Blessed Strangers

Finding My Purpose in the Plan of God

Ephesians 3:1-13

When we think, as Americans, about finding our purpose in the plan of God, we automatically believe that is an individual experience.  It’s caught up in the mantra of modern day church: “I want to find Gods plan for my life.”

We start saying things like “What are my gifts, what is my calling, what are my passions, what has God got for me to do”, and if we are not careful in this topic we will look at this as and individual construct. That is the furthest thing from Paul’s mind in this book.  God does not specialize in individual purposes for individual lives, he has a purpose for the world through the corporate body, the Church.

 Christ did not come to build a PERSON, He came to build a COMMUNITY (the CHURCH).

 We will never truly find our God given purpose outside the church. We will find our purpose through the community that is the Church.

Q. How have you struggled to find God’s purpose not being in community with God’s people?

1. Finding my purpose is about MAKING CHRIST known, NOT making MYSELF known.

 Some Christians have a spiritual social distance zapper (Pastor Tim alluded to a zapper he found in his favorite bookstore where you zap someone if they get to close to you). These are people who may come to church but don’t want to get too involved. We will never truly feel the fullness of Christ in this mindset, the only way to find what God made us to be is through the Church.

Ephesians 3:1-2 (ESV)

Paul is in a Roman prison, but a prisoner of Jesus not of Rome, on behalf of the Gentiles.  Paul got into prison because there was a rumor Paul took a gentile past the Temple wall where only Jews were allowed, even though he did not do that.  The whole city went into an uproar.  Paul, in Ephesians, reminds them he is in prison for them.  He almost gets killed.  He believed people should not judge each other on what is on the outside, but what is on the inside, on what God has done.  God has taken Jew and Gentile, black and white, young and old, male and female, and brought them all together in Christ Jesus.  Paul does not blame anyone for being put in prison, but finds an opportunity to serve the Gentiles through the goodness of God.  God places us in the Church for the benefit of other people.

Q. What are some sacrifices you have made to make sure others know who Jesus is (maybe not quite like Paul, but how might you have suffered for doing so or been hated etc.)?

 2. Finding my purpose is about RELYING on God’s GRACE and POWER and NOT on PEOPLE’S PRAISE.

 Ephesians 3:7-8 (ESV)

What we need to learn is that Paul relied not on what people thought about him but God’s grace and power.

Q. Who are you relying on to find your purpose and why (or who are you trying to please)?

Paul, a Jew, was made a minister to the Gentiles. He went to prison for people he formerly hated.  Only God’s grace can do this. Only God’s grace can reunite enemies back together.  Only God’s grace can bring a marriage back together, a father back to his son etc.  It is God’s grace that makes reconciliation possible.

Q. Who might you have been divided against where only God’s grace could restore that relationship and how do you now serve them?

 PRO TIP: NEVER JUDGE God’s ASSIGNMENT for your life by the ACCEPTANCE of the PEOPLE in your life.

The only validation we need is from our heavenly Father.

3. Finding my purpose happens through the COMMUNITY of Jesus, NOT my INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY.

 We find our purpose in the fellowship, the Church. That is why we tell people every weekend about getting into Connect Class.

Ephesians 3:9-10 (ESV)         

God does not build a person He builds a community.  The manifold wisdom of God (the many fold) is made known through the community of faith.  In the church there are many people of different folds. There is no ONE super guru in the Church.  Jesus is the head of the Church. We all exist to reflect to the world a different form of the wisdom of Jesus.

The Church brings you TOGETHER with different kinds of PEOPLE so you can experience God’s WISDOM in BEAUTIFUL and UNIQUE EXPRESSIONS.

 The best part of being with people different from us, is because they are different from us.

Q. Who is someone you have gained wisdom from in the Body of Christ, who you may not have if you did not come into fellowship with them (ie. Pastor Tim read a book he never would have read that another believer told him about)?

Q. (For those not serving) What are some reasons you are not serving and where can you start serving in church? (Leader here is an opportunity to help them find a place to serve or offer to go with them to Connect class or Team Night).

 Sermon in a sentence:

When I GET INVOLVED in the MISSION of JESUS…

1. I APPRECIATE where God’s plan might BRING me.
2. I EXPERIENCE God’s grace and power THROUGH me.
3. I ENJOY God’s beauty BESIDE me.