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August 1, 2019

Finding Purpose

by Dennis Rouse
Romans 8:28 NKJVAnd we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who arethe called according to HIS PURPOSE.LAST WEEK WE STARTED A SERIES CALLED “NEXT.” THE BIG IDEA WAS TOADDRESS HOW TO NAVIGATE MAJOR TRANSITIONS IN LIFE WITH GODANDULTIMATELY FIND GOD’S SWEET SPOT, WHERE YOU AND GOD
Sermon Notes

Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
the called according to HIS PURPOSE.
LAST WEEK WE STARTED A SERIES CALLED “NEXT.” THE BIG IDEA WAS TO
ADDRESS HOW TO NAVIGATE MAJOR TRANSITIONS IN LIFE WITH GODAND
ULTIMATELY FIND GOD’S SWEET SPOT, WHERE YOU AND GOD ARE HARMONIZING
IN LIFE TOGETHER!
THAT’S OUR GOAL IN THIS SERIES! IF I COULD DEFINE THE NUMBER 1 THING THAT
GOD WANTS FOR YOU AND THAT I WANT FOR YOU, THAT’S IT!
We started last week with the foundation of everything in life and that’s transitioning from
OLD TO NEW!
THE BIG SHIFT IN HOW YOU DO LIFE DOESN’T HAPPEN UNTIL YOU LEARN HOW TO
LET GO OF THE OLD WAY YOU’VE DONE LIFE AND ADOPT THE NEW WAY GOD HAS
DESIGNED FOR YOU TO LIVE.
STARTS WITH:
• ALLOWING YOURSELF TO FALL IN LOVE WITH GOD • LEARNING TO LOSE YOUR
LIFE TO FIND YOUR LIFE • EMBRACING A NEW LIFE OF WALKING BY FAITHTHIS
WEEK: I want to talk to you about the second biggest NEXT—FINDING
PURPOSE!
AFTER STARTING MY LIFE WITH GOD, I STARTED ASKING 3 QUESTIONS:

  1. THE QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: “WHY AM I ALIVE?”
  2. THE QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE: “DOES MY LIFE REALLY MATTER?”
  3. 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 MONROE

  1. WHY AM I ALIVE?
    Proverbs 16:4 NLTTHE LORD HAS MADE EVERYTHING FOR HIS OWN PURPOSES …
    NOTICE: HIS PURPOSES!
    Everything God makes has a purpose—every animal, every plant, every insect, etc.
    YOU ARE ALIVE TO FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE IN LIFE!
    YOU CAN ONLY FIND PURPOSE BY KNOWING GOD.
    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.
  2. DOES MY LIFE MATTER?
    QUESTION OF SIGNIFICANCE
    WE ARE ALL GROWING UP IN A SOCIETY THAT IS CONSTANTLY DEVALUING LIFE.
    3 LEVELS PEOPLE LIVE ON:

  1. SURVIVAL LEVEL:Majority of the world lives in survival mode—barely getting by, just
    existing but not living and controlled by their circumstances.
  2. SUCCESS LEVEL:A small percentage of people break out of survival mode and achieve
    the good life, where they achieve some of their dreams in their heart for a successful life.
    GREAT CAREER—PLENTY OF MONEY—FRIENDS—GOOD FAMILY—“THE AMERICAN
    DREAM!”
  3. SIGNIFICANCE LEVEL:You shift from living for just yourself and immediate family to
    living to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others.
    Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV
    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.
    AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE YOU HAVE TO BREAK OUT OF THINKING ONLY
    ABOUT YOURSELF INTO A LIFE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
    OTHERS!
    I BELIEVE THE REASON SO MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION, AND
    MANY EVEN BECOME SUICIDAL, IS SOMEWHERE IN THEIR JOURNEY THEY
    STARTED BELIEVING THE LIE:
    “MY LIFE REALLY DOESN’T MATTER.”

3. WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?

  1. PURPOSE STARTS WITH A CROSS EXPERIENCE.
    Luke22:41-42 NKJV
    And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed,
    saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless NOT MY WILL,
    BUT YOURS, BE DONE.”
  2. PURPOSE IS CONCEIVED THROUGH A HOLY DISCONTENT.
    Four Pillars

  1. BUILDING STRONG FAMILIES
  2. TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
  3. RECONCILING CULTURES
  4. IMPACTING NATIONS
    Romans 8:28 NIV
    And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have
    been called according to HIS PURPOSE.


3. PURPOSE REQUIRES YOU TO STEP OUT IN FAITH AND TRUST GOD.

Mark 11:22-24 NKJV
So Jesus answered and said to them, “HAVE FAITH IN GOD. For assuredly, I say to you,
whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt
in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he
says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you
receive them, and you will have them.”
NOTICE:“HAVE FAITH IN GOD.”
NOT HAVE FAITH FOR SOMETHING—BUT HAVE FAITH IN SOMEONE

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