Living on Purpose #3

1/4/03 and 1/5/03

36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep;………..” Acts 13:36 NIV

Proverbs 19

21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 20

5 The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters,

but a man of understanding draws them out.

-The greatest tragedy in life isn’t dying, it is living and not having a reason/purpose.

-We have been talking about purpose. We spent several weeks on our purpose and the purpose of the church. In other words, WHY ARE WE HERE?

Jeremiah 29

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

-Look in the bulletin for the purpose statement and values.

The purpose of Faith Christian Fellowship of Warrenton is growth. We are to help believers grow up in Christ, Grow together in relationships, and grow out through evangelism.

1. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP(GROWING) RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

2. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE LIVING BEYOND THEMSELVES EXPERIENCING GOD’S SUPERNATURAL LIFE IN THEIR MINISTRY

3.FCF OF WARRENTON IS A FAMILY CHURCH WHERE CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND ADULTS ARE IMPORTANT

3. EVERY BELIEVER HAS A MINSTRY OR PLACE OF SERVICE

-All of us were created by God to serve.

-Every believer has a MINISTRY TO THE LORD/A MINISTRY TO THE BODY OF CHRIST/A MINISTRY TO THE WORLD.

Ephesians 4

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

-We need your input and contribution.

-You have specific gifts from God.

-Your purpose is tied to discovering, developing, and using your gifts to serve people to the glory of God.

1 Peter 4

10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

Romans 12

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual a act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his b faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

-Notice the connection between your gift and the will of God.

-In other words, do whatever is in you and the will of God goes with it.

-There are several lists of gifts in the N.T. –Ephesians 4/Romans 12/1 Corinthians 12 in two places.

-In addition other gifts are mentioned in the N.T. like celibacy, martyrdom, hospitality and others.

-TAP IN! We need you.

4. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE A FISHER OF MEN

Matthew 4

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

-God loves people.

-He saved us and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

-We are sent to tell those who will listen that Jesus has made a way back to God. He is it.

(EXAMPLE TO SATURDAY NIGHT ABOUT ONE WAY TO MY HOUSE.)

-I did a series on being a contagious Christian so we aren’t going to spend a lot of time here.

-Everyone can tell others about Jesus.

5. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN A SMALL GROUP

CHEERS SONG

-It is very important to your spiritual growth to be in a place of close relationship with other Christians.

-Please try to attend a weekend service and a small group regularly.

-This Saturday I had an orientation for new small groups.

-If you can’t find one you fit in….lets start another one.

Acts 2

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 20

20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.

-That is 20/20 vision: publicly and house to house.

-Jesus preached to the multitudes but He poured His life into the twelve.

-The Bible pattern for making disciples is in small groups.

-The pressure and accountability of a small group causes you to grow and stretch as a Christian.

-Look at the listing of groups next week and begin searching for one that works for you.

6. EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD BE A WORLD CHRISTIAN

YOU CAN SEE THE WORLD FROM HERE!

-Jesus gave His life for the whole world.

Matthew 28

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 5

19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

-I had the outstanding fortune of being around people early in my walk with the Lord who emphasized the world.

-I was a missionary before I was a pastor.

-Becky and I were talking recently about the world and how got put a vision in us for the world.

-You have to go see the people.

-You can’t get stuck on America or even Haiti or Jamaica.

-Jesus died for the world.

-There are people who adopt from another country. That is a world vision.

-Some people give large amounts for missions. That is a world vision.

-Being a world Christian is an attitude.

-In Genesis God told Abraham that all of he mishpecach would be blessed through him.

-All of the families of the earth were on God’s minds.

-We see a very similar word in Matthew 28. All of the ethnos-people groups should hear the gospel.

-The world is on the mind of God.

Psalm 2

8 Ask of me,

and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the ends of the earth your possession.

Psalm 149

5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor

and sing for joy on their beds.

6 May the praise of God be in their mouths

and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7 to inflict vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with fetters,

their nobles with shackles of iron,

9 to carry out the sentence written against them.

This is the glory of all his saints.

-We see the church going through “world crisis’s” in several places in the book of Acts.

Acts 1:8-Jesus tells them to reach the whole world.

Acts 8:1-When they stay home, they are sent out by persecution.

Acts 10-Peter is still prejudiced.

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

-When Becky went to the U.K. with me she wanted to go home, until she met the people.

-We must get this message to the world.

-Closure is bringing things to an end.

-How do we get out of here?

Matthew 24

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

PRAYER FOR FCF TO REACH GOD’S PURPOSE