What Is The Purpose Of My Life?

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

TEXT: Nehemiah 1:1-10, 6:1-2; Ecclesiastes 3:11

ILL. It was 1940, & a time of great crisis in Europe. The German armies had already conquered most of eastern Europe. And now the blitzkrieg was sweeping across western Europe toward England.

In less than a week, Netherlands, Luxembourg, & Belgium had fallen, & France was next. Adolph Hitler was boasting that within 2 months he would march at the head of his victorious army into London, itself. With that, Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of England, who had been completely fooled by Hitler, resigned in disgrace.

Winston Churchill, who had long been warning the English people about Hitler, was asked to be the next Prime Minister. From then on it was obvious that the outcome of the war & the future of Europe would largely depend upon Churchill’s leadership.

If I were Churchill, I would have felt the terrible pressure of leader-ship at that moment. But Churchill wrote: "As I went to bed at about 3 A.M., I was conscious of a profound sense of relief. At last I had the authority to give directions … I felt as if I were walking with Destiny, & that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour & for this trial..."

What caused Churchill to possess such confidence? He was taking over an unprepared country against the greatest military machine that had ever been created up to that time. How could he possibly say, "I was conscious of a profound sense of relief"?

Evidently he had an overwhelming sense of "purpose" for his life. Churchill was just one person, but through the efforts of that one person, strategically placed & courageously leading, the spirit of England turned from despair to hope. Gradually the war was won, not only saving England, but some would claim, saving democracy as a form of government in the world.

This morning I'd like to talk about living our lives with a sense of purpose. You & I were put on this earth with gifts, talents, & relationships that are waiting to fulfill God's purpose.

Like Churchill, in God's plan, we each have a destiny to fulfill. I know you're probably thinking, "I'm no Churchill." And you're right. But you are you. And I believe God has a purpose for your life too.

There's one individual in Scripture who may illustrate this better than anyone else. His name was Nehemiah. In 586 B.C., the Babylonians invaded the country of Judah & totally destroyed Jerusalem, tearing down its houses & walls, & even the glorious temple that Solomon had built. And they carried off thousands of Jews as captives to Babylon.

But within 70 years, the Babylonians themselves had been conquered by the Persians, & any of the Jews who wanted to do so were allowed to return home. The returnees started to rebuild Jerusalem & the temple, but the task was so overwhelming that they soon gave up in discouragement, & the city remained in ruins.

For nearly 100 years conditions continued to deteriorate in Jerusalem. Sacrifices were no longer being offered, & many Jews were beginning to adopt the lifestyle & culture of the pagan people surrounding them.

PROP. But one man, back in Persia, was about to discover & live out God's purpose for his life. His name was Nehemiah. And from his example I believe we can find a way to answer an important question in our own lives. And the question is: "What is the purpose of my life?" To answer that, the story of Nehemiah suggests 3 actions that we need to take.

I. CULTIVATE A CONCERN

The first action we need to take is to cultivate a concern. A life of purpose begins with a real concern that God has given you.

Churchill spent years learning & preparing & strategizing. Why? Because God had given him a concern about the safety of his people & his nation. Purpose always begins with a God-given concern.

Listen to Nehemiah 1:1-4: "In late autumn of the 20th year of King Artaxerxes' reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah.

"I asked them about the Jews who had survived the captivity & about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, 'Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah.

'They are in great trouble & disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, & the gates have been burned.' When I heard this, I sat down & wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, & prayed to the God of heaven."

Nehemiah's concern over Jerusalem consumed him. He couldn't get it out of his mind. He continued faithfully with his duties for the King, but inside, his heart was broken as he mourned & fasted & prayed about the plight of Jerusalem.