Sermon Central
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God's Designed Purpose For His People Series
Contributed by Patrick Sherman on Jan 28, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: Live Life to the Glory of God and You will have a Fulfilling Life.
Ezek 24:24
24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD. KJV
A sign: something material or external that stands for or signifies (points toward) something spiritual.
God stated in the text, (Ezekiel 24:2) Ezekiel would be unto them ?a sign?, someone spiritual that they should emulate. I said that Ezekiel would serve as a blueprint for us, an example of how God will and can move in our lives. Ezekiel is the personification or the embodiment of one who allowed God?s Designed Purpose for His Life, to become the very essence of his existence.
I believe and affirm that Ezekiel can be a sign for us, an external sign pointing us toward developing a deep and intimate relationship with God. Ezekiel I believe found fulfillment because He Lived Life to the Glory of God!
Several weeks ago, we began this series by examing the life of the prophet Ezekiel. Remember, Ezekiel had one plan for his life, which was to become a priest, but God had another plan, another purpose for Ezekiel, which was to be a prophet unto the people, to prophesy to the ?dry bones? which represented the people of God, that they would be Coming Alive, which is our motto for 2005. Under this banner have begun our first quarter with a series entitled ?Coming Up Out of the Valley?!
(pray)
Main Series Point: ?There is no ?valley? situation that God can?t bring you up out of?.
? The intended purpose is to reveal that there is always hope for the hopeless, joy for the joyless, and most of all life for the lifeless!
? There are and will be times when we all have a ?valley? experience in our lives; whether they are emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual. Everybody is going to have a ?valley? experience.
? Times when you lose hope, joy, and a sense of fulfillment in life. Even if you haven?t experienced these things, I am certain you have come in contact with someone who has and by virtue of who we are in Christ, we are to use our experiences, our spiritual knowledge, to help others as they lay in their ?valley of dry bones?!
? What do you do when you are going through your ?valley? or you are in the ?valley of dry bones?? How can you help someone else who is going through their ?valley of dry bones??
We must come to the realization that there is no problem, no condition, no valley to low, no situation that is beyond the powerful ?hand of God?!
In addition, we must realize that we are here for and by God?s Designed Purpose, no one is an accident, maybe an accident according to their perspective, but not according to God?s!
God before he laid the foundation of the world, God designed us and designated us for his purpose according to his own good pleasure!
Last time I mentioned that before God releases you for your purpose, He has to transform you for your purpose. There are times he will allow to go in the valley, so that he can bring you out, so you may know that He is God!
? Before you can come ?up? out of a situation, you have to go ?down? on your knees. God will allow us to die, decay, become dry, and then He will breathe life into you again! It?s all according to His designed purpose for you life!
Lesson one continued: God?s designed purpose for His people.
One of God?s Designed Purpose for His People is for us to have a fulfilling life.
? The world is full of people who are lying in the ?valley of unfulfillment?.
? The unfulfillment, dissatisfaction, and emptiness stems from not realizing or understanding God?s designed purpose for their lives.
? Most times people become too consumed with getting ?stuff? or ?things? in hope of finding fulfillment or satisfaction.
? They are or we can be focused on ?getting? the wrong thing;
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. KJV
2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. KJV
The NLT reads this way, ?The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he is looking to see if there is even one with a real understanding, one who seeks for (or seeks after) God.
When people find themselves feeling ?unfulfilled?, it is because they lack the understanding of God?s designed purpose for their life.
I would like to reiterate, God wants us to have a fulfilling life, and the beginning of a fulfilling life, begins with understanding that you need to be seeking God!
