You're Seeking Motivation for Obedience In the Wrong Place

What do we do with our lives? What should we prioritize? Does God have a plan for our lives? The answer is yes.

The Christian Life as Joining the King’s Mission

Christian life is about joining the king in his mission. It's not about staying out from underneath his judgment. That's gone. Trying not to sin for the rest of my life until Jesus comes back sounds exhausting in the worst kind of way.

But me joining the king in his mission and dying for him sounds invigorating.

Obedience, holiness, loving, serving, all the things that we do and are called to do and should do. None of those things cause God to love us more. That said, why? Right now in terms of our lives on earth, what is the purpose of our obedience and our holiness, our loving and our serving and our giving?

I trust it's pretty clear at this point that the purpose of those things is for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ. It is for the good of my brothers and sisters. It is for the good of my neighbor.

The Purpose of Holiness for the Church and Neighbor

It's for the building up of the body of Christ. It is so that people will taste and see that the Lord is good and that Christ is a savior. I want to pursue holiness so that I can be used of God. I want to pursue holiness so that I'm useful to my brothers and sisters and I'm good for my neighbor.

I want to pursue holiness so that I don't bring reproach upon my savior so that I am not a hindrance to the growth of the church and to the plan of God. Because my wife needs it. My children need it. My church needs it.

My community needs it. Your local church needs this from you.

That's right.

Right?

And God is honored in it. That's why I pursue holiness and obedience. We are about the mission and we live together in outposts of the kingdom of God called local churches. But a lot of people for the Great Commission, it just sounds so ethereal.

The Local Church as an Outpost of the Kingdom

It's like it's so massive in scope. It's like, well, how do I even get involved? Well, let's start at the most basic local level. Your local church is an outpost of the kingdom of God on earth and God has a plan for your life.

And it's called the local church, you know, and how you're going to serve where you are with these people with whom you've locked arms to love each other and to love your neighbors. And then in as much as the Lord gives us this opportunity, we seek to advance the cause of Christ elsewhere.

We're not just trying to get as much pleasure as we can, be as successful as we can, have as much fun as we can, make as much money as we can. That's not our primary focus at all. Our focus is on the kingdom of Christ and the world to come.

Living in Light of the World to Come

And we live in light of that today. Just like the human body has all these parts and every part is needed. One part doesn't do what the other part is supposed to do. Like this whole beautiful arrangement, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.

Let us use them.

Love others by looking at Christ's love for you. Two things happen. The Bible says, the world will know that you're my disciple by the love that you have for one another. And Jesus says, let your light shine that men may see your good works.

And glorify your Father.