Identity—why Am I Here?

Worldview

Azerbaijan (Page 17)

2024 World Missions Theme: Sent (Page 19)

Syria (Page 24)

Prayer and fasting (Page 32-33 World Map in floor)

Let’s pray for Azebejan and Syria

Identity — Why Am I Here?

Ephesians 2:8–10 (LSB) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

You may remember a couple of weeks ago that I mentioned how the NLT translates Vs. 10:

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

The sermon title this morning is “Why am I here?”

Sandra answered the question on the front of the bulletin with “Because you’re so stupid, you’ll stand on the precipice of a mountain. (Her belief is that I get too close to the edge.)

But, No.

That is just a picture for the front of the bulletin.

The question is: why do we exist on this planet?

Apart from God there is no helpful answer.

If we believe there is a God, and He does exist whether you believe in Him or not, but WHEN we believe in God we understand that:

We were created on purpose, for a purpose.

That, in fact, we are created as a masterpiece to accomplish works that He decided before we were even born — that we are here to accomplish God’s purpose for our life.

Rick Warren says:

It is only in [Christ] that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. Every other path leads to a dead end.

So, our philosophy of life, our worldview, an understanding of the reason for our existence is dependent on us knowing our identity IN CHRIST.

“Who am I” also answers the question, “Why am I here?”

Proclaim: I am a masterpiece of God created on purpose BY Him and FOR Him to accomplish HIS purpose in my life.

That also explains a lot of things that happen in our life.

Particularly those things that happen beyond our control.

As I read last week:

Romans 8:28–29 (TPT) So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are His lovers who have been called to fulfill His designed purpose. 29 For He knew all about us before we were born and He destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of His Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like Him.

God can take the tragedies of life — like Wednesday’s school shooting with 2 students and 2 teachers killed. With 9 others injured.

He can take such a horrible thing and use it to turn people towards Him.

I’m reading that there has been many seeking after God in the hours and days after this terrible tragedy.

Let’s pray that those seeking God make a lasting commitment to Him.

Because that is the ONLY place where meaning can be found in life.

In Christ

Yes, the key to knowing the reason for our existence is being IN CHRIST.

Before we have a relationship with our Creator and God, life has little to no meaning.

We might adopt any of a number of life philosophies:

We could adopt a philosophy of…

Materialism

- a very prominent worldview can’t explain our existence, it just tries to tell us that the only thing that matters is stuff.

Existentialism

- says purpose ans meaning come only from ourselves.

Any meaning in life comes as I define it.

Nihilism

- says everything is meaningless and has no purpose (they are really cheery bunch of people!)

They say I’m an accident of “nature.”

Eat and drink for tomorrow we die.

For thousands of Years, brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life. Philosophy is an important subject and has its uses, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest philosophers are just guessing.

Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University, once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers, and intellectuals in the world, asking them, “What is the meaning of life?” He then published their responses in a book.

Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, and others honest enough to say they were clueless.

In fact, a number famous intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life!

But a Biblical Worldview, a Biblical philosophy tells us that our existence and the meaning of life is found:

In a relationship with Jesus.

In the teachings of the Word of God.

In revelation given by the Holy Spirit.

When we repent of our sins and surrender to Jesus as Lord of our life, we become born again.

As Jesus said in John 3:3 (NLT) “… unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Only when we are born again are we positioned to receive the revelation of the Holy Spirit about our lives.

Only then does our life begin to fulfill God’s purpose for our creation and existence.

Only then does it begin to make sense.

Ephesians 1:11–12 (MSG) It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, 12 part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.

In July we had a board meeting and, as I always do, I gave a devotion.

The devotion in July was on vision.

I told the Board that God has given leadership a responsibility to discover and implement His vision for NLFC.

I quoted: Andy Stanley who said: Everyone ends up somewhere in life. Some people end up somewhere on purpose.

Does that describe us as individuals?

Are we where we are at because we prayed and sought the revelation of the Holy Spirit for God’s divine purpose for our lives?

Do we believe we are His masterpiece and that our lives find fulfillment ONLY in Him?

Are we where we are physically and spiritually because we applied ourselves to fulfill God’s purpose above all else?

Or, are we where we are because we have been selfish?

Desiring OUR comfort, convenience and desires?

Starting with ourselves instead of starting with God.

A few weeks ago I was listening to NPR (I know, I know!).

But it gives insight into those who are so lost that they don’t even know they are lost.

Anyway, I listened for a few minutes to a person who counsels people on death.

How to die gracefully — as if we have any control over that.

She talked about how Hollywood portrays death (other than murder) — a certain pose, etc.

She said that in her experience as a counselor, that’s NOT how it happens.

People who are facing death tell her they want more time — , but more time for what?

The counselor talked about a woman who had a good life, successful career, she ate and drank and had children — still, she was confused about the why of her existence on this planet.

I’m sure this is what most people feel.

Maybe some of you are confused about the reason for your existence — and you ALWAYS will be as long as you leave God out of the equation.

Purpose Divinely Revealed

But, if we will seek to know and understand our reason for existence, God will supernaturally reveal it to us.

I want us to think about a man mentioned in John 9

Let’s read it.

John 9:1–3 (NLT) As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” 3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.

I want to share 4 truths that I see here in these 3 verses in John chapter 9

1.I see that we are all born for a purpose.

2.I see that we are all born blind to our purpose.

3. I see that it has to take a miracle of God in order for us to see our purpose

4. I see the ultimate purpose for which we were all born….. So That the works and glory of God may be displayed in our life

I see that we are all born for a purpose

First, I hear this passage telling me that we are all born for a purpose.

This passage starts by telling us that Jesus was travelling with His disciples along the road when they encountered certain man.

We need to understand that God is always looking for us.

He is like the Father of the Prodigal son mentioned in

Luke 15:20 (LSB) “So [the prodigal] rose up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

How did his Father see him when he was still a long way off?

He was looking for him.

Jesus didn’t just “happen” to be on this particular road at this particular time.

Every encounter Jesus had as He walked this earth was planned by His Heavenly Father who, according to 2 Peter 3:9 (LSB) … is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Jesus Himself said: Luke 19:10 (LSB) “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

The scripture tells us the disciples immediately saw that the man was born with a problem.

The bible tells us the disciples saw that this certain man’s problem was that he was blind and they found out that he had been blind from birth.

But Jesus however saw that the man was also born with something else.

Where the disciples only saw a man born with a problem, Jesus saw a man born with a purpose.

Jesus saw that… “this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life. “

Jesus and his disciples were both looking at the same man but they saw that man 2 completely different ways.

This begs the question: What do we see in our own lives?

Do we see our problems or do we see our purpose!

You might say today… but I have really big problems!

But we have a really BIG God.

God wants us to know today … our problems may be big but our purpose is bigger!

Our purpose is always bigger than our problems.

Our problems are temporary but our purpose is eternal.

But you might say today…When I look at my life ”I only see my problems!”

Today God wants you to leave here also seeing your purpose.

You are His Masterpiece, born on purpose FOR a purpose.

The truth is that God formed you for His purpose.

“You were created by God and you were created for God.”

As the elders sang in Revelation 4:11 (KJV) 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.

God says to us “Let your purpose define who you are — your identity — not your problems”

God gave each one of us all a promise long before we were all born.

As God told Israel in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 29:11 (LSB) ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘plans for peace and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.

We were born for a purpose

Even though we were all born for a purpose I see some bad news in John 9:1-3

We are all born blind to our purpose

That bad news is that you and I are like that blind man in John 9!

Now when I say you and I are like that blind man in John 9… I’m not saying that we were all born blind physically like him .

I’m saying that like him we were all born blind spiritually.

We can’t see our purpose in life with physical eyes.

We can only see our purpose in life through SPIRITUAL eyes.

We have a perfect example of this in our story

Consider the 2 different ways the disciples and Jesus looked at the blind man.

The disciples looked at the man born blind through their physical eyes.

And because they looked at the man born blind with their physical eyes they couldn’t see his purpose … they could only see his problem.

Jesus on the other hand looked at the man born blind through SPIRITUAL eyes.

And because Jesus looked at the man born blind through spiritual eyes … He could instantly see that blind man’s purpose.

We can only see our purpose in life if our spiritual eyes are open.

That’s one reason why the Bible says we must be born again.

Only when you are born again by the Spirit of God can our spiritual eyes be open.

I once was blind but now I see…

So …

Everyone is born for a purpose

Everyone is born blind to that purpose

Then it must be true that…

It has to take a miracle of God in order for us to see our purpose

Without a miracle from God our natural tendency might be to react just like the disciples did.

The disciples played the BLAME GAME.

The first thing they said to Jesus was “Who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind?.”

They immediately looked for someone to blame.

Either it was this man who sinned or it was his parents who sinned because there’s no other reason why he was born blind.

Notice that the BLAME GAME got stopped fairly quickly by Jesus.

Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.”

While the disciples were only interested in assigning blame- God was only interested in fixing the person!

When we get tired of playing the blame game … God has a miracle for us.

You might think that your problem is bigger than your purpose…God doesn’t think so.

For every mess, God has a miracle!

For every sin God has a Savior! Jesus

You might say, “it will take a miracle!” … God specializes in miracles!

I can’t see my life having any purpose!

God can!

Perhaps you think: “I’m too old to change.”

But maybe this blind man was your age or older!

Maybe you say: “I can’t forget all the mistakes I’ve made.”

God says I can!

Maybe you say: “God, I can’t see the purpose for which You created me.

God says "I can"!

Which bring us to the final point …

The purpose for which we were born is that the work of God may be displayed in our life

That is why you and I were born.

So God could display His work in your life.

He wants us to be a trophy of His Grace

There are 4 responses we can have to our purpose

Response # 1

I don’t want God to display his work through me

BUT…

Here is the truth: You are blind and you don’t even know it!

You would rather have your problems than God’s purpose.

Response #2

First let me fix my problems then God can display his work through me

BUT…

If you fix all your problems (which you never will) how is God able to display his work through you?

It’s not the righteous who need a doctor but the sick.

Response #3

My problems are too big for God to display his work through me.

BUT…

God specializes in big problems

The harder the better!

Nothing is impossible with God

Response #4

Yes God I want you to display your work through me!

My Purpose

Maybe you are ready to go with Response #4.

“God, I want you to display Your work through me!”

But you now see that you need a miracle in your life this morning.

The miracle to which you have been blind:

That you are NOT an accident — you are an INTENTIONAL masterpiece created by God.

That your life has a purpose — to reveal the glory of God.

So that others might know Him.

J. Wilbur Chapan tells…

… that in the prairies of South America there grows a flower that always inclines in the same direction.

The traveler may lose his way while crossing one of those prairies, and he may have neither compass nor chart by which to steer his course; but, turning to this lovely flower, he will find a guide on which he can implicitly rely;

for no matter how heavily the rains may descend, or how violently the winds may blow, its leaves and petals invariably droop towards the north.

In God’s plan we serve a similar purpose to that South American prairie flower.

If we live for God, if we turn to Him in faith, and love, and prayer, and service…

As that prairie-flower turns toward the north, some, seeing our good works, our godly life, will be led to "Glorify our Father who is in heaven.