Living on Purpose — David Smith

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Services with. There will be two messages here this morning. The first message is brought to us by brother David Smith. He is the pastor of the congregation in Brunson, Michigan. We have known David for a few years.

He has been among us different times here at Bible school and different functions and we recommend this brother to you as one who loves the Lord and We have asked him to come and have the first message here this morning.

God bless you, brother David. You can come and share at this time. Good morning everybody.

Living for the Glory of God

In Psalm 96 David exhorts us Oh sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord bless his name. Show forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen his wonders among all people.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised. He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him. Strength and beauty in his sanctuary.

Give unto the Lord. Oh ye kindreds of the people given to the Lord glory and strength. Given to the Lord the glory due unto his name bring an offering and come into his courts. Oh Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Fear before him all the earth. Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth. Lord we declare your glory right now. We declare that our God reigneth and Lord our hearts bow before you to worship you in the beauty of your holiness God.

It's not our holiness father. It's your holiness and you are beautiful this morning. Lord God open our eyes this morning to behold wondrous things from your law. Lord we bless your name this morning. We ascribe to you glory and strength.

For you alone are worthy father. I Pray for your blessing upon your word Lord Jesus truly it is life to us father. It is not a vain thing. For it is our life and We cling to you Lord in Jesus name. Amen, please turn with me to John chapter 12.

Moving Beyond Personal Feelings

We're going to start reading in verse 20. But before we do for some opening thoughts here, you know with many people this week Having come to the cross for the first time. Discovering the peace and the joy that their hearts had been longing for or discovering that The the true rest in their souls that had been lacking there's a tendency for us to Continue dwelling on our personal needs how we feel about how we're doing or to keep seeking.

A feeling to pursuing peace, you know, the the way to peace is not to be crying out for peace. The way to rest in our souls and not to be crying out for rest in our souls. It's to be looking to the Lord Jesus and My heart is as our brother shared this morning that that there'd be something to carry you beyond the exuberance and enthusiasm of this week and By the grace of God, I I desire to point us all in a direction that will carry us beyond an Emotional feeling because there were some that had stronger emotional feelings than others this week.

But that doesn't validate or discount their experience and You know in conversion Let's just admit it. There is an inherent sense or Aspect of self-preservation. I don't deny that the drowning person's greatest need is that he get rescued at that moment and all he can think about is himself at that time and his fear and his despair and hopelessness.

Thank God that God gives us an awareness of those personal needs. But you know what if we're really going to go on in the Christian life. We've got to live for a purpose higher than our own than our own inner sense of wellness or our own feelings.

We've got to have a purpose greater than living for one of our own pleasure or Satisfaction and I would like to direct our sights to a to a higher purpose than those things this morning. Can I just say I want to exhort us to live on purpose today?

Measuring Every Step by God’s Glory

Living on purpose and every step that we take we want to be gauging against that purpose that is set forth by the Word of God for our lives and Every step we're taking is either taking us closer to that goal or it's it's steering us to the side or taking us back.

There's just no way to stand still in the Christian life. May I suggest as the psalmist has Exhorted us that we live for the glory of God and Every step that we take We measure against that goal is this step I'm taking is this thought I'm thinking is this word I'm saying going to give glory to God.

Young people we need to get past living life for our own pleasure whether you're still Yet to come to Christ or even if you have come to Christ. We've got to get beyond that in John chapter 12. We're going to start reading in verse 20.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast. The same came therefore to Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee and desired him saying sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus and Jesus answered them saying The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified now if I could just stop there and Just invite us to put ourselves in the place of the disciples at this point in time.

They've just come through the the triumphal entry. They've they've seen what they believe to be the ushering in of their King and I can just imagine That they're just thinking as Jesus says these words now is the time that the Son of Man should be glorified.

They're thinking ah, yes. Our moment is here. And I believe Jesus was even tempted to think when those people were bowing before him and waving the palm Branches and crying Hosanna that the devil was tempting him with this very thought.

Ah, yes now is the time and you know many of Many a zealous young Bible school students full of zeal and full of new life and full of a passion for God and a burden for souls is going to be tempted with this very same thing as God begins to Bless your work and bless you the the ministry that that's in your heart to do.

You're going to be tempted to think ah, yes. Now is my time. But let's keep reading. This is what Jesus meant When he said the hours come that the Son of Man should be glorified. He said verily verily I say unto you Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone.

But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit and I can just imagine them wondering What? What does he mean by this? So let's meditate on this for a minute. Well, we'll continue I guess well, let's let's just keep reading through verse The first part of verse 28 and then we'll come back.

But Jesus said he that loveth his life shall lose it and He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there I there Shall also my servant be.

If any man serve me him will my father honor. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say father save me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour father glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it glorify it again.

The Humility and Self-Sacrifice of Christ

I'm taking note this morning of Jesus Real disregard for his own fame in his own glory. Oh Brothers and sisters, can we get a grasp of this? Can we truly? Embrace the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ that his true and one passion was that the father would glorify his name.

This is how the Son of Man would be glorified verse 24. Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone. But if it die it bringeth forth much fruit. This he was speaking of of his death the work that God was going to fulfill and paying the price for our sins Would be the glorification of the Sun.

This is how the Sun would be glorified was through death and he calls each one of us to take up a cross. You know, we don't just come to the cross one time. We come daily and take it up. And by the way, the cross is something that God doesn't put on us.

You know, the cross is something that we voluntarily take up. Let's think of a minute for. Let's think for a minute on This glorification of the Sun. I will call that as as. As watchman knee has described it the objective work of the cross what God has done in Christ in Redeeming it in redeeming us.

I don't know where I saw it, but in a book I latched on to a phrase That goes this way upon a life. I did not live Upon a death. I did not die. Another's life another's death. I stake my whole eternity.

Another's life another's death is the basis for my eternity. It is not what I have done. It is what has been done by the Lord Jesus Christ that I stake my whole eternity on. We know from Isaiah 53 we won't take the time to turn there we spent we went back there at certain points earlier in the week.

But the reason why I can have confidence likewise as we we saw so beautifully opened up to us in the book of Hebrews. Why can I have confidence in coming before God. It's because the blood has satisfied God.

The blood has satisfied God the blood of Christ has satisfied God and therefore through faith in his blood. I Have access to the Father Amen now in verse 25 He's taking us to look beyond The work of the cross the objective work of the cross He's telling us now.

The Cost of Following Christ

Can I just suggest that you know, this is the setting here was certain ones came to see Jesus. I'm not sure why they were coming to see Jesus. Maybe they were sincere I don't know. Maybe they wanted to join the following and I would invite you to watch watch for this also in your Bible reading whenever you see large crowds following Jesus whenever there's a Movement or some excitement or something and and people are interested looking just get ready for something stiff.

Get ready for something hard because there's such a tendency to just want to follow be a part of some new thing. But let's keep our ears open so more than just. That Christ is going to die and be glorified.

He says now he it's going just beyond him now. This is anyone else. Anyone else that loves his life he says he that loveth his life shall lose it and He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

And I think this is where we're going to spend the majority of our time this morning with what with what time I've been given. A Timeless eternal truth here is being shared with us this it's sort of a paradoxical truth in the kingdom of God the way to life is through death.

There's no other way. Let's look at some key words here. Loveth it's the Greek word phileo. It carries the idea of fondness or affection. To kiss or to love it's a feelings-oriented love. It's the Greek and it's the and it speaks of Of a of this of a fondness.

It's a natural sort of love. Life here he that loves he that has a fondness or an affection. He's drawn in his emotions towards his life. Now, what does that mean? It's just the Greek word Sukkot we get our word Psychology or psyche from it and it's translated soul in other places.

This speaks of the seat of our affections. It's our soul our inner unseen self it speaks of our inner motives and thoughts and Desires. So let's think of it this way if our affections are absorbed in our feelings or in our self in our thoughts.

In our desires in our feelings and needs, you know what Jesus says? He says you're going to lose it. If your life is consumed in those things, you know, the Christian has the choice as To whether he's going to allow himself and his affections to be absorbed in his own thoughts and feelings.

Do you see why we've got to get beyond what makes me happy and my serving Christ because of what happiness I get out of it. We've got to get beyond that. Because the promise is here. It's a guarantee you will lose it.

You will lose it. This word Sukkot is translated soul in most of the places. You'll find it However in in the book of James in verse chapter 3 verse 15 It speaks of the wisdom that comes from the earth or from from below as being soulish earthly sensual Devilish.

That word sensual is the same word Sukkot Sensual if we're absorbed in our senses what I'm feeling what's in it for me. Jesus said you're going to lose it. This word lose here is akin to the to the to the name of the king of the destroyer in Hades Apollyon.

It's the same word and you know earthly sensual when we're absorbed in Our feelings in in me if I'm if I'm just continually looking in what's in it for me. What's going to make me happy? You know what?

We're we're following the ways of the world. We're loving the world and we're playing right into the hands of the destroyer himself. This word loses it has the idea of being destroyed. It's not just just I can't find it.

It's it's it's the idea of beating being utterly destroyed. He that love it his life Shall lose it. How might I be found. Let's just get practical here for a couple minutes. How might I be found to be loving my life today.

Am I clinging to preserve my rights to live life for myself. Am I According to my plans and my desires. Am I unthankful? Am I complaining? Am I easily offended? Am I pouty. Do I get jealous. Am I impatient or critical.

Am I proud? Do I get upset? When it seems like people have take advantage of me. Am I fearful? Do I worry. Am I wanting to take attention to myself? Do I want my opinion to be aired and voiced? Do I get offended when other people are look are Given privileges and I'm overlooked.

This quote is attributed to Oswald Chambers Concerning the nature of sin. The nature of sin is my claim to my rights to my self. What's the word that shows up so prominently in that phrase? My my. If I am most consumed with myself.

My feelings my interests. I Will lose my life. I Will lose my soul. Now he says that whoever Hated his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Now how what does this mean? Let's consider this for a minute and by the way.

The tense of this verb to hate is the present ongoing continuous sense as also is the tense of the word Loveth he that loves he that lives to love himself. He that loves and loves and loves his life shall lose it and likewise he that hates and Hates and continues to hate his life Shall find it.

How does this happen? How do we live this out? Am I really being called to hate myself? To despise myself. Many people Say they hate themselves and they inflict abuse on themselves and they they talk bad about themselves and and and.

They just think they're so worthless and everything like this. Can I just suggest that the motive behind that really isn't that you hate yourself? You really do love yourself. All you're thinking about is yourself.

You're absorbed with what you think about yourself what other people think about you. Let's get past that. Let's face reality. You're loving your life. I'm loving my life when I am absorbed in what I think or what people think about me many people.

They hate their life because they hate the circumstances of their life. That's not what this is talking about. We may hate the circumstances of our life and be utterly miserable. But until we see that we are the problem.

We'll never get past it. Until we see that it's not the circuit the circumstances of my life that are the problem. Until we see that God is dealing with me. It's my love for my soul that has caused this misery.

It's Not other people's problems and you think let's just think about other use and this is something that That that we all have to deal with. But think about other other use in the scriptures that have really gone on for God.

Think about Daniel think about the circumstances that that surrounded the the the youth there in Babylon. Daniel and Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. They had just come out of and very likely they witnessed some of the most horrible atrocities ever known to man.

They're in Jerusalem when they were under siege. Starvation Cannibalism, I mean it was it was terrible. They might have seen their parents butchered their brothers and sisters. How many of you think you've seen bad things in your lifetime?

I? Am sure for the vast majority of us. We've not even come close to seeing this sort of thing. Did they? Fall into self-pity hating their circumstances into despair. No. Hating our life is not self-pity my friends.

Self-pity is as sure a snare and a path to destruction as you'll ever walk. Think of think about David. David was rejected by his brothers and his father when it came time to to find the king. Oh, it couldn't be David.

They didn't even consider him into the lineup. Well, Sam is there one more? Oh It's only David how many of us and you know to be the favorite in the family is not a blessing. But neither it is to be rejected.

David got past that we've got to get past that sort of thing. Joseph likewise and on and on watch for this they rose above their circumstances even the Lord Jesus himself. What does it mean to hate our life.

I Would like to suggest this do we see that the root problem is in my heart. It's in my soul I am the problem. It's seeing my own undone this and and just stopping the blaming blaming other people for my problems and my woes and just letting God shine the light on me and Seeing my own undone this and saying Oh God God I am undone.

I am the problem in this whole thing. My life lived for myself to make myself happy has left me utterly empty and wretched. But it's not because of my circumstances or in my environment it's been a heart problem.

God God have mercy on me. God give me a life. Hating this life that I have created for myself as I have pursued my own will and walked in my own pride. This is the beginning of hating our life. The solution here is just to trash the whole thing.

Trash the religion trash the self-righteousness. It's left you empty, right? Trash the pride and the pursuit of self-gratification. Through the lust it's empty. Also, it's vain. It just trashed the whole thing accept and embrace the claims of Christ upon my life and Accepting his offer for life eternal.

That's the only response that God will accept. Unconditional surrender God not my will. I've been living my life for myself up till now. I'm yielding now to your will. I'm surrendering without condition not on my terms God.

It's your terms and I'm willing to do it your way. The person who's willing to do this and see this to hate his life in this way. Will lo and behold discover the secret To life eternal and by the way the word life here when it speaks of life eternal.

It's not the same kind of life that the carnal man can enjoy it's the it's the very life of God and the Tragedy of the human condition as we've been alienated from the life of God. Walking in the vanity of our minds as other Gentiles do.

Oh may God raise our sights and Lay hold of the life that is eternal in Jesus name. Verse 26. So after giving the principle of the way to true life is through the death of ourselves. He says if any man serve me.

How many young people how many how many of us have a desire to serve the Lord Lord Jesus Christ? Amen, you know, that's a good desire. God is blessed when there's a genuine desire to serve him. But it's a conditional offer he says if you want to serve me it's on it's going to be on a condition.

Serving Christ by Following Him

What's the condition to follow him?

Many of people many many a man In the name of service to Christ is failing this very principle he's serving Christ as he would think while yet clinging to his own life and his own reputation and It can't be there's only one way to truly serve Christ and that's to follow him.

And what is the path that he's invited us to follow him in? It's the cross. There's just no other way if we're really going to serve God. If any man serve me let him follow me. Let him follow me. These men came to Jesus Lord.

We want to we want to see Jesus. Amen, that's a good desire. Are we willing to follow him? Are we willing to see ourselves our own pursuits as just? Contradictory to truly serving Christ. Are we willing to let our motives really be examined?

Well praise God guess what's going to happen if we're willing to do that if we are willing to follow him he says and Where I am there. Shall also my servant be. You know, what is the key to life eternal?

It's being where Jesus is. It's being with Jesus when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. It says they took note of them and They marveled. They took note that they'd been with Jesus. This is what we are longing for anyways, right it's to be with Jesus this is the satisfying Life that God has extended to us.

It's where It's to be in his presence. Is that the the single pure desire of our heart this morning to be and delight in the presence of God. You know God did make us with a desire for pleasure. There's nothing wrong with that but what is wrong is when we corrupt that desire and we live for it according to the Impulses and desires of the flesh when we when we seek fulfillment of that desire outside of the will of God.

That is when it becomes corrupted. But where Jesus is there also shall the servant be and if any man served me Here it is him. Will my father honor. Many men are seeking honor for themselves, but the one that's truly willing to be a nobody to just be a humble servant.

To just worship the Living God with a pure heart. To seek nothing other than to covet the approval and praise and blessing of God to measure everything. By this question by this test does it please God.

Will this bring glory to God? That person he says the father will honor. Now is my soul troubled. Jesus says in verse 27 and what shall I say father save me from this hour. You know There is a price to pay to have the light really shown in our hearts to expose our real motives our real desires.

To have that put to the test and have it shaken to the core to really be faced with how much Resistance there still might be to submitting to the will of God. But can we say God deliver us from this? Can you and I say Oh God?

Do it some other way. There is no other way how much is it costing you to follow Jesus today my friends everything amen. There's no other way. It's got to cost you everything. But for this cause came I into the hour Jesus says now here again where we started off.

This is the heart motive of the Christ father glorify thy name. Can I just bring us right back to that? May this be the purpose For which we are living today. Father glorify your name father. You have bought me.

Possessed me holy. Glorify your name through my life through my body through my spirit. Perfect your nature in me. God glorify your name not for my sake for your namesake Lord. Can we be done. With self-pity my friends.

Can we be done? This is not hating our life. This is loving our life. Can we face our own undoneness? Do we see that the way of the cross is the way that leads home as the song says?

Prayer for a Life Surrendered to God

Let's pray father in heaven. Glorify your name.

You are worthy Lord. I bless your name father. I pray that this word would impart life God God forbid God forbid that we would. We would feel condemned Lord by your word this word is life. It's not a vain thing.

It is the way to life father God. I ask for your blessing on these young people. God God do you know every heart here? You know the circumstances that they're in father. I pray that whatever the circumstances they might find themselves in they could look To you Lord that you offer them a path to life.

I do pray for your blessing as They would leave here father that they could keep What you have deposited in them father and that it would be in them and abound. Have your way through the rest of this service today today Lord may the worship be true and pure and bring pleasure to you as We behold your beauty in Jesus.

Amen.