INTRO.- Christ is rightfully our life. Your life. My life. He is the Christ, the Messiah. He is God in the flesh. He is Lord.
ILL.- One night a thief broke into the single-room apartment of French novelist Honore de Balzac. Trying to avoid waking Balzac, the intruder quietly picked the lock on the writer’s desk. Suddenly the silence was broken by a sarcastic laugh from the bed, where Balzac lay watching the thief. "Why do you laugh?" asked the thief. "I am laughing to think what risks you take to try to find money in a desk by night where the legal owner can never find any by day."
Brothers and sisters, I think this story characterizes most people’s lives. They are trying to find money where there is no money. They are trying to find happiness where there is no happiness. They are trying to find comfort and security where there is none. They are trying to find something where there is nothing.
II Cor. 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
What we see in this life is only temporary. It is not lasting. It is not eternal. It will never fully satisfy.
ILL.- That rusted wreck of a car in the junkyard was once new, shiny, sleek and desirable. Those clothes we threw away or gave away were once new, fashionable, and desirable. Not anymore.
We all need to look beyond this life and see the eternal. We need to see the big picture instead of our own little world. We need to see the eternal world more than this one.
As Paul said in Col. 3:2-3 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”
Even though we have to live in this world we must see the next. We need to think more in the spiritual realm, think about Christ, living for Christ both here and there.
ILL.- Preacher Rick Warren hit the nail on the head in his book THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE. Warren said, “It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose.”
To put it simply: life begins with God. Life ends with God. And somehow we must sandwich Him in the middle of our lives.
Rick Warren says that life is about worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission.
PROP.- Even though some of you may know about God’s purpose for your life, let’s consider His purpose in detail.
I. WORSHIP - YOU WERE PLANNED FOR GOD’S PLEASURE
ILL.- A congregation that decided to have four worship services each Sunday. There was one for those new to the faith. FINDERS. Another for those who liked traditional worship. KEEPERS. One for those who’d lost their faith and would like to get it back. LOSERS. And another for those who had bad experiences with churches and were complaining about it. WEEPERS. FINDERS, KEEPERS, LOSERS, WEEPERS.
Regardless of who we are: finders, keepers, losers or weepers, we all need to worship God. Regardless of where we are spiritually. We all need to worship God. This is God’s will or purpose for our lives.
Heb. 10:22-25 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Let us draw near to God. That’s worship and it pleases God when we worship Him. Why should we not worship Him? He created us. He gives us life and breath and everything else. He gives us the homes or houses we live in, the food we eat, the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the luxuries we enjoy. IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT WE WORSHIP HIM AS OUR CREATOR AND GIVING HEAVENLY FATHER!
Worship is drawing near to God in faith and offering Him praise for who He is and what He has done. It’s done through the study of His Word, prayer and praise. Listening, meditation, prayer, and music.
ILL.- Someone said, “As a tear magnifies grief, as laughter magnifies humor, as a smile magnifies joy, so worship magnifies God.”
Worship magnifies God in the sense that it enhances or multiplies our appreciation of Him. The more we focus on Him and praise Him, the more we think of Him and appreciate Him.
ILL.- For example, the more I focus on your good qualities and express appreciation to you for those qualities, the more highly I will think of you. AND ESPECIALLY SO WITH GOD!
God wants us to worship Him both publicly and privately. Every time you set down to read your Bible, you are worshipping God. Every time you offer a prayer, you are worshipping. Every time you say, “Thank you, God” for something, you are worshipping. Every time you think or meditate about God and Christ or think about God’s Word, you are worshipping.
Let us not give up meeting together. That’s public worship and we all need it. It’s special, different, encouraging, stimulating, helpful, etc.
ILL.- It’s like going to a ball game in person. I personally don’t care much about going to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals play ball, but when I have gone, I have been caught up in the spirit of the game and got a lot more out of it. SO WITH CHURCH.
There is something special about meeting together to worship God. We encourage one another in the faith. We are encouraged when we come together for a similar purpose.
This time of the year we might be tempted to miss church for one reason or another. DON’T DO IT! If you’re in town, go to church. If you’re out of town, go to church. USE IT OR LOSE IT. The less you worship and participate, the less faith you will have. You will only hurt yourself by missing church worship. GOD’S PURPOSE IS FOR YOU TO WORSHIP HIM!
II. FELLOWSHIP - YOU WERE FORMED TO BE PART OF GOD’S FAMILY
Eph. 3:14-15 “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.”
God wants you to be a part of His family, the church!
ILL.- The middle child. You know about the middle child, don’t you? I was that in my family. I had a three-year-older brother and a seven-minute younger sister. Well, I wasn’t much of a middle child, but still, I was. And you know how the middle child is always mistreated and neglected, don’t you?
Someone wrote these words about middle children:
“Middle children often feel that they are neither here nor there. In their view, the roles of the older and younger siblings are more clearly defined. They may also feel cheated of parental attention that is given to the first-born achiever and the dependent youngest child. Some psychologists have given this condition a name – they call it ‘the middle-child syndrome.’
“Parents need to go out of their way to ensure that the middle child does not feel neglected. They should convey to the child that his thoughts and opinions are as important as those of his other siblings. They should also point out the advantages of being a middle child, telling him that he can understand his siblings best as he is both an older child and a younger one.”
I don’t know all about this “middle child” stuff, but I do know that in my family I was not the best kid! I was the black sheep of the family by my own definition. I seemed to be more daring, got into more trouble, etc. But even in the midst of my trouble and daring, I never felt unaccepted or unloved. I WAS A PART OF THE SHEPHERD FAMILY.
You too are a part of God’s family when you accept Christ as your savior and are baptized into Him. God wants you in His family.
Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” Added to what? Added to church as members of the family.
God wants you in His family, early comer, latecomer, middle child or whatever! You need to consider becoming a member!
III. DISCIPLESHIP - YOU WERE CREATED TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST
II Cor. 2:14 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.”
II Cor. 3:18 “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
A big part of discipleship is becoming like Christ. We all need the sweet fragrance of Christ in our lives. We all need to grow in His likeness.
ILL.- I am reminded of the old story about the lady who went to a preacher to confess a sin. She said, “I must confess a great sin in my life.” The preacher asked, “What is it?” She said, “It’s the sin of pride. I find myself standing in front of my mirror for hours, admiring my beauty.” The preacher said, “Lady, your sin is not the sin of pride, it’s the sin of the imagination.”
Most of us don’t have this kind of pride problem. Most of us don’t like something about ourselves. Perhaps our face, our teeth, our hair, our wrinkles, our weight, this bulge, that bulge.
ILL.- Many Americans are interested in changing their appearance according to an American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery survey. Among all Americans, 39 percent of women and 22 percent of men wish that they could change something about their appearance.
ILL.- In “I Want a Famous Face,” Arizona twins Mike and Matt Schlepp paid a small fortune for nose jobs, chin implants and porcelain dental veneers to look like Hollywood hunk Pitt. Today’s heroes are different than those of the past, even Brad Pitt, my fellow Missourian.
Most of us want to look good, look our best or at least, be somewhat presentable. I think most of us would like to change something about our appearance. However, the most important thing that we could change is our character. The physical is temporary but the spirit is eternal. Your body is temporary but the real you, your spirit, is eternal.
ILL.- Henry Drummond wrote, “To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.”
Our greatest goal in life is to become more like Christ. That’s God’s purpose for us.
IV. MINISTRY - YOU WERE SHAPED FOR GOD’S SERVICE
Eph. 4:11-12 “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” God’s people are supposed to be involved in works of service or all kinds of Christian service.
ILL.- Can a person be a part of a family and not contribute to that family? Even as a kid I had certain responsibilities or chores. I had to wash and/or dry the dishes, carry out the trash, mow the grass, help keep my room clean, etc. Some of you had even more to do: like cook, do laundry, iron clothes, etc. It was just a part of being in the family.
I have heard, however, of some men (husbands/fathers) who do little or nothing around their homes. They bring home the bacon, so to speak, but that’s all. Personally, I don’t think that’s kosher. Being a part of the family means being involved in service in some form or another. And so with the church.
What can you do in the church to help serve? You can bring food when we have dinners, do dishes, clean up, carry out trash, help clean the building, teach a Sunday School class, work with the youth, work in VBS, sing with a praise team, bring special music, help serve communion, offer to give a communion meditation, etc.
ILL.- Someone asked John Wanamaker in 1890: “How do you get time to run a Sunday school with your four thousand scholars, in addition to the business of your stores, your work as Postmaster-General, and other obligations?” Instantly Mr. Wanamaker replied: “Why, the Sunday school is my business! All other things are just things. Forty-five years ago I decided that God’s promise was sure: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ ” (Matthew 6:33)
Wanamaker made God’s business, His business, which is something we all need to do. God’s purpose is that we all get involved in some kind of meaningful Christian service!
V. MISSION - YOU WERE MADE TO TELL OTHERS ABOUT CHRIST
Matt. 28:18-19 “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’” God has given us a mission in life. It’s called the Great Commission by some.
Acts 8:4 “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” The early Christians preached the Word wherever they went. They had a mission to fulfill and a message to proclaim.
ILL.- Max Lucado wrote these words in his new book, IT’S NOT ABOUT ME. Squint eyes. Firm jawed. Rawboned. Who? Pony Express riders. They had one assignment – deliver the message safely and quickly. They seized every advantage: the shortest route, the fastest horse, the lightest saddle. Only the sturdy were hired. The young and the orphans were preferred.
Those selected were given $125 a month (a good salary in 1860), a Colt revolver, a lightweight rifle, a bright red shirt, blue trousers, and eight hours to cover eighty miles, six days a week. Hard work, but the message had to be delivered!
The apostle Paul was much like the Pony Express rider. Hard worker, long hours, but the message had to be delivered!
Rom. 1:14-16 “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”
We, too, have an obligation to get the message out to others. Most of us just haven’t caught the vision or else don’t have the commitment or concern.
CONCLUSION----------------------
ILL.- God, Because You Loved Me
For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I’ll be forever thankful
You’re the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You’re the one who saw me through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn’t speak
You were my eyes when I couldn’t see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach
You gave me faith ’coz you believed
I’m everything I am
Because you loved me
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I’m grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don’t know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You’ve been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
Thank you, Lord. You deserve my life, my worship, my adoration, my time, my devotion, my love. The big picture is You!
