My True Purpose Is In Christ

INTRODUCTION:

What gives someone true purpose?

Maggie Wooll stated that one could find their true purpose by doing these twelve things:

Grow constantly.

Create a vision statement.

Give back.

Practice gratitude.

Turn pain into purpose.

Explore your passions.

Be part of a community

Spend time with people who inspire you.

Read.

Join a cause.

Practice self-acceptance.

Take time for self-care.

For so many of us, we are searching for purpose.

I know you will be looking at some point in your life for purpose.

What am I going to do with my life?

Where will I end up that gives me fulfillment?

All of these questions can (and should) be answered from a physical standpoint.

Yet, what about spiritually?

Where is our purpose spiritually?

It is in Christ (Galatians 2:20).

How sure are we that we can find our purpose in Christ?

We need to consider some things that will not satisfy our desire to find purpose.

I. TRUE PURPOSE IS NOT FOUND IN WEALTH.

Christians are not promised a “easy” living.

I will follow you Jesus (Luke 9:57).

Will you really (Luke 9:58)?

Excitement is occurring.

Yet, Jesus wants him to understand it is not all “fun and games” following Me.

You see the glamour, the sparkle, but not the other side.

For Christians this is so critical.

We see people all the time getting glory (we call them Giants of the Faith) and it is easy to see all the glamour and sparkle.

Count the cost (Luke 14:28-33).

Where did Jesus’ disciples stay when they traveled?

Holiday Inn?

Four Seasons?

Motel 6?

Some chain that they were able to “build up points” and get free-stays?

They truly had nowhere to call home.

That is what it meant to be a disciple.

To count the cost.

What if these circumstances became our reality?

Losing your home.

Would you sleep outside for the cause of Christ?

Evidently this man was not willing.

Following Jesus does not guarantee a life of wealth, just look at Paul.

He had no place to call home for the majority of his ministry other than a cell.

Our walk with Christ could result in this as well.

II. MY TRUE PURPOSE MUST BE MY MAIN PRIORITY.

Jesus is more important than traditions (Luke 9:59-60).

For a Jewish man there were few things if any that took precedence over this obligation.

The first thing a Jew would do in the morning is pray the “Shema”.

This was the most fundamental expression of Jewish faith taken from a command to “hear” in the O.T. (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This is expanded to include all of verses 4-9 (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

They would recite the prayer in the morning and evening (Deuteronomy 6:7).

There were few exceptions to accomplishing this task.

If his father died, he would take care of his dad before praying that prayer.

In this man’s mind it is a reasonable excuse.

“Let the dead bury their dead”

He is really not holding back.

They did not crucify Jesus because of the miracles.

They crucified him because of what He taught and the following that gained (Matthew 27:18).

This seemed like such a good excuse.

Many people make such concessions when they decide they will not come to worship.

Let’s break these down.

“I have to work.”

The Lord understands when one truly has to work.

The Lord does not understand you or I working when it is unnecessary.

We are told to provide for our family, if that is accomplished and we are not required to work on a Sunday/Wednesday to do it we should be at worship.

“I am sick.”

This too is an understandable reason for one to miss services.

However, illness and preference are not the same thing.

Most people when they talk about attendance love to go to Hebrews 10:25.

There is nothing wrong with that passage, but it was not the only passage that should be considered.

Wayne Jackson wrote on this subject and had the following to say:

The disciples were cautioned against “drifting” from the truth (Hebrews 2:1), and developing “an evil heart of unbelief in falling away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12).

They were admonished to throw off their “dullness of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11), and hold on to their “boldness” and “patience” to the very end (Hebrews 10:35-36).

Can I ask a simple question?

What/who is more important than Jesus?

What do you allow to hold you back from your Savior?

Do you love the Lord?

He loves you.

In fact, we only love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

III. CHRIST PROVIDES TRUE PURPOSE IF I WILL BUY IN.

An improper focus gets us nowhere (Luke 9:61-62).

What was this mans focus?

His family.

Friends perhaps.

That does not sound like a terrible thing.

Yet, the Lord states that this would keep a man from being fit for the kingdom.

The following was written by an unknown source:

He is talking about a farmer using a plow on a field.

The man put his hand to the plow to start plowing.

The goal of the farmer is to make straight rows in the earth.

He does this by looking at a distant object. Jesus creates a picture of a farmer who rather than looking straight ahead at a distant object is constantly looking back at things.

The Greek words for “looking behind” have the picture of constantly, continually looking back at things.

The result is crooked and curved rows in the earth – a mess!

This man lacked focus.

The purpose of focusing.

Focus on a camera is designed to be on one point.

If it is on more than one point it is what we call out of focus.

Think about that for a Christians perspective.

Can you be focused on the world 50% and Jesus 50% and be in focus?

Or do you need to be 100% focused on the Lord?

That is what Jesus is saying to the man here. If you are plowing a field but looking back, you are not focused.

What about your focus?

Are you focused on Jesus? Can you say that you are focused on Jesus, and not be doing all that you can to help His church?

One more quote from Wayne Jackson’s article:

Here is a provocative thought.

Do the elders of the church have an obligation to “feed the flock” (Acts 20:28)?

If so, do the “sheep” have a duty to yield to their persuasion (Heb. 13:17), utilizing the nourishment they provide?

Quite clearly they do.

To argue, as some occasionally do, “Prove to me that I must attend the Bible classes,” reveals a pitifully blighted condition of soul.

Where else would a spiritually minded person want to be if he or she is able?

It is not up to the elders, ministers, or anyone else to micro-manage or dictate the attendance patterns of every Christian within the local congregation.

We are, however, on our honor to do the best that we can in our service to the Master.

I ask again, who/what is more important than Jesus?

CONCLUSION:

Luke 9:23-26.

Are you ready to deny yourself, and do what it takes for Jesus?

Are you ready to press restart?

WORKS CITED

https://www.betterup.com/blog/finding-purpose

https://christiancourier.com/articles/is-church-attendance-required