Our Purpose

It seems that famed scientist Albert Einstein had more trouble finding his way home from work than he did finding the key to atomic power. One evening as Einstein sat deep in thought aboard the train that brought him home each night, the porter approached to collect his ticket. Einstein rummaged around in his coat, through his pockets, in his shirt, and everywhere else he could think of, growing alarmed at his inability to find the ticket.

"That's okay, Dr. Einstein," said the porter. "I know you ride this train every day. I can collect tomorrow."

"That's fine for you, young man," Einstein replied, "but how am I supposed to know where to get off the train without my ticket?"

Like Einstein, we are often confused in the church. We have been challenged to have big dreams this year. We have encouraged you to dream big, and pray big prayers. I hope you are. If you are, would you find me and share some of the BHAGs God has given you? I want to celebrate with you when God answers those prayers!

But one of the problems with having Big Goals is the problem of purpose and direction. Like Einstein, if we don’t know where we’re going, then how will we know when we get there!

Today, I want us to look at this question: What is the Goal of our BHAGs at Truitt? What is our purpose? Where is the “off-ramp?” But before we can know the “off-ramp” we may need to ask, “Where does our purpose come from?”

The Source of their Purpose (v. 5)

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you..."

God is the source of the purpose of the Church. The church in Paul’s day, like the church today was beset by attacks. False teachers were tearing the church down from within as the world attempted to destroy the church from without.

But Paul’s assurance for the church at Rome was this: God is both the source of our purpose and the sustainer of that purpose.

Psalm 138:8 ESV

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Isaiah 46:9–10 ESV

remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Here’s the hope that Paul had for the Romans, and for us, The God of endurance and encouragement would grant to accomplish his purposes.

The Core of their Purpose (v. 5-6)

"To live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus"

The core of what they were called to do was live in

"to auto phonein"

Literally "to think thus" with one another and Christ.

To be in one accord with one another and with Christ.

So the God who encourages us, and causes us to endure until his purpose is accomplished.

And that purpose was that they should have the same mind, that they should think together with Christ.

This is the beauty of God’s purpose for Truitt.

1. God calls us to seek him through His word.

2. God reveals himself to us and through the Holy Spirit transforms us in the renewing of our minds so that our minds think Christ’s thoughts.

3. When we think Christ’s thoughts we want what Christ wants and he gives us those things that align with His will.

That’s why Jesus said:

1 John 5:14–15 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

And what is God’s will: That we be in one accord with what God is doing in and through us.

This is the heart of what it means to be a disciple - a disciple is one of a group of people who have the mind of Christ and thus follow Christ. We spoke of the mind of Christ earlier in this chapter when we looked at v. 3. Christ sets the example. He is our goal.

So our purpose is to be a fully committed disciple of Christ.

But what does that mean? What does that look like?

Well Jesus gives us a clue in Luke 14.

Luke 14:26–33 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

A disciple of Christ is one who is committed to follow Christ with his:

Head (v. 27)

The first area is our head. Jesus said we must "take up our cross and come after me." This is a decision to make Christ the center of our lives. To follow Christ means we make a decision to to quit living life our way , and commit to follow Him.

Adrian Roger, "Jesus must come before personal relationships and reputations. His disciples must prioritize Him over their families and loved ones, and even before themselves. He must come before personal realization. The decision to follow Jesus was the last independent decision any Christian ever made; our lives now belong to Jesus."

We must be committed to following him no matter the cost.

To follow someone, we must know where they're leading us to go.

-Remember Pop's book of maps when we would travel in the summer.

God has given us a map to follow him. It's his word. We must worship him through his word no matter what it costs us.

2. Heart (v. 28) - Second, to follow Christ means we follow him with our hearts. This does not mean that we "let it go" and "follow our hearts" like culture tells us to do. This is not what following with our heart means.

i have heard many say, "Just follow your heart."

I want you to know this is the most demonic advice ever given. It was following her heart that caused Eve to eat of the Tree.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

No, following Jesus with our hearts isn't about following our hearts, but submitting our hearts to him. True disciples discipline their hearts to follow their master. They make their hearts in one accord with Christ and each other.

It's about being committed to being changed by Christ. Our hearts must be tamed, but never tame. Our hearts, marred by sin, are set free by God to love him and know him.

“He is on a mission to rescue a people who are so utterly deceived most of them don’t even want to be rescued.”

― John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus

God calls us into a relationship with him in which he transforms us, gives us a new heart that is tied to his. It's through prayer, and meditation of the word that our hearts are brought into alignment with his.

3. Feet (v. 6)

"that together you may with one voice..."

God desires us to work for the gospel. We work by being on mission with Christ. Christ has called us to go and share the gospel of Christ. We are called to walking it

out where You Work, Live, and Play.

The Crux of Our Purpose: For God's Glory

But there's a crux to that purpose: An end. And that end is not cheeks in the seats. It's the glory of God.

"That together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

Ultimately, when we are disciples we glorify God. We have a purpose.

At Truitt our Purpose is:

To make Fully Committed Disciples of Christ For His Glory and Our Joy.