Not About You
It’s not about you
Intro
Been talking about God’s purpose for your life lately. I have recommended to you the book “Purpose-Driven Life” as a 40 day devotional…in it are the first words…It’s not about you.
Talked about how you were created BY God and FOR God. And how God has a purpose and destiny for your life.
The destiny and purpose that God has for you is not only to give you peace and fulfillment, it is for you to be a blessing to others.
What God has put in you can give hope to others
God never allows you to centered on yourself, or even just Him. He commands you to look at others and be moved to compassion by their needs.
He commands you to be connected.
Compassion
One of the disturbing things that I have seen as pastor is that there is a lack of compassion going on.
We cry out to God for the lost all the time especially at LifeBlood on Tuesday nights, but it still isn’t sinking in that “the Lost” is not some unknown people group that we have yet to discover. They are the people you talk to, laugh with, or even put down everyday!
If someone is in bondage we call them stupid or ignorant rather than being moved to compassion. If someone needs help…it’s their own fault!
When someone hurts us, we hurt back! We find ways to punish them, instead of forgive and restore them.
People hooked on drugs…we look at them as ignorant fools.
One of the things that so bothered me in the Philippines is the huge social gap between classes. There are mainly two groups… the extremely rich and educated, and the extreme poor. They don’t take care of their own, they are like Scrooge to Tiny Tim… “Need to decrease the surplus population”
Connected
One of the 3 legs on stool
God commands us to be connected to one another. And yes He knows how annoying, frustrating, rude, and inconsiderate people can be, because we are all that and much more to Him much of the time.
And yet as He has loved us, He commands us to do the same.
John 3:16 AND 1 John 3:16 Love can only be expressed through commitment…it is not an emotion.
The second greatest purpose for your life is to be connected in fellowship with other Christians.
It is the only way you can be stretched and mature
It is the only way that you can know God
Commission
And of course the one we talk about a lot here is t