RCF 200322 Infill Service Yasmin Chaffer - Purposeful Living

Good morning. Well. The title of this morning's message is purposeful living,

which is a micas six' eight purposeful Living. I came across the following

written by a guy called Milton Jones Church. It's a bit like being a

member of a gym. Some people like the idea of going but don't,

Others go but aren't really training for anything, and some actually use it to

help them with the race that they're running, Which brings us to our topic

for today and the theme for this month, purposeful living. No matter what

else you learn or how much you seek the things of God, Knowing God

loves you is fundamental to purposeful living. What do we mean by purposeful living?

Being deliberate, being intentional about what you do, how you made decisions

and choices, rather than drifting or defaulting to habits. Not all habits are

bad, of course, I have a habit of having breakfast and enjoying it.

My choice of breakfast has evolved over time. Amidst my cereals. I

have nuts, seeds and a little pot of freshly grated ginger with kefir live

yogurt, and I enjoy it. The purpose of my breakfast is to eat

healthily and enjoy my food. We can create habits. We can make choices

which are good, bad, and sometimes neutral on purpose. But knowing God

loves us is fundamental to purposeful living, to making right choices. Otherwise,

the values that guide us in life and decision making, that which motivates us

risk being derailed by emotional baggage, which we might carry for whatever reason leading

to us, for example, striving for acceptance from others or and or ourselves.

Acceptance might be based on achievement, either your own or someone else's definition

of success. It might be based on what you think will please others,

saying yes even when you know you should say no, etc. God's love

is the only firm foundation, the only truly solid rock on which we can

stand and do life. So it's good that last month's preaching theme was a

greater love. Let's look briefly at this in Psalm seventeen and verse eight,

and I'm reading from the New King James version that Psalms seventeen, verse eight,

Keep me as the apple of your eye, Hide me under the shadow

of your wings, Give me as the apple of your eyeid me under the

shadow of your wings. The word translated apple here is actually the pupil of

the eye. Another way of saying this is protect and guard me as the

pupil of your eye. The pupil is obviously vulnerable as well as extremely important.

It's essential to allow us to see it admits and regulates the flow of

light to the retina. So, given we know how much God loves us,

He sent Jesus, his only son to die for us, to pay

the price for our sins every time we've broken and will break the law of

love. Love God, love others, love yourself. Given we know how

much God loves us, we can also understand this verse. In this way,

keep and protect me as that which is fundamental to how you see life.

Lord. This atverse often makes me think of a time when I went

on a trick with our then seventeen year olds to visit various universities prior to

her applying to study somewhere. I realized that I was instinctively looking at everything

with her in mind. I was looking at what would interest and amuse her,

as well as looking out for her safety crossing the road as she'd come

over from America, and obviously they drive on the other side of the road

over there. How much more does God look at life with us in mind,

our well being, our safety, our fun his plans and purposes.

Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me under the shadow of

your wings, keep and protect me as that which is fundamental to how you

see life. Please Lord, So, having briefly reminded ourselves how much God

loves us, let's look at what purposeful living means, and look at our

key verse for today Micahs six, verse eight. And I'm reading from the

NIV on what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to

love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. To act justly,

to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. This was the

core verse, the strap line, if you will, for the Association of

Christian Social Workers, to which I've once belonged. It was a good one,

quite appropriate. This is purposeful living in a nutshell, Act justly,

love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. The word translated mercy here

is the Hebrew has said. This is something I found which helps us understand.

It has said is born from a root word that means to bow one's

head toward another, and stems from a covenant relationship. Briefly, this is

a relationship in which two parties choose to make by doing promises to each other

and worked together to reach a common goal, like marriage. God made a

covenant with for example, Abraham, and also with us his people through Jesus.

Words such as mercy, compassion, grace, and faithfulness relate to the

Hebrew word has said, but none of these completely summarize it. Has said

describes a sense of love and loyalty. It inspires compassionate behavior towards another person

which surpasses ordinary kindness and friendship. It's the inclination of the heart to show

amazing grace to the one who is loved. When God appeared to Moses to

give the law a second time, he described himself as abounding in or filled

with has said. I read recently about an American Christian guy who, when

he was in his early twenties, knew that the Lord was asking him to

pair unto a troubled teenage boy that he knew, so he did. One

day this lad unexpectedly asked what is love? This was the explanation that he

was given. Love is when you see someone about to be hit by a

truck, and you push them out of the way they live, you die.

The boy replied, I'd push you. Given his background, that was

huge. My point is that this, to me is an example of has

said, the most perfect, perfect example being, of course, Jesus on

the cross Micah six, verse eight on What does the Lord require of you?

But to act justly, to love mercy has said? And to walk

humbly with your God. This is one way of summarizing purposeful living. But

we cannot live this way unless we first receive or allow ourselves to receive.

God has said for us, as it says in one John four, verse

nineteen, we love because He first loved us. This is something that Joyce

Meyer says on this note. She's an American Christian speaker and author. I

think it's really helpful. The Bible says many times that God loves us,

but how many of God's children still lack revelation concerning God's love. The truth

is, very few of God's people really know how much He loves them.

If they did, they would act differently. Many years ago, I began

studying how people can learn to receive God's love, and I realized that I

was in desperate need of it myself. The Lord led me to study one

John four sixteen and emphasized the importance of being conscious of his love. I'm

going to read the relevant part of this verse in the classic amplified version that

Joyce is referring to one John four sixteen. And we know, understand,

recognize, and are conscious of and believe, put faith in and rely on

the love that God cherishes for us. And we know, understand, recognize,

are conscious of, and believe, put faith in, and rely on

the love that God cherishes for us. This means that God's love should be

something that we are actively aware of. But how does on findness awareness?

I studied this subject for a long time, and I became conscious of God's

love for me through thinking about his love and by confessing it out loud.

I learned scriptures about the love of God, and I meditated on them and

confess them out of my mouth. I did this over and over for months,

and all the time the revelation of His unconditional love for me was becoming

more and more a reality to me. Now his love is so real to

me that even in hard times, I am comforted by the conscious knowing that

He loves me, and this can happen to you too. Micah six,

verse eight on what does the Lord require of you? But to act justly,

to love mercy has said, and to walk humbly with your God.

Ultimately, Micah six eight describes two aspects of what Jesus said in Mark twelve,

verses twenty nine to thirty one when asked which rule is the most important

amongst God's laws? And I'm reading from the passion translation, you are to

love the Lord, your way, your God, the passionate heart, from

the depths of your soul, with your every thought and with all your strength.

This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is this,

you must love your neighbor in the same way you love yourself. You will

never find a greater commandment than these. Biblical Purposeful living cannot be separated from

love. Love fuels our purposes in life. God's designed us so that love

should be intrinsically interwoven in our thoughts, words, and actions. He made

us in his image, which brings me to my next point. We can't

truly separate acting justly and loving mercy, or has said. Jesus gives us

a great example of this in John chapter eight, his teaching in the Temple,

when the scribes in the fact parises, the Jewish leaders bring in a

woman caught in adultery and make us stand in the center so that everybody could

see her. I'll read the relevant verses from John chapter eight, verses four

to eleven from the New King James version. Teacher, this is the Jewish

leaders speaking to Jesus, Teacher. This woman was caught in adultery in the

very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned.

What do you say this, they said, testing him that they might

have something of which to accuse him. Jesus doesn't respond initially, but bends

down to write on the ground. But when they continue asking him, he

says, he who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone

at her first verse nine. Then those who heard it being conveyed by their

conscience went out, one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the

last, and Jesus was left alone and the woman standing in the midst.

When Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman, he

said to her, woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no

one condemned you. She said, no one, Lord, and Jesus said

to her, neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.

The law did com on stony adulters, but this included men and not just

women. You can't help but notice that the man with whom this lady was

caught in the act of adultery wasn't brought along with her. But anyway,

the Jewish leaders were testing Jesus because, according to the NIV Cultural Background Study

Bible, Roman law forbade executing anyone without the governor's permission, making death sentences

for adultery impossible to carry out. If Jesus insisted on following God's law in

stoning this woman, he could have been accused of the authorities of undermining Roman

order. If he didn't, he could have been accused of not following God's

law. We could have considered he was between a rock and a hard place.

But nothing is impossible with God or beyond his wisdom. Instead, God's

justice and mercy has said prevailed. Notice Jesus didn't respond initially when the Pharisees

and the scribes first presented this matter to him. I can only imagine that

there must have been some pressure to respond straight away, but Jesus didn't bow

to it. We don't know why he didn't respond straight away. The scriptures

only said that he bowed down and started writing on the ground. In Learning

to Act Justly and Love Mercy, or has said as a lifestyle, it's

worth remembering that. Think about how we manage pressure to respond straight away in

a situation, even if you need just a few moments before you speak,

or if you need longer and can take it appropriately, do it. Whatever

the reason for jesus delayed response, all eyes would probably have been primarily on

Jesus stooped down and writing on the ground, and less on this woman's standing

in whatever state of an undress she was in. Whilst clearly not condoning what

she did, Jesus called it sin as I see it. In doing this,

he afforded her what dignity he could. I think we can all put

ourselves in the different roles in this scenario. We've probably all felt justified in

condemning someone. At some point, I'll put my hands up. But Jesus

clearly leaves us with an important guideline. Let he or she who is without

sin, throw the first stone or be the first to condemnse someone else.

We need to remember that when we're tempted to condemn someone for what a clearly

wrong choice is that they've made or are making. Neither do we need to

go to the other extreme of condoning sin. Jesus doesn't. But ask the

Lord what has said or mercy looks like in the situation that you're facing.

We've probably all been in the crowd at some point, so to speak,

maybe an onlooker, not necessarily actively involved in a situation where someone is being

accused or condemned for doing wrong, but present in some way even listening to

gossip. Do we act like the old ones in the crowd? Listen to

wisdom to has said, recognizing that because of our own sin, we're not

in a position to condemn someone else and lead others by example. And what

about the woman we've all committed sin. There may be some listening who have

committed adultere and Jesus said to her, says to us, neither do I

condemn you, go and sin no more. As an aside, it's worth

remembering that God's standards are not ours. You may think, well, I've

never committed adulte, but to use adultery as an example. Jesus says in

Matthew five, verses twenty seven to twenty nine. You have heard that it

was said you shall not commit adultere. But I say, anyone who even

looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultry with her in his heart.

So if your eyes, even your good eye, causes you to lust,

gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose

one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

What is Jesus saying here? He's not advocating self mutilation, but dealing

strictly with yourself in these matters. Don't be slack or lazy or casual about

addressing wrong thoughts. Sin may taste sweet in the mouth, but it's bitter

in the stomach and affects the whole body. Self discipline may taste bitter in

the mouth, but it's sweet in the stomach and affects the whole body.

I remember hearing a Garnean man wants share a saying, you can't stop the

birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them nesting there.

Wrong thoughts may come to you, but you don't have to entertain them.

All of our actions, our words start with thoughts. Proverbs four twenty three

says in the NIV, above all else, God your heart, for everything

you do flows from it. When you living, translation says God your heart

above all else, for it determines the course of your life. It's worth

remembering that God is not as spoils, for He calls sin anything that hurts

others and or ourselves, and that hurts him. When we love Him as

our first priority. When we purposefully choose to put God in his word,

in his ways first, it helps us to get the rest right. It's

something we can choose to keep practicing for the rest of our lives. That's

purposeful living. Oh Micah six, verse eight. And what does the Lord

require of you but to act justly, to love mercy has said, and

to walk humbly with your God, walk humbly before your God. This is

so important that in the model of prayer that Jesus gave us commonly known as

the Lord's Prayer, after addressing God as Father, we are to pray along

the lines of your name, be honored as holy, Your will be done,

held holy and revered on earth. As it is in heaven. Jesus

is our example, the perfect example for us in every way, including walking

humbly before our God. As it says in Philippians two, verses five to

eight, and I'm reading from the New Living Translation, you must have the

same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not

think of a quality with God as something to cling to as Instead, he

gave up his divine privileges. He took the humble position of a slave and

was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he

humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross walk

humbly before your God. There are so many different aspects to this, honoring

God's name, revering his will, and learned to live in obedience to him

by God's grace, being in awe of our Holy God, whilst remembering that

we can approach him like a child does a loving daddy. I was reading

something about awing a paper. It described or as the feeling you experience when

you stare into a dark, starry sky or stand atop a mountain. It

can equally be triggered by something as simple as soaking the colors of autumn.

Notice all the examples given, and there were more, all related to God's

creation. The article went on to say that psychologists who have a psychologist who

have studied its impact now believe that experiencing awe more can improve well being.

Research has indicated that experiencing positive awe can make us more pro social, less

selfish, more cooperative, less materialistic, and more satisfied with life. Walk

humbly before your God. Think about the positive impact of worshiping God for who

he is, the creator of the universe, this earth, and mankind,

and recognizing and acknowledging his awesome love towards us in Jesus, coupled with his

limitless power, wisdom, kindness, and so on. That's all when we

truly root ourselves in that, when we choose to humble ourselves through worshiping God

and enter that place of awe, it's actually good for us. It's not

the purpose of worshiping God, but it is a consequence. All the Lord's

ways are good for us in more ways than we realize, regardless of weather

we feel it at the time. I'm going to finish with Isaiah six,

verses one to eight and I'm reading from the new King James. That's Isaiah

six, verses one to eight. In the year that King Ziah died,

I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up, and the

train of his robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim. Each one

had six wings, with two he covered his face, with two he covered

his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and

said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts. The whole

earth is full of his glory. So awesome is the presence of the Living

Holy God that the seraphim or majestic beings in his presence cover their faces and

feet and can only say, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of

Hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Given that the whole

earth is full of His glory, it makes sense of why we experience awe

at his creation verse four. And the posts of the door were shaken by

the voice of him, who cried out, and the house was filled with

smoke. So I said, woe is me, for I am undone,

because I am a man of unclean lips and dwell among the people of unclean

lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts,

or in the presence of our Holy God, causes humility and recognition as sin.

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a

live cold which he had taken with the tongs from the altar, and he

touched my mouth with it and said, behold, this has touched your lips.

Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged. Humility causes God

to respond with grace verse eight. Also I heard the voice of the Lord

saying, whom shall I send? And who will I go for us?

Then I said, and who will go for us? Then I said,

here am I send me. God's grace towards us should cause us to respond

with a willingness to serve him, to purpose to live for his glory in

obedience to what he calls us to do. Thank you. Maybe