Doing What You Were Made to Do

Heith’s story serves as a perfect companion to the subject were discussing this morning—Doing What You Were Made to Do.

Some people may hear that title and think… “Oh, good… This morning and finally get to figure out what I ought to be when I grow up…

Maybe this is the day that I finally figure out how to become a professional fisherman…

Maybe this is the day that I finally turn my love for decadent desserts into a career…

That’s not what were we talking about this morning… No, what were going to be talking about is much more fundamental… And frankly, much more important… than the kind of job for the kind of hobby you want to have…

But before we get in today’s topic I want to place this discussion in the context of what we talked about last month…

At our last Men of Faith breakfast, Pastor Viars talked about important subject of Becoming a Family of Mission

He helped us to understand that it is our job as men… As husbands… as fathers… to live in a mission-oriented way… And to lead our families to do the same…

And he and even encouraged us to craft a family mission statement… And to develop a strategic ministry plan for our families…

It was a very helpful… A very practical discussion…

So… Check up time…

Can I ask… And I’m not looking for anybody to raise their hands… I’m not looking for a witness…

But my question to you is this… Now that a month has passed…

• Did you take Pastor Viars up on his challenge?
• Did you craft a mission statement for your family and develop a strategic ministry plan for your family?
• Did you at least get that conversation started with your family?
• No… You dope…
• There’s probably a kinder way to say that, but I think it gets the point across…

And you say… “Pastor Trey… Why are you talking to us about this?… That was then… This is now… Can’t we just live for the moment?”…

And what’s the answer that question?…

God made you a MAN for a reason…

If there’s been a definite point in your life when you acknowledged your sin and place your faith in Christ… Then he saved you for a reason

He has a purpose for your life…

But if you are going to live out that purpose… You need to give that purpose direction…

And bring all of this up because I believe what really talking about this morning works hand-in-hand with what we talked about last month…

Pastor Viars gave us the big picture view of what it means to live in a mission oriented way

Today… I’m going to tackle that same subject from a different perspective… That really gets into the nitty-gritty of your day-to-day life…

Now before we begin… A couple of disclaimers…

If you have participated in the Christian Life Essentials class… Which is one of the classes we offer as part of our Faith Community Institute… This subject is going to be familiar to you…

But Lord willing, this morning’s discussion among the men here will add another dimension to your understanding of this topic…

For those that haven’t taken the Christian Life Essentials class… This conversation should give you a flavor of what that class is all about…

And I hope it will encourage you to participate in the class when the next section begins on October 11…

Aside Introduction to Faith… I think it’s the most important class we offer on Wednesday evenings…

With that said… I need to ask for your indulgence as we begin this discussion…

I want you to interact with me on what is admittedly a ridiculous illustration…

My car died several weeks ago… And our family is currently in the market for a new vehicle…

INPUT: What kinds of things do you need to do when you’re looking to purchase a new car?

• Research
• Investigate
• Comparison shop
• Test drive
• Negotiate
• Purchase the car
• No
• The car was not designed to wash dishes. That’s not what it was made for…
• Genesis 1:26-28
  • THINK: Listen to this passage and be ready to answer this question:
    • What did God create man to BE?
    • What did God create man to DO?
  • ²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” ²⁷ God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸ God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” ²⁹ Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; ³⁰ and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. ³¹ God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
• INPUT: Based on what we just read… What did God create man to BE? What did God create man to DO?
• No
• Happiness
• Joy
• Peace
• Contentment

Let’s say that you put a lot of time into doing all those things… You finally come to a decision… And after weeks of searching… You actually purchase the car…

And because this was such an effort… You and your family now want to celebrate…

So you make a big meal… Something you all enjoy… Maybe some bacon wrapped cuts of filet mignon… With some great side dishes… And a fabulous dessert… That bread pudding dish that you’ve all been wanting to try…

It’s a wonderful meal… And when you’re done, you say… “Okay, everybody… Grab your dishes and let’s head out to the car…

And this… By the way… Is where it gets ridiculous…

So you bring all of those dishes out to the car… All the messy cookware… And you pile it all inside…

And then… You close the doors and roll down window… And you grab your garden hose…

You bring your garden hose back to the car… Turn it on and put inside that open window…

Then you pour in some cascade dish detergent… And you say… “Alright everybody… Gather around the car… And start rocking back and forth… Let’s get those dishes spotless…”

Now let me ask you…

INPUT: Thumbs up, thumbs down… Does that sound like a reasonable thing to do?

INPUT: What’s going to happen to the car?

INPUT: What’s going to happen to the dishes—will they get clean?

Alright… Now here’s the big question…

INPUT: Why is this a bad idea?

If design is important for machines, then it’s important for us as well.

Our Design

God made man in his image…

That means we are called to be his representatives before creation…

God told Adam that he was to “exercise dominion” over this world…

That he was to… “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

We are called to represent his authority before all creation…

And by the way that we represent him… All of creation should have a better understanding of who God is and what he is like…

In other words…God created humans to be visible representation of the invisible God…

That is what you were designed to do…

And you say… “Well… Thanks for answering the question, Pastor Trey… Can every Men of Faith be this short?”

Obviously… there’s more that we need to say…

It’s one thing to know WHAT you’re supposed to do… It’s quite another thing to understand HOW you’re supposed to do it…

And I would be shortchanging you this morning if and the conversation there…

So, let’s get practical—How do we do this…how do we do what God has designed us to do…

If we’re going to do what we were made to do… Then we orient our lives around the right kind of goal… A goal that helps to set priorities… A goal that helps us figure out the kinds of things we SHOULD do… As well as the kinds of things we SHOULDN’T do…

But let’s be honest… People in this world structure their lives around all kinds of different goals…

Interact with me for a moment…

INPUT: What are some typical goals people in our world strive after?

We do want to pursue just any goal… If we’re going to do what God made us to do… Then we have to understand God’s goal for our lives…

Romans 8:28-29

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

²⁹ For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become

conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

[WALK THROUGH DIAGRAM – WAIT ON BIBLICAL RESPONSE PART]

We’re talking about doing what you were made to do…

And if we understand that God made us in his image so that we might represent him to the world around us…

Then, Romans 8:28-29 tells us that the best way to represent him… Is to become more like him

And this is the process that God is working all throughout our lives…

You might summarize God’s goal for your life like this… “God wants me to become like Christ”

So when someone cuts you off in traffic making you late for an appointment…

When your child disobeys you over an issue that you have discussed repeatedly…

When you get blamed for something at work that wasn’t your fault…

Instead of viewing that as an inconvenience… You need to view it as an opportunity…

A sovereign God is using that set of circumstances as the chosen tool to accomplish his goal for your life at that moment…

He is trying to help you become more like His Son… so instead of complaining about it… instead of blowing up… instead of giving up and becoming bitter…

You need to say… “Bring it on”… because this is designed to make me more like Jesus.

____

But before we go on I have to ask an important question…

INPUT: Is Christ-likeness… The automatic result of the circumstances that God brings into your life… In other words… Does “you” + circumstances automatically equal a “you” that looks more like Jesus…

If we are going to become more like Christ something has to be added to this equation…

And that is a Biblical Response.

We need to understand Christ’s goal…and how to carry out that goal… (Get two volunteers to read passages)

John 6:38… 2 Corinthians 5:9

John 6:38

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

2 Corinthians 5:9

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Matthew 22:34-40

³⁴ But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. ³⁵ One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the great and foremost commandment. ³⁹ The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

___

John 14:23-24

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. ²⁴ He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

John 13:12-17

So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

INPUT: What is the result of living this way?

SUMMARY

“My goal in life is to become like Christ through loving obedience to His Word and sacrificial service to others.”

INPUT: How should these principles guide the way a man relates to his family?

INPUT: How should these principles impact your involvement at church?

INPUT: How should these principles affect the way you handle the challenges and trials you experience?

INPUT: What will be required of you if you are going to live out these principles?