What is OUR Purpose?

As I mentioned last week: What is MY purpose is incorrect.

What id GOD’S purpose is the correct question.

This Message im going to deliver in a Q & A style as i think it will be easier to follow.

Why did God create us?

The short answer to the question “why did God create us?” is “for His pleasure.”

Revelation 4:11 KJV 1900

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Colossians 1:16 reiterates the point:

Colossians 1:16 BSB

16 For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Being created for God’s pleasure does not mean humanity was made to entertain God or provide Him with amusement.

The Greek word here means “Pleasurable Purpose”.

It means that God created us with a purpose that when fulfilled is pleasing to God.

God did not create human beings because He needed them.

As God, He needs nothing.

In all eternity past, He felt no loneliness, so He was not looking for a “friend.”

He loves us, but this is not the same as needing us.

Why did God create us?

God created us for His pleasure and so that we, as His creation, would have the pleasure of knowing Him.

What then is the purpose of man, according to the Bible?

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that God created man and that He created him for His glory.

Therefore, the ultimate purpose of man, according to the Bible, is simply to glorify God.

To glorify God is to honor and fear Him.

If you do not honor and fear God you cannot glorify God.

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 BSB

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

So why did God create man?

To bring Him glory.

A harder question to answer, perhaps, is:

How do I glorify God?

The concept of “glorifying” God is that of honoring God with one’s life.

1 Corinthians 10:31 BSB

31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.

Let us take a moment and think very carefully about what this means:

The Disciples life aught to be so devoted to Christ that even regular, everyday, mundane tasks become opportunities to honor God.

A disciple does not need external stimulation when they have internal inspiration!,,,

A disciple is capable of turning the making of a cup of tea into a moment of worship.

But how?

When you consider that Discipleship is part of how we grow in Christ.

Romans 8:29 BSB

29 For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Corinthians 3:18 BSB

18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

So here is a question:

What is the most Christlike behavior a Christian can display?

Well Jesus Himself tells us:

Luke 9:23 TNIV

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Picking up your cross and carrying it is the most Christlike thing you can do.

What does it mean to “pick up your cross”?

The “cross” represents the burden of your purpose- Just look at Jesus!

So “picking up your cross” simply means that you voluntarily bear the weight of your responsibility.

Every single one of us have both shared and individual responsibilities.

Shared:

Husband/wife

Parent/child

Master/servant

Individual:

Ministry

unique family situations.

We glorify God by being responsible.

1 Timothy 5:8 BSB

8 If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Why so harsh?

Because NOT providing is NOT carrying your cross and only unbelievers Dont carry crosses.

There are many dirty and filthy words in English. Just watch a Hollywood film and see.

But above all the swear words; above all the curse words, above all the filthy words: There is ONE word so awful, so terrible that it will cause even the hardest of sinners to block their ears in fright when they hear it:

DUTY!

We live in a time where all anyone thinks about is their RIGHTS.

I have a right to...

Its my right that I...

If you were to have a march for rights, you will always have full support.

But if you were to organize a march advocating DUTIES it will just be you and your dog.

Don’t get me wrong, God is glorified when we defend the rights of the innocent and as being created in God’s image we have rights above all other creatures.

So rights are important, but God is glorified when we deny our rights in favor of our duties.

Conclusion:

Jesus always glorified His Father in heaven.

There was never a moment when He did not glorify God.

Our Lord’s every thought, word, and action was totally devoted to the glory of God.

When Jesus faced the temptations of Satan, Jesus quoted Scripture all three times.

Jesus was a man of the Word, fully committed to God’s will, and His example in overcoming temptation offers hope to all of us who seek to stand firm during times of testing.