Let me start off by asking you a question. What is the purpose for your life? When you wake up in the morning what is it that drives you; 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 American Dream. The American Dream, isn’t that what we all want? The American Dream says that we can do anything we want to do. Be what ever 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, lets 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.
Did you hear about 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.”
We are all driven either by design or default. We either live for the purpose that God designed us to, or we live according to the demands of our schedule and the expectations of others. Some people think the purpose of life is making money, for some it is having as much fun as possible, and for others it’s being popular and well liked by others. There’s nothing wrong with these things, but if they are your whole purpose in life, there’s emptiness to it. It’s kind of like cotton candy – all taste, but no substance.
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.
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!
3. It will allow concentration
Purpose allows you to focus – It keeps you on track.
It allows you to ignore the things that can easily distract you and take your attention away from the things that really matter.
You don’t have time to do everything. Everything is not even worth doing.
Purpose not only helps you know what to do, but also what not to do.
Illustration – One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotsman demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again the Scotsman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in this game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.” Many of us are swinging wildly away at life, but we have missed the whole purpose for which God intended.
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. In our text Paul, who is writing to churches that he established during his 2nd mission journey, deals with the subject of a purpose driven life and those that live with no purpose.
Who he is talking about is a group of religious people who lived according to Jewish customs. They lived by the flesh and they trusted in the flesh, not only they trust in the flesh but they trusted that their flesh was the ticket to eternal life. Paul tells the Philippians that he used to be just like them. He used to live for the American Dream if you will, and according to society he was somebody, he was going places, he was popular, he was rich, he was circumcised, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of the Hebrews, he was a Pharisee, he was the persecutor of the church, killing and arresting Christians. In his mind you couldn’t get any better. But one day Paul met Jesus Christ and as a result he was saved and realized that his purpose for living had changed.
In verse 7 Paul tells the Philippians and us that he realized that all of those personal gains had no purpose. Why because in the end they weren’t going to amount to a thing without Christ. It doesn’t matter if you become the President of the USA, if you live a purpose driven life without Christ in the center of it, you haven’t gained a thing. Paul made a personal decision to give up every single accomplishments including his family, friends, work, fame, all for the sake of Christ. Paul realized that it wasn’t trying to grasp the dream, it was the attitude which was wrong.
Jam 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts. ( In other words you ask God to fulfill your selfish desires and you receive not because you ask with the wrong type of attitude.)
So how does a Child of God find their purpose in life? How are we to find that drive for a purpose driven life? Paul gives us some principles to live by:
To live a Purpose Drive Life You Have To:
I. Decide To Know Christ. Vs 8
A. Notice what Paul says (read verse 8, make note of; that I might win Christ, used in the subjunctive mood which means this is not real action until the condition is met, he couldn’t live a purpose driven life until he made a real life decision to know Christ). This is the same tense that Jesus used in John 3:16 (expound)
B. In order for 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. In the Greek the implication there is his loss was as traumatic as the loss of merchandise in a shipwreck.
C. As traumatic as this might sound, it was a personal decision. Giving up all of your accomplishments to follow Jesus. But there is a positive side of this. The positive is; it gained him the relationship that was missing in his life with Jesus Christ. (read verse again)
D. Many Christians today, and I’m sure there are many that are sitting here today have never truly given up their lives to know Jesus Christ. How do you know? The evidence tells for itself. Look around do you see those empty pews? As we sit here this morning to worship God, what is on our minds? What we have to accomplish this week? Or are we here to get closer to God?
E. Paul said, I used to be that way, but in the end when I looked at my life, I realized that it had no purpose, why because #1 it was without Christ, #2 it was for me and not for Gods honor and glory. (expound eternity)
Luk 9:23-26 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (personal decision). For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father’s, and of the holy angels.
F. Paul is not saying that you are not to set goals, or set high standards in regards to living a successful life. Rather your purpose in life when you give your life to Christ no longer should come from your motives but through Gods and the only way to receive that purpose is through a daily intimate relationship with Christ. (Expound how)
Next Principle To live a Purpose Drive Life You Have To:
II. Forget The Past & Live For Today. Vs12, 13
A. 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.
B. 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.
C. 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.
D. Listen, the one thing that the devil wants to do for a COG is to trip you up and keep bringing up the past. One thing that we have to do is through our relationship with Christ is to daily put on our armor so that the fiery darts that are filled with trails and temptations might be defused.
E. This not applies to a COG but there may be one here who knows that they have never trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior, friend the devil will do what ever he can to keep you from the saving knowledge of Jesus by making you live in the past. There might be some here right now, saying “Preacher, you don’t know where I’ve been.” Well let me respond with, it doesn’t matter where you have been God will forgive, the only one He will not forgive is the sin of rejection.
Isa 43:25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
F. Dwelling on the past does not drive a purpose it hinders it. Now there is something that you can gain from the past and that’s learn from it. Strive to avoid mistakes made in the past time, but:
G. Know that you are forgiven and then move on to a life of faith and obedience today. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of the hope that is in you through Jesus Christ today.
Lastly to live a purpose driven life one must decide to know Christ; Forget the past and live for today, and 3rd:
III. Press Towards The Mark. Vs 13,14
A. 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:
B. 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.
C. You cannot lay up treasures in heaven when you keep 164 hrs for yourself and only give God 4, that’s not living a Purpose Drive Life. So what does that mean? It means if you are flipping burgers at the DQ, you flip them for God. If you are a stay at home mom, you raise your kids for Gods honor and glory. What ever you do, do it for God.
D. Paul concluded that with all the pleasures that he gained it wouldn’t last forever.
E. Paul concluded that with all of the possessions in the world, they too would not last forever. 1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into [this] world, [and it is] certain we can carry nothing out.
F. Paul concluded that with all prestige in the world, that too would not last forever.
I want us all to really evaluate our lives for just a few moments. (invite music). 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?
You know the unfortunate thing for a COG is to die and go to heaven and realize that they didn’t life they should have and have to live with what they have laid up in heave for an eternity. Is that person you? When you look up at the bright star lit sky which star resembles you; bright one or the dim one? (Read vs 15)
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.
We here at HSMBC have a purpose and its so exciting to see Gods people living it to the fullest. Souls are being touched, saved and renewed through the purpose that God has for us here. Its your decision, don’t let your past hold you back!
