TRANSFORMED LIFE Week 6: Gifted for service
[Note: You could give out parts of a puzzle to people as they come in, so that they have something to help with the imagery mentioned in the sermon]
Welcome everyone. I wonder whether you enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles. I’m sure we all know that each jigsaw piece is part of a larger puzzle and that it is different and unique from every other piece. You won’t really get the point about a jigsaw piece just by studying it – gazing at it, analysing it – it only really makes sense when you can see how it fits into the bigger picture.
It’s the same with our lives. God has designed us to be unique and beautiful, ‘We are God’s workmanship (His masterpiece) created in Christ Jesusto do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10).It’s only together that we become the masterpiece, that the whole picture makes sense. Especially when it comes to the matter of finding and fulfilling our life purpose,which is the subject today. Here’s the point – if you want to make sense of your life and find and fulfil your life purpose, you won’t get the answer just by studying your life – it will only make sense when you see the bigger picture of God’s purposes.
What is God’s bigger picture? In Ephesians 1–2 Paul has already laid out God’s eternal purpose to call to Himself both a united people and then the whole cosmos in Christ. In our text today, Ephesians 3:1–13, Paul starts by talking about his own individual purpose. Then he quickly returns to his theme about the big, grand eternal purpose of God, which as we see in verses 10–11 was ‘that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made know to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
The focal point from this verse is the Church. The plan is for the Lord to display His manifold wisdom to the principalities and powers of this world and to angels –both good and fallen.The word ‘manifold’ could be translated ‘many-coloured’, like a huge, beautiful picture. It includes Jews and Gentiles, all nations, tribes and the universal Church. God is displaying His many-coloured wisdom with stunning display to angels of a called-out and chosen people (us, the Church).
With that in mind, let me briefly highlight three truths concerning your life purpose:
- God has a PART for you to play
Some people don’t have the patience for big puzzles. You know the feeling of getting right to the end before discovering that some pieces are missing? Not many people would simply say, ‘Oh well, it doesn’t matter’.Wenearly have a complete jigsaw. No! We would hunt high and low until we found the missing pieces, and then fitted the pieces into the puzzle. That’s what God does for us – not content for us to be lost, He goes to find us and rescues usand then wants to fit us into His picture –His Church – and has a part for us to play.Individually we don’t just to make up the pieces but we play our uniquerole in displaying His glory. We need to put the piece in so that it can function for what it’s designed for.
From Ephesians we can see that our purpose is as much a gift of God’s grace as is our salvation. Here in our passage today Paul says,‘Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you’ (Eph. 3:2).This is the gift of purpose. It’s the same in verse 7,‘I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power’ (Eph. 3:7). Paul knew that not only his salvation but his calling as an apostle – his life purpose – was a gift of God’s grace. Then he goes on in chapter 4 to highlight that what was true for him was and is true for every single Christ-follower,‘To each one grace has been given as Christ has apportioned it’ (Eph. 4:7).
So the question is: if God has a purpose for you and me, and has uniquely gifted us to fulfil that purpose, how do we know what that purpose is?
There are three ways:
•By revelation– when we sense God speaking to us, which is what happened for apostle Paul in his journey
•By consultation– often we need help so we discuss it with others who can help us discern where we best fit
•By experimentation –this can be the most helpful for many people. Learn what you are called to do through doing!
This is not a static thing.The more we get involved, the more we will get into our sweet spot and have a sense of flow. Time doesn’t matter –if it’s something you were born for it’s a lifelong mission.
2. God has a PEOPLE for you to reach
God has placed each and everyone of us on the earth – rescued us by grace and given us a unique shape –in order that we might help, bless and reach others for Christ. You will never find you true life purpose by living just for yourself – you need to live beyond yourself to see other lives transformed.
The apostle Paul was very clear about the people that God had called him to reach – the Gentiles,who are non-Jews (that’s most of us, and vast majority of the world then and now). Notice his sense of clarity. It starts with,‘Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles’ (Eph. 3:1). Called by Jesus, in prison for Jesus, sharing Jesus’ plan for the gentiles. In verses 3–6 we see that Gentiles share together in the promises of God. Verse 8 summarises his mission:‘to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Eph. 3:8).
It’s the same for you and for me. First, we have a mission as individuals –for those in our workplace, neighbourhood and social sphere. Your job is not just a job, it’s a way for you to represent Christ where you are. All are called to BLESS. Imagine the letters B–L–E–S–S, meaning Begin in prayer, Listen, Eat, Serve, and Share the story. Second, we have a mission in community. There are amazing stories of what local groups are doing all across the Church [it might be good to give some examples from your local area]. We are called to reach people with the gospel and to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
ReinhardBonnke, a great German evangelist in the early-mid 1990s, felt God saying to write a booklet called From Minus to Plusand to distribute it as part of a mission to the whole of the UK. When he first heard the Lord, he questioned the call, saying,‘but surely, Lord, I’m not the best qualified to do this.’ The Lord said,‘actually, you’rethe third choice. I asked my first choice and they said no, I asked number two and they said no.’ Bonnke said, ‘Ok, Lord, I’ll do it.’
Whatever you make of that story, let me encourage you– there’s a people for us to reach,so let’s do it!
3. God has a PLACE for you to serve
Back to our jigsaw.Each piece is supposed to make up the whole, but if it’s going to fitwe have to find the other pieces that it is supposed to be connected to. We have previously discussed in this series that we are citizens of God’s kingdom, members of His family and living stones in God’s temple. Another picture of Church is‘members together of one body’(Eph. 3:6). The key is to get in a team –get connected and start serving alongside others.
Our overall motivation to serve is our love for our Heavenly Father –He has given all for us so our service comes out of hearts that are thankful for His grace and love. It is wonderful to think that He wants us to partner with Him in His work –what a privilege!
This picture of us as members of a body is hugely significant in Paul’s understanding of our purpose as Christians. He picks up on this again in chapter 4 when he talks about the body growing strong and healthy: ‘speaking the truth in love, we will all grow up into him, who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work’(Eph. 4:15–16).
Sometimes people think they are insignificant or not needed – no, you’re needed alright. If you have ever damaged a ligament, you’ll know how important they are. Before you think,‘There are so many others willing to serve – I don’t need to be involved’,stop and think. It’s not just about you, it’s about God and it’s aboutthose around us. You are not just on your own. You have a critical role to play.
When each member plays his or her part – all functioning as God designed –the Church is glorious.It’s the hope of the world and amany-coloured display of the wisdom and grace of God.
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