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Priorities and Purpose

Hebrews 12:2-3

 7, September 2003

Dakota Community Church

Priorities and Purpose

Week 4: Imitate Christ Series

| !! Hebrews 12:2-3

2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. |

This is the first week back at school for the young people, it is the first opportunity to get back to schedules and routines, fall and winter sports activities begin and the new church functions get under way.

It can be a hectic time. If we do not set the priorities in our lives the people and circumstances around us will set them for us. When that happens anxiety and depression can become a problem.

This is an issue that we can see handled in the life of Jesus.

1.     Jesus knew his purpose.

Question:

What was Jesus’ purpose?

John 3:17-18

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son

Luke 15:1-11

1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ’Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, ’Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

a.)      The sheep was lost by natural circumstance.

b.)  The coin was lost accidentally.

c.)    The son was lost willfully.

In each case finding what was lost was the top priority. That was the excuse Jesus gave for His non-religious behavior.

Matthew 9:10-13

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ’sinners’?"

12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Before we can set priorities we need to know our purpose.

·   Your purpose will change over the course of your life.

·   Youth purpose may be education, self-discovery, family functions etc.

·   My purpose: husband, father, pastor, and evangelist.

·   For a time your purpose may be to be an at home mom or home group leader.

 Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side-by-side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other.

Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, and friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain?

Max Lucado, In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991, pp. 97-98.

Once you know what to do you can move on to how to effectively do it.

Jesus set his priorities based on that purpose.

1.   Priority One: Fellowship with His Father.

Mark 1: 35-38

35Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."

-       Early

-       Exclaimed

-       Everyone

That is why I have come." -> Purpose re-established.

It was reported that eleven millionaires went down on the Titanic. Major A.H. Peuchen left $300,000 in money, jewelry, and securities in a box in his cabin. "The money seemed a mockery at that time," he later said. "I picked up three oranges instead."  Resource, July/August, 1990.

We all need to find the time to sharpen the saw.

2.   Priority Two: Discipleship of His Inner Circle.

Mark 10:32

32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.

Matthew 17:1

1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

3.   Priority Three: Ministry to the Lost.

Already covered.

Jesus protected His priorities from O.P.A.’s.

(Other Peoples Agendas)

Surprised to see an empty seat at the Super Bowl stadium, a diehard fan remarked about it to a woman sitting nearby. "It was my husband’s," the woman explained, "But he died." "I’m very sorry," said the man. "Yet I’m really surprised that another relative, or friend, didn’t jump at the chance to take the seat reserved for him." "Beats me," she said. "They all insisted on going to the funeral."

Matthew 16:21-23

21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

John 6:12-15

12When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." 13So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Matthew 11:16-19

16"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17" ’We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ’He has a demon.’ 19The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ’Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions."