Purpose
Notes
Transcript
How do I find my purpose in life?
How do I find my purpose in life?
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This is our first week of the series called Can I Ask That?
While i will be honest the questions I was expecting were no where close to what we got.
Actually we got better questions, then we could ever imagine.
Questions like:
Where does God stand in tragedy? Such as illness or natural disasters. Are those part of His plan?
Why is the LGBT a sin? Why is it so bad?
Once you lose your virginity can you get it back?
Is it ok to smoke weed when you are 21?
And we walked away with about 20 total questions.
Some we need to dedicate a whole night to speak on, others I think we can cover in about 2-5 mins.
I believe that some of these questions are from the heart, and a desire to know the right answer or at least have an idea of where we should line up.
So I figured I would start with any easy one, how do I find my purpose.
What is our purpose in life?
Purpose?
This is one of the most common questions for students today.
What is my purpose?
Who am I?
Why do I exist?
What do I do?
All these are huge questions right?
I mean, I don’t know about you but I would like to know some answers about my life and what I am to do in it.
I believe that we have really three questions:
What is our purpose?
What is God’s purpose for us?
What is our purpose?
How do we find our purpose?
So lets wrestle with what is God’s purpose for us.
What is God’s purpose for us?
What is God’s purpose for us?
What is our purpose?
What is our purpose?
We must start here, we must line up what we think is our purpose and line it up with God.
So we must ask, what does God say about purpose?
Actually He says a lot about purpose.
2 Timothy
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Psalm 139
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Psalm
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans
Ephesians
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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.”
We had those verses read tonight: And there are countless other ones.
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Just to name a few.
I want us to flip to Genesis because we are going to look at a man who struggled with identity, calling and purpose.
These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Genesis 25:19-
I am sure this is a very familiar story to you.
The story of Jacob and Esau.
It is funny that we normally say it with Jacob’s name first and not Esau’s even though Esau was older.
I believe that we can make a case that Jacob struggled with his identity and his purpose.
When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
Genesis 25:
As both children are being born, Esau gets our first, but here is Jacob holding on to his brother’s heel.
From this moment on we see Jacob consistently wanting to be the older brother.
He had Esau envy if you will.
There was a time when Jacob was home cooking and Esau was out hunting- and Esau came back exhausted from hunting- He was hungry and asked his brother for food.
Jacob would only give him food if he would give up his birthright, so Esau did.
We did this from time to time- We pretend to be something we are not.
We chase around different passions, or desires that the world says to go after and we chase them to only find us looking in the mirror and seeing someone that we no longer recognize.
By chasing after someone else we will never find our own identity.
Actually what will grow from this is envy, bitterness, hate, and strife.
Jacob wanting to be the oldest was with him at the beginning when he grabbed onto the heel of Esau.
My younger siblings in here, did you ever want to be your older brother or sister?
As in they got to stay up an hour or two later than you, did you ever want those rights to you?
Now does this mean that we have an identity crisis? That we don’t have a purpose, no not at all.
Yet when people get others things that we do not have, we want it.
When others get a promotion that was ours, we wish it was us.
And if we are not careful we will find ourselves playing the game of politics, and we will not be us anyone, we will be a shell of who we were and guess what you will end up purposeless.
Let’s continue with the story of Jacob because I want to read what desperation looks like.
When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
Genesis 27:
It is a big passage and it continues to show that Jacob is still not finding himself, he pretends to literally be his brother.
Jacob later in life gets a taste of his own medicine and he gets tricked, and while Jacob has this hard time with Laban maybe Jacob starts to see the error of this way.
Maybe not, the the realty is that one day he was going to have to come face to face with Esau and Jacob is scared out of his mind.
Think like you have told lie after lie to get where you are, you have kissed up, and lied and cheated your way to the place where you actually now have to own who it is you are.
And if you do not address your purpose early on, you are in danger of going with whatever the first enticing thing is.
For Jacob it was a heel, then it was a birthright, then a blessing, then it was the pursuit of his wives.
Jacob kept running to different things and he was never satisfied, he was still purposeless.
Then one day he had an encounter with God.
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.
Genesis 32:
Jacob was wrestling with the Lord.
Jacob who cooked meals for his brother, some would probably call him a mommas-boy.
Yet in this moment he was wrestling God and God did not prevail against Jacob.
Something changed in this man, something was different about Jacob.
Even as he is wounded he hold us tight, he is not letting God go.
And in this moment God give him the one thing he was chasing- an identity, a purpose.
Jacob become Isreal- and the people who belonged to Jacob would be called Israelites.
God’s chosen people the Israelites would be named from someone who was not great but when we saw the face of God he was given a purpose.
You see God has a plan for everyone.
God has a calling for everyone.
I do not mean a calling into ministry.
But a calling to become whom you can become.
How do we do this?
How to be answer the call?
As we raise to God’s call we discover who we are and what the deepest purpose of our lives is.
What is God’s purpose for us?
What is God’s purpose for us?
1 Peter 2:8-
What is God’s calling?
He is calling you- he is calling those who believe, here is what He is calling you too:
and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
God is calling us to live out the Gospel.
One of the most common phrase in all of scripture is to have no fear.
We must look to the Lord, we must trust in the Lord.
We must believe that the Gospel is true, even if no one else believes it.
We must come to know that Jesus is who he said he is
The Gospel is true.
Look just like Jacob;
When we look into the face of God we will discover who we are and our deepest purpose.
We must know why we believe
We must be willing to follow the call
We must be willing to do our part.
Look, I can honestly tell you what it is like to work in a job or have a season of not following the call that God placed on my life.
You all know that Brittni and I left school and I jumped into being an assistant manager at Hy-Vee.
While I enjoyed the job for a bit, it drained me, it made we hard, I was proud, and arrogant.
And i thought I was the next big thing.
Who wouldn’t want that.
I was promised quick money and a bakery manger position if I moved into a training program, it was suppose to take a year, i was done in 4 months.
I had my first shop 2 months later.
I was the hot stuff, and then my first round of sales came in— down 5000 dollars- crap
that’s not good- okay we will make changes- shoot down again, again, again.
Then you see at the end of each month you do this thing called inventory and you see how your labor, because you have to play people, compared to how much you sold, and how much stuff you ordered and they put all these numbers in and you see if your dept. made money.
My first month I lost 40,000 dollars.
the next month 32,000
the next and where I would be until I went to another store 22,000 every month I lost money.
I wanted to be great, I wanted to move on, but then I began to lost passion, and fight, and even drive.
It was at this time where We started going to a church and getting plugged in.
I started to pray and I began to dust off this old bible and started to read it, i began rebuild his relationship with God that up to that point was fading away.
And you see as I drew near to God, something crazy happened, i started to feel him giving me this passion, this desire, but it was not for being a bakery manager— it was to be a youth pastor.
I would start school and then move from being a bakery manger to being an assistant bakery manger, because, one I was not good at it, but also because my time was limited there— God had a bigger plan and his purpose was greater then I could have ever imagined.
so you guys know the rest, I interviewed at this church called Bethel- you hired me- and know here I am- in the last 2 and a half going on three years i have never ever questioned my purpose nor my identity.
I want this so badly for you, but I can’t do it for you.
Here are a couple of tips that I hope are helpful as you try to find your purpose.
How do we find our purpose?
How do we find our purpose?
How do we find our purpose?
How do we find our purpose?
6 signs you are not living in God’s purpose:
6 signs you are not living in God’s purpose:
1. You are blatantly living in sin.
1. You are blatantly living in sin.
2. You lack joy and excitement
2. You lack joy and excitement
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
3. You don’t feel much fulfillment in life.
3. You don’t feel much fulfillment in life.
4. You work so that you don’t have to work
4. You work so that you don’t have to work
And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
Ecc
5. You feel stuck
5. You feel stuck
6. You have no direction
6. You have no direction
6 Way to regain your purpose:
6 Way to regain your purpose:
1. Go to God in prayer
1. Go to God in prayer
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
2. Dig into God’s word
2. Dig into God’s word
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
3. Determine your gifts and strengths
3. Determine your gifts and strengths
4. Determine your passions
4. Determine your passions
5. Bring others into your life
5. Bring others into your life
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
6. Take a solitude retreat
6. Take a solitude retreat
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
But last of all and we already mentioned it:
Know why you beleive
Follow your call- NO FEAR
Do you part
And never stop trusting the Lord
Let’s pray
