Please view disclaimer at the end of this message. God Bless!
Question: Why am I here walking this earth? What is the point to life? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning behind my life? Now I am saved why does God leave me here? I mean... Why not just take you from this earth and into heaven? Why doesn’t He just take me to be with Him in heaven?
These are all great questions which need to be answered! I’m hoping that over the next few weeks we begin to see 3D! To see a more complete picture of why you are here and the reason for your existence!
This new year I’m starting with a new Series which God has laid on my Heart! Now... This series is critical for you and for me! This series will help you greatly in your walk with God! It’s going to answer some of those tricky questions i asked before... We will discover the meaning of life and how to feel more fulfilled in life! It will help you to see things from God’s perspective and help you to live a life even more pleasing to Him!
But we need to start with a basic assumption! God has left you here for a reason.
Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
n this short paragraph in the lead up to v10, God goes to great length to remind us that we were once in darkness. We were living in a way that was not pleasing to God and we were gratifying things which God would not and is not pleasing to God...we spent hours in fact, days and even years pleasing ourselves in ways which were not pleasing to God! Self was a major focus and serving self was a major desire! Doing what I want to when I want to! The ladies would spend hours just getting ready to go out! Not us guys! Pair of jeans a smelly T shirt...throw on some aftershave and that it! But we have spent a lot of time thinking about self and pleasing self before we came into a relationship with God!
V8-9 tells us... That we are saved by grace! It was a God initiated venture which allowed us to come into a relationship with Him! So by grace we are saved ...there was nothing that we could ever do to earn our salvation...we could not just perform a certain amount of works and then Bingo! We are in! It was by grace! Through a God initiative!
Then God says in V10... That we are Gods workmanship!
His “workmanship” is lit... “masterpiece” or “work of art”... You are a work of art this morning! That’s worth getting excited about! A work of art! And God loves this master piece like you wouldn’t believe! You are His masterpiece! I’m good looking baby! You may not think it... But God does!
Job 10:8 Your hands have shaped me and made me!
Created in Christ Jesus! You see... God has been fashioning you into the person that He wants you to be! Only God can do this creation! God is the one that has been working in your life behind the scenes, shaping and moulding your life like a potter moulds a work of art from a lump of clay! So you sit here a masterpiece! A work of art! But guess what! God hasn’t created this masterpiece to sit on the shelf of life collecting dust! You were not designed by God to sit on the shelf looking good but useless! God created you, God fashioned you, moulded you, shaped you for a God given destiny! God creates! Only God really creates...he created the world as we know it from nothing! He took nothing and created something incredibly amazing from it!
And you may feel like nothing but God is a master of taking nothing and making something from it! You may be sat here this morning and maybe you already feel useless and worthless - God wants to remind you this morning that you are not a nothing! You are a something! And if God can take nothing and make something from it then God can take a something and make something very special from it! Something which has meaning and purpose!
Lets look at that verse again:
Eph 2:10... Created in Christ Jesus for what end?
To...do good works!... To look at other peoples good works? To think of good works and then let someone else do them? To DO...Circle that word...DO! Do implies action! So if God created you to sit on the shelf of life then He would have just said it! God created you to sit on the shelf of life! Can u imagine God showing off all His handy work...Look at this creation guys... I created this pot to sit on the mantle piece of life! That’s great God... But what does it do? Do? Nothing! Then it’s pointless! It has no purpose except to decorate life’s mantle piece!... NO, NO, NO!!! God is a God of purpose...and what He creates always has a purpose! Don’t ask me about the flies! Or mosquitoes! I just don’t know about them... But God created you....fashioned you into something incredible useful!
It says...we were created in Christ Jesus to DO...good works!
Col 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
Tit 2:14 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Tit 3:1 1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good,
Tit 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
You see...Its not simply just about you! The reason for your existence is far greater than your own personal fulfilment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. You were born by His purpose and for His purpose! You have a destiny! It all starts with God! So we were created in Christ for good works! And when you discover what you are meant to be ‘doing’ in line with your destiny brings about great fulfilment in life!
Lets take a look at the last part of that verse! "which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Now that’s something! Your destiny is completely wrapped up in God! He has fashioned you for a purpose! Part of that destiny lies in fulfilling what God has created you for! Only you can fulfil what God shaped you for! In other words there is a God shaped role which only you fit the bill! When God created you He created something special, for a purpose! You have a destiny and that destiny lies in God completely and specifically in His project which was prepared in advance for you to do!
have emphasised that God has created us...that we are His workmanship, that we are to Do something! But as we go through this series we will learn that You destiny has more to do with who you become as well as what you do! Discovering what to Do is only part of it!
You see... it’s only as you see yourself in light of your reason for existence that all the pieces begin to fall into place! It’s only as we realise the marks of an ultimate designer on our lives that we begin to fully understand that we are here for a reason. Knowing why you exist brings meaning to your life! We made to have meaning!
You see, when you discover you Destiny your whole life will shoot into focus! It will concentrate your effort and energy on what’s truly important. You begin to fulfil your God given destiny as you become aware of it so you focus your life and then your life makes an invaluable contribution!
As Rick warren said in Purpose Driven Life when writing about a focused life he declared the following truth...focused light... diffused light has little power or impact, but you can concentrate its energy by focusing it. Like with a magnifying glass...rays of sun can be focused to set a piece of grass or paper on fire. But when light is focused even more as a lazer beam, light can cut through steel. There is nothing quite as potent as a focused life, one lived with fulfilling his/her God given destiny! (purpose driven life...Shaped for a purpose)
Will you focus your life! At the start of 2010! Will you set yourself a God directed specific goal to discover what it is God has planned for you! God has prepared a work for you to do but what is it! Because when you see what that is...and you start living it you will feel incredible joy and satisfaction! You have a destiny. Will you set aside 10min each day to read a couple of verses of scripture and seek God’s face asking Him to reveal what He wants you to do!
Imagine for a moment, how your life would be different!
Disclaimer:
If any words or statements contained within this sermon in any way reflect a different author this is purely coincidental and non intentional. At the time of writing one felt it was authentic. and where anothers idea has been used it has been attributed. I feel obliged to write this as there are many preachers and many authors at some point there is bound to be duplicity. In todays world I must take no chances. God bless you.
