Run with Purpose
Notes
Transcript
Opening
Story about a pilot who came over the speaker and said, “Ladies and gentlemen. Today’s flight will be a pleasant one. There isn’t a cloud in sight and there is a strong tailwind pushing us along quickly. We will get there quickly and easily. The only problem is none of the navigation instruments are working, but it will be a quick and smooth ride.
In life we can often find ourselves flying through life feeling like everything is smooth sailing, but in reality we don’t have any direction.
In life we can often find ourselves flying through life feeling like everything is smooth sailing, but in reality we don’t have any direction.
Title - Run with Purpose
What is your purpose in life, in your family, in this church, in this community?
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Pray
God works for the Good of those who love Him and are called to Him Purpose. This means it is important that we know what our purpose is in life.
God works for the Good of those who love Him and are called to Him Purpose. This means it is important that we know what our purpose is in life.
Every follower of Jesus has 2 purposes in life
Know God
Make Him Known
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Jesus summed up the whole Old Testament in these 2 commandments or the purpose in life.
Live a life fully surrendered to God. Knowing God is about letting go of everything that hinders and following Him in every area of our lives.
Mark 1:16–20 (NIV)
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
The disciples found their purpose in life “Follow Jesus” (to know God) and “to fish for people” (to Make Him known)
But this is not an easy purpose to fulfill…others were not able to let go of the world they loved.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
This rich man was like the pilot in the story. Instead of having a proper direction and purpose in life he was to excited about the sunshine and tailwind making his journey easy. Instead of looking for purpose in the journey even if it made things harder.
Each one of us must give up everything or we will not be able to run with the purpose God has destined for us to do.
Each one of us must give up everything or we will not be able to run with the purpose God has destined for us to do.
33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
Will you accept to know God in this way? Giving up everything else to follow Him as the disciples did?
My prayer is that you are and will continue to do this daily.
My prayer is that you are and will continue to do this daily.
If you have never accepted to call of Jesus to “go and sell (let go of this world) and follow Me” then I want to pray with you after the service.
But we are going to look at what it means to live this purpose of Knowing God and Making Him know.
Knowing God and Making Him know looks different for different people
Knowing God and Making Him know looks different for different people
1 When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.
2 He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
3 The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand.
4 David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the Lord and six thousand are to be officials and judges.
5 Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”
6 David separated the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
David set apart 4 different ways to fulfill the purposes in the Levites.
Work in the Temple - serving in the church
Officials and Judges - Lead others to follow God
Gatekeepers - serving/reaching those outside the church
Worshipers/musicians - Praise God and lead others to praise
Each of these fit into the overall purpose God has for all of us who follow Him
Know Him
Make Him known
Before you think that is the Levites the priests the important people God chose NOT ME...
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
What does this look like in real life?
What does this look like in real life?
1. Working in the Temple (for everyone to an extent)
1. Working in the Temple (for everyone to an extent)
Finding a place to serve in the church. This does not mean serving in everything that is possible. Just like David separated people to best fulfill the overall purpose.
God has given some people the purpose to work with children, set up the coffee, open the door...
Do you have a purpose in the church? If not ask God to give you direction and begin fulfilling the purpose God has for you in this church.
Know God
2. Officers and Judges
2. Officers and Judges
Leaders in the church community. This area God has placed people in to fulfill His purpose.
Has God placed something in your heart to lead others in the church to know God more?
This is not just pastors, but children’s and youth teachers/leaders and small group leaders.
Be a person of influence in someone else’s life and you fit in this purpose of God.
Know God
3. Gatekeepers
3. Gatekeepers
The purpose of opening the door, planting seeds, and bringing people into the presents of God through conversations, prayer, miracles, and kindness in the community.
The gatekeeper is the purpose of standing and watching and giving aid to those who are not in the temple or family of God.
Make Him Known
4. Worshipers
4. Worshipers
The purpose of worshiping God in life and in the church. Leading others into worship may not be your purpose, but Worshiping the God who created you is your purpose.
When we live with the purpose to worship we begin to live in expectation and excitement of what God is going to do.
The worshipers always went ahead of the people in the Old Testament.
The purpose of worship is to Know God and Make Him known.
Throughout your lives you may have felt like your main purpose was one of those, but now you feel lost because you have lost your passion or life has changed...
Each one of use is given the purpose to
Know God and Make Him known, but the How we fulfill that purpose can change over time.
24 These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord.
25 For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever,
26 the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.”
27 According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more.
After listing the households David clarifies why he gave new jobs.
The purpose of the Levites before the temple was built was to carry the tabernacle setting it up and taking it down in order to Know God and Make Him Known.
Life had changed for the people of Israel, as it does for us, now the How they fulfilled their purpose had changed.
God is saying to you that you are valuable and have a purpose even if the way you fulfill that purpose is different then it was yesterday.
If you know how God has called you to fulfill your purpose in this stage…RUN with it!
If you feel lost without a purpose ask God to give you a direction to start in.
Serving
Leading/training others
Reaching out to the community
Worshiping, praying, and displaying the joy and excitement of God’s Goodness
Then God will work all that you do for Good because you love Him and become a person who is called and fulfilling your purpose He has ordained for you.
Vision Casting
Transition - Here at New Beginnings we believe it is important to have purpose in the church. The 3 three E’s I hope to lead our church into in this area of purpose are
Expectation
Excellence
Empowerment
Each one of use need to be living in expectation that our servicing will build God’s Kingdom on earth.
In doing that We need to do everything as though doing it for Christ (the best we can) in excellence.
Not through our strength, but empowered through the strength of the Holy Spirit working through us.
Will you begin or grow in this journey to live the 3 E’s?
Expectation, Excellence, and Empowerment?
This week is VBS…If you are able to help in any way let us know.
God is moving in our church. God blesses the plans and purposes He birthed in us. Our children’s ministry has been on God’s heart for years. But until we began following His plan we didn’t see the blessing.
God wants to do something in and through the children in this church. Will you answer the call to “follow me!” in the call for our children?
Not just as teachers (making food, running a game, praying, leading songs, cleaning tables, giving a hug, learning their names) Anything Big or little.
Are you willing to leave your nets (your comfort, your normal) to answer the call to purpose?