I have Decided to Find My Purpose
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We are in a message series titled, I have decided.
Decisions that are critical to your life
1 - Getting closer to Jesus. If you get closer to him it will fuel everything else in your life.
2. Being a follower. we discovered it’s more serious that we may have thought. Deny Self, Take up Cross, and follow Jesus
Today, we will look at another important decision. What on Earth am I doing here?
ILL - dog trac. the dogs all chase the mechanical rabbit. One day, the rabbit exploded. Now the story goes that none of those dogs finished the race. On dog was so confused and disoriented that he ran through the railing and broke some of his ribs. Another one turned toward the crowd and began barking. The rest of them… just sat down.
What a picture of life. If you don’t have something to chase, you will hurt yourself or holler at everyone else or just lay down.
One of the gifts we want to have this year is clarity of purpose.
I Have Decided ...
I Have Decided ...
I have decided to live my life on purpose.
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Some of you feel that way. You wonder why are we here?
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.
What matters if I don’t know why I am on this planet. Life doesn’t matter.
Hebrew: Chazown (kjaw-zone) A dream, revelation, or vision
Hebrew: Chazown (kjaw-zone) A dream, revelation, or vision
Pic of Calzone
That’s the question we want to answer. Do you have a dream or vision for your life. When you know it, you know why you are here, why you go to work…
A vision for life will bring focus
A vision for life will bring focus
Most of us are not focused so we say yes to everything and no to nothing so we do a lot but don’t get much accomplished.
We run into people and say how is it going… busy… just busy. Im tired. That’s because you are doing everything and not what your purpose is.
The Devil has a plan for your life just McDonalds has a plan for your body. Hollywood has a plan for your family. Telemarketers has a plan for your money and if you don’t have some focus, you will be on a slippery slope.
These first 21 Days, I am giving to Jesus and focusing on Him.
A vision for life will bring endurance
A vision for life will bring endurance
Some give up because they don’t have a vision or purpose for their life. We all need to see the goal line. In football they call it the red zone because the offense works harder to get it in the end zone because they can see it.
Running - When I used to run a lot of distance, I always broke the run or the race into bits. I had to see something ahead to run for, then I would locate something else. When I would be coming toward the finish line I would run hard because I could see it.
I needed to see the finish line or the goal line.
Do you have a goal line… something you are striving for?
Soem of you have gone through some difficulties and it’s been hard and you may be ready to give up… don’t the finish line is just ahead.
A vision for life will bring fulfillment
A vision for life will bring fulfillment
Some have been looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. Try those… money, fame, stuff. None of those will give you the fulfillment you are looking for. They are nice but they don’t bring fulfillment.
Where does Vision come from?
Where does Vision come from?
You need to go to the one who wrote the book of your life. You may be thinking that he’s not a good writer because my life has been a mess. Well, sometimes we write a few extra chapters in our book, but the great thing about our God is that last chapter will always fit. he takes all the bad and turns it into something good. No matter how many chapters you added, he takes and makes it fit to the last chapter of your life.
Look at what Paul said,
11 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, 12 part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
You won’t find your purpose anywhere else, be cause He is the one who created you. Yoiu have to come to tGod to find your meaning and purpose.
Matthew Emmens in the rifle competition in Olympics. All he had to do was hit the target anywhere and he had the gold metal. He lines up and shoots… bulls eye on the wrong target. 1st place to 8th place no medal.
How many people are trying to go through life and they hit the bulls eye but the wrong target. You tired in all these other places and you keep coming up empty.
Good news. God has a wonderful plan for your life and he wants to reveal it to you. We want to get you into a life of fulfillment. I believe God wants everyone saved, restored, redeemed, & Fulfilled. We say it like this. We want you to Know god, Find Freedom, Discover your purpose, and Make a difference.
He wants to help you
I have decided to Find My Purpose
I have decided to Find My Purpose
If you do this, it will change everything. It will even make your current problems smaller because when you have something in your life bigger than your problems, they don’t seem so big anymore.
I want to help you find God’s purpose for your life. Eph is God’s magna carter for your life. It’s a great book. So let’s look for God’s purpose in this book…
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Make your life about being lit up. Light up your life.
Wake up those with no purpose… wake up those with no vision…
Understand God’s purpose for your life.
don’t let anything but God control your life… not your feelings… appetites… lusts. Instead be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Here are some things that Paul put in here.
1. What am I doing that I should not be doing?
1. What am I doing that I should not be doing?
All of us, if we are honest are doing something we should not be doing. Some know you are living a life you never intended to live and you have given up on your vision. Listen, we serve a God who is the ultimate change agent. This is the time to expose the deeds of the darkness in your life and say, they are not coming with me into 2022. Hiding behind all that is God’s purpose for your life, all you have to do is to move all that junk out of the way.
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Get out of the worldly junk.
… then… you will be able to know God’s will for your life.
You have to expose it and get rid of it. This is the year you need to stop letting the internet bring sin into your life… to get out of that harmful relationship… not going to let my senses tell me what to do this year.
25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
You will find your purpose hiding behind all the junk in your life.
2. What am I not doing that I should be doing?
2. What am I not doing that I should be doing?
That’s a good question.
We want to give you opportunities this year. Read bible every day… pray… tithe… small group… serve in a ministry (kids, Youth, greeter, usher, tech, security, tweens, outreach)
James the half brother of Jesus said
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
IOW, You don’t need me to tell you what you are not doing… you know. You don’t need me to tell you what you should not be doing… you know because the Holy Spirit has been telling you already. He is saying don’t you think it’s time you got this out of your life…
Some of you maybe need to step into this last week of fasting an prayer. Maybe for the next week you need to fast something else… something that needs to come out of your life that distracts you from God’s purpose… trying to control everything… smoking… eating the wrong stuff… looking at stuff you shouldn’t. Some of you need to get up earlier tomorrow and do the first 15. Some of you need to say, I’ll get in a group. For others, it’s time for you to lead a group. If you want to grow, lead a group. We will train you. You will pray better, study better and live better.
Jesus said this…
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
What am I doing that I should not be doing? What am I not doing that I need to do? It will change your life.
3. Why not do it today?
3. Why not do it today?
Why not put it on your connection card today? I want to help with… I want to lead…
2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
Today is the day!
Pray -
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting January 9-23, 2022
21 Days of Prayer & Fasting January 9-23, 2022