Sermon Tone Analysis

WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU HERE FOR?

WILMINGTON FIRST PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH

FINDING PURPOSE!

WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU HERE FOR? FINDING PURPOSE!

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Paul F. Evans

Introduction (Text: NIV)

“It's one thing to discover you have purpose, another thing to seek to know what your purposes is, and quite another thing to actually discover what it is!”

Many people understand their purpose

-The reason for which they have come into the world, in terms of God's will for them

-They may not even know they have a purpose

-They may not know how to discover what it might be

So how do you find out what the will of God is for your life, and how do know for sure that you have found the right path for your life?

Paul repeatedly affirmed that he was an apostle called by God (; ; ; ; , ; ; ; )

-He did what he did because of God's will and calling on his life

-He labored and worked because of the sense of vocation he had from God

-God had set him apart for the work of the ministry, as an apostle to the Gentiles (, cf. ; , ; )

Even though it took fourteen years for him to really come into the full realization of the ministry, Paul found God’s will for his life ()

-Paul's experience gives us some pointers as to how we might know and find God's will for our lives.

Development (Text: NIV)

1. Start Right!

A. First, knowing and coming to a precise knowledge of God's will is not for the curious or half-invested Christian

-Jesus said that those who do the will of God will have his teaching validated to them by the Spirit of God ()

-You cannot come by a knowledge of God’s will accidently or out of curiosity

-You must desire it and surrender to God for salvation and service

-God requires your trust, surrender and obedience

-This requires faith and trust in God!

-We must present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice and refuse to be conformed to the world ()

-God will and can only use you if you are fully surrendered to him and are willing to allow him to shape your life

-We do not choose God or God's will, he chooses us, as Jesus reminded his disciples, whom he made apostles ()

B. Secondly, we cannot know and will not be able to perform God's will if we are not prepared to live a sanctified life (; )

-It is first of all God's will for you to surrender to him and to be sanctified.

-That means that the first order of business is holiness as a lifestyle choice!

-If you have habitual sin in your life, you will not be able to effectively serve God or know his will - read

C. Thirdly, the will of God will not be revealed to those who only dabble in the things or God, or who only have a curiosity about God's will for them

-God's will is not revealed to the curious, only to the serious!

-Those who stand firm and are prepared to persevere will find and know the will of God ()

-Those who grumble and complain and are ungrateful are already out of God's will… need not think that they will be shown it () D. Fourthly, don't think that God will reveal his will to if you are not serving him in the ordinary and routine duties of your life or ministry in the church ()! -We must do the will of God's from our hearts and not be slackers and lazy

-Despite the number of people who want to be ordained into ministry or to be given a license, God does not call or equip the lazy

-You will not find the will of God until you are already busy in the work of his kingdom (; ).

2. Proceed as you Mean to Go On!

A. How can I find God's specific will for me, and how can I know what it is?

-There are three "lights" that should line up to indicate that you have found the will of God for your life

B. A felt need and ability to meet the need: Sometimes we feel and overwhelming conviction that comes from God about a need that exists in the kingdom or the world

-We may also feel that we have the ability and/or resources to meet that need

C. The Word of God and witness of the Spirit: In the course of sorting through our feelings and sense that God maybe calling us, the Lord is likely to put a firm conviction in our hearts, and further verify it by speaking to us through his Word

-Others may recognize gifts and callings in us that they share, and that may serve to confirm God's will

-Gifts of the Spirit may be exercised to help guide us

-But we must not act until we have sensed the confirmation of God through his Spirit and Word personally

-God will not have someone tell you what his will is, if he is not or has not first started talking to you about it!

D. The open door (even closed door) and opportunity given by God: If God is leading you to do his will he is going to give you opportunity and open a door for ministry and service

-He will begin to open and close doors in your life to guide you into the right place at the right time to obey him and do his will

-Never force a door open or shut, leave that to the Holy Spirit

-Obey quickly and do not let the trail go cold through procrastination or laziness!

Conclusion (Text: -2NIV)