The Purpose
Driven Life
Part I
Prov 11:28
Sermon by Manfred Schreyer
Read Part: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6| | 7 | of this Sermon Series
(Prov 11:28 NIV) Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
(Jer 17:7-8 NIV) "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose
confidence is in him. {8} He will be like a tree planted by the water that
sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its
leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never
fails to bear fruit."
(Col 1:16 NIV) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
• Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddlebrook Church in Lake Forest, Ca.
published a book. Not just any book. He published a book that would hit the
New York Times bestseller list. Not only that, but this book was the highest
selling book last year. And to everyone’s amazement it is a Christian book.
• Now, books are sold by demand. People not only like a good book, but they
try to find something in a book they can’t find anywhere else: Maybe some
sense, maybe some humor, maybe some facts, etc.
• This book from Rick Warren is not just a book, the title touches us. The
title is: “The Purpose Driven Life”
• We all try to make some sense of our life. No matter who we are or what
faith we have.
• We need to find purpose, because if we don’t we run like a lose bullet
through life. We have no morals, we have no desire, we seek no justice, we
share love, etc.
• I was once visited with an inmate in jail and his life was a mess. But
after a few visits I asked him what he would do if he would ever be release.
His answer was: I have no clue. . .
• You may smile, but really that is how most of us go through life. Aimless,
helpless and many of us feel defeated. . .just like that inmate.
• The average life span is 25,550 days. . about 70 years.
• Really the amount of days is not very much. And really out of the 70 years
we only really become serious about our life for the last 40 years. Up to
the age of 30, life is a breeze for most of us. But then come challenges and
we learn more to reflect upon ourselves and upon other and our relationship
on others.
• When people first start thinking about their purpose, they usually start
with themselves. They start looking at their career, their family, their
fulfillment.
• And they go from there.
• I remember clearly when an account executive in my company celebrated her
40th birthday. I handed her a card , wished her Happy Birthday and said
Thank You.
• But her face was not filled with the joy of a birthday girl. I felt she
felt down. As the day progressed colleagues of her made jokes about being
forty, and I could detect a smile, but that was not the smile of her usual
being.
• By the end of the day, only a few employees were left I asked her if she
was not in a hurry to go and celebrate with her family. And it was at that
point where she literally broke apart. She wept helplessly and she told me
her thoughts about life. She mentioned that she at 40 had achieved very
little and that little was left of her life. Tear ran down her cheek. . .and
finally she mentions the key thought: “For me there is no purpose” Now I
must tell you that I was not used to words like that fro her, because she
was my top sales woman, she was a devout Christian. The lady looked at
herself and came on her 40th birthday to the conclusion, that life for her
had no purpose.
• And that is where we make our first mistake, when we begin to react upon
our purpose in life.
• We start with ourselves. Warren says this: Since you did not create
yourself, there is no way you tell yourself what you were created for. If
someone would hand you an invention, you had never seen before, you would
not know its’ purpose. Only the creator/inventor or a manual would be able
to tell you its purpose.
• You see, when you try to figure life out from you own pint you are doomed
to failure. We as human beings are made for God. . . .not vice versa.
•
Paul says this:
(Rom 8:5 NIV) Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds
set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the
Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
• There are many books out there about self help. Just go to a border
bookstore of Barnes and Noble and check out the book section on self help.
It is amazing. Self help books glorify our ability to control our life and to
make it worth in this day and age. Self help books are published to leave
the reader in the illusion that we can start with ourselves and create a
purpose for ourselves.
• The Gospel tell us quite a different story:
Mat 16:25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for me will find it.
• You see finding a purpose is not about us. You and I were born by His
purpose and for His purpose. Every life on earth has God’s breath. We are
not the creator of life. Neither can we manipulate life to the extent to
give life an artificial purpose. It will not feel good, it may feel good for
a while, but not for long. And really you are missing the good part, the
intended part the part which was meant to be for us.
• As I was with sitting in jail with a 19 year old drug addict who had been
high since he was 15 years old. He mentioned to me after being in jail for 6
weeks that he feels great. Now he did not just say it in that language. He
used a profane language to emphasize the fact that he feels fantastic. “How
come” I asked? "Man", he said "I was high for four years. Every day I drank or
smoke pot, or took uppers, or amphetamine, crack or cocaine. . .and I
thought I felt good then. But you know what preacher. . . .I have not touched
any drugs for six weeks and I can’t remember the last time I have felt this
good."
• Yes, you may smile again, but that is exactly what happens in our life. We
run our life with highs which are not intended to be. Mat 16:25 For whoever
wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will
find it.
• You can not give sense and security to your life by adding to it by the
worldly things of this earth. They are unnatural.
• What we have done in the past is speculate about our purpose in life. We
have speculated with our senses. The senses what would make us happy. Maybe
a better job, maybe a promotion. Maybe a bigger house, maybe a . . .you know
where I am going. The opposite of speculation is revelation.
• And revelation comes to us when we allow God to speak to us. Speak to us
through His Word. God is not only the starting point of all life, He is the
source of it.
• I mind you that the word of God says that HE planned you before you
existed. . and guess what HE did not ask you for your input.
• My challenge to you is this : Allow God to transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do.
Read Part: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | of this Sermon Series
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