Because of Jesus…we have purpose

Summary of last Sunday

Prayer

Introduction-The philosophy of Ikigai. One major need in our communities is helping people find their purpose. There are many ways people try to find their purpose. Self-help books, online surveys, and many other assessments. One method that is popular is called Ikigai. Ikigai is Japanese for, “that which gives your life worth, meaning, or purpose. There are four categories: Doing what you love, doing what you are great at, getting paid for it, and the world needs it. As people go through the process, the area in the middle is their, “Life’s Purpose.” Now, even though this process can help someone make a career decision, it is not how someone finds purpose. God’s Word provides the purpose for our life.

Transition to main text-Paul’s letter to the churches in and around Ephesus gives constant reminders about the purpose God laid out for us.

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

There are three major sections of this passage we can look at.

We were spiritually dead before Christ because of our sin and the Enemy.

Our spiritual death placed us in a dire place that needed saving.

Three things kept us locked up

Ways of the World

Satan

Our flesh

“But God”-Through God’s mercy and grace we have salvation.

The Message of Ephesians a. What God Has Done

God made us alive together with Christ (verse 5), next he raised us up with him (verse 6a), and thirdly he made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (verse 6b). These verbs (‘made alive’, ‘raised’ and ‘made to sit’) refer to the three successive historical events in the saving career of Jesus, which are normally called the resurrection, the ascension and the session.

Mercy- Manifestion of compassion—not merely a feeling but an action—for one is distress. If someone is in distress, they are in need of mercy in order to get better.

Grace-Unmerited favor

We were saved for a purpose.

Our salvation has a purpose that God laid out for us before the beginning of time.

Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

Salvation is not something we just do once. It should propel us to accomplish good works.

Faith without works is dead James 2:14–17 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Because of God’s mercy and grace, we are given the opportunity to find purpose in our life. It only comes when we surrender to God’s will and realize our need for His Grace and Mercy. True authentic surrender comes from a place of brokenness. When we realize we are inadequate, we will see the need for a Savior.

Crawford Loritts writes in his book, Leadership as an Identity, “When you are broken, you realize you cannot do it in your own power—you cannot earn salvation on you own, you cannot walk with God on your own, and you cannot fulfill God’s assignments on your own.”

Our only way to a fulfilling life is through Jesus Christ. We could sum this all in one statement.

MAIN POINT-BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE MADE ALIVE FOR A PURPOSE!

There are many books in libraries and in bookstores that claim the way for discovering purpose. I brought some books from our library to help see a few of them. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s workmanship created for good works. The word “workmanship” can also refer to a masterpiece. Not a masterpiece that just sits there in a museum. We were made for a purpose and that is good works. As I was studying this passage, one question I asked was, “What are the good works?” As a follower of God, the Great Commission clearly tells us what our purpose is on this earth. We are called to go and make disciples. Now, each of us is given a spiritual gift when we surrender to God. Each gift is vital to the process of making disciples. None is more important than another.

(Illustrate the importance of different roles with road work)

There are many parts of a road work crew, and all of them are important.

Blade operator

Roller operator

Men on ground with shovels

Flaggers

It is hard for some people to understand the importance of all jobs. Each job is important but without one job the project cannot be done correctly.

God has given each of us a job to carry out the purpose He laid out for us. He is the creator of all things and the ultimate artist. We are His masterpiece. A piece of canvas becomes whatever the artist chooses it to be. Many times we want to live our lives the way we want to live them. However, total surrender to God will lead us to the purpose God made for us. The way we can live out the purpose of our salvation is surrender to God and live out the purpose He made for us.

This purpose is not something God decides later. It is set before time. Just like an artist having inspiration of what to create before starting the process, God already set out the plans (Psalm 139:13–16 “For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.” ) If God has already set out your purpose, why look at other places for your purpose? God knows you better than you know yourself and loves you more than you could ever know (Ephesians 3). It is because of this love that God gives us abundant life.

There are a couple of action steps we can take to apply this message to our life.

Surrender to God

We need to turn everything over to Him. As a man, it can be difficult because of pride. If you struggle with being in control in all aspects of your life, it can be hard to surrender. The best way to surrender is understanding God is smarter and stronger than anything.

Live out God’s purpose

God’s purpose for the body of Christ is to reach the lost. We are each given gifts, talents, and passions. No matter the age of the follower of Christ, we can reach those that are far from God. Here’s the cool thing…God chooses to use us even though he doesn’t need us accomplish His purpose.

When we place these two steps into practice, we will notice changes. It might take a while, and it will not be easy. However, it is worth it. Remember this, “Because of Jesus, we are made alive for a purpose.”

Examine your heart for the Lord’s Supper 1 Corinthians 11:27–28 “So, then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself; in this way let him eat the bread and drink from the cup.”