The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep:
Presented at the Seal Beach Military Christian Community on
July 13, 2008 by Bob Koehler
Scripture - Luke 15: 3-7:
So He spoke this parable to them, saying: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”
The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep - Introduction:
Dozens of times in the Bible, the people of God are referred to as sheep. A few of the more notable passages that come to mind are: Psalms 79:1 – “…we thy people and sheep of thy pasture…”
Psalms 95:6-7 – “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand…”
Psalms 100:3 – “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Isa. 53:6 – “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
In John Chapter 9 Jesus opens the eyes of a man who was born blind. The Pharisees (who think they have a monopoly on God’s truth) can’t figure out how it is possible for Jesus to do this. Jesus says that they are blind but think they can see. Then in John Chapter 10 Jesus uses the pictures of sheep, a shepherd and the sheepfold to describe to these religious leaders what God’s family of believers looks like.
Then, of course, there is probably the most beloved Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 23, where David says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
There are many good reasons why we are called sheep in the Bible and one of them is because of the basic character of the sheep. From a military standpoint the closest parallel I can think of is that sheep are about on the level of a recruit on his or her first day at boot camp. By nature, sheep already have 3 strikes against them.
Let’s turn to our outlines and you can fill in the blanks as we go along.
1st … Sheep are Dumb - In other words, they are not the smartest animals in the world. As a result, they are constantly getting into terrible situations. People are exactly the same way! People who are away from the Lord live lives that are often just plain dumb.
The prophet Jeremiah describes those who do not know the Lord. In Jer. 5:4 he says: Therefore I said, “Surely these are poor. They are foolish; For they do not know the way of the Lord, The judgment of their God.”
Unfortunately, even after a person is saved, there is still a lack of understanding about how to live an abundant, victorious Christian life among many of the Lord's sheep. Next…
2. Sheep are Directionless - If a sheep wanders off from the rest of the flock, it will have a hard, if not impossible time, finding its way back. Sheep have no sense of direction. So it is with those who do not know Jesus and who do not belong the God’s family, there is simply no sense of spiritual direction in their lives. They cannot find their way to the Lord by themselves. Number...
3. Sheep are Defenseless - Lions have teeth and claws, bears have the same. Snakes have fangs, even the birds of the air have some type of defensive mechanism. Not so with sheep. They have absolutely no means of protecting themselves from danger. If they are attacked, they are simply helpless! Again, people are the same way. Whether we want to admit it or not we are constantly under spiritual attack. There is no way that anyone can protect himself or herself against the fiery darts of the evil one. We need someone else to protect us and that someone is Jesus.
By their very nature, sheep need a shepherd and I suppose this is another reason why the figure of sheep is used to describe the people of God. No analogy is perfect but just take a moment and transport yourself back to your first day in the military. As a new recruit, how much progress would you have made without some kind of experienced leader (a sergeant or petty officer) to show you to right way to go? In the person of the shepherd in this parable, we see many characteristics that speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it becomes clear that this idea of the shepherd and his sheep is a good way to describe the relationship between the Lord and His people.
In our Scripture passage for today from Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke we are given a picture of a shepherd who has lost a sheep. He does everything in his power to find it and when he does, he returns home with it rejoicing that he has recovered that sheep that was missing. In these verses, there is a clear and wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus. I would like for us to see this picture as we think together about the thought of The Shepherd Seeking His Sheep. First let’s look at…
I. THE SHEPHERD'S SORROW
The shepherd is sorrowful because His sheep are…
A. A Personal Possession - This sheep belonged to the shepherd, he had paid a personal price to own it and wasn't going to stand idly by while it was lost. 1 Corinthians 6:20 tells us that (as believers in Jesus) we “were bought at a price.” What was the price that was paid for you and for me? Peter tells us that the price was “the precious blood of Christ” shed for each one of us by Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Even If a person is not yet a believer in Jesus – his or her sins have already been paid for by Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God to each one of us – but we need to make a conscious decision to receive that gift.
The shepherd is also sorrowful because each one of His sheep is…
B. A Prized Possession - This particular sheep may have been no different from any other ordinary sheep, but it was special to the shepherd. To him, it was a prized possession. Each one of us is special to the Lord! He died for the individual! He died for you and for me. If you were the only person who would have responded in faith in Christ, Jesus would still have gone to Calvary and shed His blood on the cross just for you!
The shepherd is also sorrowful because this sheep is…
C. A Precious Possession - To this shepherd, there were no big sheep and no little sheep. Every sheep he had was precious in his eyes. So it is with the Lord. He loves all His sheep equally. All are precious in His sight. You and I can never begin to understand the value of the human soul. We are so precious to the Lord that He willingly gave up His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We are precious in His sight.
So there we have the first part of the picture – The Shepherd's Sorrow. Next let’s look at…
II. THE SHEPHERD'S SEARCH
What was the Shepherd’s motive that caused Him to go looking for one lost sheep?
A. His Motive - Unlike our drill sergeant analogy is not in anger to punish, but in love to rescue. The shepherd in the parable doesn't go after the sheep in an effort to beat it for going astray. His motive is to find the sheep and restore it to its proper place in the fold. So it is with the Lord. He doesn't go after the lost ones so that He can give them a “time out” them for their sins. He pursues them in order that He might prove His love for them and that they might be restored to a right relationship with the Lord. His motive is to deliver them from punishment not inflict punishment upon them.
So how does the Shepherd conduct His search?
B. His Method is:
1. He Initiates The Search - The sheep is powerless to find its way back to the flock or to the shepherd. If the shepherd waited on the sheep to return of its own accord, then it would die in the wilderness. Instead of waiting, the shepherd goes after the sheep. He is the One who begins the process. It is the same thing with salvation! The lost ones do not make the first moves toward God. They cannot, because (as Ephesians 2:1 tells us) they are “dead in trespasses and sins.” It is the Good Shepherd who makes the first move toward the sinner. In John 6:44 Jesus says: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and (a fantastic promise) I will raise him up at the last day.” But according to Scripture, no one can ever be saved unless they are first approached by the Lord. He comes looking for us, it is never the other way around! We don’t find Him … He finds us!
So the Shepherd has initiated the search and next…
(2.) He Intensifies The Search - Luke 15:4 says that the shepherd searches “until he finds” the sheep. He doesn't give up after just a few minutes or hours of searching, but he stays on the job until the sheep has been recovered. So it is with the Lord. He never gives up on the lost sheep. He keeps calling and knocking and waiting, hoping that they will come to Him before it is too late. I am thankful and grateful that the Lord didn't give up on me! I am glad that He kept knocking and kept calling until I answered – (Rev. 3:20) I shouldn't be surprised though, after all, that is His business – (Luke 19:10). And we should not give up praying for our friends and family who need Jesus. Jesus wants us to partner with Him in the salvation process. My sister and her husband prayed for me for years before I came to know Christ. I’m glad they did not give up.
OK, we have looked at The Shepherd's Sorrow and The Shepherd's Search. Let’s now turn to:
III. THE SHEPHERD'S SUCCESS
A. He Locates The Sheep - He finds the sheep. God already knows where every lost sheep is. He doesn't have to seek, He knows where you are right now! Remember back in the Garden of Eden in Genesis Chapter 3? God told Adam not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil, Eve got deceived, ate the fruit, gave some to Adam, He ate some too. So they both were disobedient to God. They had sinned. God asks Adam in Genesis 3:9 “Where are you?” Now do you really think that God did not know Adam’s location? God has 100% complete and perfect knowledge. Adam was hiding from God because he knew he was guilty of sin. God was opening a conversation with Adam and giving him an opportunity to confess and repent. So God locates us in the same sense. He opens doors of opportunity for confession and repentance. What does the shepherd to next?
B. He Lays Hands On The Sheep - The shepherd reaches out to the sheep in its need. He doesn't turn away from it and leave it to languish in it dangerous place. He loving lays his hands upon it bringing comfort and hope to the wayward sheep. When the Lord comes to a lost sheep, He too lays His hands upon it. He reaches right into the midst of the mess we find ourselves in and by doing so shows us that there is hope and that there is a God in Heaven who loves us. Now this does not mean that God forces us to do something against our will. We are free moral agents. He respects our decisions. If we choose to remain in hiding (so to speak) He will patiently wait until we decide to accept His loving offer of assistance.
Here is a little insight into how God the Son (Jesus Christ) deals with lost sheep. The prophet Isaiah tells us: “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench;” (Is. 42:3) Thank God that He doesn't condemn us when He comes alongside us. I am grateful that He comes to us in grace and mercy offering hope, forgiveness and a new beginning to everyone who will place their faith in the shed blood of Christ. After the shepherd has located and laid hands on the sheep …
C. He Lifts The Sheep - This shepherd doesn't stop with a mere touch. He reaches down and lifts the willing, repentant sheep out of the place where he finds it. He removes it from the place of danger. Jesus Christ, out Good Shepherd does the same for those He finds wandering the dark valleys of sin. He comes alongside them, reaches out to them and when they respond to His touch (when they choose to place their faith and trust in Him), He lifts them out of their sin and removes them from the danger they were in. Thank God, when Jesus comes into a heart and life, He delivers us. The 23rd Psalm tells us: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Now Jesus does not promise us a life with no problems. Sometimes in the short term we may feel like God is not solving our situation the way we think it should be solved. But in the long term eternal perspective we need to trust God’s Word that promises us: “…that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
So the Good Shepherd locates His sheep, lays hands on them, lifts them up and…
D. He Lugs The Sheep Home - the Bible says that this shepherd lifts the sheep and lays it upon his shoulders. I can picture him taking the front feet in one hand and the hind feet in another. This way, the sheep is draped around the neck of the shepherd and is absolutely safe and secure! Next, the Bible teaches us that the shepherd carries the sheep home. Notice that the sheep is not required to get there under its own power, but it goes there under the power of the shepherd. This is a picture of our salvation. When Jesus comes to where we are and finds us in our sins, He places us securely in Himself and carries us home. Jesus tells us in John 10:27-28: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” None of us are going to get to Heaven in our own power, but if we go, we will go through Jesus and Him alone! This is also a picture of how Jesus is available to help each and every believer every single day if we will only turn to Him and decide to rely wholly on His love, His care, his provision. He won’t force us to get our marriage back on track. He won’t force us to throw away that bottle of Scotch or toss that little plastic bag of weed. But if we will make the decision to open our Bibles, study God’s Word, do what God wants us to do and seek support and strength from the Lord in prayer … He WILL answer!!!
OK - We have looked at The Shepherd's Sorrow, The Shepherd's Search, The Shepherd's Success and now we come to…
IV. THE SHEPHERD'S SATISFACTION
A. There Is Rejoicing - When the shepherd returns home, he calls all the neighbors together and they all rejoice in the fact that the shepherd has had his sheep restored to the fold. Again, this is a picture of what happens when a lost sheep comes into the fold of the Lord. According to Luke 15 verse 10 there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels. Apparently, God the Father gets excited when a lost sheep is rescued. There is rejoicing in Heaven an there ought to be rejoicing in the earth. If there was ever anything to get excited over it is the redemption of souls.
B. There Is A Reason for this rejoicing - The Sheep has been saved from:
1. Disuse - As long as it was lost, it was of no benefit to the shepherd. The Lord cannot use a wayward life. He wants us to be available to Him and obedient to His wishes. When we are obedient, when we become doers of the Word and not hearers only, God can use us in a mighty way for His Kingdom purposes. So the sheep has been saved from disuse and the sheep has also been saved from…
2. Danger - Unless the shepherd had intervened this sheep would have remained in serious danger. It could never have defended itself or rescued itself. As long as you of I are apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in serious danger. Hell and judgment are out there in front of anyone who is not saved. If you are saved but are not presently being obedient to God you will face earthly consequences for your sins and a possible loss of rewards in heaven. Only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ saves us from the penalty for sin. Only the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life pleasing to God. Finally the sheep has been saved from…
3. Death - If the shepherd had not come looking for the sheep, it would have most certainly died out there in the wilderness. But now, it lives all because the shepherd came looking to save a wayward sheep.
Back to Isaiah 53:6 - “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way …”
Now what does gone astray mean? In Romans 3:23 Paul tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” OK so all of us have sinned but what is sin? James tells us that “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Have you ever known deep down inside that there was something you should do and you deliberately decided not to do it? I know I have! So I have sinned … and you have sinned and the Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 that "the wages of sin is death." Without the intervention of the Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ) the lost sinner has no hope and will eventually wind up in Hell. We need to understand very clearly that there is only one means of salvation for all men and that is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Any other religion, any other method, any other system of belief, no matter how good it looks by human standards, is doomed to fail.
Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Speaking of Jesus Christ Peter tells us in Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
And then there is one of the most quoted verses in the entire Bible, John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Whoever believes in Him, not Buddha, not Mohammed, not Ted Turner, not Oprah Winfrey. Only Jesus saves a person from eternal separation from God and everlasting torment and, instead of spiritual death, gives them the free gift of an abundant life both now and forever.
Let’s Review what we have covered so far:
Sheep are Dumb
Sheep are Directionless
Sheep are Defenseless
The Shepherd’s has Sorrow because the sheep is
A Personal Possession
A Prized Possession and
A Precious Possession
The Shepherd’s Search begins with
His Motive – loves rescue & restoration
His Method
He Initiates the search and then
He Intensifies the search
The Shepherd’s Success (we know God cannot fail)
He Locates the sheep
He Lays hands on the sheep
He Lifts the sheep
He Lugs the sheep home on His shoulders
The Shepherd’s Satisfaction
There is Rejoicing in heaven
There is a Reason – the sheep has been saved from
Disuse; Danger and Death
We have just one more point to cover and it’s not on your outline. Let’s look for just a moment at the last verse of our Scripture passage for today, Luke 15:7: “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Is the Bible saying that some of us are in such good standing with God that we do not need to repent? Heaven’s standard is perfection. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48: “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Are you perfect? Is any human being perfect? I know I’m not perfect. John tells us in 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” So what is this verse saying?
Our Scripture for today begins with these words: “So He spoke this parable to them…” Who is them? An important principle of Bible interpretation is that we must know not only who is speaking but to whom the text is addressesd. If we go back to Luke 15:2 we discover that Jesus is giving this parable to the scribes and the Pharisees. These are the guys who thought they knew it all. These are the guys who thought they could enter the Kingdom by obeying the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. Jesus is pointing the finger of God’s truth at them. They complained about Jesus even talking to the tax collectors and the people they saw as “sinners.” They thought they were righteous. They thought they did not need to repent. Jesus is telling them that heaven rejoices when someone is convicted of their sin by the Holy Spirit, repents of their sin, agrees with God that nothing they can do on their own will get them into heaven and believes that faith Jesus Christ alone is the only way to a personal relationship with God Himself.
John tells us how we dumb, directionless, defenseless and, yes, dirty sheep can be cleansed of our sin and really know God. In 1 John 1:7 he says: “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son (that’s God’s Son or God the Son) cleanses us from all sin.” Then he goes on to say in verse 9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That’s the ticket. That’s the way to heaven. It’s Jesus. His death on the cross, His blood, His resurrection from the dead. And our part? It’s faith! We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.
Conclusion:
So … How about you? … where are you today?
Are you in the sheepfold? Are you safe and secure in a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? Or, are you wandering about in the wilderness of sin in danger of death and damnation and living a life without purpose, a life of disuse apart from the Lord?
Maybe at some time in the past you were walking closely with Jesus and something happened in your life that made you feel distant from God. You know there’s got to be more to life and you just can’t figure out what you’re missing.
Or maybe you are struggling with some personal sin, difficult relationships in your family or a bad habit you would like to break away from?
If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, then I would like to invite you to come to Him now. If your relationship with God needs to be restored or strengthened or if you are struggling with family issues, sin or addiction I invite you to trust Jesus Christ to place you on His strong shoulders and bring you back home to a life of purpose and meaning.
Let’s go to the Lord in prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you so much for all of your blessings. You are awesome and gracious and merciful. Thank you that Heaven and Eternal Life is a free gift. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross and pay the penalty for my sins and purchase a place in heaven for me. Thank you that He rose from the dead to prepare that place reserved just for me. I know that your standard is perfection and I know I have missed the mark. I am a sinner and I confess that now. Lord I turn away from my sins and I turn to you. I ask you to forgive me and to accept me into your family or return me to a close personal relationship with you. Lord, I want to live a life of purpose and meaning but I need your help. Please show me how you can restore the damaged relationships in my life. Lord please fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to see the way out you have promised to show me so that I can live a life that is pleasing to you. Help me break the chains of sin and bad habits. Deliver me from the evil one. Count me worthy by the blood of Jesus Christ to spend eternity in Heaven with you. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.
Based on a message by Alan Carr from: http://www.higherpraise.com/outlines/newtestament/Luke 15_3-7.htm
Showing posts with label seal beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seal beach. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
You Were Formed For God's Family
Week Three - I Was Formed For God's Family:
Purpose Driven Life 40 Days Bible Study:
Message Presented by Bob Koehler at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station For the Military Community Christian Community.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Responsive Reading:
“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:3-7 (NKJV)
*****
Good Morning. Welcome to the Seal Beach Military Christian Community. Today we are continuing in our series on 40 Days of Purpose.
A few years ago a woman named Adelina Dominguez died in San Diego. Now, what made her death noteworthy is that according to the Guinness Book of Records, she was the oldest living American. At 114 years of age, she outlived all of her children and some of her grandchildren. When she was asked the secret of her longevity, Associated Press reported that she gave all the credit to God and to His plan and purpose for her life, quote, "I knew God had a purpose for my life."
Two weeks ago we answered the question “What on Earth am I here for? We discovered that God has many purposes for our life. In this series we are looking at five of those purposes:
First is Worship – we were planned for God’s pleasure;Second, Fellowship – we were formed for God’s family;Third, Discipleship – we were created to become like Christ;Fourth, Ministry – we were shaped for serving God;And fifth, Evangelism – we were made for a mission.
Last week, we looked at God’s first purpose, which is for you to get to know Him and to love Him. The Bible calls that worship. And today, we're going to look at the second purpose, which is that you are formed for God's family. Relating with God and with other Christians is called Fellowship.
God has not ever been lonely, but He wanted a family of men and women. In the first Chapter of the Bible – Genesis 1, Verse 26 we read: “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
In the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1, Verse 5 Paul writes that God: “…predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”
He is telling us that: “His (God’s) unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.”
The Bible is all about Jesus and about God is building His family on Jesus Christ, the Chief Corner stone, using the apostles and the prophets as the foundation and using you and me as the building blocks. The Apostle Peter calls us “living stones” in 1 Peter 2:5. God is building a family for Himself that is going to last not just here on earth, but forever and ever and ever in eternity. It is very important to realize that you were made to last forever.
Now, once you understand and get started on God's first purpose for your life, which we talked about last week, getting to know and to love God … then … God wants you to begin to focus and start practicing on His second purpose for your life.
And here it is in I Peter 2:17: “…Love the brotherhood…” When Peter speaks of “the brotherhood” he is telling us to love our Christian brothers and sisters, the church, our spiritual family.
That's what God wants you to do. That's the second purpose of your life. You see, God says that he wants you to learn to love the people in your family. Why? Well, there are several reasons. First, your physical family is going to eventually fall apart. But your spiritual family is going to last forever. You are going to spend more time with your spiritual family than you do with your physical family. God wants you to learn to love them.
Now, why does He want us to learn to love them? Here are a few reasons. First, it makes us more like God, because God is love. Second, he wants His children to learn to get along together. How many of you are parents? … You know, you usually want your kids to get along with each other ... Right? And number three, it’s practice for eternity. One of the things you're going to do in heaven, in eternity, is you're going to love God. And the other thing you're going to do is you're going to love the other believers that are there. It is going to be a place of love. So God says, “I want you to practice now learning to love other believers.” So let’s write this down:
MY SECOND PURPOSE IN LIFE IS FELLOWSHIP.
That's the word that the Bible uses to describe loving each other. What do you think of when I say the word ‘fellowship’? Some would say a casual conversation, some would say eating out together, some might say going to church. After this service is over, there will be a couple guys out on the patio, and they will be talking and one of them will say, “Hey, what happened to Kobe & the Lakers in Game 4??? Now, did they just fellowship? No! They just chewed the fat. They were just talking. That's not fellowship.
Write this down:
FELLOWSHIP IS LOVING GOD’S FAMILY.
.
And the Bible says this in I John 4:21:
“And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
John is telling us that "The person who loves God must also love other believers." We have to love other believers. Now, how do you do that?
Well, fortunately, the Bible gives us crystal clear instructions. Paul wrote this, he said, “These things I write to you … so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Tim 3:14-15.
Paul is telling his young disciple and pastor Timothy: “I am writing you these instructions so that … you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God.”
Write this down:
God’s Family is the Church.
The Church is not a building; it is not an institution; it is not an organization; it is not a club. It is a family. A lot of people say, “Well, I’m going to go to church,” as if church is a place you go to. That's not correct. Church is not a place you go to. Church is a family you belong to. Big difference.
FOUR LEVELS OF FELLOWSHIP:
In God's family there are four levels of fellowship. We're going to look at them in detail. If we are going to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives we need to know how He expects us to do that. God did not mean for us to be “Lone Ranger” Christians. He tells us in the Book of Hebrews: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The first level of Fellowship is Membership which is (write this in the blank), "Choosing to belong,"
LEVEL 1 -- MEMBERSHIP: CHOOSING TO BELONG.
That's the most basic level. In Ephesians 1:13 we read: “But now in Christ Jesus … you … who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” And then skipping down to verse 19, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”
So what is the first step in becoming a member of God’s family? Although we were originally created in God’s image, our first parents, Adam and Eve, made the choice to sin. Each of us has inherited a sin nature from them. That is what has made us strangers to God. We have all heard about the 10 commandments that were given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai and we may pat ourselves on the back by thinking that we have done a pretty good job of obeying them. But if we really examine our lives we will find that we often do things that are not pleasing to God. This is sin and it creates a barrier between us and God. It breaks our fellowship with Him. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now I know that forgiveness being a free gift might be a little difficult to understand; especially if you are in the military where forgiveness is hard to come by. Marines have a really hard time with this concept. You see … a Marine knows that to err is human and to forgive is divine … however … neither of the above is Marine Corps policy.
But our God is loving and merciful and does not want to punish us. However, our sin carries a penalty that must be paid. And Jesus Christ took care of that sin debt for us. He, Jesus Christ, God the Son, became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead to go to Heaven and prepare a place for us.
Yes, Heaven, or eternal life is a free gift, but getting there is not automatic. How do we receive this free gift? It’s as easy as A, B, C. Write this down:
A you must admit that you are a sinner, B you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins and purchase a place in Heaven for you and C you confess your sins to God and commit your life to Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us in 1 John Chapter 1: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
Isn’t that a fantastic promise? God says that if confess our sins to Him (and that means we agree with God that we are sinners) and turn away from that sinful life style and trust Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life … then all of our sins, everything bad we have ever done is forgiven. The slate is wiped clean! Jesus did it all! He says in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Do you have a real relationship with God? Have you asked God if you can be a part of His family? Were you walking closely with God in the past but you have let sin get in the way of you fulfilling God’s purposes for your life? Maybe it’s time for you to make a change of direction.
The next part of Step one is finding a church family and choosing to get connected. Believing in Jesus and trusting Him alone for our eternal life is the essence of Christianity. But living the abundant Christian life here and now is a matter of belonging.
Fellowship begins with belonging, with making that choice. God wants you to identify with and to make the choice to be a part of His family. When you were born, you automatically became a part of the human race. But you have to choose to belong to the family of God, the church. It is a choice.
You may hear some people say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don't want to belong to any church.” That just doesn't make sense. The church is where you live out what it means to be a Christian. That's like saying, “I’m in the Army, but I don’t want to be a part of any division or regiment or company or platoon.” It’s like saying, I’m in the Coast Guard, and I want to live in Southern California, but I really don’t want to belong to the 11th Coast Guard District or Sector LA/LB.” It just doesn't work. A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God meant us to be a part of a family.
This next week in the Purpose Driven Life book, you will be reading six reasons why you need to be a part of a church family, why it meets your needs and why you meet other people's needs. The Bible tells us this in Romans 12, verses 5 & 6:
“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
When you make a decision for Jesus you belong to every other Christian. We are members together. The word "membership” today is used for being a member of every kind of club and signing up for this and joining that. But originally, the meaning was right here in the Bible; a member of the Body of Christ. Just like your hand is a member of your body, that's how tightly we are tied to each other. This isn't about being a part of some silly club, wearing silly hats and having silly signs. This is about belonging to each other, making the choice to belong to a family.
You know, it is only in America that it is common to have floating believers. By that I mean people who go from church to church to church. Suppose you were, let's say, the liver in the Body of Christ, that was God's job for you. You can't un-attach yourself from one body and try to go attach yourself to another and then to another.
(Leaf/Flower and Plant Illustration)
What happens when you pick a leaf off a tree or pick cut a flower to put in a vase in your living room. It looks great for a while but soon it will wither, shrivel up and not be good for anything.
And the same thing happens to us as believers. We need to attach ourselves to a group of believers, where we say, “I want to be a part of what's going on there.” Jesus loves the church. And you and I need to have the same kind of love. Jesus calls the church the “body.” We need to have that same kind of respect for it, to recognize what it means. What if I said to you, “You know, I love you, I just can't stand your body”? How would you feel about that? The church is Jesus' body. He loves the church. The church is the bride of Christ. What if I said, “I love you, but I can't stand your wife,” how would you like that?
There is a Biblical symbol of belonging to Jesus -- a picture that God gives us about being a part of His family. It is called "baptism." Baptism is an outward sign of what has already taken place in your heart when you committed your life to Jesus. Look at what 1 Corinthians 12:13 has to say about baptism:
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
When you are baptized you say: “I am identifying with Jesus Christ. I have become part of His body, the church.” Baptism is a public way of proclaiming that we died to our sin, our old lives and now we live to serve Jesus Christ. We died to an old way of life; we're living a new way of life.
I guess the best picture I can give you is that baptism is like the wedding ring of the Christian life. This wedding ring that I am wearing doesn't make me married. But Jean, my charming wife, gave it to me on the day we were married so I could wear it from that day forward as a visible symbol of a commitment of my heart. That's what baptism is. It is visible symbol of the commitment of a person's heart, saying I’m not ashamed to tell the world that I believe in Jesus Christ.
During this last year at Cypress Church we had more than 100 people who took that step. They said that they are not ashamed to identify themselves with Jesus. Three weeks from now, on June 8th, we are going to give you that opportunity. Any of you who have not been baptized and publicly identified yourself with Jesus Christ should plan to attend baptism class on May 25th and then you will be ready to be baptized on June 8th.
So we have talked about the first level which is choosing to belong. The second level of Fellowship is a little bit deeper, when you go a little further into the family of God. We will call this “the friendship level.” Let’s write this down on our notes:
LEVEL 2: FRIENDSHIP: LEARNING TO SHARE.
You see, you were created in God's image. So you were made for relationships. If we go back to the book of Genesis we find that God comments about His creation. Six times He calls it “Good.” After man was created and the six days of creation were complete He said that “it was very good.” But in chapter 2 we read: “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.””
Life is not a solo act. You need friends. The Bible says this in Acts 2:44 where Luke tells us: “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,” Acts 2:44 (NKJV)
This means that “All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other.” Acts 2:44 (LB)
Notice the two keys to developing biblical friendships. The first is meeting together and the second is sharing. Now, the more frequently you meet together, the closer you're going to get. Do you know why most people are lonely? They don't make time for friendships. They are too busy achieving; they are too busy working; they are too busy doing other things. They are not willing to put the time into it. You have to meet together. You have to get together. And until you start making fellowship a priority in your life, you're not going to develop any deep friends. Friendships don't just happen. They happen because you choose to make the time for them. It is not luck. It is a choice. And developing close friendships means sharing. It says, “they shared everything."
Now, those of you who are parents know one of the fundamental lessons children have to learn is learning to share. And God says “You know what? In the family of God I want you to learn to share with other believers.” So what are we supposed to share? Well, the Bible is full of instructions on things we are supposed to share - as Christians - with each other. Let me just mention a few:
Number 1, the Bible says we are to share…write this down:
OUR EXPERIENCES.
Experience is a wonderful thing. I’ve been told that it actually enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. I think it was my Dad who told me: “Experience keeps a hard school but a fool will learn from no other.”
But the Bible says we learn from each other “just as iron sharpens iron."
When I was just out of the Navy I started working with a guy from San Pedro named Ed who had a charter sailboat. He was getting close to retirement and wanted someone to take over the business. He told me that if I was going to work for him I needed to do things exactly the way he showed me so I wouldn’t get into trouble. Of course, I followed his directions when he was around, but sometimes when he let me operate the boat by myself I would try an “experiment.” One day I thought I would try to get underway from a mooring over at Catalina using only the sails and no engine. I had never done this before, but youth, inexperience and pride won out over obedience. I ended up hitting the LA County lifeguard boat that was on a nearby mooring and had to buy them a new windshield. I could have learned from Ed’s experience but I chose the hard road.
Think of the wealth of knowledge sitting here right now in this fellowship and how much we could learn from each other … if … we just spend the time to get together.
Second, the Bible says we are to share:
OUR HOMES.
The Bible says in I Peter 4:9 “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” It doesn't say invite your friend over only if you have a really nice home … just open the doors. Why do we need to share our homes? I'll tell you why – because it is very difficult to fellowship in a crowd. You can only have meaningful fellowship in a small group. Or even one on one. We can get together for Bible study here on Sunday. We can celebrate together. We can learn together. But as our group gets larger we will find that it is necessary to develop home bible study groups of about 6 to 12 people to maintain true fellowship.
Did you know in the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no church buildings? Other that some gatherings in public areas like the temple courts in Jerusalem, church meetings were held in homes. There were no buildings. And that, by the way, was the fastest period of growth for the church.
I am a harbor pilot in the port of Long Beach and my company understands the principle of small groups. Our staff is divided into groups of 6 men who work the same schedule. That way we can really get to know each other, trust each other and share our experiences for the benefit of the other members of our group.
My nephew is a major in the Marines stationed at 29 Palms. As you may know the marines are organized into platoons of 16 men but even these groups are broken down further into a squad of eight or a fire team of four.
We have a Bible Study group here at the Naval Weapons Station that meets on Wednesday evening at Bunker 33 at 7:00 pm. If you have not been to one of the meetings, I would encourage you to make that a part of your week. It is a great way to stay consistent with the 40 Days of Purpose study and develop close friendships.
Now, not only do we share our experiences and our homes, the Bible says, number three, we're to share:
OUR PROBLEMS.
We are not meant to face our problems alone. The Bible says I Galatians 6:4: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
You know when you share a joy, it is doubled; and when you share a problem, it is cut in half? The Bible tells us in Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
You don't have to fix everybody's problem. God hasn't told you to do that. He just says share them.
I know when I first became a Christian I made the mistake of thinking I could go to church on Sunday and not get into a home study group. I quickly got off track. It wasn’t until I got into a small group of 4 men who met weekly to share our lives with each other that I really began to make progress.
So Level One of Fellowship is Membership – Choosing to Belong and Level Two is Friendship – Learning to Share.
The third level of Fellowship is Partnership and partnership is … write this down:
LEVEL 3: PARTNERSHIP: DOING MY PART.
Partnership is realizing that you have got a contribution to make; that the family of God needs you. Listen, God brought you here to participate.
The Bible is filled with examples of how people worked together with others to get important jobs done. There are more than 50 times in the New Testament where the Bible says we are to do things with one another. We are to serve one another. We are to love one another. We are to pray with and for one another. The Bible even says we have to put up with one another when we're doing all of this. That's how the Christian life works. Christianity is not a religion – it is a relationship. First with Jesus and then with other believers. This is love in action. Not just in words. You see, it is great to share your heart, that's level two. But it is even greater to do your part. That is what level three is all about.
Listen to what the Bible has to say in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 9: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” And then in verse 16: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Fellow workers means we are partners working together with and for God. But in order to be a part, you've got to find your niche, you have got to find out, “Where do I fit, how I do I fit?” The Bible tells us we all have a niche. Look at Ephesians 4:16 where Paul talks about the church and says that we are … “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share” … and that this … “causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
So we each have a job to do. Now at first this may look hard, but we don’t serve God in our own strength. Paul tells in Philippians 4:13: “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” God does it as we yield ourselves to Him.
There is an attitude, a heart attitude that is the key for me and should be for all of us. What ever we do it should be: “with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” and that is from Ephesians 6, Verse 7.
It’s the attitude Jesus talks about in Matthew chapter 25, verse 40 when He says: "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are the members of my family, you did it to Me."
So I want to encourage you to make this a practical action step this week, if you want to experience a deeper level of fellowship. Look for a practical need in your group to meet this coming week, just some practical thing, and watch what it does for your relationship (your fellowship) with one another.
Now, the fourth and deepest level of fellowship in the family of God is what we are going to call "Kinship.”
Kinship or kinfolk are terms that we don't use much anymore out here on the west coast. But in Arkansas, where my sister and my Mom live, the word “kinfolk” means something very special.
Kinfolk (or kinship) literally means your closest relationships. It means your closest family … you might want to write this down -- the deepest level, is:
LEVEL 4: KINSHIP: LOVING BELIEVERS LIKE FAMILY.
…treating and loving believers like they’re family. You're completely committed to them. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:10 - 11: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
Now in the original Greek, the word for fellowship in the Bible is “koinonia." And the basic root literally means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ; that is the deepest level of fellowship.
Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest says that the word “koinonia” was used in a (Greek) marriage contract where the husband and wife agree to a joint-participation in the necessaries of life. The key idea in the word is that of partnership, of possessing things in common.
Commentator Marvin Vincent states that “koinonia” “was also used in secular Greek as a commercial term for a joint-partnership in a business venture in which all parties actively participate to ensure the success of the business.”
So we need to be as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. That is family relationship. That is kinship. That is saying I’m at the level of being willing to sacrifice for you.
Many of you know John 3:16 … the verse that begins with: “For God so loved the world…" but you don't know First John 3:16 which says: “By this we know love, because He (that’s Jesus) laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
You see, when the Bible talks about loving each other it is not sexual love or the “I love hamburgers!” kind of love. The Greek word for Biblical love is “agapao.” This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other. It's the kind of love Jesus Christ had for you. He died for you.
Friends, this is what life is all about, loving God and learning to love each other. Life is not about accomplishments. It is about relationships. You were put on this earth to know God and love Him, and to know His family and love them, because our Christian brothers and sisters are the people we are spending eternity with.
So right now let’s do a little pop quiz. How do you know if you are truly a member of God's family? How do you know personally? Let me read you three verses that will be the acid test to let you know if you're really a Christian or not. Listen to this, right from the Bible.
1 John 3:10: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” That's the Bible.
Here is another verse that is very interesting … 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”
And then there’s 1 John 3:14: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” Each time you heard the word “love” in those three verses it is the same Greek word: “agapao” … sacrificial love. So we find that love is the proof.
The greatest privilege you will ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God's family. You see, God's family is a laboratory for learning to love. Some of you grew up in homes that didn't have a lot of love. The only love most people know about is sexual love or romantic love. They don't know any other kind of love. So we have to be taught, and the church (the family of God) is where you learn to love real people, not ideal people. Nobody in your small group is ideal and neither are you. We learn to love real people, and that's one of the main reasons God put us on this earth.
So let me ask you a couple relevant questions: which of these levels of fellowship are you at? Have you even made it to the first one, choosing to belong? Or are you a spiritual Lone Ranger? Are you at the Friendship level – learning to share? Have you made it from sharing your heart to the Partnership level - doing your part? Or have you made it to the deepest level – kinship? Are there any other believers that really know … that you … are devoted to them? That you are going to be there for them in their crisis? Are you truly loving others?
And if you are not, it brings up an even more basic question … are you really a part of the family of God? You say, “Well, isn't everybody a part of the family of God?” No. Everybody is created by God, but not everybody is a child of God. You have to choose to be a part of God's family. God gave us one condition in Galatians 3:26: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
A little earlier this morning I asked you these questions: Do you have a real relationship with God? Have you asked God if you can be a part of His family? Were you walking closely with God in the past but you have let sin get in the way of you fulfilling God’s purposes for your life?
Let’s ask the Lord to bring each of us into His family or to restore our broken relationship with Him right now. Will you bow your heads with me and join me in this prayer committing your life to Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, I want to be a part of your family and I want to learn to love my spiritual family just like you do. I know that I have not always done what is pleasing to you. I know that I am a sinner. And I thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rise from the dead to purchase a place in Heaven for me. Lord, I confess my sins to you and right now I turn away from my sins and turn to Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, that you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Thank you that I am now a child of God. In Jesus Name, AMEN.
If you prayed that prayer with me and meant it deep in your heart then you are now a member of God’s family. If you have just made a decision to follow Jesus for the first time or if you have recommitted your life to Christ today please see me after the service so that we can pray together.
May God Richly Bless Your Life today and every day!
This message was prepared using materials drawn from The Holy Bible (NKJV), messages by Rick Warren, Mike McKay and the Precept Austin website.
Purpose Driven Life 40 Days Bible Study:
Message Presented by Bob Koehler at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station For the Military Community Christian Community.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Responsive Reading:
“That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:3-7 (NKJV)
*****
Good Morning. Welcome to the Seal Beach Military Christian Community. Today we are continuing in our series on 40 Days of Purpose.
A few years ago a woman named Adelina Dominguez died in San Diego. Now, what made her death noteworthy is that according to the Guinness Book of Records, she was the oldest living American. At 114 years of age, she outlived all of her children and some of her grandchildren. When she was asked the secret of her longevity, Associated Press reported that she gave all the credit to God and to His plan and purpose for her life, quote, "I knew God had a purpose for my life."
Two weeks ago we answered the question “What on Earth am I here for? We discovered that God has many purposes for our life. In this series we are looking at five of those purposes:
First is Worship – we were planned for God’s pleasure;Second, Fellowship – we were formed for God’s family;Third, Discipleship – we were created to become like Christ;Fourth, Ministry – we were shaped for serving God;And fifth, Evangelism – we were made for a mission.
Last week, we looked at God’s first purpose, which is for you to get to know Him and to love Him. The Bible calls that worship. And today, we're going to look at the second purpose, which is that you are formed for God's family. Relating with God and with other Christians is called Fellowship.
God has not ever been lonely, but He wanted a family of men and women. In the first Chapter of the Bible – Genesis 1, Verse 26 we read: “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…”
In the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1, Verse 5 Paul writes that God: “…predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”
He is telling us that: “His (God’s) unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ.”
The Bible is all about Jesus and about God is building His family on Jesus Christ, the Chief Corner stone, using the apostles and the prophets as the foundation and using you and me as the building blocks. The Apostle Peter calls us “living stones” in 1 Peter 2:5. God is building a family for Himself that is going to last not just here on earth, but forever and ever and ever in eternity. It is very important to realize that you were made to last forever.
Now, once you understand and get started on God's first purpose for your life, which we talked about last week, getting to know and to love God … then … God wants you to begin to focus and start practicing on His second purpose for your life.
And here it is in I Peter 2:17: “…Love the brotherhood…” When Peter speaks of “the brotherhood” he is telling us to love our Christian brothers and sisters, the church, our spiritual family.
That's what God wants you to do. That's the second purpose of your life. You see, God says that he wants you to learn to love the people in your family. Why? Well, there are several reasons. First, your physical family is going to eventually fall apart. But your spiritual family is going to last forever. You are going to spend more time with your spiritual family than you do with your physical family. God wants you to learn to love them.
Now, why does He want us to learn to love them? Here are a few reasons. First, it makes us more like God, because God is love. Second, he wants His children to learn to get along together. How many of you are parents? … You know, you usually want your kids to get along with each other ... Right? And number three, it’s practice for eternity. One of the things you're going to do in heaven, in eternity, is you're going to love God. And the other thing you're going to do is you're going to love the other believers that are there. It is going to be a place of love. So God says, “I want you to practice now learning to love other believers.” So let’s write this down:
MY SECOND PURPOSE IN LIFE IS FELLOWSHIP.
That's the word that the Bible uses to describe loving each other. What do you think of when I say the word ‘fellowship’? Some would say a casual conversation, some would say eating out together, some might say going to church. After this service is over, there will be a couple guys out on the patio, and they will be talking and one of them will say, “Hey, what happened to Kobe & the Lakers in Game 4??? Now, did they just fellowship? No! They just chewed the fat. They were just talking. That's not fellowship.
Write this down:
FELLOWSHIP IS LOVING GOD’S FAMILY.
.
And the Bible says this in I John 4:21:
“And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
John is telling us that "The person who loves God must also love other believers." We have to love other believers. Now, how do you do that?
Well, fortunately, the Bible gives us crystal clear instructions. Paul wrote this, he said, “These things I write to you … so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” 1 Tim 3:14-15.
Paul is telling his young disciple and pastor Timothy: “I am writing you these instructions so that … you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God.”
Write this down:
God’s Family is the Church.
The Church is not a building; it is not an institution; it is not an organization; it is not a club. It is a family. A lot of people say, “Well, I’m going to go to church,” as if church is a place you go to. That's not correct. Church is not a place you go to. Church is a family you belong to. Big difference.
FOUR LEVELS OF FELLOWSHIP:
In God's family there are four levels of fellowship. We're going to look at them in detail. If we are going to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives we need to know how He expects us to do that. God did not mean for us to be “Lone Ranger” Christians. He tells us in the Book of Hebrews: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The first level of Fellowship is Membership which is (write this in the blank), "Choosing to belong,"
LEVEL 1 -- MEMBERSHIP: CHOOSING TO BELONG.
That's the most basic level. In Ephesians 1:13 we read: “But now in Christ Jesus … you … who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” And then skipping down to verse 19, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”
So what is the first step in becoming a member of God’s family? Although we were originally created in God’s image, our first parents, Adam and Eve, made the choice to sin. Each of us has inherited a sin nature from them. That is what has made us strangers to God. We have all heard about the 10 commandments that were given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai and we may pat ourselves on the back by thinking that we have done a pretty good job of obeying them. But if we really examine our lives we will find that we often do things that are not pleasing to God. This is sin and it creates a barrier between us and God. It breaks our fellowship with Him. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Now I know that forgiveness being a free gift might be a little difficult to understand; especially if you are in the military where forgiveness is hard to come by. Marines have a really hard time with this concept. You see … a Marine knows that to err is human and to forgive is divine … however … neither of the above is Marine Corps policy.
But our God is loving and merciful and does not want to punish us. However, our sin carries a penalty that must be paid. And Jesus Christ took care of that sin debt for us. He, Jesus Christ, God the Son, became a man, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead to go to Heaven and prepare a place for us.
Yes, Heaven, or eternal life is a free gift, but getting there is not automatic. How do we receive this free gift? It’s as easy as A, B, C. Write this down:
A you must admit that you are a sinner, B you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins and purchase a place in Heaven for you and C you confess your sins to God and commit your life to Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us in 1 John Chapter 1: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
Isn’t that a fantastic promise? God says that if confess our sins to Him (and that means we agree with God that we are sinners) and turn away from that sinful life style and trust Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life … then all of our sins, everything bad we have ever done is forgiven. The slate is wiped clean! Jesus did it all! He says in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Do you have a real relationship with God? Have you asked God if you can be a part of His family? Were you walking closely with God in the past but you have let sin get in the way of you fulfilling God’s purposes for your life? Maybe it’s time for you to make a change of direction.
The next part of Step one is finding a church family and choosing to get connected. Believing in Jesus and trusting Him alone for our eternal life is the essence of Christianity. But living the abundant Christian life here and now is a matter of belonging.
Fellowship begins with belonging, with making that choice. God wants you to identify with and to make the choice to be a part of His family. When you were born, you automatically became a part of the human race. But you have to choose to belong to the family of God, the church. It is a choice.
You may hear some people say, “Well, I’m a Christian, but I don't want to belong to any church.” That just doesn't make sense. The church is where you live out what it means to be a Christian. That's like saying, “I’m in the Army, but I don’t want to be a part of any division or regiment or company or platoon.” It’s like saying, I’m in the Coast Guard, and I want to live in Southern California, but I really don’t want to belong to the 11th Coast Guard District or Sector LA/LB.” It just doesn't work. A Christian without a church family is an orphan. God meant us to be a part of a family.
This next week in the Purpose Driven Life book, you will be reading six reasons why you need to be a part of a church family, why it meets your needs and why you meet other people's needs. The Bible tells us this in Romans 12, verses 5 & 6:
“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
When you make a decision for Jesus you belong to every other Christian. We are members together. The word "membership” today is used for being a member of every kind of club and signing up for this and joining that. But originally, the meaning was right here in the Bible; a member of the Body of Christ. Just like your hand is a member of your body, that's how tightly we are tied to each other. This isn't about being a part of some silly club, wearing silly hats and having silly signs. This is about belonging to each other, making the choice to belong to a family.
You know, it is only in America that it is common to have floating believers. By that I mean people who go from church to church to church. Suppose you were, let's say, the liver in the Body of Christ, that was God's job for you. You can't un-attach yourself from one body and try to go attach yourself to another and then to another.
(Leaf/Flower and Plant Illustration)
What happens when you pick a leaf off a tree or pick cut a flower to put in a vase in your living room. It looks great for a while but soon it will wither, shrivel up and not be good for anything.
And the same thing happens to us as believers. We need to attach ourselves to a group of believers, where we say, “I want to be a part of what's going on there.” Jesus loves the church. And you and I need to have the same kind of love. Jesus calls the church the “body.” We need to have that same kind of respect for it, to recognize what it means. What if I said to you, “You know, I love you, I just can't stand your body”? How would you feel about that? The church is Jesus' body. He loves the church. The church is the bride of Christ. What if I said, “I love you, but I can't stand your wife,” how would you like that?
There is a Biblical symbol of belonging to Jesus -- a picture that God gives us about being a part of His family. It is called "baptism." Baptism is an outward sign of what has already taken place in your heart when you committed your life to Jesus. Look at what 1 Corinthians 12:13 has to say about baptism:
“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
When you are baptized you say: “I am identifying with Jesus Christ. I have become part of His body, the church.” Baptism is a public way of proclaiming that we died to our sin, our old lives and now we live to serve Jesus Christ. We died to an old way of life; we're living a new way of life.
I guess the best picture I can give you is that baptism is like the wedding ring of the Christian life. This wedding ring that I am wearing doesn't make me married. But Jean, my charming wife, gave it to me on the day we were married so I could wear it from that day forward as a visible symbol of a commitment of my heart. That's what baptism is. It is visible symbol of the commitment of a person's heart, saying I’m not ashamed to tell the world that I believe in Jesus Christ.
During this last year at Cypress Church we had more than 100 people who took that step. They said that they are not ashamed to identify themselves with Jesus. Three weeks from now, on June 8th, we are going to give you that opportunity. Any of you who have not been baptized and publicly identified yourself with Jesus Christ should plan to attend baptism class on May 25th and then you will be ready to be baptized on June 8th.
So we have talked about the first level which is choosing to belong. The second level of Fellowship is a little bit deeper, when you go a little further into the family of God. We will call this “the friendship level.” Let’s write this down on our notes:
LEVEL 2: FRIENDSHIP: LEARNING TO SHARE.
You see, you were created in God's image. So you were made for relationships. If we go back to the book of Genesis we find that God comments about His creation. Six times He calls it “Good.” After man was created and the six days of creation were complete He said that “it was very good.” But in chapter 2 we read: “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.””
Life is not a solo act. You need friends. The Bible says this in Acts 2:44 where Luke tells us: “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,” Acts 2:44 (NKJV)
This means that “All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other.” Acts 2:44 (LB)
Notice the two keys to developing biblical friendships. The first is meeting together and the second is sharing. Now, the more frequently you meet together, the closer you're going to get. Do you know why most people are lonely? They don't make time for friendships. They are too busy achieving; they are too busy working; they are too busy doing other things. They are not willing to put the time into it. You have to meet together. You have to get together. And until you start making fellowship a priority in your life, you're not going to develop any deep friends. Friendships don't just happen. They happen because you choose to make the time for them. It is not luck. It is a choice. And developing close friendships means sharing. It says, “they shared everything."
Now, those of you who are parents know one of the fundamental lessons children have to learn is learning to share. And God says “You know what? In the family of God I want you to learn to share with other believers.” So what are we supposed to share? Well, the Bible is full of instructions on things we are supposed to share - as Christians - with each other. Let me just mention a few:
Number 1, the Bible says we are to share…write this down:
OUR EXPERIENCES.
Experience is a wonderful thing. I’ve been told that it actually enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again. I think it was my Dad who told me: “Experience keeps a hard school but a fool will learn from no other.”
But the Bible says we learn from each other “just as iron sharpens iron."
When I was just out of the Navy I started working with a guy from San Pedro named Ed who had a charter sailboat. He was getting close to retirement and wanted someone to take over the business. He told me that if I was going to work for him I needed to do things exactly the way he showed me so I wouldn’t get into trouble. Of course, I followed his directions when he was around, but sometimes when he let me operate the boat by myself I would try an “experiment.” One day I thought I would try to get underway from a mooring over at Catalina using only the sails and no engine. I had never done this before, but youth, inexperience and pride won out over obedience. I ended up hitting the LA County lifeguard boat that was on a nearby mooring and had to buy them a new windshield. I could have learned from Ed’s experience but I chose the hard road.
Think of the wealth of knowledge sitting here right now in this fellowship and how much we could learn from each other … if … we just spend the time to get together.
Second, the Bible says we are to share:
OUR HOMES.
The Bible says in I Peter 4:9 “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” It doesn't say invite your friend over only if you have a really nice home … just open the doors. Why do we need to share our homes? I'll tell you why – because it is very difficult to fellowship in a crowd. You can only have meaningful fellowship in a small group. Or even one on one. We can get together for Bible study here on Sunday. We can celebrate together. We can learn together. But as our group gets larger we will find that it is necessary to develop home bible study groups of about 6 to 12 people to maintain true fellowship.
Did you know in the first 300 years of Christianity, there were no church buildings? Other that some gatherings in public areas like the temple courts in Jerusalem, church meetings were held in homes. There were no buildings. And that, by the way, was the fastest period of growth for the church.
I am a harbor pilot in the port of Long Beach and my company understands the principle of small groups. Our staff is divided into groups of 6 men who work the same schedule. That way we can really get to know each other, trust each other and share our experiences for the benefit of the other members of our group.
My nephew is a major in the Marines stationed at 29 Palms. As you may know the marines are organized into platoons of 16 men but even these groups are broken down further into a squad of eight or a fire team of four.
We have a Bible Study group here at the Naval Weapons Station that meets on Wednesday evening at Bunker 33 at 7:00 pm. If you have not been to one of the meetings, I would encourage you to make that a part of your week. It is a great way to stay consistent with the 40 Days of Purpose study and develop close friendships.
Now, not only do we share our experiences and our homes, the Bible says, number three, we're to share:
OUR PROBLEMS.
We are not meant to face our problems alone. The Bible says I Galatians 6:4: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
You know when you share a joy, it is doubled; and when you share a problem, it is cut in half? The Bible tells us in Romans 12:15: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
You don't have to fix everybody's problem. God hasn't told you to do that. He just says share them.
I know when I first became a Christian I made the mistake of thinking I could go to church on Sunday and not get into a home study group. I quickly got off track. It wasn’t until I got into a small group of 4 men who met weekly to share our lives with each other that I really began to make progress.
So Level One of Fellowship is Membership – Choosing to Belong and Level Two is Friendship – Learning to Share.
The third level of Fellowship is Partnership and partnership is … write this down:
LEVEL 3: PARTNERSHIP: DOING MY PART.
Partnership is realizing that you have got a contribution to make; that the family of God needs you. Listen, God brought you here to participate.
The Bible is filled with examples of how people worked together with others to get important jobs done. There are more than 50 times in the New Testament where the Bible says we are to do things with one another. We are to serve one another. We are to love one another. We are to pray with and for one another. The Bible even says we have to put up with one another when we're doing all of this. That's how the Christian life works. Christianity is not a religion – it is a relationship. First with Jesus and then with other believers. This is love in action. Not just in words. You see, it is great to share your heart, that's level two. But it is even greater to do your part. That is what level three is all about.
Listen to what the Bible has to say in 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 9: “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” And then in verse 16: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Fellow workers means we are partners working together with and for God. But in order to be a part, you've got to find your niche, you have got to find out, “Where do I fit, how I do I fit?” The Bible tells us we all have a niche. Look at Ephesians 4:16 where Paul talks about the church and says that we are … “joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share” … and that this … “causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
So we each have a job to do. Now at first this may look hard, but we don’t serve God in our own strength. Paul tells in Philippians 4:13: “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” God does it as we yield ourselves to Him.
There is an attitude, a heart attitude that is the key for me and should be for all of us. What ever we do it should be: “with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men” and that is from Ephesians 6, Verse 7.
It’s the attitude Jesus talks about in Matthew chapter 25, verse 40 when He says: "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are the members of my family, you did it to Me."
So I want to encourage you to make this a practical action step this week, if you want to experience a deeper level of fellowship. Look for a practical need in your group to meet this coming week, just some practical thing, and watch what it does for your relationship (your fellowship) with one another.
Now, the fourth and deepest level of fellowship in the family of God is what we are going to call "Kinship.”
Kinship or kinfolk are terms that we don't use much anymore out here on the west coast. But in Arkansas, where my sister and my Mom live, the word “kinfolk” means something very special.
Kinfolk (or kinship) literally means your closest relationships. It means your closest family … you might want to write this down -- the deepest level, is:
LEVEL 4: KINSHIP: LOVING BELIEVERS LIKE FAMILY.
…treating and loving believers like they’re family. You're completely committed to them. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:10 - 11: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”
Now in the original Greek, the word for fellowship in the Bible is “koinonia." And the basic root literally means being as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ; that is the deepest level of fellowship.
Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest says that the word “koinonia” was used in a (Greek) marriage contract where the husband and wife agree to a joint-participation in the necessaries of life. The key idea in the word is that of partnership, of possessing things in common.
Commentator Marvin Vincent states that “koinonia” “was also used in secular Greek as a commercial term for a joint-partnership in a business venture in which all parties actively participate to ensure the success of the business.”
So we need to be as committed to each other as we are to Jesus Christ. That is family relationship. That is kinship. That is saying I’m at the level of being willing to sacrifice for you.
Many of you know John 3:16 … the verse that begins with: “For God so loved the world…" but you don't know First John 3:16 which says: “By this we know love, because He (that’s Jesus) laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
You see, when the Bible talks about loving each other it is not sexual love or the “I love hamburgers!” kind of love. The Greek word for Biblical love is “agapao.” This is the deepest level of fellowship; sacrificing for each other. It's the kind of love Jesus Christ had for you. He died for you.
Friends, this is what life is all about, loving God and learning to love each other. Life is not about accomplishments. It is about relationships. You were put on this earth to know God and love Him, and to know His family and love them, because our Christian brothers and sisters are the people we are spending eternity with.
So right now let’s do a little pop quiz. How do you know if you are truly a member of God's family? How do you know personally? Let me read you three verses that will be the acid test to let you know if you're really a Christian or not. Listen to this, right from the Bible.
1 John 3:10: “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” That's the Bible.
Here is another verse that is very interesting … 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?”
And then there’s 1 John 3:14: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.” Each time you heard the word “love” in those three verses it is the same Greek word: “agapao” … sacrificial love. So we find that love is the proof.
The greatest privilege you will ever be offered in life is a privilege of being a part of God's family. You see, God's family is a laboratory for learning to love. Some of you grew up in homes that didn't have a lot of love. The only love most people know about is sexual love or romantic love. They don't know any other kind of love. So we have to be taught, and the church (the family of God) is where you learn to love real people, not ideal people. Nobody in your small group is ideal and neither are you. We learn to love real people, and that's one of the main reasons God put us on this earth.
So let me ask you a couple relevant questions: which of these levels of fellowship are you at? Have you even made it to the first one, choosing to belong? Or are you a spiritual Lone Ranger? Are you at the Friendship level – learning to share? Have you made it from sharing your heart to the Partnership level - doing your part? Or have you made it to the deepest level – kinship? Are there any other believers that really know … that you … are devoted to them? That you are going to be there for them in their crisis? Are you truly loving others?
And if you are not, it brings up an even more basic question … are you really a part of the family of God? You say, “Well, isn't everybody a part of the family of God?” No. Everybody is created by God, but not everybody is a child of God. You have to choose to be a part of God's family. God gave us one condition in Galatians 3:26: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
A little earlier this morning I asked you these questions: Do you have a real relationship with God? Have you asked God if you can be a part of His family? Were you walking closely with God in the past but you have let sin get in the way of you fulfilling God’s purposes for your life?
Let’s ask the Lord to bring each of us into His family or to restore our broken relationship with Him right now. Will you bow your heads with me and join me in this prayer committing your life to Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, I want to be a part of your family and I want to learn to love my spiritual family just like you do. I know that I have not always done what is pleasing to you. I know that I am a sinner. And I thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins and rise from the dead to purchase a place in Heaven for me. Lord, I confess my sins to you and right now I turn away from my sins and turn to Jesus Christ as my Personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, that you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Thank you that I am now a child of God. In Jesus Name, AMEN.
If you prayed that prayer with me and meant it deep in your heart then you are now a member of God’s family. If you have just made a decision to follow Jesus for the first time or if you have recommitted your life to Christ today please see me after the service so that we can pray together.
May God Richly Bless Your Life today and every day!
This message was prepared using materials drawn from The Holy Bible (NKJV), messages by Rick Warren, Mike McKay and the Precept Austin website.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?
WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?
Introduction to the Purpose Driven Life 40 Days Study
Message Presented by Bob Koehler at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station
For the Military Community Christian Community
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Responsive Reading
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 (NKJV)
Sermon Outline & Notes
On the back page of your worship folder is an outline with a place to take notes and fill in some blanks.
Let’s open our Bibles to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1 and read verses 3 through 6:
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Eph 1:3-6 (NKJV)
Welcome to 40 Days of Purpose. We’re ready to start on an exciting journey that will take us through the next 7 weeks. Today we’re going to look at life’s three greatest questions: 1) The question of existence – why am I alive? 2) the question of significance – does my life matter? and 3) the question of intention – what is my purpose?
LIFE’S 3 GREATEST QUESTIONS:
1. QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: WHY AM I ALIVE?
Now this first question, the “Question of Existence: Why am I alive?” is not exactly a new question. It was asked thousands of years ago. In fact, 7 centuries before the birth of Christ, Jeremiah asked this question in Jeremiah 20:18, “Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame? Jer. 20:18 (NKJV)
Now there have probably been times in your life when you felt that way, too. Was I born just to have a bunch of problems? Was I put on this planet just to have heartache, grief and stress? Jeremiah is essentially asking: “Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace?” Jer. 20:18 (TEV)
Science Fiction writer Arthur Ashley Brilliant said “my life is a superb cast, but I can’t figure out the plot.” Jack Hanley, is an American writer and was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. He wrote, “I hope life isn’t a joke, because I don’t get it.”
Everything that we see both as good and also things we may see as bad have some kind of purpose. In the Book of Proverbs we read:
“The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.” Prov. 16:4 (NKJV)
The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. Pr. 16:4 (NLT)
So “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose…” Prov. 16:4a (GW)
It’s for His purpose. Now God has never made anything without a purpose. Every rock has a purpose, every plant has a purpose, every animal has a purpose and you have a purpose. The truth is God has many purposes for your life. In the next 40 days we’re going to look in detail at five of those purposes. Five of the reasons God put you on this planet.
Today, though, I just want us to see God’s motive.
Lets look at our Scripture from Ephesians again in Verse 4 … “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,”
The idea here is: “Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.” Eph. 1:4 (Msg)
If you don’t get anything else as we start this 40 days study, I want you to understand this, God says He made you, to love you. God made you to love you. You might want to write that down in the blank space on the outline. Why did God create me? Write this down… I was created to be loved by God. God is love and God wanted to create someone to love and so He created you. He really didn’t need you. He wasn’t lonely. But He made you in order to love you..Because He wanted you..And before we can talk about anything else, you have to understand that this is what on earth you’re here for–to be loved by God.
I WAS CREATED TO BE LOVED BY GOD.
2. QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE: DOES MY LIFE MATTER?
The second key question of life is the “Question of Significance: Does my life matter?” Isaiah asked this question in Isaiah 49:4a. Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;…
“My work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose at all.” Isa. 49:4a (NLT)
But he goes on in the same verse to conclude:
Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’” Is. 49:4 (NKJV)
You were made for meaning, and if you don’t have a meaning and purpose in your life and you don’t know why God put you on this planet, life just does not make sense.
Elsewhere the prophet Isaiah tells us:
“Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; Is. 44:2-3
“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Isa. 44:2 (CEV)
During World War II, there were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp in Hungary, that were put to work in a factory. The allies came along, bombed that factory and blew it apart. So the prisoners had nothing to do. The Nazi soldiers had the prisoners take all the rubble of that factory and move it to another field. The next day, they had them take that same rubble and move it back in reverse. The next day, they had to take that stuff and move it back and day after day they had no meaning, no purpose. It was just work doing the same thing over and over with no meaning and no purpose. Then something strange began to happen. The prisoners began to go crazy. They began to lose their will to live because there was no meaning, no purpose in their work. They were just moving bricks back and forth, back and forth. Many of them began to throw themselves in front of the guards trying to get shot. In essence, trying to commit suicide.
I had a very similar experience when I was running tugboats. We were asked to move a barge to a certain oil dock and load a particular product, then take it to another dock and discharge the cargo into the shore tanks. Then we received orders to load the same product back on the barge and take it back to the dock where we loaded it and discharge it there. The company never told us why, they just said: "do it." We felt like we were just spinning our wheels. This is because our brains are hard wired by God. We know that we were made for meaning and purpose.
In our Scripture reading for today notice verses 5 & 6: “5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Jesus Christ wants to adopt and accept each one of us. We can be part of God’s family if we desire to find God’s purposes for our life.
In the Book of Psalms we read: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Ps. 139: 16-17 (NKJV)
Another way of stating this is … “You... scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” Ps. 139:16 (LB)
Psalm 33 tells us: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Ps. 33:11 (NKJV)
The idea here is that God’s "His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally." Ps. 33:11 (GN)
So if we are part of God’s plan and His purposes last forever then you can write this in the blank on your outline: God says, “I was made to last forever.”
I WAS MADE TO LAST FOREVER.
I was made to be loved by God, and I was made to last forever. This life is not all there is. One of the biggest ways you can waste your life is thinking that all there is, is here and now. You are going to spend far more time on that side of death, than you do on this side. On this side, you may get to live 60, 70, 80 or 90 years or so. But that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. It’s like if you stretched out a line from Tokyo to Los Angeles, across the Pacific Ocean. The first millimeter of that line would not even equal how tiny your life is compared to all the time you’re going to spend in eternity. You were made for eternity and this life is preparation for eternity. You’re not going to find that in a self-help book, but it’s the truth. Life is preparation for eternity and in the next 40 days we are going to discover how to prepare, because this is not all there is. This is the key to the meaning of life. Realizing that life on earth is preparation for life in eternity. The Bible says this:
“1For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 1 Cor. 5:1 (NKJV) God is preparing new resurrection bodies for us!
A more contemporary translation might be: “When this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.” 2 Cor. 5:1 (TEV)
How do we get there to Heaven and in our new bodies. Proverbs tells us: “Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.” Pr. 9:6 (NKJV)
Another way of stating this might be to “Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." Prov. 9:6 (Msg)
It is extremely and eternally important that we discover how to find the purpose and meaning God wants us to have.
Jesus spent quite a bit of time during his ministry explaining in great detail what specifics He would like to see in our lives and also what He does not want to see in us. After one such message to His disciples about what NOT to do He concluded with these words:
“And these (speaking of those people who were NOT fulfilling God’s purpose) will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Mt. 25:46 (NKJV) Which direction are you going right now?
3. QUESTION OF INTENTION: WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?
Next comes the third question, the “Question of Intention: What is my purpose?”
(Discussion of why we need to know our “purpose” using three electrical devices as illustrations. What happens if we connect something to the wrong voltage?)
So what is my purpose? What on earth am I here for? And that’s what we’re going to spend 40 days looking at. In Psalm 89:47 David asked the question “For what futility have You created all the children of men?” Ps 89:47b (NKJV) Who is David talking to when he says that, himself? No, he’s talking to God.
He is basically asking: “Why did you create us? For nothing?” Ps. 89:47 (NCV)
One of the greatest, atheist philosophers of the last century, Bertrand Russell, an Englishman said .. (Now remember he was an atheist and at least he was intellectually honest enough to say this) … he said, “Unless you assume the existence of God, the question of life’s meaning and purpose is irrelevant.” You see, if there is no God, if you’re just a freak chance of nature, if you came from just some complex pond scum – guess what? – Your life doesn’t matter.
Let’s turn in our Bibles to the very first page of the Book of Genesis and read with me the very first words in the first verse in the entire Bible:
“1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1
The Bible begins with the statement that God created everything. Then if you move down the page to Verses 27 & 28 you find: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
So you are not descended from some pond scum … God made you and He gave you a job to do.
The Bible tells us in the 1st verse of Psalm 14 that: The fool has said in his heart, “(There is) no God.” The words “There is” were used for clarification in the English translation. The literal translation from Hebrew is: “The fool has said in his heart … NO God.” You do not want to be someone who rejects God and his purposes for your life because there are eternal consequences.
King Solomon was David’s Son. During his reign he was the richest and wisest man in the entire world. Success spoiled him and he had many problems later on in His life. He had it all yet he stumbled and did not completely fulfill what God could have done with him had he been obedient. But … He did learn an important and expensive lesson which he shares with us. In the Book of Proverbs King Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Pr. 9:10 (NKJV)
What does in mean to fear God? Well, first of all …
Fearing God does not mean being terrified of him. Knowing God increases reverent fear. To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who he is: God is loving and merciful. He is also holy, almighty, righteous, pure, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: we are sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect. Only then will he show us how to choose His way of accomplishing His purposes for our lives.
Fearing God leads to knowing him more fully. “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.” God offers intimate and lasting friendship to those who revere him, who hold him in highest honor. What relationship could ever compare with having the Lord of all creation for a friend? Your everlasting friendship with God will grow as you revere him.
In essence God is telling us through Solomon that … "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding." Pr. 9:10b (LB)
So…Write this down in the blank on your outline. I find my purpose by getting to know God. It all starts with God.
I FIND MY PURPOSE BY GETTING TO KNOW GOD.
We need to know God because we are told in the Book of Colossians: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Col. 1:16
In a nutshell this means “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible … everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Col 1:16 (Msg)
If God is our creator (and the Bible says He is) then we are ultimately responsible to Him.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Eph. 1:11 (NKJV)
Paul is telling us that “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for... part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Eph. 1:11 (Msg)
God considers 40 days to be a significant time period. In fact, in the Bible, when God wanted to prepare people for His purposes, He often took 40 days. For instance:
· Noah’s life was transformed during 40 days of rain;
· Moses’ life was transformed during 40 days on Mount Sinai;
· The spies were transformed while spending 40 days in the Promise Land;
· Part of David’s transformation happened because of Goliath’s 40-day challenge;
· The city of Nineveh was transformed in 40 days and decided to repent of their sins;
· Jesus was empowered for ministry while spending 40 days in the desert;
· And the disciples were transformed during their 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection.
I am confident that if you participate with us the 40 days of Purpose study your life will be transformed.
Why do we need to know God?
We will live forever. Our bodies will eventually pass away, but our spirit and soul live on. At some point in the future God promises us new, resurrection bodies. After our life on earth there are only two possible destinations. Eternal life with God or eternal separation away from Him.
In our Scripture verses for today in Ephesians 1:3 we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
So the big question is … Are you “in Christ?” This verse is telling us that we are only blessed with every spiritual blessing” if and only if we are “in Christ.”
You see … Eternal life (or Heaven) is a free gift. God wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place and in order to be accepted there Jesus tells us we must be perfect.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Mat. 5:48 (NKJV)
But we all know that right here- right now, we are not perfect. We know that in the world there are all sorts of problems. These are primarily the result of something God calls sin.
What is sin? Sin is doing something that God has told us not to do. And … Sin is also NOT doing what God has said we must do.
Paul says in Romans…”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23
How many of you have ever had to qualify with small arms out at the range? The Greek word for sin is hamartia. It is an archery term. Today we can relate that to the Rifle range: Sin is anything except dead center!!! How hard is that? Can you shoot in the exact center of the target every single time? I’ve held an NRA certification as an Expert marksman and Rifle Instructor and I know I can’t.
Even though we are sinners … God is merciful and does not want to punish us. The Bible tells us that “God is love” 1 Jn. 4:8b (NKJV)
But … God is just and must punish our sin. He is “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (BUT) by no means clearing the guilty,” Ex 34:7 (NKJV)
This presents a real problem. How can God be both merciful and just at the same time? Well … God is big enough to solve any problem and He solved this problem through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is both 100% God & 100% man at the same time.
The Gospel of John tells us:
1In the beginning was the Word (THAT’S JESUS), and the Word was with God, and the Word (JESUS) was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him (JESUS), and without Him nothing was made that was made. … 14And the Word (JESUS) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3 & 14 (NKJV)
Jesus (God in the flesh), became a man, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase a place in Heaven for us.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Is. 53:6 (NKJV)
(Book Illustration of how Jesus took our sin on Himself tied in with Is. 53:6)
It sort of looks sort of like this. When I was stationed on the Minesweeper USS Implicit and one of the crew did something wrong he got written up and went to Captain’s Mast. If he was guilty he received a punishment or had to pay a fine. Let’s suppose that I did something wrong and got fined by the Captain, but then the Captain said: “I’ll pay your fine for you.” He takes out his wallet, gives the money to Disbursing Officer who marks our account “Paid In Full.” If you are Army – think of being found guilty at a Court Martial and having General Combs from the Joint Forces Training Center offer to serve your sentence for you!!!
We are guilty of sin. The Bible tells us: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:23 (NKJV)
Jesus, the righteous judge has declared that there is a penalty that must be paid for our sin. And Jesus our merciful Savior took off His robes of office, came to earth, became a man just like us, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and died in our place … in your place.
The free gift of eternal life has been paid for, it is available to all, but it is not automatic.
John’s Gospel tells us: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12 (NKJV)
Now you might remember back in the Book of Genesis that God originally created man in His image. The next question might be – well, If I was created in God’s image…why do I need permission to be a child of God. When Adam and Eve sinned - man’s fellowship with God was broken. We inherited a sin nature and we need God’s forgiveness to restore the broken relationship.
So how do we go about obtaining forgiveness and becoming part of God’s forever family?
Jesus answered this for us in the first sermon He ever preached. In Mark 1:14 we read - Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
If you’ve ever been a part of a unit that marched or watched a drill team you know what the word “Repent” means. It is the same as “About Face!” Jesus says we need to turn away from our sin and towards Him in faith.
Now this might seem hard to do. In fact many people mistakenly believe that you have to work hard to get to Heaven. They think that God grades on a curve and if they do enough good works they might have a chance of getting in. But that is not God’s plan… Jesus said:
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29 (NKJV) Who is the one we need to believe in? Jesus Christ.
How do we do this? By faith in Jesus. But this faith is not just head knowledge. We need to transfer our complete trust from anything we have ever done or could ever do in the future that we think might earn God’s favor and place our faith in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life.
(Sitting in the chair illustration of what really constitutes faith)
The Bible says in the Book of Romans “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:9-10 (NKJV)
I realize that all of us here today are at different stages in our spiritual journey. That doesn’t matter. Everyone is on a spiritual journey whether they realize it or not. Some of you may be seekers, some of you might no be sure if you buy the whole idea of Jesus and Christianity, some may be new believers and some may have been Christians for a long time. That’s Great! We’re all going to have the chance go through this journey together, no matter what stage you are in. Some of you are strong believers, and you’re going to be able to go deeper with God than you’ve ever gone before and you’re going to bring others along, too. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey, listen to what God says in His word: …in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35b (NKJV)
The idea here is that “It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” Acts 10:35 (Msg)
When I was in 7th and 8th grade I worked at the YMCA in Canton, Ohio. One of the directors there had a sign on his all that I still remember today. It read “always be ready to give up what you are today for what you can become tomorrow.” This speaks of action. Are you ready to take action by turning away from the things you are doing which are not pleasing to God and discovering what His purpose for your life?
Let’s bow our heads – You know God had a purpose in bringing you here today. He wants you to know Him and He wants you to know His purposes for you. Let’s talk to Him right now…
“Heavenly Father, I realize that if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive. But because you made me, I know that you have a purpose for me. I admit that I have focused on my plans for my life, not yours. But I want to know your purposes for me, so I commit myself to learning more about you and your plan. Thank you that you made me so you could love me. Thank you that you cared for me even when I didn’t know you. Thank you that I was made to last forever. I want a life filled with meaning. I want to start by getting to know you better. So, right now, I turn away from my sins and I turn towards you. Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me and purchasing my place in Heaven. To the best of my understanding, I ask you, Jesus Christ, to come into my life and help me to know your purposes for me. I want to take the first step today. In your name I pray, Amen.”
Thank you for joining us today. May God Richly Bless Your Life!
Material for this message drawn from Sermon Notes of Rick Warren from Saddleback Church and from The Handbook of Bible Application Edited by Neil S. Wilson. Most Scripture verses are from the New King James Version. BestOfTheWebShopping.Com is a good source for Christian Books and Music.
Introduction to the Purpose Driven Life 40 Days Study
Message Presented by Bob Koehler at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station
For the Military Community Christian Community
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Responsive Reading
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
Psalm 18:1-3 (NKJV)
Sermon Outline & Notes
On the back page of your worship folder is an outline with a place to take notes and fill in some blanks.
Let’s open our Bibles to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1 and read verses 3 through 6:
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Eph 1:3-6 (NKJV)
Welcome to 40 Days of Purpose. We’re ready to start on an exciting journey that will take us through the next 7 weeks. Today we’re going to look at life’s three greatest questions: 1) The question of existence – why am I alive? 2) the question of significance – does my life matter? and 3) the question of intention – what is my purpose?
LIFE’S 3 GREATEST QUESTIONS:
1. QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: WHY AM I ALIVE?
Now this first question, the “Question of Existence: Why am I alive?” is not exactly a new question. It was asked thousands of years ago. In fact, 7 centuries before the birth of Christ, Jeremiah asked this question in Jeremiah 20:18, “Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame? Jer. 20:18 (NKJV)
Now there have probably been times in your life when you felt that way, too. Was I born just to have a bunch of problems? Was I put on this planet just to have heartache, grief and stress? Jeremiah is essentially asking: “Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end my life in disgrace?” Jer. 20:18 (TEV)
Science Fiction writer Arthur Ashley Brilliant said “my life is a superb cast, but I can’t figure out the plot.” Jack Hanley, is an American writer and was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1991-2003. He wrote, “I hope life isn’t a joke, because I don’t get it.”
Everything that we see both as good and also things we may see as bad have some kind of purpose. In the Book of Proverbs we read:
“The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.” Prov. 16:4 (NKJV)
The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for a day of disaster. Pr. 16:4 (NLT)
So “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose…” Prov. 16:4a (GW)
It’s for His purpose. Now God has never made anything without a purpose. Every rock has a purpose, every plant has a purpose, every animal has a purpose and you have a purpose. The truth is God has many purposes for your life. In the next 40 days we’re going to look in detail at five of those purposes. Five of the reasons God put you on this planet.
Today, though, I just want us to see God’s motive.
Lets look at our Scripture from Ephesians again in Verse 4 … “just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,”
The idea here is: “Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.” Eph. 1:4 (Msg)
If you don’t get anything else as we start this 40 days study, I want you to understand this, God says He made you, to love you. God made you to love you. You might want to write that down in the blank space on the outline. Why did God create me? Write this down… I was created to be loved by God. God is love and God wanted to create someone to love and so He created you. He really didn’t need you. He wasn’t lonely. But He made you in order to love you..Because He wanted you..And before we can talk about anything else, you have to understand that this is what on earth you’re here for–to be loved by God.
I WAS CREATED TO BE LOVED BY GOD.
2. QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE: DOES MY LIFE MATTER?
The second key question of life is the “Question of Significance: Does my life matter?” Isaiah asked this question in Isaiah 49:4a. Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;…
“My work all seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and for no purpose at all.” Isa. 49:4a (NLT)
But he goes on in the same verse to conclude:
Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’” Is. 49:4 (NKJV)
You were made for meaning, and if you don’t have a meaning and purpose in your life and you don’t know why God put you on this planet, life just does not make sense.
Elsewhere the prophet Isaiah tells us:
“Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; Is. 44:2-3
“I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.” Isa. 44:2 (CEV)
During World War II, there were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp in Hungary, that were put to work in a factory. The allies came along, bombed that factory and blew it apart. So the prisoners had nothing to do. The Nazi soldiers had the prisoners take all the rubble of that factory and move it to another field. The next day, they had them take that same rubble and move it back in reverse. The next day, they had to take that stuff and move it back and day after day they had no meaning, no purpose. It was just work doing the same thing over and over with no meaning and no purpose. Then something strange began to happen. The prisoners began to go crazy. They began to lose their will to live because there was no meaning, no purpose in their work. They were just moving bricks back and forth, back and forth. Many of them began to throw themselves in front of the guards trying to get shot. In essence, trying to commit suicide.
I had a very similar experience when I was running tugboats. We were asked to move a barge to a certain oil dock and load a particular product, then take it to another dock and discharge the cargo into the shore tanks. Then we received orders to load the same product back on the barge and take it back to the dock where we loaded it and discharge it there. The company never told us why, they just said: "do it." We felt like we were just spinning our wheels. This is because our brains are hard wired by God. We know that we were made for meaning and purpose.
In our Scripture reading for today notice verses 5 & 6: “5having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
Jesus Christ wants to adopt and accept each one of us. We can be part of God’s family if we desire to find God’s purposes for our life.
In the Book of Psalms we read: Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. Ps. 139: 16-17 (NKJV)
Another way of stating this is … “You... scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!” Ps. 139:16 (LB)
Psalm 33 tells us: The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Ps. 33:11 (NKJV)
The idea here is that God’s "His plans endure forever; his purposes last eternally." Ps. 33:11 (GN)
So if we are part of God’s plan and His purposes last forever then you can write this in the blank on your outline: God says, “I was made to last forever.”
I WAS MADE TO LAST FOREVER.
I was made to be loved by God, and I was made to last forever. This life is not all there is. One of the biggest ways you can waste your life is thinking that all there is, is here and now. You are going to spend far more time on that side of death, than you do on this side. On this side, you may get to live 60, 70, 80 or 90 years or so. But that’s just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. It’s like if you stretched out a line from Tokyo to Los Angeles, across the Pacific Ocean. The first millimeter of that line would not even equal how tiny your life is compared to all the time you’re going to spend in eternity. You were made for eternity and this life is preparation for eternity. You’re not going to find that in a self-help book, but it’s the truth. Life is preparation for eternity and in the next 40 days we are going to discover how to prepare, because this is not all there is. This is the key to the meaning of life. Realizing that life on earth is preparation for life in eternity. The Bible says this:
“1For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” 1 Cor. 5:1 (NKJV) God is preparing new resurrection bodies for us!
A more contemporary translation might be: “When this tent we live in—our body here on earth—is torn down, God will have a house in heaven for us to live in, a home he himself has made, which will last forever.” 2 Cor. 5:1 (TEV)
How do we get there to Heaven and in our new bodies. Proverbs tells us: “Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.” Pr. 9:6 (NKJV)
Another way of stating this might be to “Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning." Prov. 9:6 (Msg)
It is extremely and eternally important that we discover how to find the purpose and meaning God wants us to have.
Jesus spent quite a bit of time during his ministry explaining in great detail what specifics He would like to see in our lives and also what He does not want to see in us. After one such message to His disciples about what NOT to do He concluded with these words:
“And these (speaking of those people who were NOT fulfilling God’s purpose) will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Mt. 25:46 (NKJV) Which direction are you going right now?
3. QUESTION OF INTENTION: WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?
Next comes the third question, the “Question of Intention: What is my purpose?”
(Discussion of why we need to know our “purpose” using three electrical devices as illustrations. What happens if we connect something to the wrong voltage?)
So what is my purpose? What on earth am I here for? And that’s what we’re going to spend 40 days looking at. In Psalm 89:47 David asked the question “For what futility have You created all the children of men?” Ps 89:47b (NKJV) Who is David talking to when he says that, himself? No, he’s talking to God.
He is basically asking: “Why did you create us? For nothing?” Ps. 89:47 (NCV)
One of the greatest, atheist philosophers of the last century, Bertrand Russell, an Englishman said .. (Now remember he was an atheist and at least he was intellectually honest enough to say this) … he said, “Unless you assume the existence of God, the question of life’s meaning and purpose is irrelevant.” You see, if there is no God, if you’re just a freak chance of nature, if you came from just some complex pond scum – guess what? – Your life doesn’t matter.
Let’s turn in our Bibles to the very first page of the Book of Genesis and read with me the very first words in the first verse in the entire Bible:
“1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen. 1:1
The Bible begins with the statement that God created everything. Then if you move down the page to Verses 27 & 28 you find: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
So you are not descended from some pond scum … God made you and He gave you a job to do.
The Bible tells us in the 1st verse of Psalm 14 that: The fool has said in his heart, “(There is) no God.” The words “There is” were used for clarification in the English translation. The literal translation from Hebrew is: “The fool has said in his heart … NO God.” You do not want to be someone who rejects God and his purposes for your life because there are eternal consequences.
King Solomon was David’s Son. During his reign he was the richest and wisest man in the entire world. Success spoiled him and he had many problems later on in His life. He had it all yet he stumbled and did not completely fulfill what God could have done with him had he been obedient. But … He did learn an important and expensive lesson which he shares with us. In the Book of Proverbs King Solomon tells us: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Pr. 9:10 (NKJV)
What does in mean to fear God? Well, first of all …
Fearing God does not mean being terrified of him. Knowing God increases reverent fear. To fear the Lord is to recognize God for who he is: God is loving and merciful. He is also holy, almighty, righteous, pure, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer picture of ourselves: we are sinful, weak, frail, and needy. When we recognize who God is and who we are, we will fall at his feet in humble respect. Only then will he show us how to choose His way of accomplishing His purposes for our lives.
Fearing God leads to knowing him more fully. “Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him.” God offers intimate and lasting friendship to those who revere him, who hold him in highest honor. What relationship could ever compare with having the Lord of all creation for a friend? Your everlasting friendship with God will grow as you revere him.
In essence God is telling us through Solomon that … "Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding." Pr. 9:10b (LB)
So…Write this down in the blank on your outline. I find my purpose by getting to know God. It all starts with God.
I FIND MY PURPOSE BY GETTING TO KNOW GOD.
We need to know God because we are told in the Book of Colossians: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. Col. 1:16
In a nutshell this means “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible … everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Col 1:16 (Msg)
If God is our creator (and the Bible says He is) then we are ultimately responsible to Him.
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Eph. 1:11 (NKJV)
Paul is telling us that “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for... part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Eph. 1:11 (Msg)
God considers 40 days to be a significant time period. In fact, in the Bible, when God wanted to prepare people for His purposes, He often took 40 days. For instance:
· Noah’s life was transformed during 40 days of rain;
· Moses’ life was transformed during 40 days on Mount Sinai;
· The spies were transformed while spending 40 days in the Promise Land;
· Part of David’s transformation happened because of Goliath’s 40-day challenge;
· The city of Nineveh was transformed in 40 days and decided to repent of their sins;
· Jesus was empowered for ministry while spending 40 days in the desert;
· And the disciples were transformed during their 40 days with Jesus after His resurrection.
I am confident that if you participate with us the 40 days of Purpose study your life will be transformed.
Why do we need to know God?
We will live forever. Our bodies will eventually pass away, but our spirit and soul live on. At some point in the future God promises us new, resurrection bodies. After our life on earth there are only two possible destinations. Eternal life with God or eternal separation away from Him.
In our Scripture verses for today in Ephesians 1:3 we read: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
So the big question is … Are you “in Christ?” This verse is telling us that we are only blessed with every spiritual blessing” if and only if we are “in Christ.”
You see … Eternal life (or Heaven) is a free gift. God wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place and in order to be accepted there Jesus tells us we must be perfect.
“Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Mat. 5:48 (NKJV)
But we all know that right here- right now, we are not perfect. We know that in the world there are all sorts of problems. These are primarily the result of something God calls sin.
What is sin? Sin is doing something that God has told us not to do. And … Sin is also NOT doing what God has said we must do.
Paul says in Romans…”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Rom. 3:23
How many of you have ever had to qualify with small arms out at the range? The Greek word for sin is hamartia. It is an archery term. Today we can relate that to the Rifle range: Sin is anything except dead center!!! How hard is that? Can you shoot in the exact center of the target every single time? I’ve held an NRA certification as an Expert marksman and Rifle Instructor and I know I can’t.
Even though we are sinners … God is merciful and does not want to punish us. The Bible tells us that “God is love” 1 Jn. 4:8b (NKJV)
But … God is just and must punish our sin. He is “keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (BUT) by no means clearing the guilty,” Ex 34:7 (NKJV)
This presents a real problem. How can God be both merciful and just at the same time? Well … God is big enough to solve any problem and He solved this problem through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is both 100% God & 100% man at the same time.
The Gospel of John tells us:
1In the beginning was the Word (THAT’S JESUS), and the Word was with God, and the Word (JESUS) was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him (JESUS), and without Him nothing was made that was made. … 14And the Word (JESUS) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-3 & 14 (NKJV)
Jesus (God in the flesh), became a man, died on the cross and rose from the dead to pay the penalty for our sins and purchase a place in Heaven for us.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Is. 53:6 (NKJV)
(Book Illustration of how Jesus took our sin on Himself tied in with Is. 53:6)
It sort of looks sort of like this. When I was stationed on the Minesweeper USS Implicit and one of the crew did something wrong he got written up and went to Captain’s Mast. If he was guilty he received a punishment or had to pay a fine. Let’s suppose that I did something wrong and got fined by the Captain, but then the Captain said: “I’ll pay your fine for you.” He takes out his wallet, gives the money to Disbursing Officer who marks our account “Paid In Full.” If you are Army – think of being found guilty at a Court Martial and having General Combs from the Joint Forces Training Center offer to serve your sentence for you!!!
We are guilty of sin. The Bible tells us: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Rom. 6:23 (NKJV)
Jesus, the righteous judge has declared that there is a penalty that must be paid for our sin. And Jesus our merciful Savior took off His robes of office, came to earth, became a man just like us, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and died in our place … in your place.
The free gift of eternal life has been paid for, it is available to all, but it is not automatic.
John’s Gospel tells us: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12 (NKJV)
Now you might remember back in the Book of Genesis that God originally created man in His image. The next question might be – well, If I was created in God’s image…why do I need permission to be a child of God. When Adam and Eve sinned - man’s fellowship with God was broken. We inherited a sin nature and we need God’s forgiveness to restore the broken relationship.
So how do we go about obtaining forgiveness and becoming part of God’s forever family?
Jesus answered this for us in the first sermon He ever preached. In Mark 1:14 we read - Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
If you’ve ever been a part of a unit that marched or watched a drill team you know what the word “Repent” means. It is the same as “About Face!” Jesus says we need to turn away from our sin and towards Him in faith.
Now this might seem hard to do. In fact many people mistakenly believe that you have to work hard to get to Heaven. They think that God grades on a curve and if they do enough good works they might have a chance of getting in. But that is not God’s plan… Jesus said:
Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29 (NKJV) Who is the one we need to believe in? Jesus Christ.
How do we do this? By faith in Jesus. But this faith is not just head knowledge. We need to transfer our complete trust from anything we have ever done or could ever do in the future that we think might earn God’s favor and place our faith in Jesus Christ alone for our eternal life.
(Sitting in the chair illustration of what really constitutes faith)
The Bible says in the Book of Romans “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:9-10 (NKJV)
I realize that all of us here today are at different stages in our spiritual journey. That doesn’t matter. Everyone is on a spiritual journey whether they realize it or not. Some of you may be seekers, some of you might no be sure if you buy the whole idea of Jesus and Christianity, some may be new believers and some may have been Christians for a long time. That’s Great! We’re all going to have the chance go through this journey together, no matter what stage you are in. Some of you are strong believers, and you’re going to be able to go deeper with God than you’ve ever gone before and you’re going to bring others along, too. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey, listen to what God says in His word: …in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Acts 10:35b (NKJV)
The idea here is that “It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” Acts 10:35 (Msg)
When I was in 7th and 8th grade I worked at the YMCA in Canton, Ohio. One of the directors there had a sign on his all that I still remember today. It read “always be ready to give up what you are today for what you can become tomorrow.” This speaks of action. Are you ready to take action by turning away from the things you are doing which are not pleasing to God and discovering what His purpose for your life?
Let’s bow our heads – You know God had a purpose in bringing you here today. He wants you to know Him and He wants you to know His purposes for you. Let’s talk to Him right now…
“Heavenly Father, I realize that if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive. But because you made me, I know that you have a purpose for me. I admit that I have focused on my plans for my life, not yours. But I want to know your purposes for me, so I commit myself to learning more about you and your plan. Thank you that you made me so you could love me. Thank you that you cared for me even when I didn’t know you. Thank you that I was made to last forever. I want a life filled with meaning. I want to start by getting to know you better. So, right now, I turn away from my sins and I turn towards you. Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me and purchasing my place in Heaven. To the best of my understanding, I ask you, Jesus Christ, to come into my life and help me to know your purposes for me. I want to take the first step today. In your name I pray, Amen.”
Thank you for joining us today. May God Richly Bless Your Life!
Material for this message drawn from Sermon Notes of Rick Warren from Saddleback Church and from The Handbook of Bible Application Edited by Neil S. Wilson. Most Scripture verses are from the New King James Version. BestOfTheWebShopping.Com is a good source for Christian Books and Music.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Community BBQ Luncheon Honors Military at Seal Beach NWS
The Cypress Church Knights of the Holy Grill will be at Anchor Field in Seal Beach on Sunday, April 27, 2008 to provide a BBQ lunch for the military. The purpose of the event is to thank the Seal Beach NWS community for their service and sacrifice. The luncheon will be held from 11 am until 3 pm and will include BBQ pork, hamburgers, hot dogs and all the “fixings.” Residents who live at NWS Seal Beach, military retirees, base employees and their families are invited. There will be games and activities for all ages.
Cypress Church sponsors Bible studies at 7:00 pm Wednesday evenings that are open to everyone in the Naval Weapons Station community. There will be a new Sunday Bible study beginning on May 4, 2008 at 11:00 am. The Bible studies are held at Bunker 33 on Forrestal Road. The church has sponsored many events in support of our men and women in uniform. In the past year they have held activities at the Joint Forces Training Center in Los Alamitos and at Camp Pendleton.
Cypress Church is located at 6143 Ball Road just east of Valley View. Sunday worship services are at 8:45 am and 10:30 am. For more information about the NWS BBQ contact Laura or Steve Matayoshi at (562) 493-2438 or the church office at (714) 952-3001. You may also email: matayoshiarmy@aol.com.
Cypress Church sponsors Bible studies at 7:00 pm Wednesday evenings that are open to everyone in the Naval Weapons Station community. There will be a new Sunday Bible study beginning on May 4, 2008 at 11:00 am. The Bible studies are held at Bunker 33 on Forrestal Road. The church has sponsored many events in support of our men and women in uniform. In the past year they have held activities at the Joint Forces Training Center in Los Alamitos and at Camp Pendleton.
Cypress Church is located at 6143 Ball Road just east of Valley View. Sunday worship services are at 8:45 am and 10:30 am. For more information about the NWS BBQ contact Laura or Steve Matayoshi at (562) 493-2438 or the church office at (714) 952-3001. You may also email: matayoshiarmy@aol.com.
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About Me
- Bob Koehler
- Cypress, CA, United States
- I am a U.S Navy Veteran, a Bible student and I work in the maritime industry. I attempt to represent Jesus Christ accurately on this site. My blogs are not the "official" position of any church or ministry.