watching the brick and mortar fly. Listening to the laughter as people trade stories of life experience. Noticing the deep sense of satisfaction as people enjoy the work of God. Making new acquaintances as people are jostled in the supply line. This and so much more reminds me of several things about the process of engaging in God’s Bodybuilding Program.
First, no one person possesses all the resources to get the job done.
Second, God is working simultaneously in a lot of areas to get the walls of our lives built and the walls of the project built.
Third, the Holy Spirit is not only restoring your life individually, but He is seeking to restore the Church as a whole.
Fourth, the principle group that God uses for rebuilding is the family. Your brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones engaging in the Bodybuilding Program.
Fifth, I need you to help me complete what I am becoming and you need others to help you. Not everyone contributes at the same pace.
Friends, our lives are inextricably linked together. If you try to pull away from those relationships, you withdraw at your own risk. Let me share a pastoral observation about what happens in a church when the ministry falls on the shoulders of a few. First, health and marriages are ruined, and then the ministry becomes unhealthy and void of variety and creativity.
5. You were made for Mission. “In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” (John 17:18 MSG)
39One of criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man had done nothing wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43
The last words of a dying person tell us a lot about their perspective, priorities, and passion for life. Pastor David Barnes in his sermon “Famous Last Words” gives us a list of some of the most famous last words in history.6 Perhaps you know these individuals:
Ø “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” Entrepreneur, P.T. Barnum, 1891.
Ø “I should have never switched from Scotch to Martinis.” Actor Humphrey Bogart, January 14, 1957.
Ø To his housekeeper, who urged him to tell her his last words so she could write them down for posterity, the revolutionary communist Karl Marx died in 1883 with these last words, “Go on, get out—last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”
Ø “Either that wallpaper goes or I do,” said writer Oscar Wilde, who died November 30, 1900.
Ø A Pulitzer Prize winning writer of plays, short stories and novels said, “Everybody has got to die, but I have always believed an exception would be made in my case.” William Saroyan telephoned these words to the Associated Press just before his death in 1981.
Ø Thomas A ‘Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury died in 1170 and left these words, “I am ready to die for my Lord, that in my blood the Church may obtain liberty and peace.”
No words carry the weight of those spoken by Jesus Christ that day in Jerusalem as He hung suspended between heaven and earth. If you were to ask, “Pastor, which of all the Savior’s words on the Cross mean the most to you?” it would be this, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Hands down, it stands at the top wrung of the ladder. All others are honorable mention. Valuable? Yes. Second place? That’s right. Why? Because all of life really begins when we accept this truth: “You are infinitely valuable to God because of who you are!”
No other encounter in God’s Word provides a clearer picture of someone who had no hope, no future, and such little value. The thief probably died alone. If any one was deserving of death, he headed the list. How does a person go from being a loser to a winner in just a few verses? Why would Jesus offer such a loser a place of honor at the banquet table? I can understand Matthew; he was good with the books. And Simon the zealot is a no brainer, because you always need a bodyguard when you get involved with the masses. The Samaritan women, she could tell her whole town - and she did. Zacchaeus had friends. But this guy had nothing offer. In the midst of foul-mouth insults, a fragrant aroma rises above the Jerusalem landscape, and an undeserving thief is welcomed into God’s forever family. Never forget that Jesus’ love does not depend on what you can do for Him, not at all.
So why was Jesus there? It was God’s eternal plan. God wanted to place His answer for man’s sin right between two men who were about to face judgment and eternity. Jesus was the only one who was there because He wanted to be. Three men, three crosses, they all die the same painful and humiliating death - how different the outcome for each. Let me take you to that hill and show you the three crosses.7
The Cross of Rebellion—One man died in his sins
The Cross of Reconciliation—One man died to his sins.
The Cross of Redemption—One man died for our sins.
Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12-NIV)
First, believe. Believe that God loves you. Believe that no sin is too much for God to forgive. Believe that no person is too late to have eternal life. Believe that you’re valuable to God’s plan. Believe that God sent His best in His son Jesus to die for you.
Second, receive. Receive Christ as your savior. Receive forgiveness of sins. Receive the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing your future.
If you do this and mean it with your heart, welcome to God’s family! You are ready to begin understanding God’s plan and purposes for your life. But you are not home yet.
Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in His death so that everyone could also be included in His life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. (2 Corinthians 5:15 Message Bible)
Rembrandt painted a Masterpiece entitled, “Three Crosses.” Those who view it often draw their immediate attention to the center cross where Christ is crucified. Then they look at the crowd gathered around the foot of the cross. Each facial expression provides horrible images of those who crucified the Son of God. At the edge of the painting is another figure almost hidden in the shadow. Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself, for he recognized that because of his sins he too nailed Christ to the cross.8
End Notes
1. Sermon Central.com. Humor. Wayne Major.
2. Bob von Sternberg. Startribune.com
3. Rick Warren. The Purpose Drive Life. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002, pg. 17.
4. Ibid, pg. 17-18
5. Rick Warren, Advance Magazine
6. David Barnes. SermonCentral.com. Famous Last Words.
7. Owen Bourgaize. SermonCentral.com. Three Crosses at Calvary.
8. Owen Bourgaize. SermonCentral.com. Three Crosses at Calvary.
