More Purpose

brings up the white board

have everyone come up and draw a person

Don’t give any more detail than this

When everyone is done…

Ask: What do you notice about the drawings?

Answer: Everyone is different, some may be similar but no two are the same..

The same is true for each of us..

We are all created different and unique.

We possess different talents, gifts, personalities, abilities, and traits that make us different..

and God has given us those gifting and abilities so what can use them for his purpose and his kingdom.

We all have a place in the kingdom, and without each one of us, the kingdom is not complete.

Introduction

Tonight were going to continue to talk about the “More” that God has for us..

Ask: does anyone remember what our lesson was about least week?

Anwser: God wants more from us, a deeper relationship

Last week we talked about the more god wants with us in terms of going deeper

Going further

and having a deeper relationship with Him.

Ask: Anyone want to share something you changed or started this week to go deeper?

This week

This week were going to continue with the idea of more.. Going further..

and Were going to focus on the area of purpose..

with the idea that, God has more for our lives in terms of purpose..

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ask: Something tell me, what do you think God is saying here?

Potential Answer: God is telling Israel that he has a plan for them.. and his plan is good..

Israel

Israel is in captivity when God is speaking to them in this passage..

They are living in Babylon because they had chosen to walk away from god and serve false gods instead..

but here, God sends the prophet to remind them.

“Hey I have a plan for your life.. and my plan for your life is for your good.. its to give you a better tomorrow and a better future.”

Us

I want to remind you today God has a plan for your life.

He has a purpose for you..

You and I were not just simply a coincidence in the spectrum of humanity.

but you were and intentional piece of gods plan from the very beginning of you life.

In Jeremiah 1:5 God is calling Jeremiah to his purpose, and he tells the prophet..

Jeremiah 1:5 ESV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God tells him.. before you were even conceived..

I had a plan for you..

A future..

A Calling

God has a plan, and a purpose for your life!

You might be asking, well if God has a purpose for my life what is it?

and im glad you asked!

God has a purpose for your life..

What is gods purpose for my life?

Ask: What are some of the different purpose you might think God gives to people?

Answer: Answers could vary..

Love God

Obviously our first and primary purpose in life is to love god.

Jesus, when he was asked what the greatest commandment was in matthew 22..

in other word what the great thing we could do and obey.. said this..

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

So the first thing we are to do it love god..

We talked about that last week in regard to god wanting more of us..

but its our of this love for god that the purpose, the calling, of our lives sprouts..

So what are these purposes? These callings?

Two different sides

I want to talk about two different aspects of this purpose we all have..

We all share a corporate purpose

as purpose that is the same for everyone in the kingdom..

and we all have individual purposes

Ask: What do you think our corporate purpose is?

Answer: To go and be witnesses

Corporate purpose..

Part of our corporate purpose is to go and to share

Jesus said in matthew 28

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus was talking to all of his followers when he gave this instruction..

In acts 1:8 Jesus told his followers..

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Again, Jesus tells his followers to go.. to be witnesses…

In Matthew 5 Jesus is giving the sermon on the mount to a multitude of people..

and he says this:

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Part of our corporate purpose as people in the kingdom is to god and tell others about the King..

To share, to tell them about our testimony, to tell them about Jesus, and to bring them to Jesus..

This is the job of every follower of Jesus..

BUT THIS IS NOT OUR ONLY JOB..

In addition to our corporate purpose, we all have an individual purpose..

Something that God has given for us to do specifically..

Individual purpose

I want you to go to 1 corinthians 12 in your phone or bible..

Ask: What do you think some of the individual purposes are?

Answer: could be many things

Paul writes about these purposes in 1 corinthians 12

and I want us to look at this for a minute..

Look what he says starting in verse 4

1 Corinthians 12:4–7 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Paul tell the church of Corinth.. listen.. among the people of God..

there is a variety.. many different kinds, of gifts.. service and activities..

Think

many times we think about gifts from god as speaking in tongues, or prophecy, or healing..

and all of those are gifts..

but Paul takes it further and says..

theres different kinds of service.. and activities as well that are given by God..

BUT THEY ALL COME FROM THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT..

THE SAME FATHER..

AND WORK IN UNITY WITH ONE ANOTHER!!

Paul is saying we are all uniquely blessed by God with different things..

and he goes on to talk about this uniqueness..

Unique Purposes

look what he says in verse 8

1 Corinthians 12:8–11 ESV

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Dont get caught up in the different gifts there and what they are..

There are many different kinds of gifts..

But tonight i dont want you to focus on the different gifts..

I want you to understand we all have different gifts..

to on this..

to another that..

to another this..

god gives us all gifts

Service and Callings..

in verse 12:28-31 paul writes of the different callings and services God gifts people with as all..

look at it..

1 Corinthians 12:28–31 ESV

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Do you see the variety?

Do you see how there are so many different kinds of people in the body?

Different gifts, talents, purposes?

Just like the drawings..

We are all uniquely gifted and made..

and god has a reason for this..

And paul tells us of this here if we go back to verse 12..

Each purpose works together to make the body whole

1 Corinthians 12:12–27 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Paul tells us..

We are many..

We have different purposes..

but we all come together to make one body

AND WE NEED EVERY PIECE OF THE BODY..

What ever piece of the body you are..

We need it in the kingdom..

God designed the body of christ, the church, with you in mind place a roll as your given piece of the body..

and without you we are missing something..

insignificant..

you might think your job or calling or gift is insignificant..

but Paul actually addresses that here as well..

and tells us that even the pieces of the body we dont think are very significant are more signifigant than you think..

your gift might be cleaning..

and your job may be toilets..

no one sees you do your job..

its small

insignifigant..

but people notice when your missing..

trust me..

Whatever your calling is..

what ever your purpose is..

what ever gift you have..

The body needs you..

and the body suffers when you dont walk in your calling..

we have to choose to walk in whatever god has give us.. to do..

there is more to our walk with christ..

greater purpose..

How do I discover my purpose?

You might be saying pastor..

thats wonderful, we all have a purpose..

but I have no clue what my purpose is..

how do I figure it out?

Ask: How do you think we go about discovering our purpose?

1. Take inventory

I would start by taking inventory of your life..

what are you good at?

what is your passion?

Are you passionate about cooking?

Gifts in art or music?

Do you have great communication skills?

Chances are, whatever gift god has given you for the kingdom is already present in your normal life..

because it was how god wired you when you were created in the womb..

and im not saying that just because your good at something your called to it..

but it certainly is a step in the right direction..

If you cant sing.. you’re probably not called to lead worship..

But who knows.. moses couldn't talk.. and still god called him to go speak to Pharaoh.. but even then.. he made a way through his brother..

2. Ask God

I know this seems crazy..

but pray about it..

ask the lord..

fast for direction and he will answer you..

the bible is filled with people who god spoke too and told them where to go and what to do..

ask..

James 4:2 ESV

…You do not have, because you do not ask.

have you asked god what he wants you to do?

3. look for open doors

where is the Opportunity God has given you?

what doors has he opened..

If God has called you then he will open doors for that calling..

If he has called you to sing.. then he will give you opportunity to sing..

He hes called you to preach..

hell give you oppurtunity..

Do you have oppurtunity in your life that youve declined because you think your not good enough?

Maybe its time to step out!

4. Be Present and willing to serve

show up to church events..

show up when poeple need help..

Many times you will find you passion and gifting while your giving of your self..

and many times god will open doors for you through simply being willing..

Joshua was nto moses son.. but he because the next leader of israel..

why?

Because he was always present with moses..

and he was willing to go..

5. be courageous..

finally, when god opens doors or shows you the gift hes given you.. be courageous..

step out in faith and be obedient to the call

God called Jeremiah when he was young..

and the first thing he told god was.. im too young..

But God told him..

dont say that..

go and i will be with you..

when god calls you to go and opens doors..

be bold and go..

End

Are you walking in your purpose?

Do you know what your purpose is?

Take out your phone.. open your notes..

and I want you write one line about your purpose..

what are you called too?

If not called.. what are you good at or passionate about?

Take one step towards it night by acknolding it..