Encountering God's Plan for Your Life

1. You were planned for God’s pleasure. (aka. Worship) (Rev. 4:11)

We are all worshippers. If we don’t worship God, we will find a replacement.

Romans 12:1 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Worship is my response to God’s great love.

Worship is giving back to God. This brings God great pleasure.

What could you give God in return? Your love.

If at the end of the day you know God a little better, and love him more, that would have been a successful day.

God did not put you here on earth to simply check things off your to-do list.

Start by saying “God, Thank You.”

Your first purpose is to know God and to Love God. (Matt. 22:37)

Worship is to focus your attention on God. (Col. 3:2)

start a daily time with God. Matt. 6:6

Develop a constant conversation with God. Ps. 105.4

“When you fix your thoughts on God, God will fix your thoughts.”

Worship is using your abilities for God. (Col. 3:23)

You don’t need to change your major to be a worshipper, you simply change who you are working for.

What matters is who you are doing it all for. You can turn every bit of your work into worship. It’s not just a church thing.

2. You were formed for God’s family. (Aka. Fellowship) (Eph. 1:5)

The Church is the spiritual family by God.

We are not all God’s Children: Eph. 1:5

We are brought into God’s family by Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:25 NIV

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

We all have family responsibilities.

The main responsibility is to learn to love the other family members. John 13:34-35

The main reason is not so we can be happy, but so that God would be glorified.

The church is the laboratory for learning how to love.

4 levels of fellowship:

The fellowship of Sharing together (Acts 2:44)

Share experiences 1 Cor. 14:26

Share Support

The fellowship of Belonging together

Being committed to each other:

The difference between being a spectator, and being a participator.

You cannot fulfill God’s purposes without being a part of God’s family.

The fellowship of serving together:

Ex. The brotherhood of combat veterans.

God never meant for you to serve God alone. Eccl. 4:9

You don’t need a superstar. Team players are the key.

God can do great things through people who don’t care who gets the credit.

The fellowship of suffering together. (Gal. 6:2)

When you share with someone who is sufferring, it is going to draw you closer to them.

Sufferring is humanizing and unifying.

Relationships are more important that accomplishments.

3. You were created to become like Christ. (Aka. Sanctification) (Rom. 8:28-29)

Romans 8:28–29 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Obvious means God uses to make us like Christ:

The Word of God: The Bible.

Other people in God’s family.

3 Other means that God uses, that seem bad(Rom. 8:28)

God uses trouble to teach us to trust Him. (James 1:2-4)

God is far more interested in who you are than what you do.

Why me? The goal is not comfort, it is character.

Every problem has a purpose. What purpose? That you would become like Christ.

In eternity, there will be a reward for faithfully enduring troubles (James 1:12)

God uses temptation to make us more like Jesus… if we cooperate with Him. (1 Cor. 10:12-13)

Every time we obey God, we take a step in our spiritual growth.

Every time we are tempted, we have a choice.

Temptations are designed by the devil to draw us away from God; but when we choose to obey God, they are used to draw us closer to God.

It is not a sin to be tempted. “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

You are not alone in your temptation: Everyone is tempted in power, greed, lust, anger, revenge. It all comes down to who you love the most. 1 Cor. 10:12

1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

God will always provide a way out of temptation: 1 Cor. 10:13

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

God uses trespasses to teach us to forgive

Trespasses: Situations designed by other people to hurt us. Sometimes intentionally, sometime unintentionally.

This is the most important thing in becoming like Christ.

It included being misunderstood.

It involved being hurt.

It involves being judged.

It involves sometimes being abused.

… and still forgivng.

1 Peter 2:23 ESV

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

You can’t learn to forgive, unless somebody hurts you.

Two Suggestions:

Remember that God has forgiven you (Eph. 4:32)

Remember that God is in control.

Josephs first 40 years were horrible.

But God knew, and he raised Joseph up to be 2nd in command, and save Egypt and his family.

Genesis 50:20 ESV

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

4. You were shaped to serve God. (Aka. Ministry) (Eph. 2:10)

Ministry = Service

The call to salvation and the call to service are the same call.

Ephesians 2:10 NIV

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

What matters in life is not the duration, but the donation.

Your talents are not for your benefit, but for the benefit of others. (1 Pet. 4:10)

S - Spiritual Gifts

H - Heart

A - Abilities

P - Personality

E - Experiences

You are serving God as you serve others.

What is the attitude of service?

The attitude of availability (Matt. 20:30)

Jesus allowed himself to be stopped.

He made himself available.

How many opportunities do we miss because we are too busy.

You cannot be used if you are unavailable.

The attitude of gratefulness. (Eph. 4:2, Col. 4:2)

Jesus wants us to serve him with an attitude of gratitude.

Ministry and miracles go hand and hand when you minister out of gratitude.

There is no joy when you minister out of complaining, boredom and ungratefulness.

Don’t forget what a privilege it is to serve Jesus.

The attitude of faithfulness. (1 Cor. 4:2)

Not giving up.

Completeing the work.

Being faithful till the end.

Motivations:

If God never did another thing for me, he would still be worthy of a lifetime of serving him faithfully because of what he already has done for me on the cross.

He will reward me in the future.

Every little thing I do for Christ is significant. 1 Cor. 15:58

God sees it all, and rewards it all.

The story of Billy Graham going to a meeting and giving his life to Christ. The Usher who spotted him.

Point out a few acts of service.

What can you do to serve your spiritual family?

The attitude of generosity. (Rom. 3:24)

Love and giving go together.

You are blessed to be a blessing.

When you stand before God, you will need to answer 2 Questions:

What did you do with my Son, Jesus?

What did you do with what I gave you?

You were shaped to serve God by serving others.

5. You were made for a mission. (Aka. Evangelism & Disciple-Making) (Matt. 28:18-20)

John 17:18 The Message

In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.

2 Parts of the Mission

God expects me to bring people to Jesus.

Find Common Ground.

What are 5 things you love to do?

Who are 5 unbelievers you could invite to do that thing with you?

Hear their story.

Share your story

Share God’s story.

God expects me to Go to people for Jesus. (Mark 16:15, Matt. 28:18-20, Acts. 1:8)

Mark 16:15 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Matt. 28:18-20

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Love demands that we move beyond our comfort zone.

This is a special generation: We are some of the first people in History that can get to almost anywhere in the world in about 24 hours.

Why go to others for Jesus?

It is my responsibility.

I have been given the authority to do it.

Because of the inevitability of History. (Is. 14:26-27, Matt. 24:14)

It is moving towards a climax Is. 14:26-27

Matthew 24:14 ESV

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The command to GO was not just for ministers and missionaries. It is for us all. Ps. 67.2

Psalm 67:2 NLT

May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.

The great commission has eternal consequences. If a person is to say, “I’m just too busy to go and share the gospel with others. I’ve got too many other things to do.”

Here is what they are effectively saying

“You can go to hell.”