Sunday Sermon
WHAT ARE YOUR PURPOSES AND PRIORITIES
Applying God's Kingdom To Our Work Place
Date: March 30, 2008
Speaker: Pastor Gerry Gregoire
Scriptural Reference: Luke 4:40-49
Listen to Audio Sermon

MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT CALLED INTO “FULL TIME” MINISTRY. LET’S TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO JESUS AS HE WAS GROWING UP.

LUKE 4:40-49
40And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.41Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast. 42And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom. 43And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this, 44But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day's journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.
45And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way. 46After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies. 48And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented].
49And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me to be in My Father's house and [occupied] about My Father's business?

EVEN AT A YOUNG AGE, JESUS FELT A STRONG INWARD DESIRE TO FULFILL HIS FATHER’S PURPOSE. IT WAS NOT CARPENTRY THAT CAPTURED HIS INTEREST. HE MAY HAVE BEEN A CARPENTER BY TRADE BUT HE NEVER LOST PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT HIS TRUE CALLING (PURPOSE IN LIFE) WAS TO BE.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE TRAGIC THAN A LIFE WITHOUT TRUE PURPOSE. A PERSON WITHOUT PURPOSE DOES NOT ESTABLISH PRIORITIES OR THE PRIORITIES THEY ESTABLISH ARE TOTALLY WRONG. EVERYTHING JESUS DID WAS TO PREPARE FOR HIS MAJOR PURPOSE FROM HIS FATHER.

IT IS A LOT EASIER TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU KNOW FOR SURE YOUR PURPOSE.
YOUR PRIMARY AND MOST IMPORTANT PURPOSE IS THE ONE THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED FOR YOU AS A CHILD OF HIS KINGDOM. WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR GODLY PURPOSE IS, IT THAN BECOMES EASIER FOR YOU TO DISCOVER WHAT PRACTICLE PURPOSE YOU WILL PURSUE. FINDING YOUR SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICLE PURPOSE KIND OF RUN HAND AND HAND BECAUSE GOD SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN BOTH, BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN FULL TIME SPIRITUAL WORK, THERE HAS TO BE A PURPOSE THAT GOD HAS FOR YOU TO MEET YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS.

LET’S LOOK AT ONE EXAMPLE: GOD HAS CALLED YOU INTO HIS KINGDOM WORK WHEN YOU WERE BORN AGAIN, AND YOU KNOW THAT FOR SURE. IT MAY BE WORKING IN SOME CHURCH AS A TEACHER, USHER, ELDER, DEACON, WORSHIP TEAM MEMBER OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. NOW THERE NEEDS TO BE A MEANS OF MEETING YOUR DAILY NEEDS AS THE SPIRITUAL POSITION MAY NOT PAY YOU FOR THAT SERVICE.

ASKING GOD TO DIRECT YOUR PATH IN FINDING THE “TENT MAKING” OCCUPATION IS A GOOD WAY TO START. WHAT IS YOUR HEART’S DESIRE AND CHALLENGE THAT GOD HAS PUT BEFORE YOU AND PLACED WITHIN YOU? ONCE YOU KNOW THAT, THAN YOU CAN BEGIN TO ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR YOUR LIFE. SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT SAY TO HELP YOU FIND YOUR SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICLE PURPOSES.

1. I MUST REMAIN HEALTHY AND LOVE WHAT I AM GOING TO DO. (THE SAME APPLIES FOR SPIRITUAL PURPOSES. SPIRITUAL HEALTH COMES FROM STUDYING THE WORD AND PRAYER.)

2.I MUST DO WELL IN EDUCATIONALLY PREPARING MYSELF FOR THIS PROFESSION. (THE SAME APPLIES FOR SPIRITUAL SUCCESS. YOU MUST KNOW THE WORD WELL AND ACT ON IT.)

3.I MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGE. (FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, LOVE AND A SOUND MIND. THE OPPOSITE OF FEAR IS FAITH.)

4.I MUST UNDERSTAND THE PATH TO FOLLW FOR SUCCESS. (LIVING CLEAN AND FOLLOWING THE PATH THAT GOD PROVIDES FOR YOUR SUCCESS.)

5.I MUST GET GOOD GRADES IN ALL MY SCHOOL WORK. ( ARE YOU PASSING GOD’S TESTING? LET THE HOLY SPIRIT CHECK YOUR PROGRESS ALONG THE WAY AND MAKE CORRECTIONS.)

6.I MUST ENTER THE PROPER PROFESSION OR BUSINESS FIELD. (I MUST GO TO THE CHURCH THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR GROWTH AND PROGRESSION.)

7.I MUST APPLY WHAT I HAVE LEARNED EVERYDAY SO AS TO GET RAISES AND PROMOTIONS. (I MUST LIVE OUT THE GUIDANCE GIVEN IN GOD’S WORD EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE TO PLEASE GOD MY REAL BOSS.)

EVERONE’S LIFE MUST HAVE TWO PURPOSES, ONE SPIRITUAL AND ONE PRACTICAL. IN THE CASE OF FULLTIME MINISTRY YOUR PURPOSES WILL BE THE SAME. THE SPIRITUAL PURPOSE WILL HELP YOU FIND YOUR PRACTICLE PURPOSE AND IN SOME CASES, YOUR PRACTICLE PURPOSE WILL LEAD YOU INTO YOUR SPIRITUAL PURPOSE AS WE WILL SEE WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL.

GOD HAS GIVEN EACH PERSON A SPECIAAL GIFT OR TALENT. WE ARE TO DETERMINE, WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHAT THAT TALENT IS, AND IF YOU DON’T DO THAT, IT IS TALENT GOING TO WASTE.

LET’S SAY THAT YOU ARE A GREAT PUBLIC SPEAKER. THAT IS YOUR GIFT/TALENT. NOW, WHAT YOU SPEAK ABOUT AND WHERE AND WHEN YOU SPEAK COULD MEAN A TERRIBLE WASTE OF THAT GIFT. HITLER WAS A GREAT SPEAKER BUT USED THAT TALENT TO BRING DESTRUCTION TO THE WORLD AND TO HIMSELF.

IF YOU ARE A TALENTED SINGER BUT YOU WASTE YOURTIME SINGING UNGODLY SONGS AND SINGING IN THE WRONG PLACES (BARS AND SALOONS OR STREET CORNERS) YOU HAVE WASTED A GIFT FROM GOD.

THE NEWLY DISCOVERED OPERA SINGER, PAUL POTTS, WAS SELLING PHONES WHEN HIS TALENT WAS DISCOVERED. WHAT A WASTE IF HE HADN’T BEEN DISCOVERED. IT WOULD HOWEVER BE MORE OF A WASTE IF HE NEVER FINDS HIS SPIRITUAL PURPOSE.

NOW PAUL THE APOSLE’S PURPOSE CAME TO HIM AS A SURPRISE ONE DAY AS HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO DAMASCUS TO PERSECUTE SOME CHRISTIANS, PURSUING HIS PRACTICAL PURPOSE, GOD INTERCEPTED HIS PERSONAL PURSUITS IN A POWERFUL WAY. SOME OF US MAY NEED THAT SAME KIND OF SHOCK. LET’S LOOK AT WHAT GOD DID TO PAUL AND LOOK AT WHAT PAUL WAS DOING ON HIS OWN:

ACTS 8:3 3But Saul shamefully treated and laid waste the church continuously [with cruelty and violence]; and entering house after house, he dragged out men and women and committed them to prison.
NOW THIS GUY WAS AT HOME IN HIS PROFESSION AND DOING WELL IN HIS OWN EYES UNTIL

ACTS 9:1-9
1MEANWHILE SAUL, still drawing his breath hard from threatening and murderous desire against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2And requested of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus [authorizing him], so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way [of life as determined by faith in Jesus Christ], he might bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem. 3Now as he traveled on, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him,
4And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me [harassing, troubling, and molesting Me]?
5And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting.It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance]. 6Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do You desire me to do? The Lord said to him, But arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. 7The men who were accompanying him were unable to speak [for terror], hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8Then Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were opened, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank [anything].

WE SEE LATER ON THAT HIS PRACTICLE PURPOSE BECAME TENT MAKING. PAUL HAD A SIDE JOB AS HE PURSUED HIS SPIRITUAL PURPOSE AND CALL. PAUL WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE YOU. AS YOU PURSUE YOUR SPIRITUAL PURPOSE YOU HAVE A “TENT MAKING” PROFESSION TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR PRACTICLE NEEDS.

WHILE WE DO OUR PRACTICLE PURPOSE, WE MUST BE ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON OUR SPIRITUAL PURPOSE AND CALL JUST LIKE JESUS AND THAT’S WHERE MANY CHRISTIANS FAIL. SEEKING GOD HAS TO COME FIRST AS WE HAVE ALEADY LEARNED.

NO ONE IS BORN IN A PULPIT. I HAVE 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE MILITARY AND GOD USED THAT TRAINING AND DISCIPLINE TO FULFILL MY SPIRITUAL PURPOSE. THE MESS I GOT MYSELF INTO AS I PURSUED MY PRACTICLE PURPOSE LED ME TO MY SPIRITUAL PURPOSE AS ONLY GOD COULD UNTANGLE MY LIFE AND USE IT FOR HIS KINGDOM.

NO MATER WHAT YOUR PROFESSION, GOD IS CALLING YOU INTO YOUR REAL TRUE PURPOSE IN LIFE AND THAT IS WORKING FOR AND WITH THE MASTER.

SEE 2 CORINTHIANS 5:18-20
18But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. 19It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).
20So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.

THAT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A PART TIME JOB, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO GOD.

SEE LUKE 10:2
2And He said to them, The harvest indeed is abundant there is much ripe grain, but the farmhands are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

WHERE MAN HAS GONE WRONG IS THAT THEY HAVE MADE WORKING FOR GOD A PART TIME JOB. SOME EVEN MISS SERVICES ON A REGULAR BASIS TO FULFILL THEIR PRACTICLE PURPOSE. SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM KIND OF GOES OUT THE WINDOW TO MEET THEIR PRACTICLE NEEDS..

BUT LOOK AT WHAT MATTHEW 6:30-33 SAYS :
30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will He not much more surely clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?
32For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. 33But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.

THE WORD HEATHEN OR GENTILE DOES NOT MEAN ATHEIST BUT IT IS SOMEONE WHO IS SERVING ANOTHER GOD AND IN SOME CASES IT’S THE GOD OF THE WORLD OR SOME STRANGE GOD OTHER THAN THE ONE TRUE GOD. THE MONEY AND THE BENEFITS MAY HAVE BECOME HIS OR HER GOD.

PRIORITY WAS NEVER A PROBLEM FOR ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN AS LONG AS THEY OBEYED GOD AND WALKED IN HIS PURPOSE FOR THEM. IT’S WHEN THEIR PURPOSE OR DESIRE CAME ABOVE GOD’S THAT THE BIG PROBLEM CAME WHICH WE CAN ALL ATTEST TO TODAY. AND IT’S THE SAME WITH US TODAY WHEN WE PLACE OUR PRACTICLE PURPOSE OVER OUR GOD’S SPIRITUAL PURPOSE FOR US.

GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT’S HIS KINGDOM AND HE IS THE KING. REAL SUCCESS IN LIFE COMES WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND START WORKING AND HONORING HIM AS KING IN ALL WE DO. SOMEWHERE IN HISTORY MAN PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT FOR HIM AND THAT IS TO RESTORE GOD TO HIS THRONE IN OUR LIVES.

WE SHOULD NOT WORSHIP OUR KING BECAUSE OF WHAT WE CAN GET, BUT HE WANTS US TO KNOW AND LOVE HIM FOR WHAT HE IS, A LOVING PROVIDER WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT ALL THE THINGS IN OUR LIVES.

THE PRINCIPLES HE HAS GIVEN US IS WHAT MAKES LIFE INTERESTING AND THEY ENABLE US TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE MARKET PLACE WHILE WE ARE WORKING AT OUR PRACTICLE PURPOSES. HE DOES NOT WANT US DEPENDING ON OURSELVES FOR ANYTHING BUT TO TRUST HIM FOR ALL THINGS. FOR HE IS TRULY OUR KING!

I AM NOT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD JUST STOP WORKING AND LET GOD DROP WHAT WE NEED IN OUR LAPS. NO WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT IN ALL THE THINGS WE DO, WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE TRULY WORKING FOR HIM AND THAT HE HAS US COVERED. OUR SPIRITUAL PURPOSE SUPERCEDES ANYTHING ELSE IN OUR LIVES. THERE IS NO SURER ANTIDOTE FOR STRESS, ANXIETY AND WORRY.