TRUE PURPOSE
Text: Acts 16:6-12
What makes the difference between a good parent and a GREAT parent?
What makes the difference between a good teacher and a GREAT teacher.
What makes the difference between a good coach and a GREAT coach.
What makes the difference a good follower of Christ and a GREAT follower of Christ.
What makes the difference between a good church and a GREAT church.
In each of those scenarios I think that PURPOSE can make all the difference in the world.
DO YOU GRASP YOUR SENSE of PURPOSE?
Do you grasp your purpose as follower of Christ?
Do you grasp your purpose as a part of His church?
I am told that in 1963 a Sign on the door of the University Christian Church in New York read these words:
"Gone out of business. Didn’t know what our business was."
Your TRUE SENSE OF PURPOSE can make all the difference in the world between bad, good or great.
To parents I would ask the question
“How seriously do you see your purpose in the life of your children?”
To those who teach in the public school or in the church I would ask
“How seriously do you see your purpose in touching the hearts and minds of those who you lead.”
To those who hold any leadership role in the church or in the secular realm…I would ask….
“Where are you on grasping the purpose in your leadership role?”
God desires that for every one of us and for His church that we discover and fulfill our purpose.
Discovering our True purpose, however, does not come from just having a right feeling about something or mustering up serious determination….
TRUE PURPOSE comes from God as He directs us, guides us and gives us a vision for what can be experienced through His power.
We need to look no farther than to the Word of God to see the importance of having a God-given vision in discovering our purpose.
The early church needed a God given vision to carry out it’s effectiveness and guess what….
churches that accomplish anything significant today for the Kingdom of God do so because they have received and taken ownership in their God given vision.
God BRINGS vision to the life of the church and if we will BELIEVE in that vision which God brings to us and we really take ownership in it then it becomes part of who we are…the vision belongs to us and we belong to it.
It is extremely important that a God given vision be discovered and owned not just by the church but by every individual.
It is extremely important because without a God given vision people either miss finding their purpose all together
OR
they misunderstand what God’s purpose is for them.
If you are a Bible study leader for children or adults you must understand your purpose that God brings to you in that role and you must believe in it and belong to that purpose that God has for you in that capacity.
The same is true if you are leading the congregation in worship or if you are a deacon or if you are a greeter at the church doors welcoming people.
You need a God given vision to carry out your purpose!
Clear vision is all about understanding the potential for the great plans God has for us.
Do you think consciously about the vision God has for you in whatever role you are serving the Lord?
Vision gives certainty not only about what God is up to in my life today but it includes what God has for me tomorrow.
The apostle Paul knew firsthand the power of vision, as time after time God instilled in his heart and illuminated in his mind the path that lay ahead.
We can learn much and be greatly encouraged by his experience, as we are reminded that God directs us as a church and as individual Christians today just as certainly as He did for those believers of long ago.
The passage we’re exploring today, as we continue traveling TRUE NORTH is Acts chapter 16 as we think about TRUE PURPOSE.
Let’s take a look at Acts 16 together.
6Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.
7When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.
8So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.
9During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
10After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis.
12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
Acts chapter 16 shows us three elements of discovery for our purpose in Christ:
the Call…., the Way…. and the Goal.
We could accent each one be recognizing them as :
The True Call,
The True Way, and
The the True Goal.
By considering these three we discover the TRUE PURPOSE that God has for us.
Let’s think about The Call.
Understand with me that the call of God on our lives and upon the church can include both a NO and a YES from God.
1- The TRUE Call
Paul’s call from God on this occasion was preceded by a "no."
Paul received a “NO” from God on areas where the Gospel was not yet to be proclaimed. 16:7
A "no" from God should not be viewed as a bad thing.
In the same way that a mother sometimes might say “NO” to her children for their own good….God in the same way protects His children from wrong paths.
The paths of true followers of Christ are directed by God but also the places God is not leading us to go are discovered through God’s guidance.
Sometimes people say they recognize God’s “no” answer to something being pondered because of a quiet but persistent inner voice.
We hear people say something like…
”I just sense that it’s not the direction God is leading in”
But in Paul’s case here I believe it was different.
about going into certain areas with the Gospel verses 6 and 7 speak of God’s "no."
We read that Paul was kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. Also (in verse 7) it says “When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them.
It is important for us to mention that what might have been a NO as far as God’s purpose for Paul was not a final "no."
We are well aware that when the time was right that the provinces of Asia definitely did receive the Gospel.
At that time it was God’s purpose that Paul fulfill other plans.
This is why Paul’s call received a NO.
We need to realize that God isn’t calling us to do everything, everywhere but that clearly we need to hear God’s voice that He is calling us to do something somewhere.
Where is it that God wants us to focus our attention and efforts as the people of this community and this corner of the earth?
We can’t do it everywhere so let’s discover if it’s Medora or Massachusetts or Macedonia that God is really calling us to fulfill purpose right now in this moment.
Now as much as Paul’s call had a NO because there was some areas God wasn’t sending Paul it definitely had a YES to it.
A Yes because God clearly was calling Paul to a place and purposeful ministry as Paul followed the God given vision sent to him.
Think with me about the definite "yes." Which Paul received.
1. A "yes" to the areas in which God wanted His Word to go forth at that place in time.
Look at verse 9 Paul had a vision.
Where did the vision come from?
Did Paul create this vision.? NO!
(Pause)
Did God create the vision?
YES!
Where does vision come from for you and I?.
How do we determine the “YES” and the “NO” of what God is calling us to do in the purpose He has for us?
Do we decide what we think sounds good and that is the “Yes” for us?
Do we let some influential friend or long standing member of the church determine what God’s “Yes” is for us?
Do we listen to the almighty denominational power at Nashville Tennesee to determine what the “Yes” God has for us is?
Now…. hold on because here is an idea….
Do we listen to God to see what God might be saying the “Yes” is?
If we are to receive vision and purpose it should come from God.
Man made plans often fail…. but the plan of God cannot fail?
Not if it is followed by God leadership and His leading.
We cannot effectively serve our purpose where God has not paved the way or made plans for us to fulfill that purpose.
Why do sometimes churches and Christians make plans that fail???…because it’s man’s plans and not God’s plans.
You can say that we are called to go here, or you can say that we are called to go there.
You can say that we are called to do this….
or that we are called to do that…
but if we have not received the vision from God to do what we do then we can pretty much plan on failure.
Paul was reminded and we should remember that a follower of Christ can only work effectively where God had prepared the way.
What if Paul had decided to go into those areas God had said NO to.
What if Paul had created his own ideas and his own agenda about who God was calling Him to help???
If God going to bless that?
Do we understand why the call of Paul became such a success as Paul followed God’s vision?
It was because it was the right time and the right place that God had lead Paul to.
It wasn’t because of Paul’s great intellect or because of Paul and his careful well thought out plans.
It wasn’t because Paul polled the crowd to see what they thought….
It was because Paul was doing what God called him to do at that point and that place in Paul’s life.
Are we as a church and as individual followers of Christ certain that we are truly doing what God has called us to do at this point and this place at this time.
Paul’s plans were blessed and successful because Paul valued and was faithful to a TRUE CALL that came from God’s TRUE VISION.
Let’s quit coming up with great ideas about what we think we should do and let’s put the gear shift in neutral and listen to God for a clear and TRUE CALL to whatever GOD’S VISION for us might be.
Notice in verse 10 that because Paul was given a God sent vision Paul made an intentional decision.
God said Yes and then Paul said yes.
This was the way that Paul would go.
It was his intentional, directional decision to move out and follow the course God had charted for Him.
God said here is something I have for you Paul and Paul said Yes God and here is what I am going to do.
(I am going to follow your way because it is the purpose you have for me.)
After we identify God given vision (THE TRUE CALL) then we need to make an intentional decision.
Following God’s call and fulfilling the vision does not happen by accident. It happens by our intentionally.
When we have the right vision from God we must make the right decision for God.
Just like having all the ingredients to bake a great cake and the recipe and everything right there in the kitchen….if you don’t follow the directions and put it all in the mix and bake it then you still have NO CAKE.
God can give to us a clear YES…He can give to us a God given vision and TRUE call and if we do not make a right decision to act then we still fail and accomplish nothing.
I don’t know about you… but I want to succeed for God and not be a failure.
Do you care about succeeding for God?
How important is it to you that you fulfill the purpose He has for you?
How important is it to you that Mt. Pleasant fulfill the vision God has for this church?
Do you want to succeed for God? Yes?
Great then let’s do something about it.
Let’s make some intentional decisions.
Let’s ask God to give us a fresh vision and then let’s make a decision to move in a certain direction based on the vision.
Acting on the Vision or on the TRUE CALL
Brings us into following The TRUE WAY.
2. The TRUE Way.
Where there is a Call, there is also a Way.
This does not mean that the Way will always be easy or without danger.
Ask the disciples who ended up giving their lives to further the message of Christ if the way is easy or without danger.
Everywhere Paul went to share the Gospel he usually found people that either beat him or threw him into prison.
God does not promise us that following His vision will be easy or painless but He does promise us that if we Listen for His TRUE CALL and Follow His TRUE WAY that we will be blessed.
Sometimes the path to where God is leading us is filled with obstacles and challenges at every turn.
But we can be certain that when we follow the vision that God BRINGS to us that we can BELIEVE with TRUE FAITH that God is going to BRING us to the place He has for us.
We will reach the goal when we concentrate on His goodness and His glory.
In the case of Paul with the True Call God had given Him and the TRUE WAY God was leading him in ….it was a hazardous path to say the least.
But verse 11 makes it clear that Paul had a certainty of God’s plan that it would not be thwarted by any fear.
Paul knew in his heart that it was God’s plan and that God had prepared the way.
In the same way we cannot let a fear of possible obstacles or challenges paralyze us from sailing a straight course to follow the TRUE CALL that we know God has delivered to us.
For in due time if we have listen carefully and responded to God’s TRUE CALL and we have put our feet to the path of God’s TRUE WAY then we will experience the TRUE GOAL which God has for us.
What is the TRUE GOAL?
It is easy to see that the TRUE GOAL is that the message of Christ goes forth and transforms the lives of those who it touches.
That is the true goal
That the message of Christ goes forth and transforms the lives of those who it touches.
Now don’t miss this part….
The goal is the same in Medora as it is in Macedonia.
I want us to understand that the importance of the goal doesn’t change because of geography.
The goal no matter where there are people …
The goal is that the message of Christ… touch and transform lives of people who don’t know Christ.
How many of you have ever heard of a place called
Mozambique?
Mozambique is located in southeastern Africa it borders the Indian Ocean.
Now Mozambique has lost people dying and going to Hell and it is important the message of Christ go forth and touch and transform the lives of people in Mozambique.
Medora we all know where it is located in Southwestern Illinois and guess what.
Medora has lost people dying and going to hell without Jesus.
Does God see the soul of people in Mozambique as more valuable the the souls of people in Medora?
Does He?
Doesn’t God love people everywhere?
Isn’t it just as important that the goal be accomplished in Medora as it is important in Mozambique?
Paul understood the importance of the TRUE GOAL being purposeful everywhere and especially right where he was.
RIGHT WHERE PAUL WAS …..was in the middle of God’splan and God’s purpose…and for that moment of Paul’s life….He knew that the goal was to be accomplished right where God had placed Paul’s tow feet on the soil of a place called Philipi.
Paul was at Philipi no time at all and the Lord opened the tender heart of a woman named Lydia who placed her trust in Christ and was baptized.
THE TRUE GOAL was being accomplished!
Paul and Silas would lead a jailer and his entire family to put their faith in Christ.
THE TRUE GOAL was being accomplished!
Right where God had placed Paul’s two feet the TRUE GOAL WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED.
Now I have a burning question for you today?
Do we know that right where God has placed our feet in the spiritually fertile soil of Medora….
Do we know that the TRUE GOAL is being accomplished?
Don’t you think God put us here for a purpose?
Now,…Sure there was still difficulty that Paul faced when he reached the shores of Macedonia but THE GOAL was still being accomplished because people were being saved.
IS THE TRUE GOAL BEING ACCOMPLISHED RIGHT HERE IN MEDORA?
If not perhaps it is time that we double check our what we believe THE TRUE CALL WE HEARD AND ARE ANSWERING IS?
Perhaps its time we made sure that we were moving in the TRUE WAY that God is leading us instead of someone else’s way of doing church.
In Philipi there was still opposition and obstacles, but there was a vast blessing as many began to receive Christ because greater than the opposition or the obstacles was the opportunity for God’s TRUE GOAL to be carried out through Paul and His companion followers of Christ.
Are you and I….Is Mt. Pleasant Church walking through the door of opportunitty that God has for us to accomplish His TRUE GOAL in Medora or are we in futility trying to serve some other purpose not authored by God?
God’s desire for us as followers of Christ here today is identical to that it was for the Christians at Philippi.
God wants to keep the VISION ALIVE as we consistently
Listen to the TRUE CALL of what God is saying
As we Follow in the TRUE WAY,… going the direction Christ is leading
And as we reach for the TRUE GOAL every day of our lives seeking to share the message of hope found only in Christ.
Remember that there is a greater purpose than just surviving another week but the higher purpose it is to be surveying the place God is sending us….
and then sending out ourselves and others to grow God’s Kingdom according to His Power, His Purposes, and his Plans.
It will only happen when we submit ourselves with passion and perseverance as Paul did to
THE TRUE CALL
THE TRUE WAY
And
THE TRUE GOAL
Christ has for us.
Is that your heart and your purpose?
This sermon was inspired by a sample outline included in the 33 Laws of Stewardship. You will notice that the sermon I have provided follows the 22 Laws outline but has a great deal of my own contribution.
