Live Out Your Mission
April 1, 2007
Palm Sunday
Part 6 of Hopewell 2007 Purpose Driven Life series
Is there a purpose to life?
Does life have purpose and meaning?
If so – what is it?
What is the purpose of life?
Why are we here?
More specifically – what is the purpose of my life?
Why am I here?
Is there something that can give meaning to my life?
Am I here for a purpose?
Did God have a purpose in putting me here?
Questions of purpose and meaning have haunted people since the beginning of time.
As Christians, we can say
“Yes –life has a purpose –
Yes –life has meaning.”
We can say:
“Yes – my life has a purpose –
Yes – my life has meaning.”
“Yes – God has put me here for a purpose .”
Lent – the 6 weeks before Holy Week and Easter — has historically been a time Christians have devoted themselves to reflection upon Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross – and our response to Christ and His claim upon our lives. We have been using the Season of Lent to look at what God’s purpose for us might be –
what God might have us to have as a purpose in our lives –
and how we can live in God’s purpose for our lives.
We have been using Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life to help us discover God’s purpose and meaning for our lives – studying the book itself on Wednesday nights and looking at some of the themes of the book on Sundays. We’ve done this in hopes that we could discover God’s meaning and God’s purpose for our lives.
So – what is the purpose for our lives?
Five weeks ago we looked at how we can not find true purpose for our lives in
money
possessions
power
fame
or anything else people might use to find purpose or meaning for their lives when they focus on themselves.
Always keep in mind the illustration The Purpose Driven Life about Rick Warren’s getting lost in the mountains and going into a store to ask directions. When he explained where he was trying to go, the people in the store replied “O – you can’t get there from here – you have to go back to the bottom of the mountain – go around the mountain – then get on the road that will take you there.”
The point is that we will never find meaning and purpose for our lives by looking for it within ourselves – what we want – what we might think is good or meaningful. Only when we look to God for meaning and purpose for life – only when we look to God for His meaning and His purpose for our lives – can we discover the true meaning and true purpose for our lives.
In The Purpose Driven Life Warren outlines 5 purposes for life that God has created us for:
1. Pleasing God
2. Loving others who believe in God
3. Becoming like Christ
4. Serving others with the gifts God has given us
5. Being on a mission for God
4 weeks ago we looked at the first of these — pleasing God – - and saw how we were created to live lives that are pleasing to God – and living lives that are pleasing to God has to be a purpose for our lives.
3 weeks ago we looked at how we can love – and have fellowship with – those who believe in God – particularly in the church – and specifically in this Church. Loving those who love God – specifically loving members of this Church and using the abilities God gives us for His work in and through this Church — has to be a purpose for our lives.
2 weeks ago we looked at the third purpose Warren suggests – becoming like Christ – and saw how we can be rooted in Christ and become like Christ.
Last week we looked at the fourth purpose Warren suggests – serving God and others.
Today – on this Palm Sunday – as we begin Holy Week – I want us to look at the last purpose Warren suggests – being on a mission for God.
If we are going to be the people God has called us to be – we are going to have to be people on a mission for God – people sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world.
If you are going to be the person God created you to be, you are going to have to be on a mission for God – sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world.
Listen to God’s word as we look Paul’s call to us to have the Mind of Christ – Philippians 2:5-11 – and Matthew’s version of the Palm Sunday story – Matthew 21:1-11. As we hear these passages, I believe we will hear a call to Live Out Your Mission.
Live Out Your Mission.
Read Scripture
1. Pleasing God
2. Loving others who believe in God
3. Becoming like Christ
4. Serving others with the gifts God has given us
These are the 4 of the 5 purposes Rick Warren says God ha created us for.
The 5th is:
Being on a mission for God
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
You see – God is on a mission in the world.
God’s mission is for the whole world to come to know His saving love – His will for peace in the world – His will for love in the world – His will for justice and righteousness in the world.
That is God’s mission.
And friends — we have a part to play in that mission.
You have a part to play in that mission.
You were created to be a part of God’s mission in the world.
Your purpose in the world is to be a part of God’s mission in the world.
You are to be a person on a mission.
You are to be mission – minded.
You are to keep your mission of being a part of God’s plan for the whole world to come to know His saving love – His will for peace in the world – His will for love in the world – His will for justice and righteousness in the world – in your mind at all times.
You are a person on a mission – on God’s mission.
You were created for it – you have special gifts for it – you have a special role in it.
You are on a mission – God’s mission.
You were created for it – you have special gifts for it – you have a special role in it.
If you are going to be the person God created you to be, you are going to have to be on a mission for God – sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world. You were created for it – you have special gifts for it – you have a special role in it. To truly be the person God has called you to be, you are going to have to use the particular gifts and abilities that God has blessed you with to do His work – His mission – in the world.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
One of the illustrations Warren gives in The Purpose Driven Life is an imaginary scene in heaven where God is asking what we did with the abilities He gave us. Warren calls this our “final exam” – the moment we stand before God and have to answer for how we used the gifts and abilities God gave us. Warren encourages us to use them for God’s work and will – to be about God’s mission – in the world.
I wholeheartedly agree with that. When you stand before the throne and Jesus examines your life, you will not be graded on your religious jargon. You will not be graded on church membership. You will not be graded on the number of Christian CD’s in your car, or the number of Christian books on your shelf, or the number of spiritual life conferences you’ve attended. You will be graded according to how well you used the gifts God gave you to be about His mission of love, healing, and salvation in the world.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
Jesus was a man on a mission.
He expects us to be on His mission also.
As He entered Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday – He was on a mission. A mission to establish a way for God’s will for salvation – peace – love – justice – and righteousness to become reality.
He was a man on a mission.
Sometimes I wish I could have been there that first Palm Sunday. I like to imagine that the sky must have been blue – the sun bright that spring morning. Jerusalem must have been abuzz with excitement.
People were flocking to Jerusalem — pilgrims coming to observe the Feast of the Passover in the Holy City — even in the great Temple itself. And one who was coming to Jerusalem was causing quite a stir.
Jesus of Nazareth was coming into the city.
People were following Him — waving their palm branches — even shouting that He was the Messiah coming to save the people.
“Hosanna!”
they shouted —
“save us!”
“Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blesses is He who comes
In the name of the Lord!”
Indeed — quite a stir was being caused by His entrance into the City. And He was definitely a man on a mission – but maybe not on the mission the people were expecting. They might have thought His mission was to come and take over the government and become King. What a marvelous thing that would be! A Jew – a “Son of David” – ruling again – and not the despised Romans.
That was the mission the crowds may have wanted Jesus to have.
But His mission was different.
Look again at Jesus.
Did Jesus look like a King?
He was riding a donkey.
Kings don’t ride donkeys — do they?
He looked more like a servant.
More like a humble servant than a mighty King.
More like someone who was destined to be humble and to serve — not powerful and be served.
He seems to understand life as a chance to give of Himself.
He seemed to have a different mission in mind.
A much different one.
And when the cries of “Hosanna” later change to “Crucify!” later in the week — well — He just didn’t look much like a King — did He?
What might Jesus have been thinking as He rode into Jerusalem that day?
We can’t be sure – but I’d like to think that He was focused on His mission – His mission to make God’s will for salvation a reality – even if it meant dieing on the cross. He was going to live out His mission – even to the point of death.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
The Apostle Paul writes about what might have been on Jesus’ mind as He entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
In Philippians 2:8 Paul writes about the attitude of Christ:
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross
Jesus focused on what He could do to fulfill His mission in the world. That’s what Paul calls “the attitude of Christ” – focusing on what He could do to show God’s will for love and salvation to the world – and what He could do top make it a reality.
Paul calls on us to have this mission on our minds, also.
He calls on us to have what He calls “the attitude of Christ”.
Listen to what Paul writes in Philippians 2:5-8:
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
If you are going to be the person God created you to be, you are going to have to be on a mission for God – sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world. You were created for it – you have special gifts for it – you have a special role in it. To truly be the person God has called you to be, you are going to have to use the particular gifts and abilities that God has blessed you with to do His work – His mission – in the world.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
If you are going to be the person God created you to be, you are going to have to be on a mission for God – sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world.
What does it take to live out this mission that God created you for?
I’m going to suggest that it takes 4 things.
We’ve already seen the first thing it takes – it takes what Paul calls “the attitude of Christ” – the attitude of giving of ourselves for others – the attitude of doing what you can to show God’s will and love to others.
That “attitude of Christ” is an attitude of giving of yourself for others – and going out of your way to use the gifts and abilities God has given you for His glory and for the benefit of others.
A great college basketball coach was asked why his team was so good. He responded:
“We have a motto on our team, and the motto is this: ‘Good people do for themselves; great people do for others.’ “
Good people do for themselves; great people do for others.
The “attitude of Christ” is an attitude of giving of yourself for others – and going out of your way to use the gifts and abilities God has given you for His glory and for the benefit of others.
Rick Warren stresses in his book The Purpose Driven Life that our attitudes control our actions. To be about the work of Christ, the mission of God in the world, we have to have “the attitude of Christ”.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
The first thing this takes having the attitude of Christ.
Secondly – I believe this means having the heart of a servant.
The heart of a servant.
A heart that cares about others.
A heart that hurts when others are hurting.
A heart that loves God and loves your neighbor as much as you love yourself.
A heart that motivates you to reach out in love to those Jesus loved – those others may not love.
The heart of a servant.
But you know – something has to happen to your hearts for you to have the heart of a servant. In fact, Jesus said “Out of the hearts of men come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, lies, slander.” The only thing that will do something about this human heart, is a transplant. If there were a way you could receive a new heart, a heart that would naturally love God and love your neighbor as much as you love yourself, then you would perhaps have a chance to have the heart of a servant.
But how can you have a transplant?
Did you know that the Bible actually says that you can have a transplant, that God will be involved in giving it to you?
In the Book of Ezekiel there’s an interesting verse. It says this:
“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I’ll put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
There you are. You can have a transplant. God can remove your stony, selfish heart and give us a heart of a servant — a heart that beats when people are in trouble, a heart that cares when a man falls in the ditch.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
It takes having the attitude of Christ.
It takes having the heart of a servant.
The third thing it takes is having ears to hear the cries of those around you who are in need. We live in a world where there is so much need. Some have physical needs – others have spiritual needs. But they are needs nevertheless. Learn to listen – and you will hear them. If you hear them, and have the attitude of Christ, and have the heart of a servant, you will realize that your mission is to bring God’s love to them.
Millard Fuller was on his way to becoming a self-made millionaire before he was 30 years old. But devotion to work was threatening his health and his marriage. He needed a vacation. So, Fuller visited a church community near Americus, Georgia, called Koinonia Farm. Clarence Jordan, the leader of Koinonia Farms, convinced Fuller that the poor people living in nearby dilapidated shacks could improve themselves with a little support. “These people don’t need charity,” he told Fuller. “They need a way to help themselves.”
Fuller agreed. He began what today is a worldwide organization whose goal is the elimination of inadequate housing as a witness to the gospel. He called it Habitat for Humanity and says that it runs on what he calls, “the theology of the hammer.” The group raises money and recruits volunteers to renovate and build homes, which are sold at cost. Mortgages are interest free. Buyers invest work time in their own and neighbors’ homes – “sweat equity” is what they call it.
Fuller had the attitude of Christ – the heart of a servant – and ears to hear the cries of those in need – and did something to further the mission of God in the world. He was living out his mission in the world.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
It takes having the attitude of Christ – the heart of a servant – ears to hear the cries of those around you in need.
Fourthly – it takes having hands that you are willing to use to do God’s will in the world.
Not hands that you are content to just sit on and do nothing when there is so much to be done to further God’s mission in the world.
Not hands that you are willing to use to just applaud the work that others are doing while you actually sit and do nothing.
It takes your having hands that are willing to get involved – and do what needs to be done – for God’s glory and the benefit of others.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
It will take
Having the mind of Christ
Having the heart of a servant
Having ears to hear the cries of those around you who are in need
Having hands willing to do God’s work in the world
The mind – the heart – the ears – the hands – that are committed to being about God’s mission in the world.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
Let your mind – your heart – your ears – your hands be committed to being about God’s mission in the world.
If you are going to be the person God created you to be, you are going to have to be on a mission for God – sharing in God’s mission to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world. You were created for it – you have special gifts for it – you have a special role in it. To truly be the person God has called you to be, you are going to have to use the particular gifts and abilities that God has blessed you with to do His work – His mission – in the world.
Use your mind – your heart – your ears – your hands – everything you have – to fulfill that mission.
One of the more pointed – and one of my favorite – contemporary Christian songs is by the band Casting Crowns and is entitled: If We Are His Body. The chorus gives a strong message:
But if we are the body
why aren’t His arms reaching
why aren’t His hands healing
why aren’t His words teaching
And if we are the body
why aren’t His feet going
why is His love not showing them there is a way
there is a way
Let your mind – your heart – your ears – your hands – everything you have – become like Christ – and use them to fulfill the mission that God has given you.
Live Out Your Mission
Live Out Your Mission
There are indeed 5 steps to discovering your purpose in life. It involves:
1. Pleasing God
2. Loving others who believe in God
3. Becoming like Christ
4. Serving others with the gifts God has given us
5. Being on a mission for God
As you strive to please God –
love others who believe in God –
become like Christ –
serve others with the gifts God has given you –
and be a part of God’s mission by using all God has given you to establish God’ s will for salvation, peace, love, justice and righteousness in the world –
you will discover your true purpose in life.
Amen.
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