Sunday September 2, 2007

What is My Purpose in Life?
Ephesians 1:11-19

I. Introduction

A couple of jokes to get started today

A band was performing in a park before an audience that gradually dwindled down to one man. After pounding out more songs, one of the tired musicians finally suggested to the music lover that if he left, they could all go home.

"Do whatever you want," the man said. "I'm just waiting around so I can put away the chairs."

………………………………………………………………..

Coming home from work, a woman stopped at the corner deli to buy a chicken for supper. The butcher reached into a barrel grabbed the last chicken he had, flung it on the scales behind the counter, and told the woman its weight. She thought for a moment. "I really need a bit more chicken than that," she said. "Do you have any larger ones?"

Without a word, the butcher put the chicken back into the barrel, groped around as though finding another, pulled the same chicken out, and placed it on the scales. "This chicken weighs one pound more," he announced. The woman pondered her options and then said, "Okay. I'll take them both."

You may wonder how a message entitled “What is my purpose in life?” relates to the Holy Spirit.

But for those who were here last week, you may remember that I was speaking about the anointing of the Holy Spirit and in that vein mentioned (among other things) that we are anointed (empowered and set apart by God) to serve as prophets, priests and kings.

Now, I know I touched on this last week, but I believe I am to give further details about what it means to be prophets, a priests and a kings in our daily lives.

In Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) we have our prime example of how to serve in this life as prophets, priests and kings.

A. Jesus as Prophet

Jesus said, “…for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” (John 18:37, NRSV)

B. Jesus as Priest

“Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.” (Hebrews 4:14, NRSV)

C. Jesus as King

“I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time — he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” (1 Timothy 6:13-15, NRSV)

The Heidelberg Catechism sums it up this way:

Why is he called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because he is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God for our redemption; and our only High Priest, who by the one sacrifice of his body has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and defends and preserves us in the salvation obtained for us. (Heidelberg, Q/A 31).

What is amazing to me about these functions is that we are called upon to imitate Jesus in each of these roles.

I cannot begin to tell you how many people come to me and say, “I am not sure what God is calling me to do.”

They are waiting on some kind of writing in the sky or for a literal voice to speak from heaven.

Now that may or may not happen, but while you are waiting for that great revelation, I can tell you without any question in my mind that God has already chosen and called you to do three specific things – God has called you to be a prophet, a priest and a king.

While this may not be the specific guidance you seek, perhaps if you sought to be what God has already called you to be, you would get a more specific sense of where He wants you to be a prophet, priest and king.

II. Prophets, Priests and Kings

A. Our Prophetic Role

What is your purpose in life? You are called to live as a prophet.

What does this mean?

• As prophets we are called to proclaim the Good News and teach the Word of God to the world.

Let me ask you a question – Are you “prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15, NIV)

And we do not prophesy only with our mouths, but also with our lives!

Do people see Christ in and through you?

• As prophets we confess the name of Jesus Christ before everyone in both word and deed.

Do you confess His Name at home? Do your children witness your devotion to Christ? Does your spouse see your love
for Christ? Do you confess His Name at work? Does your life bear witness to what you confess?

Young people: do you confess His Name? Do you confess His Name at school among your peers? Does your life demonstrate your love for Him when you go out with your friends or when you are alone with your girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you confess His Name in all that you say and do?

I know these are hard questions and the enemy would try to condemn you through them.

That is not why I lay these questions before you today – my heart is not to condemn, but to challenge and inspire.

Hebrews 10:24 says, “And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds…” (NRSV)

Now provoke means to “to stir up purposely” and that is all I am trying to do.

God helping me, I purposely seek to stir us all up to be prophets, priests and kings.

B. Our Priestly Role

What is your purpose in life? You are called to live as a priest.

What does this mean?

• As priests we are anointed of God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.

“…like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5, NRSV)

What a high calling we have in Christ! What a way to invest my life!

Are you giving your entire life to Christ as an offering of praise to Him?

• When we are acting as prophets we are speaking to people about God, but one of the primary roles of a priest is to speak to God about people.

Do you pray for your family and friends? Do you cry out to God for your enemies and lift up to the Lord those who persecute you?

• As priests we are to help people draw near to God.

This is different than the truthful proclamation of the prophet, and I think we get a hint of what that calling is when Jesus said, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them…” (John 20:23, NRSV)

Do you lovingly extend grace and forgiveness to others? Do you gently lead those who are broken and hurting
to the Father?

C. Our Royal Role

What is your purpose in life? You are called to live as kings and queens.

What does this mean?

Revelation 5:10 says, “…you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign
on earth.” (NRSV)

• As kings and queens we are to walk (live) in the inheritance given to us by the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Listen to this: “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose
of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;
14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.”
(Ephesians 1:11-14, NRSV)

I could preach for a year about the nature of our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King, but if you truly want to understand this you can find it all in the Bible.

Begin in the New Testament and ask God to open your eyes so that you will recognize and believe that all the promises of God to you are truly yours today – not just in the sweet by and by.

• As kings and queens we are to live on earth with the dignity of royalty and with the love, joy, and peace of Jesus that no person or circumstance can take away.

“For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
(Romans 14:17, NRSV)

• As kings and queens we have the power of God to conquer the devil, the flesh and the world.

“…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38, NRSV)

As sons and daughters of royalty we have been given the authority to cast out the devils of vices and bad habits.

We have been given authority to heal the sick like Jesus and to do the work of God here on the earth.

III. Application

So much more could be said, but perhaps this will inspire you to search the Scriptures for yourself.

If you knew that there was a million dollars that had been given to you and all you needed to do was follow a certain set of clues and a few beneficial guidelines to receive it, wouldn’t you pursue that million dollars with some zeal?

What we have in Christ far outweighs any amount of financial blessing.

If you had to choose, what would you really pick? Love, joy, peace, healing, freedom, etc. for you and those you
love, or money?

I have never heard of anyone lying on their deathbed wishing they had more money.

Let me close by reading again from Ephesians, but this time I am going to read from the Message translation.

“It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and
got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free — signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned
for us, a praising and glorious life.” (Ephesians 1:11-14, The Message)

What is your purpose in life? It is in Christ that you find out who you are and what you are living for.

What is your purpose in life? I encourage you today to live as prophets, priests and kings.

Let me conclude with the prayer Paul prayed over the Ephesians:

“I ask — ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory — to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him — endless energy, boundless strength!” (Ephesians 1:17-19, The Message)