What Is Your Purpose? – God and You All the Way, part 1
What is your purpose and how do you fulfill it? Those questions are answered in today’s sermon, God and You, All the Way, part 1.
This five-week study focuses on you and God. We’ll learn about purpose, how much you matter to God, how precious you are to God, and how to live in the present but focus on eternity.
Purpose, Value, & Focus
Jesus Has Compassion for You
In Luke 14 we find Jesus is invited to a dinner at a Pharisee’s home. This invitation to dinner is most likely a test and trap for Jesus. It’s a set up. The dinner was not to honor Jesus. The dinner was not for the host or the dinner guests to honor or get to know more about Jesus. Rather, it appears to be a trap and a way to accuse Jesus and build a case against Jesus about him healing the person who was sick and dying. It is obvious the guests were already waiting for Jesus when he arrived. The person who was sick was out in the open and everyone at the dinner could see what would take place, and they were waiting to see what Jesus might do. Seeing the sick person, Jesus feels compassion for him and is about to heal the man—knowing that this was all a trap to see what he would do on the Sabbath.
Jesus addresses the religious leaders and asks them a question that they would need to confront in their minds and hearts. But they remained silent. The question Jesus asks of those in attendance was this: What would you do if it were your son, or an animal you owned, that fell into a well on the Sabbath? Wouldn’t you get them out? Sure you would have. Who wouldn’t? Normally this would be a non-issue on any other day, but this dinner and trap was set to take place on the Sabbath. No work is to be done on the Sabbath. I can only imagine the leaders were looking intently to see what Jesus would do. Will Jesus ignore the man? Will Jesus tell the man to come back tomorrow? Will Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath and violate the law? The Pharisees knew exactly what Jesus would do. He would heal the man.
Jesus heals the man, and those who looked on said nothing. They did nothing. No gasp of amazement regarding the miracle. No rejoicing over the man’s healing. Only silence. The Pharisees who were gathered at the dinner must have been OK with the man’s sickness and, possibly, soon death. They seemed to have no compassion or concern for the man’s condition or future.
Jesus heals the man and sends him on his way. Jesus’ compassion and concern for the man was from the heart of God. He has the same heart of love and compassion for you.
Would the Pharisees have helped someone they loved or cared about on the Sabbath? Most certainly. But they weren’t willing to help a sinner they did not know. That lack of love or concern for the man is, in a word, sin. They were being spiritual hypocrites at best. They may give an appearance like they care for the poor and needy, but only in words. Their actions speak to the opposite.
What Is the Most Important Need?
Look around, what needs do you see? Think about the needs of those you brush shoulders with every day. What needs do they have? Should you, or we, do something to help them? What can we do?
What are some needs that you know, and what is the most important need anyone can have? I am sure there are many different needs, but the most important need each person bears is spiritual. Life changing needs. Eternal destiny is needed. Forgiveness of sin and the grace of God are needed.
It is the spiritual need that most people do not realize is essential. Physical needs are important but the spiritual need of knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior is the most important. People need Jesus!
Yes, we can pray. We can do more, we can share the gospel message. We can serve and help those in need. We rejoice and praise God in light of a miracle. But we must never act like the Pharisees and say or do nothing.
When God does something, what do you do? What should we do as a church? We should give all the glory to God. We can rejoice and praise the Lord. We can tell others of the power of God. We can proclaim that God answers prayer. We can also be his hands extended and lovingly tell others about Jesus and invite them to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We can invite them to worship the Lord with us in church.
Do You Have a Spiritual Sickness?
A spiritual sickness has overtaken many who were once passionate for the things of God. I do not want to be like those religious leaders in Jesus’ day who do or say nothing.
‘One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 2 There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. 3 Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way. 5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say’ (Luke 14:1-6,NIV).
I do not want to be a spiritual hypocrite or be a do-nothing believer. The Pharisees were spiritually comfortable and did nothing to help this man. They did nothing to draw individuals back to God.
Sinners and the ungodly people of other nations, along with the false gods they worshiped and believed in, are spiritually dead and need Jesus. These people were all thought to be excluded from the family of God and heaven according to the Jewish religious leaders. It was thought that they had no chance of heaven, or so the Pharisees believed. But Jesus came to change all that. Jesus’ death and resurrection was so that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus tells a story, a parable, that speaks to the heart of the matter and confronts the religious Pharisee’s prideful and legalist hearts. This story is for us today as well.
The dinner guests that stood before Jesus that day looked down on the sick and the sinners. They had no remorse or compassion for the needy. They did not want to be bothered by such people. The Pharisees felt good about themselves and cared nothing about others. However, that is not the heart of God. The Pharisee felt they were better than others. They believed the 10 commandments were the way to gain heaven. They did not see that the commandments (and their inability to keep the commandments) was God’s way to reveal their need for a savior.
Do You Point Others to God?
The Jewish religious leaders were to teach and display the way to live a Godly life and serve God. They were to point others to God. Israel was to be an influence and witness to all the world of the love, grace, and forgiveness of God. However, the Israelites lost sight of God many times. But, thank the Lord, that each time they cried out to God and turned back to serving God with all their heart, he delivered them from bondage. Yet over time they lost their purpose and vision of being the people of God.
The animal sacrifices the priests were to do yearly was to cover the sins of the people. The sacrifices needed to be repeated yearly. The animal sacrifice was required by God and was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus’ sacrifice and shed blood was once for all. Jesus’ death and resurrection satisfied the debt to sin. It is through the blood of Christ that God looks at you and sees you spotless, and no sin. The righteousness of Christ is yours as you place your faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The gospel message that the disciples were commissioned to share is for whosoever will believe. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples. It’s a call to tell the world that Jesus saves. It is a call that stands true today. A call to share the gospel. A call to say that you are redeemed from the bondage of sin and death when you place your faith in Jesus. It is a call to fill the banquet table of the kingdom of God in glory.
‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”’ (Matthew 28:18-20).
The command to share the gospel and the message of God that was in the Old Testament and was dropped by the Israelites is picked up by the disciples who run with it to all the world.
The Israelites and most of their religious leaders refused to believe Jesus to be the Son of God. They rejected the gospel message and crucified Jesus. We fast forward to today and the message is as true today as it was when Jesus first spoke it.
Tell the world the gospel message. Invite them into the kingdom of God.
How Should We Respond to the Spiritually Lost?
The world is spiraling spiritually down lower and lower. Much of what you hear in the news is confirmation of society’s spiritual depravity. It can be seen in the news and on the streets of every city. The enemy has spiritually blinded many. The enemy has lied from the time he twisted the Word of God in the garden of Eden. He told Eve, you will surely not die. He caused Eve to doubt God and believe a lie. That is why he is called the father of lies.
Sin is rampant and some so-called Christian churches are embracing a message of tolerance and excusing sin and twisting the truth of the gospel rather than presenting the whole gospel message.
As a believer in Jesus, what should our response be to the sick and spiritually lost? Look the other way? Ignore them? Maybe be like the Levite priest on the road who, when confronted with a person beaten down by thieves, chooses to cross over to the other side of the road and pass by without doing anything. Or should we be like the Samaritan in Luke 10 and care for the needy, the hurt, and spiritually lost of the community and Bay Area.
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ (Luke 10:30-35).
The fact is, we are to care for the needy and share the gospel to all who will listen. We must share the story of the resurrection and speak of eternal life for all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
As Christians we are to tell the world and not sit back and do nothing. We are not to fold our arms and look down on someone as the Pharisee did. We are not to act like the religious Pharisee in this story and do nothing. We are to speak life and hope. We are to invite the poor and spiritually needy to Christ. We are not to walk around with pride-filled hearts but take on the form of a servant like Jesus and give of ourselves to see the lost come to Christ. We are to help the sinner and spiritually lost.
What is our purpose and what should we do?
We are to be his hands extended and tell the world Jesus is alive. We are to live our lives set apart to God. We, like the disciples, are to share the gospel message to all who will listen, but we also know not everyone will respond.
We have the privilege to represent Jesus to a world that desperately needs Jesus, and they do not even know they are already spiritually sick and dying. We are to go like the servants in Luke 14 and invite everyone to the banquet table. In Luke 14:7-14 Jesus addresses the prideful heart. This was to confront the prideful heart of the Pharisees who did nothing to help the one in need.
When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:7-14).
We need to invite the poor and lost to join us every Sunday. When we have visitors come, we need to welcome them and make them feel welcomed. Friends, when we gather on Sunday the focus is to be on Jesus and to encourage one another in faith. To pray for one another and to receive a word from the Lord. It is a time of worship and rejoicing in the Lord together.
Jesus focuses on the outsider. Jesus did not look for what he might gain from others, he gave of himself so the other person would be blessed.
Here in Luke 14, Jesus confronts the Pharisee in a way that if they had truly listened to what Jesus was saying they should have been convicted in their heart, seen the error of their ways and repented. Knowing this, allow me to ask once again. What is our purpose, and how should we live knowing what we know regarding the goodness of God and love of God for the Lost? What is our purpose as a church?
The purpose of both is to glorify God. How?
To call people to faith in Christ.
To live obedient and worthy lives.
To love God and to love and serve one another in Jesus’ name.
To be loving and welcoming to everyone and to invite others and tell others of the faithfulness of God.
In Luke 14:15-24 we find Jesus telling his disciples and others of those around him another parable. Here we find some people who are invited to a banquet give some excuses of why they cannot attend. I won’t read all the verses today. But look at Luke chapter 14 this week and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart.
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ (Luke 14:15-18).
In this parable we find one man made an excuse and said he needed to check the field that he just purchased so he would be unable to attend the banquet. Another said he needed to check the oxen that he had just bought so he could not attend. Still another said he just got married and he couldn’t make it. These three might have been the hosts’ good friends. But they were too busy with what they wanted to do. These might be like the Jewish religious leaders who were invited to the banquet in heaven but refused to believe Jesus was the Messiah. Their excuses were made up to some extent because they didn’t want to attend the banquet.
No one buys a field without checking it out before buying. No one buys some oxen without knowing the animals are good hard-working animals. No one gets married on the spur of the moment in Jesus’ day. It is a big event and planned out. All the grooms’ friends would know and most likely have been invited to the wedding. These three simply refused to go. The host had prepared a large banquet and now it is ready. So, the host sends his servant out to invite those he finds on the road close by. But still there is room at the table and the master of the banquet sends the servant out again to the country, so that all the seats at the table are filled.
The invitation goes out to whosoever will come.
Let me suggest there are millions of people who know about Jesus, but they have made many different excuses of why they do not believe or attend the banquet. Some people make the excuse that they are too busy to make time for Jesus in their lives. Others feel that they cannot serve the Lord until they get their lives together. Still others make plans that knowingly conflict with what the Lord desires for them.
This parable is a warning to those who have no time for the things of God. Someday, that invention or seat will be given to another, and the place at the banquet table that they were invited to will be no more.
The master of the banquet was not about to wait for them to come when they felt like. Jesus will not wait forever. The Israelites rejected Jesus. The religious Pharisees rejected Jesus as the Messiah and Jesus sent his disciples to gather the gentiles and Jews alike and whoever would come and fill up the banquet table.
The invitation has gone out. The banquet is almost ready. The gospel message is going out. We are to go onto the highways and byways and invite the lost to the banquet table. We are to Invite them to Christ and do all we can to meet the needs of the spiritually lost and have them sit at the banquet table of God.
Church, our purpose as people of God and the purpose as a church is to be living testimonies of the power, love, and grace of God. Let us tell all who will listen that Jesus saves and see that the banquet table is full of individuals who say yes to the invitation. This will happen as we purpose to make Jesus our priority in life, in our family, in our church and in all we do.
It is my prayer that we catch the heart and vision of God today. The story of Luke 14 is the heart of God. Jesus is the banquet host. We are the servants who are to go and invite the guests to the banquet. We are to invite the young and old. The religious and the sinner. Family and friends. People we know and others we meet along the way both far and near.
The time is short. The banquet is ready now. Jesus is returning soon, and the doors of the banquet will soon close. Remember the story of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25: five of the virgins were ready and had their lamps trimmed and the other five were not. The door was shut and five of them were shut out. No matter what the five virgins said they were never let into the wedding banquet. They were told I never knew you.
Let us catch the vision and heart of God today and invite whosoever to joins us at the table. Let us celebrate Jesus. Let us be ready.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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