There may be times when we feel stuck in life.  We wonder if what we are doing is what we should be doing or wonder if this is all we are ever going to do in life.  We may feel like we have done a lot but have done nothing for Christ.  The enemy will always make us feel like what we do is never enough.

Q. When have you wondered if what you are doing in life is really what you should be doing or felt like what you are doing is not enough?

There are seasons of life that come and go but our seasons are not our reasons for living. We cannot allow a temporary season to become everything about our identity and personhood.  There are seasons to the year and seasons to our lives; childhood, teens, 20,’s, children of our own, etc.  We cannot tie ourselves to a season and say: ’this is it.’  We are growing, getting wiser as we spend time with God and in his word.  Seasons come and go but there is a heavenly purpose arching over every small chapter in our life. 

We will get disappointed when we mistake our SEASON  our REASON. 

Paul’s Secret:

If you focus on ONE THING in ALL THINGS your life will abound through EVERY THING.

Paul was in prison, he did not want to be there.  God can work through every season to bring that purpose of our lives to pass.  

Q. What season of life have you mistaken for your reason (saying: ‘this is it’ and tying yourself to that particular season in life)?

Philippians 4:4) 

Pauls is filled with joy and filled with joy in prison.  He had a large-scale wide-angle view of his life that God had in mind. There will never be a wasted or mistake season or a sour relationship that God can’t use.   We can abound in every season we find ourselves in.  

Q. What are some seasons you thought were a waste of time that God used in your life?

1. The reason in my season is NOT the PURSUIT of HUMAN ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Philippians 3:4b–6 (ESV)

Life is not about getting things or accomplishing things.  Not that it is bad that we pursue things, we should purse things,  but when it comes to the reason for our life, it is not ultimately about what we can achieve.  Paul had many human accomplishments.  He was absolutely devoted to God’s law.  He followed his cultural code to the nth degree. He did everything his culture told him to do. Every community has a code. Every area in life hands us a code.  We live the code and others will think well of us (family code, religious code, political code, etc). 

Philippians 3:7 (ESV)

What Paul was chasing was not going to do it for him. If Jesus is the most important person in our life, then that is how we know we are saved.  When we truly meet Christ everything else fades in  the background.  Paul was chasing his culture’s code and Jesus interrupted him.

Q. What cultural or community code are you or had you been devoted to when God interrupted you?

Philippians 3:8 (ESV)

Jesus gets in our hearts and changes us.   it is not about outward conformity to a cultural code.

2. The reason in my season is TO BECOME what GOD wants me to BE.

That is the reason for the season we are in.  We should focus on what we are becoming not what we are doing right now.  We come as we are, but leave differently.   Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.  Some may not agree with what the Church says but when we keep in God’s word, he changes us from the inside out. 

Philippians 3:9 (ESV)

Be found in Him not having a righteousness of our own. 

Righteousness: BEING as I OUGHT to be.

It is being right.  People that don’t feel ‘right’ may numb the pain with alcohol or drugs. Being righteous makes us feel like we are as we should be.  Righteousness comes from God when we put our faith in Christ.  Jesus is what makes us who we are. Our accomplishments, nor our things make us who we are, but what Jesus accomplished on the cross is who we are.

Through Christ I am MADE RIGHTEOUS.

In Christ I am called to LIVE UP to what He has MADE me.

Q. Why do we tend to base our worth on our accomplishments or performance?

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

The cross of Jesus was a great transformational moment.  Christ became sin we became righteous.

Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)

If we don’t know who we are we will constantly search for it.  Whatever we think makes us who we are, goes away. 

Philippians 3:10 (ESV); 1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)

If all I get out of this CHAPTER of life is a CLOSER WALK with JESUS – it was WORTH IT. 

Romans 6:3-11 (ESV)

Our old life is gone and nothing can compare to life in Christ.   

3. The reason in my season is TO FOCUS on my FINAL DESTINATION where I meet Christ FACE to FACE.

Ultimately this is the goal of a Christian, not aiming at a goal this life cannot offer us.  

Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)

We are still working this out but pressing on, making it our own because Christ has made us His own.  This life is not about attaining this life, it is for the next life.  

Q. What spiritual training or workout this week can help you press on in Christ?

Sermon in a sentence:

If we PURPOSE to BE what God MADE us, we will be PURPOSEFUL in whatever life HANDS us. 

Challenge: This week work on becoming closer to Jesus.