Purpose: Why Did That Chicken Cross The Road? Series

Me, My Church, & I

Purpose: Why Did That Chicken Cross The Road?

I Corinthians 12:12-27

Vision– arises out of our purpose-the "why we exist"; it focuses our power, which we will study next week, and it enables us to see our potential.

Before we can ever have vision for our lives we must first determine and understand our purpose.

Why so many resolutions never hold up. Why so many dreams fail.

Not that we have necessarily failed to set goals, but rather we have failed to set goals according to our purpose.

We live our lives aimlessly running from one task to the next. We allow obligations to control our lives.

Proverb 17:24 "A man of understanding sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth."

Proverb 16:9 "We make our own plans, but the Lord decides where we will go." CEV

"We should make plans counting on God to direct us." Living

"You cannot achieve everything you want in life. You can achieve everything God put you on this earth to achieve in life. He shaped you and made you for a purpose."- Rick Warren

[Warren, Rick. "Organizing My Time: The Purpose Driven Life-Part 6 of 9". November 2-3, 1996.]

Proverb 16:4 "The Lord has made everything for its purpose."

I. First And Foremost We Must Understand That We Are United With A Corporate Purpose (vss 12-13)

Romans 12:4-5 "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function,

so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others."

In his "Purpose Driven Seminar" Rick Warren reminds us that the Church is an organism, not an organization. Individual cells/ organs, but one body.

We have a purpose as the Church– as we are under the leadership of Christ we hold a corporate purpose.

Ephesians 5:23 "Christ is the head of the Church."

And with Christ as our head our purpose is the purpose Jesus had for Himself.

What was His purpose?

To save the world -John 3:17

To call sinners to repentance -Luke 5:32

That we might have life, and have it more abundantly -John 10:10

To fulfill the Law and the prophets -Matthew 5:17

To give us rest -Matthew 11:28

In all of these it can be summed up in simple and easy terms.

Matthew 20:28 "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus’ Purpose- To restore us to a right relationship with God.

My Primary Purpose- To love God. To invest my life in a loving Heavenly Father.

By • reading His word

• talking with Him (prayer)

• spending time with Him and participating in Him (worship/tithe)

Ecclesiastes 12:13 "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man."

The Two Greatest Commandments

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said, " ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Not only are we united with a collective purpose, but

II. We Are Individual Members; Each With A Special Purpose (vss 14,27)

As individual members there are three things we must understand concerning our purpose.

A. Don’t Try To Be Somebody Else (vss 14-18)

Romans 12:4 "Our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function."

Each of us is unique

Vs 18 "But as it is, God arranged the organs in the body, each one of them, as he chose."

God chose you to be unique, like no other.

1. I cannot try to be Billy Graham.

2. Billy Graham does not try to be like Billy Graham. Although he may have emulated other preachers, he has endeavored only to be like Jesus.

Each of us has a unique purpose and shape. Each of us has talents and abilities like none other. Each of us has hopes and dreams all our own.

S. H. A. P. E.

S- Spiritual Gifts

What special talents and abilities has God given me?

H- Heartbeat

What do I have a passion for?

A- Abilities

What am I good at?

P- Personality

What are the traits and characteristics of my personality?

What kind of person am I?

E- Experience

What experiences have I had in the past?

What has worked for me, what hasn’t?