Our Purpose In God

 

Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be 
with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, return to thine own house, and shew how 

great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published 

throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.  
Luke 8:38-39

God has a purpose for all people, including a general purpose for believers and as we can see from the passage above a specific purpose for each individual

I’ve been stuck in this account of the man plagued with a legion of demons for a while now. Through this account, we see Jesus' miraculous power at work in the man and in the city that the man came from, we see Him in His authority over Satan, we see faith personified with some of the people of the city and we see how Jesus gave purpose to the man that He freed from the demons.  After this man is delivered, he’s found to be sitting at the feet of Jesus, that’s what he wanted to do, just sit at the feet of Jesus and follow Jesus around.

And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.  Mark 5:18

This sounds like a good plan; just sit at the feet of the one that just restored you to wholeness.  But that was God's purpose for this man.

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.  And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel. Mark 5:19-20   

God doesn’t save us to sit and just luxuriate in our salvation.  He certainly doesn’t save us to get spiritually fat and lazy; too bloated to be of any use.  No!  Then for what purpose does He call us?  He calls us to the harvest field where there is plenty of work to be done.   It’s the responsibility - our obligation to bridge the gap of a sin-sick world to a forgiving Father.

In order to do that, negative factors; our infirmities, our struggles and our deficits must be dealt with.  God knows that and that’s why He gave us power to help us overcome. 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me . . .  (Acts 1:8)

It’s like preparing the ground for planting in the natural world. The ground must be broken up and the rocks and thistles removed before it’s ready to receive the seed.  We must right the wrong in our life according to biblical principles and standards.  There is preparation that must occur so that we don’t end up in one of the negative categories of the planting of the seed parable; which is the word of God.

All the way back to Old Testament times, God had a purpose for the ones that He called.  The children of Israel had a purpose.  God raised up a nation born of Abraham named Israel as the people through which He could reveal His plan of salvation to the world. After Israel rejected Jesus, God raised up a new group of people through which He would actively work in the world. That group is known as the body of Christ or the Church. The Church is still in existence today and still has a special position and purpose in God's plan for the nations.

After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, He appeared several times to His followers. Each time, He presented an urgent challenge to them. That challenge was their responsibility to reach the entire world with the Gospel message. This mission, assigned to believers, by Jesus has become known as the "Great Commission." It’s the greatest assignment ever given man. It is the responsibility to reach every living person with the Gospel. 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  Matthew 28:18-20                                                                                                                                      

He also told His followers,

". . . As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."   John 20:21

The Great Commission began with God. Over the years God repeatedly sent His messengers, the prophets, to draw sinful man to Himself. These messengers were often rejected. Finally, God sent His only Son, Jesus to save us from our sin. 

Everything God required of Jesus as a messenger, He also requires of us since we are sent "as" the Father sent Him. So, what was required of Jesus?

Ø He came to the world with a divine mission.         

Ø He left all He had to come.

Ø He was willing to identify with fallen humanity.

Ø He was willing to suffer and die for the mission.

Ø He fulfilled His mission by both declaring, decreeing and demonstrating and

Ø finishing the work God sent Him to do.

Jesus revealed His purpose and the continuation of what He started to us.  Known as the key to the Scriptures. It reveals God's plan for the death and resurrection of Jesus.

It calls for sharing the message of redemption to the nations of the world. 

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And ye are witnesses of these things.  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.  Luke 24:45-49

It’s not enough that Jesus died for the sins of men unless there is a revealing of the gospel of the kingdom of God. Lost men aren’t automatically saved. We have to share the Gospel with them and lead them to God. Everyone should know that the penalty; the payment for sin is death. 

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.   (Romans 6:23)

Believe that!  Sin comes with a price.  If I knew that death is what I owe for my indulgence in unrighteousness but knew that there was a different way; I do believe my choice would be a different one.   I believe that we could stand flat-footed and tell the devil, our flesh and the world, no thank you; you keep it, the cost is too high.  I’m good right where I am serving God to the best of my ability!

Because of sin, every man and woman is headed for Hell. Only those who accept Jesus and receive forgiveness for sin can get off the broad path and walk the narrow path that leads to salvation.  The broad path is the way that leads to destruction—nearly everyone chooses that crowded road!  Dare to put your faith in God where, yes, the way is difficult, but it’s the path that leads to eternal life—so few even find it!”

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.  Matthew 7:14

God doesn’t want one single person to perish:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

There is no question as to God's desire for everyone in the world to be saved:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)

That gets us back to our purpose as followers of Jesus:

√         How can the “whosoever” call on God for help if they’ve not yet believed?

√         How can they believe in the narrow way if they’ve not yet heard of the redeemer?

√         How can they learn of the gospel of the Kingdom of God and the way to salvation; eternal life if there is no one out there; in the highways and byways or the hedges as the bible calls it if there is none to proclaim it?

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

God wants everyone to be saved, but someone must tell them this good news.

To the believers, the followers of Jesus, the command is to "go."   Go where?  The destination is "all the world." Not just to our family, our friends, our places of comfortability, but every place where we see the lost.  The Gospel is to be preached to every creature. Jesus promises to work with those who go by powerful demonstrations of miraculous signs.

Some people seek signs in their ministry when they’re not fulfilling the command to go and then they wonder why they have no power.  Jesus rebuked the disciples for their unbelief and hardness of heart and in His rebuke He told them again:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  Mark 16:14-16

In other words he was saying, don’t concern yourself with who won’t or don’t believe you; just go do what I said.

Jesus has chosen and ordained us to go and bring forth spiritual fruit. We are the extension of the kingdom.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. It is the life-flow of Jesus within us that brings spiritual harvest.  We’ve been chosen of God:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  John 15:16

Jesus said "all power" was given to Him by God. Because of this, Jesus had authority to commission His followers to circle the globe with the Gospel.  

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.  Matthew 28:16-20  

Note in this passage: 

Personnel are the people Jesus is calling to the task. "Ye" [all believers] are the messengers.

The power of God is the motivation that enables the messenger to go forth. It is the power of the Holy Spirit of God, not the power of man and his methods.

"Go" is the mandate given in this record of the Great Commission. It is to be the priority of our life, not an option.

Teaching and preaching are the methods to be used.

The purpose is to make disciples of all nations. This is the multiplication of the Gospel.

The people to be reached are "all nations." This is the magnitude or scope of the command. It includes the entire world.

The one who is to go with us is Jesus. This is the manager of the program. He will guide and direct us through His Holy Spirit as we fulfill the Great Commission.

The message is to be taught.  The message to take to the world is the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Sermonette