12-26-21 God's Purpose in You

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I love Christmas, but I also like the week between Christmas and New Years. I feel like you get to take a breath before jumping into the new year. Today, I want to talk about purpose, because I think sometimes it’s easy during this time of year to fall into a sort of lethargy; there is something new coming (a new year, in this case) and we know it, but it can be a difficult to see it, to plan for it, or to have hope that things really are going to move forward in the right direction, that things will change for the better. And those changes we are looking for could be internal or external; but there is often a longing for something better as we come into the new year. And so I want to talk about our calling as believers in fulfilling the special purpose God has for each one of us, because He will move us forward as we respond to Him in humility and obedience. And the fact that God has a special purpose And will bring it to pass is important to realize, because it helps you see the big picture God has for you now, and how you can operate in the present gift of the present knowing God will complete His purpose in you. Paul writes to Timothy about purpose; 2 Timothy 1:8-10 NKJV Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” First, Paul reminds Timothy of the love God has for us, and that God’s love was so great towards us that He sent Jesus. God saved us, and after He did that gave us purpose, or a holy calling. And He didn’t give us that according to how good we did, or how great our performance was. God’s Purpose in You | 1 In other words, God gives us a purpose and a Holy calling in Him because of His grace, His mercy, and His faithfulness, and it comes through connectedness to Jesus. God doesn’t give us purpose and a high calling because we did so great in ourselves. In our world today, we tend to think of promotions in terms of our performance. But God blasts this performance-based mentality in this portion of scripture again. God says, ‘no you have been given a high and holy calling. There will be suffering involved, that’s a part of it. But I am going to bring you into what God has for you because Jesus abolished death and you trust in Him. I’m going to move you forward into my plans and purposes, not because you’re doing so well in the way you’re walking things out, bet because Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, the Hope of Humanity, has come and has invited you into His presence, He’s invited you to participate in His plan for you.’ And Paul, here as he is encouraging Timothy in his calling, says ‘don’t be ashamed.’ Shame is one of the main killers of calling. 2 Timothy 1:8 NKJV “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” In this passage specifically, Paul is saying that Timothy shouldn’t be afraid or ashamed of the good news of Jesus even though it is scandalous. In other words, both Jewish and Gentile audiences didn’t like it. A free gift of salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ offended the Jews who wanted to keep the law, and it was dumb to the Gentile world who saw no purpose in following a person who had no worldly status and just ended up getting murdered. But I want to point out again that shame is one of the main killers of calling; Paul says don’t be ashamed of the gospel; how many of us come to Jesus, but then still struggle with shame and condemnation because we’re not good enough to be God’s Purpose in You | 2 worthy of His love? A mentality that is stuck in shame might cause us to suffer, the problem is that that kind of suffering is actually what Jesus died to stop. What I mean is that when we’re bogged down by shame and condemnation in our thoughts about how bad we are (that’s worm theology - I’m just a terrible, awful person and I deserve to be punished because I don’t measure up to God’s standard) it blocks us from moving into God’s high and holy calling for us. It blocks us from suffering for the gospel, for God’s good news of love, because we’re too busy suffering for ourselves. Romans speaks of why we can be free from shame; Romans 10:4 NLT “For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.” The law was given so that we would know how sinful we are, so that we would know we couldn’t be perfect or measure up to God’s standards. But because of Jesus, who has fulfilled the law perfectly, anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is now made right in God’s sight. We are His children, totally loved, accepted, and forgiven. And so as we put off shame and condemnation, knowing that Jesus brought us into His family, we can start to move forward in our purpose, which is to operate in the same ways Jesus did. I want to talk a little more about purpose today, and how moving forward in our purpose really has to do with faith. Faith in who Jesus is, in what He’s done for us, and in His power and sovereignty. Let’s pray before we jump into our main text for today. Father in heaven, thank you for the time we have together today. I pray that would soften our hearts towards Your word today, that would instill in us your holy and high calling, and that You would break off any shame or condemnation that we may have and move us deeper and deeper into the depths of your love. Speak to us today, Holy Spirit, and have your way in this place. In Jesus’ Name, amen. God’s Purpose in You | 3 Let’s go to 2 Chronicles 22 today. We’re going to take a look at the life of Joash, sole surviving grandson of Ahab and son of the deceased King Jehoram. Joash was the son of Ahaziah (son of Jehoram), a royal seed of the house of Judah. When Joash was one, his sister Jehosheba (wife of Jehoida the priest) hid him for six years from Athaliah (mother of Ahaziah) who sought to kill all of Jehoram’s heirs. At age seven, Joash was brought out of hiding and presented in the House of the Lord by Jehoida to take his rightful place on the throne. God preserved Joash for His Kingdom purposes as Israel’s King, keeping His covenant to David.1 Let’s take a quick look at the story together. I’m going to skip around a little bit since I gave you the recap in advance 2 Chronicles 22:10-12 NKJV Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land. 2 Chronicles 23:3 NKJV Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the sons of David. 2 Chronicles 23:11 NKJV And they brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the Testimony, and made him king. Then Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, “Long live the king!” 1 Hayford, Jack. Assured of God’s Indestructible Purpose. Gateway Legacy Library, https://app.gatewaylegacylibrary.com/legacy-library/4/sermon/2710. God’s Purpose in You | 4 2 Chronicles 23:16-21 NKJV Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 And all the people went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18 Also Jehoiada appointed the oversight of the house of the Lord to the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was established by David. 19 And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the Lord, so that no one who was in any way unclean should enter. 20 Then he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the Lord; and they went through the Upper Gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom. 21 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword. God has an intended and special purpose in each of His children; that means He has a special purpose for you. Say; GOD HAS A SPECIAL PURPOSE FOR ME. God’s purpose for Joash was to make Him king of Israel and bring Israel back into true worship. It was to help the people tear down and remove idols from their lives. The purpose God has for you probably isn’t to rule over a country, but it is just as high of a calling. If we abide in His will (and that’s an important part that we can’t forget), God will move in our lives to ensure that our prescribed, intended purpose is fulfilled. Now, there is a vulnerability that comes with Kingdom purpose. Joash was actually very vulnerable to attack; he was just a child! We talked about the vulnerability of Christmas, and how Jesus came to earth vulnerable, as a child. God’s Purpose in You | 5 And in the case of Jesus and this case of Joash, there was an evil ruler who didn’t mind killing children to take power and control. But I want you to know that no matter what the attack, the Lord will not allow our purpose to be destroyed. With that knowledge and belief, we can live in simple dependence as a child (like both Joash and Jesus) assured of God’s purpose for us being fulfilled. God has a high and holy calling for you, an intentional and special purpose for your life. Psalm 57:2 AMP I will cry to God Most High, Who accomplishes all things on my behalf [for He completes my purpose in His plan]. Because of our union with Christ, because we are connected to Him as children of God by His work on the cross, God will accomplish His purpose in us. That’s a fact. Now, we do also participate in His suffering, which always stands between God’s calling and His full restoration. Unfortunately, there is no bypassing the adversarial challenges to our calling. In other words, we will go through times where it’s not easy to follow Jesus, to obey Him, or even see the light of His face and what He’s doing in and though us. But He that suffering, those trials, lead us to growth in hope in His Name. Romans 5:1-5 NKJV Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. To simplify this even more, we will go through trials and tribulations, but God will give us the strength we need to get through them. That’s a promise. Who God calls, He equips, and He has called you. And He will enable you to make it through whatever you face in order to remake you into the image of Jesus. God’s Purpose in You | 6 The God of grace will infuse you with power that transcends all unworthiness, all shame, all condemnation, because you are called according to His purpose. It is like God is saying, “I will breathe in you power to take you through the difficulties.” His awesome dynamic power pours steel into our system that transcends human capacity. This is not religion, and this power doesn’t come from operating perfectly in everything we walk through—it is the power of the Holy Spirit, given as a free gift from a loving, caring Father that brings more grace for the moment, filling us with capability and power that is vastly greater than the power of the enemy to bring pain, hurt, and destruction. Romans 15:13 NKJV “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God will give you the strength you need. He will be there for you through everything you face, and He will accomplish His mighty purpose in you as you grow in learning how to surrender to Him. God has a purpose and a plan for you, God will give you the strength you need, and God has called you to eternal glory. Joash was preserved to become King, he was covered and taken care of by God for a kingdom purpose. As with Joash, God has willed positions and accomplishments for us that relate to every circumstance and relationship in our lives. Even if we are overwhelmed at times because of what we face and what we go through, God is bigger than any weakness we feel. And not only is He bigger than our weakness, He says that if we will give our weakness to Him, and come to Him in vulnerability and in our need, that He will move on our behalf. Romans 8:26 NKJV “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” God’s Purpose in You | 7 Many times, we’re even weak in knowing what to ask God for, in knowing how to talk to Him. But the Holy Spirit will help in our weakness in trying to communicate with God. He makes intercession for us with groanings. In other words, the Holy Spirit knows us intimately, He sees what we’re going through, and He makes groanings for us. That means He makes deep sighs for us as we go through circumstances and trials. He feels what we feel and pours out our pain, our longing, our joys, our sorrows, and our prayers before the Father so that Jesus can bring His new life, His healing, His redemption, and His plans and purposes to fruition. At the end of it all, after all of your strength is drained and you feel like your words and prayers fall silent, when anguished emotions seeped the whole of who you are and leave you dry or numb, you can rest in the assurance that even when you have no words, don’t know how to pray, and can’t even bring yourself to raise your eyes to Jesus because of the pain you feel, you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ Himself, is interceding on your behalf. In those moments, in those days, He will do what we cannot.2 Luke 22:32 NKJV But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Jesus prays for us, He intercedes for us, and then, as He strengthens us through our trials, he sends back into our community to encourage others to not lose hope, to tell others that as we come to Jesus as a child, like Joash, He will come through, because God is faithful always. And at the end of it all, we’ll see that the Lord will resolve the many issues we go through far more effectively than we could have dreamed of. More importantly though, we will be changed for the better. 2 Swindoll, Charles R. Insights on Romans, P312. Tyndale House Publishers, Incorporated, 2016, https://www.scribd.com/read/295507534/Insights-on-Romans. Accessed 24 December 2021. God’s Purpose in You | 8 We will come through our trials more submitted to the will of God, which is the ultimate goal and purpose for all of us, to become the people GOd made us to be, people who look like Jesus, who are His hands and His feet, who bring His kingdom rule and reign to bear wherever we go. And for that to happen, we need to choose to simply to Jesus as a little child, in faith believing that He is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do as we obey His word. God wants us to come to him as a child, with the simple faith of a child. As we do that, we can trust God that the desires He has placed in us will break through the fog of challenges that block us from His light. We can have confidence through child-like faith that our purpose will not be thwarted, that we will break through to accomplish all God intends. It is through this God-inspired process that we become strong, firm and steadfast. Ephesians 2:10 NKJV “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” As a helpless infant, Joash was saved from seeming destruction to indestructibility of purpose. After destroying all of her dead husband’s heirs (except Joash), Athaliah took the throne without legal right and ruled for six years. The number “six” represents man, or the flesh. Revelation 13:18 NKJV Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. In the seventh year, Joash was crowned King by Jehoida the priest and Athaliah was killed by the Levites by the order of the priest Jehoida. The number “seven” represents divine purpose. Revelation 1:11-13 NKJV saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” 12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw God’s Purpose in You | 9 seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. There comes a time of God’s completion when He perfects the divine purpose for which we were called. And you can be confident that He will complete His purpose in you as you follow Him in obedience, simply responding to His promptings as He speaks. Philippians 1:6 NKJV being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God’s Purpose in You | 10