Purpose:

Discerning Purpose

(Part II)

I.                   HIS PURPOSE FOR YOUR BEING…

1.     To Connect to God through His Son Jesus Christ

Ephesians 2:17-18

¹⁷ And He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

2.     To give God Glory

Isaiah 43:7

⁷ Everyone who is called by my name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

3.     To serve God’s family

1 Corinthians 5;11

¹¹ So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. NLT

Romans 12:5

⁵ so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

Hebrews 6:10

¹⁰ For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

a.      Show kind affection

Romans 12:10

¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

b.     Don’t cause to fall

Romans 14:13

¹³ Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

c.      Receive one another. Romans 15:7

d.     Admonish one another. Romans 15:14

e.      Serve one another in love

Galatians 5:13

¹³ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

f.       Bear each other's burdens

Galatians 6:2

² Bear one another burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ

4.     To become like Jesus

Romans 8:29

²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 3:18

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:13

¹⁸ But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Ephesians 4:15

¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

5.     To engage in a specific mission

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

a.      We were created to serve God

b.     We are called to serve God

c.      We are commanded to serve God

Your Shape Has a Clue

S – Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:7

⁷ A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

H – Heart

Proverbs 27:19

¹⁹ As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.

A-Abilities

                        Natural talents you were born with

P – Personality

Scientific likelihood of your particular DNA being duplicated 10 to the 2,400,000,000^th power. To write that out you need paper 37,000 miles long.

1 Corinthians 12:6

⁶ God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. NLT

E – Experiences

2 Corinthians 1:4

⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. NLT

·        Family experiences – What you learned growing up?

·        Educational Experiences – What were your favorite subjects in school?

·        Vocational Experiences – What jobs have you been most effective in and enjoyed most?

·        Spiritual Experiences – What have been your most meaningful times with God?

·        Ministry Experiences – How have you served God in the past?

·        Painful Experiences – What problems, hurts, thorns, and trials have you learned from?

We must embrace our SHAPE

Romans 9:20

“…Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?...”

6.     To give yourself to something bigger than you

Mark 8:34

³⁴ When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

When you are bigger than your purpose you have a career

When your purpose is bigger than you, you have a calling

           

II.                DOING OUT OF BEING

Matthew 16:25

²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

1.     Purpose and Counsel

Proverbs 15:22

²² Without counsel purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counselors, they are established. KJV

Proverbs 20:18

¹⁸ Every purpose is established by counsel: And with good advice make war. KJV

2.     Purpose and Timing

Ecclesiastic 3:1

To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

3.     Diligence is required when the purpose is discovered

2 Corinthians 1:17

¹⁷ Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No?

Matthew 16:25

²⁵ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

4.     Passion is a key

a.      What are you passionate about?

-         Once you have passion you have energy

-         Passion puts you above the crowd

-         Passion Energizes you

b.     How do you know your passion

-         You will be good at it

-         You will have the opportunity to use it

-         You won’t be weary doing it

-         You will have the capacity to develop them

5.     Purpose may not be as specific as we think

-         If you don’t have your own big dream it may be that God wants you to come along and help fulfill a larger dream

Answer Key: Glory; Jesus; Heart; Experiences; Purpose