07-13-08 #Disciple Bible Study titled: "A Life Of Purpose"

[Disciple]

“LIVING THE HD LIFE”
“A Life Of Purpose”
Phillippians 1:21
Intro
What is the purpose of your life?
It’s a simple question but certainly it’s not an easy question to answer, is it? You’d think that by the time you reach a certain age, you would have it all figured out, wouldn’t you?
Webster defines ‘purpose’. It is the ‘object in view, the aim, end, plan, intention, effect…’ So now that we understand what is meant by the question let’s ask it again, “What is the purpose of your life? How would you fill in the blank, “I am living for ______________
No doubt we have varying answers and ideas about the purpose of our life. Some might say, ‘to be healthy and safe’ and yet we know that life can bring about bad health and not keep us safe and protected from bad things and bad people. Some might think, ‘to be comfortable and secure’ and yet you can cite times when you have been very uncomfortable and felt very insecure. Some might say, ‘ to be prosperous and blessed’ and yet we know that prosperity is fleeting.
I don’t think that the apostle Paul would point to any of those answers as being the purpose of his life. In fact, we can see Paul’s purpose of life statement.
Phil 1:21
I want this to be the memory verse for this week.
For the apostle Paul, the purpose of life was not so much a ‘what’ question as it was a ‘who’ question. And this also must be the purpose of our life. It is not a question of ‘what’, but a questions of ‘who is the purpose of my life?’
The HD life is a life of purpose.
Let’s look at some ways that Paul talks about fulfilling his purpose statement and make application into our own lives as well.
I. Always Advancing The Gospel
How effective are we being at advancing the gospel to the next generation? I read a revealing statistic the other day. 70% of teens stop coming to church within two years after high school graduation. Between 18-20. We need to develop some kinds of programs and being doing some kinds of ministry and worship that will hold these teens through these years. It might mean that we need to change the way we are doing some of our programming, some of our worship times. It might mean that we need to add some totally new ministry ideas, programs to be able to keep these teens following high school graduation.
Don’t forget we are here to connect people with Jesus and we need to do whatever we need to make those connections.
I want you to notice a phrase that Paul uses in Phil 1:12, 14
BECAUSE OF MY CHAINS
Phil 1:12, 14
BECAUSE OF MY CHAINS
Paul is talking about how the gospel is being advanced even while he is in prison. Consider that Paul has a very ‘captive’ audience. He has prison guards who are with him 24/7/365. For two years Paul is held prisoner in Rome. For two years he has preached to these prison guards. What most of us would see as a real hindrance to the advancement of the gospel, Paul was the cause for many hearing the gospel and for others to become more courageous and fearless in the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ
So I would ask you now, “What are your chains?” Is there something in your life right now that you see as a real burden and hindrance? Would you consider that perhaps God has brought that particular chain into your life as a means for advancing the gospel? You might be thinking/saying, ‘If it wasn’t for this, I could really do something good for the Lord’ God is saying, “Let me use this to accomplish the advancing of the gospel through you”
Ill- You are familiar with “Messiah” by George Handel. You may not know some of the background behind this masterful composition. In 1737, at age 52, Handel suffered a stroke that left his right arm temporarily paralyzed. In 1741, he was considered a failure. He was bankrupt and in great physical pain. On August 22, 1741, he began composing and in 24 days he had finished composing 260 pages of perhaps the most magnificent music ever written. He became blind near the end of his life, but h continued to compose music by dictating to a friend who wrote it down. What if Joni Erickson Tada had never had the diving accident? What is Chuck Colson had never been caught and sent to prison? What would have been the influence of their lives without their chains?
God can use what you consider to be chains. God can use your worst cir***stance of life to advance the gospel through you. Will you consider the purpose of your life to be for always advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ?
II. Always Exalting Christ
Phil 1:20
The purpose of the life of the apostle Paul is made very clear here. so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. or To exalt Jesus Christ either by his life or by his death.
It is certainly interesting here to note that Paul actually preferred death over living as the means by which he would exalt Christ
Phil 1:22-24
Paul says, “I am torn between the two” This phrase indicates pressure from two equally strong desires that are bearing on him from either side. Whichever Paul chose, the opposite urging would bear on him just as strongly as the desire he chose. This is not a matter of sacrificing a greater desire for a lesser one.
To depart, Paul says, was better by far. It was better for him. However, it was more urgent for him to remain in the body because of the needs of the Philippians. In this Paul is actually setting an example of service and humility that later he urges the Philippians to practice also.
Let’s look again at Phil 1:21
To live is Christ, life is Christ. Life is worthwhile work. Life benefits those around us. For Paul to continue living would mean Christ is going to be honored and glorified as he continues serving and helping those around him. Through Paul’s life, Christ is going to be exalted always.
To die is gain. Death is indeed gain, for to die is to be ‘with Christ’. To be with Christ is to be free of this world and its cares. To be with Christ is to be free of sickness and sin and death. It is gain. It is better by far.
I want you look at the appeal Paul makes.
Phil 1:27
This is where the personal application comes in for us today also. And I want you to see this. When Paul makes an appeal for us, he does not leave room for loopholes or excuses for not doing what he calls on us to do., Note he says, ‘Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ”. Whatever happens, you and I are expected to always exalt Christ and conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We say, “Yeah, o.k., I can’t do that, but…. What if a car pulls out in front of me? What if my boss overlooks me for a promotion? What if my parents divorce? What if my spouse leaves me? What if my team loses because the ref made a bad call? What if the stock market crashes? What if my doctor says I have cancer?”
I think Paul would listen to all of our ‘what if’ questions and then he would say, “Whatever happens live in a way that exalts Jesus Christ”
Conc.
The question about life purpose is not, “What are you living for?” Rather the question is “Who are you living for?”
Everyone of us today must answer this question. And let me say this, that if the answer you give is anything other than Jesus Christ, then the gospel is not being advanced nor is Jesus Christ being exalted in your life.
Living the HD life is living a life of purpose. And the only ways you can fulfill your purpose is by living for Jesus Christ.
Are you in Jesus Christ today? Do you know that when this life is over you are going to be ‘with Christ?’ Do you have the assurances for eternal life?
Will you take God’s salvation offered through Jesus for your own today?