The Driving Purpose of Every Christian

Paul is displaying is heart in ministry. He speaks of his fidelity and honesty in ministry methods, his difficulties that he endured in the work of the ministry along with the "consolations and supports" which he had in these trials. So Paul has been explaining himself and showing the driving motives of his heart.

The Driving Purpose of Every Christian

Paul is displaying is heart in ministry. He speaks of his fidelity and honesty in ministry methods, his difficulties that he endured in the work of the ministry along with the "consolations and supports" which he had in these trials. So Paul has been explaining himself and showing the driving motives of his heart.

Illustration:

The mechanic would say to you, “I just love the smell of oil and grease. I enjoy being able to fix cars, to learn what’s wrong with them and what makes them run again. The farmer would say, “I enjoy sitting on a combine all by myself harvesting, there’s no better time to think. I enjoy running those machines and seeing big areas of land. This is what drives me for this type of service.

Paul is essentially doing the same thing, explaining what drives him, what motivates him and keeps him zealous in Christian ministry. What he says is equally true of all Christians. He’s not just talking about being an itinerate minister, but of being a Christian.

The Christian’s Purpose

Vs. 15, 9.

To live not for the pursuit of myself, but for the honor and glory of God. This is the heart of a Christian. My purpose is to please him. This is not just super spiritual Christians, this is everyone who is a believer, who is in Christ. This is a test for genuine Christianity, that is a heart felt worship of God. For the Christian, all of life is worship, all of my life is a devotion to God every area of it.

What is the Pursuit of Self

From: "Barnes' Notes

(1) When people seek pleasure, gain, or reputation as the controlling principle of their lives.

(2) when they are regardless of the rights of others, and sacrifice all the claims which others have on them in order to secure the advancement of their own purposes and ends.

(3) when they are regardless of the needs of others, and turn a deaf ear to all the appeals which charity makes to them, and have no time to give to serve them, and no money to spare to alleviate their needs; and especially when they turn a deaf ear to the appeals which are made for the diffusion of the gospel to the benighted and perishing.

(4) when their main purpose is the aggrandizement of their own families, for their families are but a diffusion of self. And,

(5) When they seek their own salvation only from selfish motives, and not from a desire to honor God. Multitudes are selfish even in their religion; and the main purpose which they have in view, is to promote their own objects, and not the honor of the Master whom they profess to serve. They seek and profess religion only because they desire to escape from wrath, and to obtain the happiness of heaven, and not from any love to the Redeemer or any desire to honor him, Or they seek to build up the interests of their own church and party, and all their zeal is expended on that and that alone, without any real desire to honor the Saviour. Or though in the church, they are still selfish, and live wholly to themselves. They live for fashion, for gain, for reputation. They practice no self-denial; they make no effort; to advance the cause of God the Saviour.[1]

So we call it the pursuit of myself, my own desires. This is natural to fallen man. Even religious men are self seeking. Not everyone will have the same degree of selfishness, but we are all selfish in our inner being.

What is Living For Jesus?

Living with the goal of honoring him and viewing everything as belonging to him.

Honoring Him

(ESV)

31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

(ESV)

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Belonging to Him

(ESV)

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

When I go to work, it’s his work. My car, it’s his car. My time, it’s his time. I am his servant, I belong to him, what’s mine is really his. Everything is worship and devotion for a Christian. I work hard, as to him. I handle my family affairs, as to him, in devotion to him and as if it belongs to him, because it does. I live for him!

What Motivates this Purpose?

Vs. 15

Jesus died for me, that’s what drives this purpose. His death is the great act that secures my affection. He died for me! His death was for me.

He died for me and rose again. He purchase me and lives to make good on his promise to grant me eternal life. We are bound by to be gratefully devoted to him in every way without any reserve. His we are, faithfully pursuing his cause. This is what can take a selfish man and change him. The death of Christ!

This life is an altar

Where I want to offer

My soul, and my mind, and strength

Cleansed by Your mercy to live a life worthy

Of the One Who called my name

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Let me be a pleasing sacrifice

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Here on the altar

My life is an offering

How could I not love You?

You authored my rescue

Raised me up from death to life

Your Spirit is in me, revealing Your glory

Oh what joy as I give my life

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Let me be a pleasing sacrifice

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Here on the altar

My life is an offering

I choose to lose my life, Lord And find it in You

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Let me be a pleasing sacrifice

Jesus, be glorified

Jesus, be magnified

Here on the altar

My life is an offering[2]

Why Do we Live This Way?

Vs. 16-17

What causes us to live this way when others don’t?

We are changed

We have experienced an inward change. Something happened inside of us that reworked our whole perspective on life. We call it conversion, and it’s a work of God that makes this new purpose a reality. The reason we have this purpose is not because we are better or smarter than anyone else, but it’s because we now have new natures and new inward desires that God has put in us!

Changed How?

A Change in the guiding principles of our life. Vs. 16 This means we don’t judge or value things based purely on a fleshly way of thinking. Our perspectives on life aren’t based on this life alone. Natural men live as if this world is all there is. I need to get now, pursue now, pleasure now, life now, because they live like this world is it! Paul says, no we don’t live like that anymore. We don’t value or esteem life based on now, but eternity. It’s a Godward focus, an eternity focus. We value things differently than the world does.

Illustration

What motivates the missionaries of history to leave the comforts of home to foreign and strange lands? They valued things differently.

What motivated Abraham to leave home to go to Canaan?

Read

A Change in our estimation of men vs. 16

Don’t judge according to social status, or wealth, or class, or race, or priveldge. Those are fleshly ways of judging men, common to men. We judge according to higher principles, heavenly. Is a man a Christian?

A change in our view of Christ! Vs. 16

This is the Chief way we have changed. We have new views of God, and of Jesus, new views of the Bible. We no longer look at Christ as a good teacher or ordinary man, but the center of the world, our world! The world and the world to come, we have new views of truth and duty, we even have new feelings. This is commonly expressed by new converts.

Vs. 17

These new inward attitudes show that we are new creatures and are not the same anymore. A Christian has new purposes. That new purpose is to live wholly for Christ devoted only to him. Our motive for this is his own self-sacrifice, he died for me. At conversion God supernaturally implants this desire within us, to see Christ and to desire to love him.

That is, all things in view of the mind. The purposes of life, the feelings of the heart, the principles of action, all become new.[3]

Is This True of You?

Has this ever been true of you? This doesn't mean that we never sin, but that we have a new heart attachment. In our most inner person, this is what we desire.

Some of you are likely troubled by this, that's a good thing. This truth ought to trouble us and make us examine ourselves to see in what ways we are not living with God in view. It's also true however that we are responsible to cultivate this mindset. It may be true at our inner being, be we have to stirr it up, to put it on. And if you are troubled this morning, that's a good sign. If you say, "I haven't been living for myself," it could mean that you have the Holy Spirit and your inner man is not right. One of the best evidences of conversion is an increasing discomfort and conflict when we stray from this purpose and goal as the drive of our lives.

Therefore Every Christian Is An Evangelist At Heart

Vs. 18-20

Evangelism is a primary way we accomplish this. For Paul, a chief way he could live out his devotion was as Christ's ambassador. He was specifically called to be a witness for Christ and he did this zealously and enduringly for all the above reasons. He wasn't a Christian who said, "I love Jesus, and I am going to keep it to myself."

While everyone is not called to be an apostle or to witness to Jesus in the same way, everyone is called to have this purpose as their goal and to spread his kingdom in some way.

(ESV)

9 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. So evangelism is at the heart of the Christian life. We are God's people, devoted to worshiping God in every area of life, and sharing him with others. If you are reconciled, you have a ministry of reconciliation.

Our message in evangelism is from God vs. 20

God makes his appeal to men through us. God speaks to men through the message of the gospel and himself invites them. We are proclaiming it in Christ's stead.

Our method in Evangelism vs. 20

Our method is simple, we beg you, urge you, entreat you. We don't have manipulative means or clever devices, we simply make earnest and heartfelt entreaties. "Be reconciled to God." So we should all be a part of evangelism.

Application

How?

I'm not after you feeling guilty for not being a street preacher. Most of you will never be involved in that type of ministry and in my estimation, that's not wrong. But we are to be heartfelt in our pursuit of souls.

1. Praying.

Maybe you are a senior adult and are often alone at home and maybe you don't see others that often, well you can pray! That's not a last resort or something minimal, that's work, evangelistic work.

(J.C. Ryle)

Prayer is . . .

the mightiest weapon that God has placed in our hands,

the best weapon to use in every difficulty,

the surest remedy in every trouble,

the key that unlocks the treasury of promises,

the hand that draws forth grace and help in time of need,

the silver trumpet that God commands us to sound in all our necessity,

the cry He has promised always to listen to, just as a loving mother listens attentively to the cry of her child.

2. Share your testimony

(ESV)

19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

3. Invite Others to our Evangelistic Meetings

You can get others to come to the preaching of the Word. You may not can explain the gospel well in front of others, but you can invite someone to come to the preaching of the Gospel.

How to Use the Flyer

1. It's not a commitment to come to every meeting.

2. Come be my friend! We are looking into this subject, and I would like you to hear it and maybe we could discuss it after.

3. Would you come join me one of these evenings? What are your thoughts on the gospel? Would you be interested in thinking more about that subject?

[1] From <https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_corinthians/5.htm>

[2] “My Life is an Offering” by Sovereign Grace Music

[3] From <https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/2_corinthians/5.htm>