10: Lives on Purpose
10 Qualities of a Disciple:
- Passionately Committed to Jesus Christ
- Extraordinary Love for People
- The Heart of a Servant
- Sensitive and Submitted to the Holy Spirit
- Governed by the Authority of God’s Word
- Lives Morally Pure
- Evangelistically Bold
- Engages in Biblical Community
- Just and Generous
- Lives on Purpose
3 Questions Everyone Must Answer:
- The Question of Existence: Why am I alive?
- The Question of Significance: Does my life really matter?
- The Question of Intention: What is my purpose?
“The greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without reason. It is
dangerous to be alive and not know why you were given life.”
— Dr. Myles Munroe
- Why am I alive?
Proverbs 16:4 NLT
The Lord has made everything for his own purposes…
You are alive to fulfill God’s purpose in life!
Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG
“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. - Does my life really matter?
3 Levels of Life:
- Survival Level
- Success Level
- Significance Level
Philippians 2:3-4 NKJ
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in
lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let
each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the
interests of others.
Success vs. Significance:
• SUCCESS asks, “How can I add value to MYSELF?”
• SIGNIFICANCE asks, “How can I add value to OTHERS?”
• “If I pursue SUCCESS, my joy is the result of my SUCCESS.”
• “If I pursue SIGNIFICANCE, my joy is the result of OTHERS’
SUCCESS.”
• SUCCESS can last a LIFETIME.
• SIGNIFICANCE can last FOR ETERNITY.
Believers live for success. Disciples live for SIGNIFICANCE.
3. What is my purpose?
“There is something for you to start that is ordained for you to finish.”
— Dr. Myles Munroe
“You cannot help others define life until you define it for yourself.”
Proverbs 29:18 NKJ
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…
Paraphrase: “Where there is no purpose, there is no self-control, no
moral conviction, no eternal boundaries.”
“Without purpose we feel no passion for living; life has no meaning.”
The Process of Purpose:
- Purpose begins with a cross experience.
Luke 9:23-25 NIV
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must
deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For
whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their
life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole
world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?”
Luke 14:26-33 NKJ
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he
cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and
come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to
build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he
has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is
not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man
began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to
make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider
whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against
him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way
off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise,
whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My
disciple.”
2. Realize purpose is revealed through faithfulness.
Luke 16:10-12 NLT
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But
if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater
responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth,
who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not
faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with
things of your own?
3. Purpose is conceived through a holy discontent.
Proverbs 19:21 NIV
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose
that prevails.
4. Purpose activates through faith in God’s power.
Ephesians 1:17-19 NKJ
…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know
what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His
power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty
power…