Examining The Purpose-Driven Ministry (part 2) - [Titus 1:9]

Bethlehem Bible Church

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Well last week. I started talking about it, and you know people are I guess Probably wondering why

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I'm doing this well. I have two reasons number one is because starting next week I won't be teaching Sunday school for a while, so I don't want to start another

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Series well, we're going to be doing our summer series But the other thing is

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I just you know as I I read I think the first Nine ten chapters of the book till I had so much information.

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I knew I couldn't get through it all anyway But I did a little research this book the purpose driven life has sold between 25 and 52 million copies depending on who you listen to Which makes it now

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I? Have to retract something I said, I think I said it was the best -selling book of all time besides the Bible That's not quite true.

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It is the best -selling nonfiction hardback Issued on a Thursday of all time

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Leave out the Thursday part to give you some kind of idea I mean, that's a lot yet a book is sold a lot if it sells a million copies

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The Da Vinci code which if you've ever seen it is not you know all that marvelous a book

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But it's fiction and it sold a lot which was 80 million, but this book

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I think 52 million is probably accurate. I think 25 million. Maybe just the United States, but listen

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It's been translated into 56 languages 56 languages and really what started me looking at it was the interview with John Piper and John Piper is sitting down with Rick Warren, and it's something they agreed to do a year ago when

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John Piper interviewed Rick or invited Rick Warren to his His conference yet Desiring God conference

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I wanted to call it purpose driven conference That's what made me laugh the Desiring God conference and had

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Rick Warren speak, but Rick Warren didn't make it to Minnesota so he did it via satellite so now this time

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John Piper went to Rick Warren's campus there in Southern, California, and they did this interview, and I thought it was intriguing because basically

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I Rewatched it and listened to it Again and I would just say that John Piper Really gave a full

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Endorsement to this book. I mean he had one or two difficult questions, but here's what he said in the beginning he said he wanted to do an appreciative interview

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About the book and I'm going appreciative in other words. He really liked the book and he wanted Rick Warren to know that I Appreciative critique is what he said he said that the purpose -driven life had been slandered by a lot of Conservatives and that John this is

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John Piper said that he went through the book with a fine -toothed comb and had 20 pages of notes He says he cares about the other things that Warren Rick Warren focuses on and It's for the sake of those things that he's interviewing

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Warren and Piper specifically Mentions Rick Warren's peace program how many of you are familiar with Rick Warren's peace program?

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Peace porridge hot peace porridge cold Okay Let me tell you what it stands for that's an acronym

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You know where each of the letters stands for something. Here's what peace stands for promote reconciliation

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Equip servant leaders assist the poor Care for the sick educate the next generation

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Those are the five points promote reconciliation equip servant leaders assist the poor care for the sick educate the next generation

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Now who could say that those are bad things raise your hand if you think those are bad things I don't think they're bad things. I Think it's good to promote reconciliation to equip servant leaders assist the poor care for the sick educate the next generation

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But this is from the peace website imagine thousands of churches and individuals around the world

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Communicating and working together in one central place as one body to help those in need

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What if there was a way for ordinary people people like you and me to make an extraordinary? Connection and a lasting difference in the world if you've ever imagined joining a movement of people dedicated to serving

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But weren't sure who to contact or how to begin start here Welcome to the peace plan your portal to a world of difference enter and discover just how powerful you can be

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What seems to be missing from that? God Christ the gospel

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I mean Here, I just thought you know what that's something that I could expect the

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Boy Scouts to endorse The Girl Scouts to endorse the Kiwanis Club to endorse anybody could endorse that It almost means nothing and it's certainly not something

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I would expect someone who is Christ driven who is

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Christ centered who is Gus a gospel preacher to spend their time and focus their energy on now he quotes

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Piper does several passages where Rick Warren stresses the glory of God he has one quote he says

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Where Rick Warren writes in this book right here? Page 53 and I quote the ultimate goal of the universe is to show the glory of God I Have to agree with that there are a lot of things

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I mean if you looked at my notes here, you'd see I put a lot of exclamation points in things

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I Mean for example if you have a relationship with God through Jesus. You don't need to fear death I Mean I've been thinking about death a lot lately, and you know if you know

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Christ Death is not something that you need to fear if you don't know him.

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It's a terrible thing Page 56

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Page 56 of this book you know somebody asked me. Why do you suppose Piper's doing this? I don't really know other than what he said

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Piper said that he He really liked the book and he wanted to promote the peace plan.

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You know wanted to endorse Rick Warren's other functions But I thought it was interesting on page 56 of the purpose -driven life

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Rick Warren says this John Piper notes. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him, so You know

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Warren endorsed Piper so maybe he's returning the favor. I don't know But I thought it was interesting during that same interview with Piper and Warren How many have listened to that anybody?

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Warren Rick Warren says That Jonathan Edwards is the most brilliant mind

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America has ever produced, and he says you know he's even smarter than Einstein He's the smartest guy. He goes. I'm not talking about theologians.

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I'm talking about He's the most of course I think Einstein was born in the United States, but that's neither here nor there

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That'd be picking at knits, and I don't want to do that He goes on to say Rick Warren does that his grandfather was converted under the ministry of Spurgeon And you know what if you read this book you'll find out that he also quotes

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Matthew Henry, and he quotes a few other notable men of the

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Christian faith Doesn't quote Jonathan Edwards Who's had a big impact on him, but I I digress

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Now here's the question this morning does the purpose -driven life stand up to John Piper's praise for it

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And stand up for to its praise for it The purpose of the book again from Rick Warren's own

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Pages here. It's a 40 day spiritual journey to figure out your purpose in life

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He says this will reduce your stress Simplify your decisions increase your satisfaction and prepare you for eternity

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Now in the beginning of the book he says it's not about you, but let me read that again This will reduce your stress simplify your decisions increase your satisfaction and prepare you for eternity well it sounds very practical

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What makes the 40 days so important the 40 -day period so important again?

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This is from the book Quote the Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period

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I'll go on whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes He took 40 days, and he cites

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Noah, and he has all these different examples Did God ever use anyone for his purposes that he didn't prepare for 40 days?

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Saul on the road to Damascus, I mean there are there are so many So many examples, but that's not what he said, and I mean this is a quote

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He says the Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purposes.

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There's no exclusion to that He says and I put then this bombshell quote the next 40 days will transform your life

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You read that book in 40 days it will transform your life. I read it for a couple.

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I didn't change my I Guess I need the full 40 Rick Warren says

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I'm excited because I Know all the great things that are going to happen to you

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They happen to me, and I have never been the same since I discovered the purpose of my life

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Let me ask you this for anyone here this morning. When did you discover the purpose of your life?

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No, no, I'm not talking about salvation. When did you discover the purpose of your life? That's it I Mean it really does get muddled, and that's one of the problems with the book

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What is the purpose of your life, when did you discover it you know? I'm not asking what day you got saved.

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I'm asking for what day you discovered your purpose It and he really does kind of blend the two

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Now you have to know that I'm a little bit odd a little different And I say now that I wrote now.

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This is funny to me because here. Here's some of the things he says you know and He's gonna later decry

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Following money and all these other things, but listen to this These are some of the things that you can purchase this from page 11 the purpose -driven with a registered

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You know trademark sign there the purpose -driven life scripture keeper plus The purpose -driven life journal and there's some other odds and ends

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You know you can buy because you can't keep your journal in some regular pieces of paper or on the computer yet to have a purpose driven life journal

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Anyway chapter 1 and we're just going to go through a few chapters, and then I'm going to get to a summary of this whole thing

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Chapter 1 it all starts with God now. I agree with that and listen to this quote I agree with this too. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose

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Who can disagree with that? in the

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Piper interview he told Piper that his

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Book was or that this book was written for Christians Now I'm gonna take his word for it that he wrote this he says in the in the interview

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He says that he wrote this book to accompany something that his church has been doing for years and years

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Which is this 40 days of purpose and so the idea was for Christians to use this book to help them

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Through this 40 -day program now. I want you to keep that in mind that this book

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He says the author says and authorial intent, that's the main thing it was written for Christians Now with that in mind listen to this quote

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The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point ourselves

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We ask self -centered questions like what do I want to be what should I do with my life?

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What are my goals my ambitions my dreams for my future But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life's purpose

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Contrary to what many popular books movies and seminars will tell you you won't discover your discover life's meaning by looking within yourself

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Can you see a problem with that Writing to Christians and telling them look you're not going to find the purpose for your life go into movies go to seminars reading books

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Self -help books and stuff like that. What's the problem? He's just disqualified himself from Yeah, he's saying he's saying you won't find it you won't find the purpose of life in popular books

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But go ahead and read my book If you're a

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Christian, and that's again. That's the presupposition underlying this entire book then you would automatically know well gee

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I thought you know when I went and saw Beauty and the Beast by Walt Disney that I was going to discover the person what a letdown

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I Slapped down my eight bucks, and I thought that was going to unlock the key to happiness Yeah The benefits of the gospel which might be social justice with the gospel itself

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And if you listen to Piper for years, which I did for a long time He really talks a lot about social justice, and I wonder if that's partly why his love for that Which is a good thing and often a secondary benefit, but not the gospel and people push that as the gospel

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Yeah, I think that's a great point a lot of people confuse the benefits of the gospel Say for example social justice with the gospel itself

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If this was a Christian nation for example would we have to concern ourselves with?

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racial injustice Economic injustice you know all these kind of injustices No Because we would the church would take care of things the government would be less involved in our personal lives

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And we wouldn't have to worry about those things because we would treat everybody right because at the foot of the cross.

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We're all equal Let's see at some point in the

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Piper interview Warren says he believes in the sovereignty of God And then

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I with that as a foundation listen this from page 18 You were made for God not vice -versa okay, and life is about letting

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God use you for his purposes Not you're using him for your own purpose

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So again taking his statement as truth that this was written for Christians and that's

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You know he believes in the sovereignty of God can a Christian use God for his own purposes

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You could try, but I mean you can't really you know. I mean we're talking about almost like charismatic

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TBN stuff Let's see Has anybody?

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Now again listen to this you were made for God not vice versa and life is about letting God use you for his purposes

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Well can someone refuse to let God use them for his purposes, and I think let's open the

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Bible How about Romans chapter 9 and? Here's just a couple places where I wonder how this would kind of fit into this paradigm, and I like to use the word paradigm because It's such a cool business term.

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You know shift your paradigm who moved my cheese and Right up there is the purpose driven life.

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That's that kind of Romans 9 verses 15 to 18 and who would read that place Bruce so did

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Pharaoh yield himself to God's purposes They say my life is yours

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God use me as you will That's exactly backwards How about this one?

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judges 14 Judges 14 verses 1 to 4 and these are just two examples.

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You know I'm just sitting there at my computer going What's a good example? It's a great example many of you are familiar with the

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Story of Samson would someone read verses 1 to 4 of judges 14, please

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Go ahead Casey Then he came up and told his father and mother

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I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah Now get her for me as my wife

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But his father and mother said to him is there not a woman among the God take a wife from the uncircumcised

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Philistines, but Samson said to his father get her for me where she is right in my eyes

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His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord He was seeking an opportunity against the

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Philistines at that time the Philistines ruled over Israel So Samson's decision to violate the law of God was of the

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Lord So that the Philistines and the Israelites would be separated Again was

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Samson yielding his life to God's purpose No, God was working his purpose out through Samson in spite of Samson Samson wasn't being obedient.

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We could go through the whole story of Samson Samson's entire life is one of disobedience until the very end

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So I I just I don't think that's accurate. I think it's wrong to to say

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Life is about letting God use you for I think it's right to say life is about honoring

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God life is about glorifying God it's about obeying God but more than anything else it's about Salvation it's about sanctification.

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It's about these issues. Well, listen to this right after this he cites Romans 8 6 in The the message version.

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I like somebody to Read that this is right after he talks about you were made for God I like someone to read

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Romans 8 Versus 6 to 8 in whatever version you have and then we're gonna compare it with the message

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Go ahead Gil 8 6 to 8

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Okay now listen to the message Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end

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Attention to God leads us out into the open into a spacious free life Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores

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God ends up thinking more about self than God That person ignores who God is and what he is doing.

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God isn't pleased at being ignored It is psychology, but what it's not is any kind of remotely

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Serious translation. I mean you can you can listen to what I said and compare that I don't care what version you have this morning if you brought in the watchtower version of the

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Bible It is gonna be more accurate than that This is something dr. Phil could love.

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It's not something that God wrote And I don't know how anyone who considers themselves a preacher of the gospel could use something as Abominable as that and especially to say to support the idea and it comes right after it

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He's trying to support it and you have to look at the footnotes, you know The end notes and all this but he's trying to support this point

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You were made for God and not vice -versa life is about letting God use your first Purpose is not about using him for your own purpose.

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And then we go through that message quote In fact, I had to look at it because my

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Bible software I was pleased to find out doesn't even have the message So I hadn't again, I mean it has all these different English translations even the

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New Living Translation all these other things But it didn't have the message so I had to go online to find it and cut and paste that Verse 19 this is not

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Rick Warren says this is not a self -help book It is not about finding the right career achieving your dream dreams or Planning your life

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It is about becoming what God created you to be and he suggests that there are two ways to find out

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What God created you to be one is speculation. You can just guess and the second is revelation

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I'm like, okay good. We're getting somewhere We're gonna head to terra firma the scripture

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However, page 20 next page says he has clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives throughout the

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Bible And I could list the five purposes, but it's not really important But my point would be this

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He says he's clearly revealed his five purposes for our lives through the Bible effect. I could tell you what they are

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I've got them on this other sheet of paper Love God with all your heart true. Love your neighbor as yourself true go and make disciples true baptize them into The family of God fine and then teach them to do all things.

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I Would say each of those principles is true. The question is Are those clearly revealed as the five purposes for Christians throughout the

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Bible and I don't think so I mean we would never find Paul saying, you know open Ephesians chapter 1 and Paul saying here are the five purposes for Christians number one

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And what you find consistently in this Bible is it is not a

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God -absorbed Gospel filled Christ centered Christ exalting book.

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This is a book that kind of Once in a while refers to Christ, but its main focus is on you even though the book says it's not about you

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Chapter number two you are not an accident. I Think that's true.

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You are not an accident. He says he has a reason for everything he creates true verse 24 you were created as a special object of God's love

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But quote God made you so he could love you Now if the book was written for believers there's some truth to this but doesn't it just make

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God seem lonely and That's kind of the theme throughout this. We see God presented in the purpose -driven life as What I said before when someone else spoke at his church is kind of a heavenly hand ringer

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Pulling for you Hoping that you'll do the right thing But having absolutely no confidence in that and again, you know, we've talked about this many times

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But open your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 1 Well, I'm thinking about it, you know if you want to know the purpose and we'll get to another purpose

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I think I think I did this to you later. Yes But you know you want to know the purpose of your life

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I think Ephesians chapter 1 is a much better choice than the purpose -driven life, you know If we're talking about, you know,

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Pastor Mike will say something like good better best, you know, there are good books There are better books.

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There are the best books This doesn't quite make the good category So I wouldn't recommend that you

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Spend your time doing that but look at Ephesians chapter 1 again as you well know

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He greets the Ephesians in verses 1 and 2 and then in chapter or in verse 3 He starts expounding or just kind of exploding in praise

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Because of salvation. I'm not going to read the whole section, but just listen to Verse 6 to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved.

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Okay. Why do you create us? the praise of his glorious grace Why did he save us

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I guess we could say And then at the end of verse 12 So that we who are the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory at the end of verse 14

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Who is the guarantee talking about the Holy Spirit of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it to the praise of his glory?

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God saved us so that he might be glorified that we might be objects of his love true

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But he didn't create us so he could love us. He created us That we might be

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Mindful of all that he's done or he saved us that we might be mindful of all that he has done for us

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Chapter number three and I'm going to move quickly Chapter number three what drives your life? now this is just a horrific chapter

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Warren offers many things that motivate people now again. He wrote this to believers.

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I want you to ask yourself. Does this motivate believers? Many many people are driven by guilt

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They often unconsciously punish themselves by sabotaging their own success

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When Cain sinned his guilt disconnected him from God's presence Let's look at Genesis 4 9 to 14 and I just again and again

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It's just sad, but you can't trust what he says about The Bible you have to look for yourself.

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You have to be a Berean this falls under the you know Be a Berean search the scriptures and see if these things are true

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Titus 1 9, you know exam these things See whether or not they need to be refuted. This stuff is dangerous.

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Many people are driven by guilt. Let's look at Genesis 4 verses 9 to 14 9 to 14 and who has that?

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Go ahead Chris He said what have you done?

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Okay, now

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I'm gonna read what Warren said again and see if that sounds right to you when Cain sinned his guilt disconnected him from God's presence

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Was it his guilt that disconnected him from God's presence or was it? Punishment from God God's judgment on him for his sin and he really does

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Consistently minimize sin listen to some of these things he says here For example,

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God specializes in giving people a fresh start. I mean that sounds like I Mean, let's let's assume that he's talking about salvation for a moment

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But I to me it just sounds like salvation is like bankruptcy, you know You declare bankruptcy you get a fresh start you get saved you get a fresh start.

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That's really not Quite Right. Listen this next motivation for people many people are driven by fear

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Fear is a self -imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends you to be

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Now is that from does that sound like it's from a pastor or a sound like it's Oprah You need to shake the bonds of fear

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Many people are driven by materialism. And again, I ask can a Christian be Driven by materialism people are driven by materialism is true

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But someone who understands the gospel someone who's actually read their Bible would not be motivated by materialism,

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I Mean, you know, who are there who are the so -called Christians that are driven by materialism? You know, my dad likes to tell the story.

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My dad is not a Christian. He likes to tell the story about Reverend Ike You know one of these old movers and shakers who used to come into town and tell people that the reason he drives a

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Cadillac is so that people will ask him how he got it and he can tell him about God You know you drive the best cars.

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Why so the people see what a great God you serve Yeah, I mean

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Warren says he believes in total depravity he says a lot of things But I think we're gonna see that that's not true, but I have to keep moving.

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You're absolutely right But this many people are driven by the need for approval Can Christians be driven by the need for approval

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I think so driven by the need for God's approval But I mean, you know, I mean just wanting to please him but listen to this

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They allow the expectations of others to control their lives I don't know all the keys to success

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But one key to failure is to try to please everyone Being controlled by the opinions of others is a guaranteed way to miss

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God's purposes for your life and again, I think that may be true, but it's not a People who understand the

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Bible should be able to say to themselves. I know it's wrong I know I shouldn't seek after the approval of others

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But here's my bigger question When he says being controlled by the opinions of others is a guaranteed way to miss

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God's purposes for your life If you are a believer, can you miss God's purpose for your life?

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You know, I said the previous one was psych 101 this is psych 201 Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.

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He says and I'm like, well, how about knowing Christ gives meaning to your life? He says hope is it as essential to your life as air and water you need hope to cope

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You can do a whole sermon on that. You need hope to cope And that's dope Well, so this now he says dr.

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Bernie Siegel found that he could predict which of his cancer patients would go into remission by asking

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Do you want to live to be a hundred? those with a deep sense of Life purpose answered.

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Yes, and we're the ones most likely to survive now again. He's running to Christians You go to cancer patients and you say do you want to live to be a hundred and they say yes

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And those who said yes are more likely to live What does that do with the gospel and we don't know whether these cancer patients are saved or not saved

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They want to live to be a hundred a lot of people don't want to die If I you know, if someone's holding a gun to my head and I they said do you want to live to be a hundred?

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I'm probably gonna say yes But Bernie Siegel is not even a Christian Nice source, you know great source

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How about this knowing your purpose simplifies your life People who don't know their purpose try to do too much and that causes stress fatigue and conflict

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It is impossible to do everything people want you to do. You have just enough time to do God's will

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How do you know you're not doing God's will because you're too busy You've got to cut things out of your life and you know what?

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I'm not making that up listen knowing your purpose focuses your life and then he quotes Henry David Thoreau I think he was a

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Christian If you if you want your life to have impact This is not the quote from Thoreau if you want your life to have impact focus it stop dabbling do less prune away even good activities

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Is that the right approach to sanctification, you know when I can't get everything done I need to do I think I'm gonna drop kick studying the scripture.

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It's a good thing, but I don't have time for it Rick Warren says I need to get rid of stuff. I Want to stop cleaning the house,

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I'm not gonna go to work. I don't have time for it I'm not gonna serve at the church You know,

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I'm too busy Now this is a quote that ought to just kind of it ought to bring up goose bumps on your arm

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Listen this knowing your purpose prepares you for eternal life. I Know my purpose.

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I mean, I think a lot of people in history have known their purpose and probably are not enjoying eternal life right now Can you think of a few?

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Hitler probably knew his purpose He knew exactly what he wanted to do he never had any doubt never wavered

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I don't think he's in heaven Didn't really prepare him for eternal life Chapter 4 made to last forever page 39.

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You may feel it's morbid to think about death But actually it's unhealthy to live in denial of death and not consider.

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What is inevitable Unhealthy I Feel like I'm on 12 steps again.

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I Do believers deny or ignore death Disappointed a man wants to die and then to judgment.

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I mean this this is just basic Bible stuff chapter 5 seeing life from God's view

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Quote one of the best ways to understand other people is to ask them. How do you see your life? You will discover as many different answers to that question as there are people like what

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Well, let me ask you this what do you think about that approach to getting to know people to getting to understand about them? Understand them.

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One of the best ways to understand people other people is to ask them. How do you see your life? You will discover as many different answers to that question as there are people.

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Is that how you you know? Well, let me tell you let me just ask you something so I can get to know you a little bit How do you understand your life?

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I? Think that's a pretty odd way for a minister to do things And here's what I would say if you want to understand people

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Walk them down the Romans Road if they're nodding in agreement when you talk about the universal condemnation of mankind under sin if They're nodding their head when they say, you know all of sin to fall short of the glory of God There's no one who seeks after God.

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No, not one. The the penalty for sin is death If they're nodding their head during that then you're getting to know them

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If they understand that their salvation in Christ alone Then you're getting to know them if they don't know that then what is the one thing you know about them that they?

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What's their biggest problem in life? It's not fear. It's not concerned about pleasing other people.

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It's not all these other things. It's They stand condemned before God and so you can get to know them all you want

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But I'd suggest that you should probably preach the gospel to them Rick Warner says this life on earth is a trust

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Jesus often referred to life as a trust and told many stories to illustrate their responsibility towards God Yeah, I can think of a lot of times where Jesus said life is a trust

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Actually, I can't think of a single time. He said that But listen to this summary of the parable of the talents

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If you treat everything as a trust God promises three rewards in heaven And I'm just like again a very he does very novel things with these parables of the talents

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I think the problem is what that one of the guys who got a talent did what with it I? Mean he he didn't lose it

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But he doesn't even cover that because he just presumes that everybody's gonna use there's chapter 6 life is a temporary assignment

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The Bible says quote we are Christ's ambassadors Sadly now again listen to this and here he uses the word

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Christians. So we know he's talking about Christians Sadly many Christians have betrayed their king and his kingdom

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They have foolishly concluded that because they live on earth. It's their home. It is not Is that true

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Do Christians betray their king and their kingdom and his kingdom? I don't know that doesn't sound like Christians to me.

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I Like to get into heaven Lord. Why should I let you in I was a traitor I? don't know

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Then he gives a missionary story, I won't even repeat that it's just kind of goofy Chapter 7 the reason for everything

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Page 54 Jesus came to earth so we could fully understand God's glory is that true?

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Me he vaguely refers to John chapter 1 But do we fully understand the glory of God is?

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God's glory Fully comprehensible to a finite human mind No, and in fact you could write entire books about that which would be a much better book than this to read

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We should be focused on the glory of God and all that he's done on our behalf But here's here's the next thing and I want to just spend a few minutes on this

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Let's do this quote Jesus honored God by fulfilling his purpose on earth and then he refers to John 17 for Let's look at John 17 for and in fact

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We're gonna be in John 17 for just a minute or two John 17 for Jesus saying

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I Glorified you on earth talking to the Father praying to him having accomplished the work that you gave me to do

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Well, okay, he did that he fulfilled his purpose on earth. Yes now listen We honor

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God the same way by fulfilling our purpose In the same way as Jesus well, let's read

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John 17 verses 5 to 8. Let's just keep reading here and Now father glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed

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I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world Yours they were and you gave them to me and they have kept your word

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Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you For I have given them the words that you gave me and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I Came from you and they have believed that you sent me

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Now my question is Do we fulfill our purpose? Or can we fulfill our purpose the same way that Christ did from eternity past?

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Do we know exactly what we were to do? He says we can and he gives the example of ants

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Of course says God made ants to be ants and he made you to be you I like what Phil Johnson said during this radio show.

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I listened to about this. He said Phil Johnson said well I Know that I was you know

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Because another way Rick Morris says this is you know You got wired you in a certain way and you need to go with that and Phil Johnson says

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I was wired to be a sinner Now, let's read

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John 12 27 and 28 and Then we're gonna see how he handles that.

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I'm gonna go kind of backwards into this one John 12 verses 27 and 28

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Now as my soul troubled and what shall I say father saved me from this hour

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But for this purpose, I have come to this hour father glorify your name Then a voice came from heaven.

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I have glorified it and I will glorify it again Okay, here's what

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Rick Warren says Jesus stood at a fork in the road

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Would he fulfill his purpose and bring glory to God or would he shrink back and live a comfortable self -centered life

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Apparently Jesus up till the age of 30 was living on a couch playing Xbox 360 and then he kicked into him

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This is just terrible that shrink back and live a comfortable self -centered life. You face the same choice

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Will you live for your own goals comfort and pleasure or will you live the rest of your life for God's glory?

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and this is the kind of Moralism, you know be like Jesus what would

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Jesus do that it we need to focus on the cross and what Jesus did and Not kind of compare ourselves to him and say well, you know

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Jesus had to make a decision whether he was going to obey the father or not Well, was there any doubt about whether God or whether Jesus was going to obey?

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No, you know, what's missing in this book? We don't know who Jesus is. We don't know that he's fully God fully man

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We don't know a lot of things about him. We don't know why he died for sinners There are so many things missing for this book any and he says well, you know, it's because it was written for Christians Yeah, Christians need to do

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Christians need to hear the gospel. I think they do Now listen to this Again, tell me tell me if this sounds like it was written to Christians page 58

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God will give you what you need if you will just make the choice to live for him

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It's good to be good and God likes good people so be good so that God can give you what you need That's that's bad news

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I'm glad that God didn't wait for me to choose to live for him I'm glad that God doesn't say well

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Steve, you know, I've got a lot of blessings in store for you if You will confess me and Then of course again written for Christians the prayer of salvation

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Jesus I believe in you and and I receive you then he goes on to say if you sincerely meant that prayer

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Congratulations. Welcome to the family of God And then he says

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I urge you to tell someone about it you're going to need support and and you know like what

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You know again Kiwanis Lions Club 12 -step group, it's not you know, it's kind of ambivalent later on in the group or in the in the book he talks about Church, but he says, you know what?

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That's not really where you get community you have to be in a small group if you're not in a small group, you're really not going to grow and That's way later in the book totally disconnected from this chapter 8 plan for God's pleasure

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The moment you were born in this this is the worst the moment you were born into the world God was there as an unseen witness smiling at your birth anybody think of where it talks

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Bible talks about God smiling I Couldn't find it Now he says

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Page 64 God loves delights gets pleasure enjoys and even laughs and again

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I had to look at the end notes because I thought he isn't really gonna say what I think he's gonna say is he

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Psalm 2 is correct Let's turn to Psalm 2 and let's just kind of this is how seriously

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I Mean that this is how poorly

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Rick Warren handles the Bible Psalm chapter 2 does talk about God laughing, but let's listen starting at verse 1

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Why do the nation's rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together

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Against the Lord and against his anointed saying let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us

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He who sits in the heavens laughs The Lord holds them in derision

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He's mocking these people who say they're gonna stand up to him And whenever I I mean again

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I did a word search and there's a reason why he doesn't have a better verse because there is no better verse All the other verses are

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God laughing in derision at his enemies How about Psalm 59 8 it says this

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But you Oh Lord laugh at them. You hold all the nation's in derision. I Mean there's an absolutely no picture of God laughing, you know at the

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Obedience of his children. He just gets real chuckle out of him And that's the picture that he paints, you know

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He has kids and he knows how he feels about his kids. And so God feels the same way about his kids

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He talks about in chapter 9 about Noah and about how Noah made him smile and that's why he saved

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Noah and Finally, let's just do one more.

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Let's look at Hosea 6 6 Hosea 6 6 for I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings and He used this

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Passage and then he says this and in fact, he just used the first part of it for I devour desire steadfast love

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And I'm sure you some bad version of it But then he says can you sense God's passion for you in this verse?

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God deeply loves you and desires your love in a return. He longs for you to know him and to spend time with him

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And again, I don't really think that cuts it in context Let's go back to verse 4

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What shall I do with you? Oh Ephraim. What shall I do with you? Oh Judah, your love is like a morning cloud like the dew that goes early away

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Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets I have slain them by the words of my mouth and my judgment goes forth as the light for I desire

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Steadfast love and not sacrifice the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings and I'll tell you what

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If he wants the knowledge of God, you won't get it again by reading that book it's just there's a great review and I don't even obviously have time to do it and Great review on the nine mark site about this book and I printed it up and made some notes on it, too

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And really good But again, what is missing is a clear presentation of the gospel a clear presentation of sin

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Why you need to be saved anything else like that and he can say That it's written for Christians, but there are a lot of things that undercut that but the main thing is let's say it was written

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For Christians What are we trying to do here we say in light of the cross in light of the truth of the gospel

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This is how we should live Not this is how we should live Separated from the gospel, which is what he does.

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Anyway, we have to have a coherent life a coherent gospel driven

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Christ driven life not a purpose driven life. Let's pray Father I just pray that you would make a students of your word those who would look

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Deeply into it those who would desire to read good books books written by men who would exalt

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Christ Who would faithfully proclaim the gospel who would divide rightly the Word of God?

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Who would seek to glorify you as you deserve to be glorified? they would

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Indeed picture you on the throne and us as your Slaves sons.

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Yes daughters. Yes, but slaves those who have been redeemed from the family of Satan as it were

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Father would you cause us each to Reflect again and again at your goodness in saving us not because we went first because we couldn't