One of the perk of being a Sunday School Teacher is the fact that we got to study the material first before teaching it. Any teachers know that when we teach, we are the ones who learn the most. I usually don't just use the prepared material instead, I like to incorporate what God has been teaching me on that subject and make my own material from of a book I read on that particular subject. This time, I use Rick Warren's book: Purpose Driven Life.
It just so happened (God's timing) that week I was listening to this incredible testimony of a man who was trained to kill, got saved and now risking his life to share God's Amazing Grace. One sentence he said that stuck in my head, "I know God didn't just save me to be Christian, He save me for a purpose."
Living for Christ
Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
What does it means?
Jesus said in John 1:10 “I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
We are not just called to be good citizen. Jesus did not die
on the cross just we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives.
1. We were created for His delight. Psalm 149:4a “For the Lord takes delight in His people.”
How do we worship Him? Romans 12:1 “Take your everyday, ordinary
life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it
before God as an offering.”
God wants to be your best friend. “Draw close to God and
God will draw close to you.” James 4:8. “He
is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.”
2. We were formed for God’s family. Ephesians 1:5 says, “His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure.”
After learning to love God (worship), learning to love others
is the second purpose of our life.
Cultivation
close community/ relationship requires:
Commitment = to choose people over activities,
Honesty = care enough to speak the truth in love,
Humility = admitting our weakness,
Courtesy = respect our differences,
Confidentiality = building trust by keeping
our promises.
3. We are created to
become like Christ. “Let your roots grow down into Christ and draw up
nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong
and vigorous in the truth.” Colossians 2:7
To be like Christ, we have 3 responsibilities according to Ephesians
4:22-24 “Put off your
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to
be made new in the attitude of your minds; and
to put on the
new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
a.
To put off the old self.
b.
Be made new in attitude of your minds.
c.
Put on the new self, to be like God in righteousness and holiness.
God is
far more interested in what you are than in what you do.
God wants us to grow Galatians 5:22-23 “The
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.”
4. We were called to serve. Ephesians 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.”
God wants to use us to make a difference in His world. He
wants to work through us. What matters is not the duration of our life, but the
donation of it. Not how long we lived, but how we lived.
God especially enjoys watching you use the talents and
abilities He has given you. Find out, accept and enjoy your SHAPE:
a.
Spiritual Gift Romans 12:5-8 “In Christ we, though many, form one body, and
each member belongs to all the others. We
have different gifts, according
to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in
accordance with your faith; if
it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if
it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving,
then give generously; if
it is to lead, do it
diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
b.
What in your Heart: Passion
c.
Abilities. Romans 12:6 says “God has given each of us the ability to do
certain things well.”
d.
Personalities. The Bible gives us plenty of proof
that God uses all types of personalities. Peter was a sanguine, Paul was a
choleric. Jeremiah was a melancholy.
e. Experience: family, educational,
vocational, spiritual, ministry, painful experiences…
5. We are called for mission.
Share your life! Matthew 28:19-20. “Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them
to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”
It’s exciting to serve Jesus Christ, including the sacrifice
that we have to go through as part of the journey. What God has done in our
lives is not to be kept to ourselves.
How?
a.
Be a good neighbor who cares! And the hope
is one day they will ask about the hope we have in Christ
b.
Be transparent. People will start to trust us.
Take off your mask. We all got stuff.
c.
Be direct! It’s about sharing the love of Jesus
Christ and how we live your life. Let’s get into the Word and live it out.
