Why Am I Here?

Focus Statement

Why am I here? [Pause]

Why am I here?

Asking this question opens us up

to God’s purpose for our lives.

Point of Relation

As a pastor, I've experienced both joyful and challenging moments in ministry.

During difficult times, I've found myself questioning, "Why am I here?"

This self-reflection is common among pastors,

as we often grapple with doubts about our effectiveness and purpose.

These moments of uncertainty, while challenging,

have ultimately strengthened my faith and deepened my understanding of my role.

They've reminded me that ministry isn't about personal success,

but about faithfully serving God and others.

Through prayer, scripture, and support from colleagues, I've learned to navigate these doubts.

Through the years, these experiences have reinforced my commitment to my calling,

helping me appreciate the profound impact of walking alongside others in their faith journeys,

even amidst the challenges.

Things to Consider

We all have times in our lives when we feel like we don't know where we're going.

For example:

Perhaps we landed what we thought was our dream job,

only to find ourselves unfulfilled;

Or maybe we've longed to start a family,

but have encountered unexpected challenges along the way.

Or perhaps a relationship that we thought would be forever falls apart…

Heck, we are in a season of change right now…

This being only my second Sunday as your pastor…

In seasons of change,

we can begin to question our purpose.

Why am I here?

What is God doing in my life?

What’s next for me?

What would make my life feel meaningful?

Sometimes people ask it this way:

“What is my ‘calling?’”

These questions can feel overwhelming and even discouraging.

and these situations can leave us feeling lost, disappointed, and questioning God's plan for our lives.

But I want to remind you today that you are not alone in these struggles.

What Scripture Says

Friends, Scripture shows us that God meets us in places of uncertainty and need.

Asking questions and acknowledging our uncertainty allows us to discover what new thing God is up to in our lives.

Let us take a look at somethings we ought to consider in light of today’s passages.

First, questions are good.

Nicodemus wasn't afraid to ask hard questions,

and…guess what?…Jesus answered them.

Jesus' response makes clear that change is a fundamental part of being in a renewed relationship with God.

We are "born again."

Nicodemus struggles to understand what that means

and how you can be "born again" in the middle of your life.

Verse 8 reminds us that our relationship with the Spirit of God

leads us into new possibilities for ourselves and the world around us.

We sometimes think of salvation as a move from uncertainty to certainty.

But here, Jesus makes it clear that the life of faith

is one open to constant change, reexamining, and transformation by the Holy Spirit.

This aligns with God's promise in Ezekiel 36:26-27:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws".

Second, growth happens in the dark.

Nicodemus comes by night.

'Night' is likely symbolic in this text of periods of darkness, uncertainty and unknowing.

Lets be honest, there was uncertainty for Nicodemus in just showing up to have the conversation.

What if others saw him? What if other religious leaders became skeptical of him and his relationship with this rabble rouser?

But this conversation and its setting show us that Jesus meets us in those dark places

and lights our path to find clarity.

Often our greatest growth happens in the dark.

This concept resonates with Ezekiel 36:24-25,

where God promises to cleanse and renew His people, even in times of uncertainty:

"For I will take you out of the nations;

I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean;

I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols".

Finally, we need to become open to a new path.

Most of us don't like admitting that we don't know where we are going.

We might even feel embarrassed that we don't know the answers.

Central to Jewish interpretations of Scripture is the process of asking questions (also known as midrash).

Nicodemus models for us how positing questions is central to our relationship with God.

Acknowledging what we don't know opens us up to God's grace, answers, and discovery.

Nicodemus, who was a wealthy, educated man,

seems certain that he knows what 'birth' means –

and has a hard time understanding anything outside of it.

Sometimes we must hold loosely what we think we know to embrace new understanding or direction.

This openness to God's grace is echoed in Ephesians 2:8-10:

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do".

What This Means for You

Reflect on the following questions as they are relevant to you:

Where are you feeling lost, in the dark, or without direction?

Pause

What questions about life are you asking right now?

Pause

Are you contemplating the direction of your lives in this season?

Pause

Have you asked God for clarity – why or why not?

Pause

I hope you are answering these honestly, especially this next one:

How open would you be to something new?

Pause

I want to assure you that God creates us to ask these questions

and wants to accompany us through them.

One great way that you can begin to this practice of asking questions is through Spiritual Journaling…

where you can outline the areas in your life that you need direction from God.

Friends, in our day and age, it seems we can find answers to all of our problems at local bookstore, Kindle, or web site.

Self-help books and “life hacks” promise easy fixes for often complex problems.

Because of this, we all may be primed for quick answers.

Friends, questions like the ones I am asking here and now may make some of us feel uncomfortable..

but I assure you it is normal to ask these questions as we all wait for the new to break in.

What This Means for Us:

How do we think about our direction or purpose as a church?

As your brand new pastor, I am asking you that seriously!

From what I have seen you all are embracing it with passion…

Especially the call to serve the community and to be the BODY OF CHRIST together.

I sense a real family and cooperative spirit in this church, which is a blessing and a strength!

Friends, we say things like “we are the body of Christ.” “

We “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

What does that mean practically and how do we live it out?

We are serving those in need in our community,

We provide people interactive ways to connect with Jesus Christ and their faith!

We provide Christian Educational opportunities for people to learn and grow…

and who knows…lead?

Sisters and brothers,

do we, as a church, stay open to the leading of the Spirit that blows where it will?

Pause

While what we are already doing rocks,

are we open to doing different things as well so we can grow together as a church in our relationship with God?

Pause

As your pastor, I can tell you that I do not have all the answers,

nor do I currently envision ALL of the ways we can serve our community and grow our church…

But here’s what I do know…

I am here to question with you…

and to guide us to PLACE OUR FAITH in God to deliver the answers! Amen? Amen!

Sermon written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of Perplexity AI.