God’s Five Goals for Every Believer

Selected texts

Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church of Icard, 2/7/99 S.N.

Do you ever get confused? I heard about a wife who called her husband on his cell phone and said, “Honey, be careful. I just heard on the scanner that there’s a car driving the wrong way on the freeway.” The man said, “A car! There’s hundreds of cars going the wrong way!”

You might have also heard about the preacher who was visiting a member at a nursing home. The preacher approached his elderly church member and asked in a loud voice, “Do you know who I am?” The sweet, little ole’ lady looked up and said, “No, but if you’ll go to the front desk they’ll tell you.”

We may all become confused at times but there are some things on which there needs to be no confusion! Knowing that I am saved is one of those times. Knowing who I am in Christ and what He has called me to in life are others. Knowing God’s purposes for my life is too important for anyone to be confused.

I want to share with you today, God’s Five Goals for Every Believer. There are some goals God has for us that are as uniquely different as each of us are different from one another. But there are certain goals God has mapped out for all of us as His children. They’re the same for all of us.

Furthermore, these five goals God has for every believer can be understood in light of the five purposes of the church. These goals express what God wants each of us to do with our lives while on earth.

1.GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY (FELLOWSHIP)

The Bible is very clear that following Christ is not just a matter of believing but of belonging. The Christian life is not a solo act. We are meant to live in relationship to each other.

1 Peter 1:3

3 All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead.

Ephesians 2:19

19 Now you are no longer strangers to God and foreigners to heaven, but you are members of God’s very own family, citizens of God’s country, and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.

2. GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MODEL OF HIS CHARACTER (DISCIPLESHIP)

God wants every believer to grow up and become like Christ in his character. Becoming like Christ is the biblical definition of “spiritual maturity.” Jesus, himself, established a pattern for us to follow.

1 Peter 2:21

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

In I Timothy 4:12 Paul gives us several specific areas in which we are to model the character of Christ.

1 Timothy 4:12

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

Notice that maturity is not measured by one’s learning but by one’s lifestyle. It is possible to be well versed in the Bible and still be immature.

3. GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MINISTER OF HIS GRACE(MINISTRY)

God expects us to use the gifts, talents and resources He has given us to benefit others.

1 Peter 4:10

10 God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you.

God intends for every believer to have a ministry. When you give your life to Christ you are signing up to minister in his name for the rest of your life.

Ephesians 2:10

10 It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.

4. GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MESSENGER OF HIS LOVE(EVANGELISM)

Acts 20:24

24 But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God’s mighty kindness and love.

2 Corinthians 5:19-20

19 For God was in Christ, restoring the world to himself, no longer counting men’s sins against them but blotting them out. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God.

Why doesn’t God just zap us to heaven after we’re saved. There are only two things we cannot do in heaven that we can do here on earth; sin and witness. Now which of these do you think he left us to do?

5. GOD WANTS ME TO BE A MAGNIFIER OF HIS NAME(WORSHIP)

Psalm 34:3

3 Let us praise the Lord together and exalt his name.

John 4:23-24

You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Conclusion:

Now what have I told you? I’ve said God has five goals for every believer. Regardless of who you are. If you know Christ as savior and Lord then His desire is for you to experience to the fullest these five things:

FELLOWSHIP which means belonging as a member of His church.

DISCIPLESHIP which calls us to model His character.

MINISTRY which calls us to minister of His grace.

EVANGELISM which challenges us to be a messenger of His love.

WORSHIP which offers us the privilege of magnifying His name.

Appeal to those who do not know Christ as Savior.

Prayer.