Understanding Purpose

UNDERSTANDING PURPOSE

Rom 8: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

I was having a session with my G12 only last Sunday and we were looking at possible areas of intervention that each of them will be carrying out as part of our new direction towards ensuring that every member of the church is involved in perpetuating the kingdom of God in his environment. The first thing that became clear to me was that virtually everyone was looking at the issue within the context of another church project. I keep picturing what I saw in Ukraine where virtually every member of the church was living essentially for doing something that will enhance the kingdom of God in their environment. For them every other thing including their jobs and family life was secondary to ensuring that they were fulfilling their calling. I now realised that our understanding of purpose is flawed. We are all living essentially for our own personal purposes and we merely reward God with a small portion of our lives for being of good behaviour. This has made the next series of teaching imperative.

It has become very important for us to understand what our real purpose is. We need to understand why we exist, why God has located us where we are and why we are members of the church or the role of your church to ensuring that you fulfil purpose. We must start with a premise that you are not an accident and that God is a God of plan, purpose and objectivity. We need to begin to appreciate that all that you are going through in life has been designed by God for a purpose. When you have an understanding of your purpose, it will help you to set out your values and your priorities. You will be able to easily make the right choices in life, reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction and prepare you for destiny.

We live in a capitalistic environment and this has caused us to be self centred in our pursuit of life. The end result is that we apply the scripture in such a way that it fulfils our own purpose and thereby do not give full effect to the word of God.

Being born again is meant to imply a radical departure from your old life and taking up a completely new personality and culture which is governed by the word of God.

2 Cor 5: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Accordingly, we can only now thrive in an environment that is governed by the principles of the kingdom of God. Our challenge is that though we have become born again, we find it difficult to abandon our past perspective of life. Religious people have placed a few religious rules which we believe that once we can satisfy, we would have fulfilled our obligations to the kingdom. The real position now is that your life is no longer what it used to be and you can only succeed if you run it by the principles of the kingdom.

Matt 15: 1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.