6th March 2022 - Communion Service - Living with His Purpose

Okay. As I said, we're starting a new theme as we press into

into into March live in whether you're someone who has a clear sense of purpose.

When I was at university, I know that's a long time ago now,

but there were people that I met who were studying courses and they've been

They've chosen their gcss to do the A levels that they wanted to do,

and those A levels led them to degree, and that degree leads them to

a qualification that enables them to do the job they've been wanting to do.

Take someone like a doctor, you know, so you know people who become

doctors have to do a whole set of things beforehand. It's not something about

well, we can pick anything. And sometimes the choices we make early in

life can influence choices that made later, but they don't have to. And

so purpose is something that is sometimes easy to grasp and sometimes it's difficult to

wrestle with. So as we gather around the word today, I want to

encourage you, let's get grasp a purpose in our lives. Because do you

know what, when I've got when I'm clear about my purpose for the week

or for the day, I leap out of bed well, not literally leap

out of bed, because that would probably wake Julia upward. But I get

out with a different mindset. If I've got a pile of things to do

and I don't really want to do any of them, I don't see the

purpose in them, I see, oh well, I've just got to do

them. Sometimes we need to get beyond the things that we need to do

to see that they lead us to a purpose. You know. For people

who keep records or people who have to account, you know, we have

to do that to keep the business moving forward. For people who care for

people, it's not just a question of it's not just a question of doing

the medical side of things. It's also the practicalities of keeping them clean and

feeding them. And they're connected. You know, if we didn't feed people,

they wouldn't be well. And so sometimes the challenging things lead us to

a place where we are fulfilling purpose and destiny. And I just want to

encourage I want every one of us to find a freshness in our day that

we are stepping into the day, stepping into the week, stepping into the

months ahead with some sense of this is what God's called me to do,

This is what I was made for. And I'll be honest with you,

there are times in my life when, for example, I've been having a

conversation with so many and suddenly we've moved into a topic that I hadn't planned

for. We're just having that conversation. I'm thinking of someone who I've worked

with a few years ago now and I bumped into them in the coffee shop

and at work and we were just said, come come and join me.

So I had a coffee with them, completely unplanned, and I was talking

about work stuff, and then we got to make it talking about making choices,

and we went from making choices to he was really struggling with a big

choice he had to make in his day. And as the cover station got

deeper and deeper and deeper, and I was thinking, wow, this is

just in my coffee break. And then the hairs on the back of my

neck started to stand up, and I thought, Okay, this is why

I'm having my coffee now. This isn't just I'm randomly having a coffee.

There there's a moment of destiny going on right now. And I just shared

a couple of things and I can't say he broke down, but he a

tear appeared in the corner of his eye, and we got to pray together.

And he wasn't a Christian and we got to pray together. But the

point I'm making is not so much all of that, but I just sense

in that moment that's what I was made for. That moment just made me

think, Oh, this is what it's all about. And I pray and

I hope that we all have moments where we can say, this is what

it's all about. This makes it worth it, This makes it worth it.

So let's look at have a look at our first scripture now, if

you want to bring that upbreak till that'd be great, thank you. Twenty

verse twelve, it says this the hearing ear and the seeing eye, the

Lord has made them both. Do you know we have senses that we can

use, and those senses can often prepare us to listen, to hear,

to feel, to know where we're at. I'd like you to imagine you

wake up in the middle of the night. It's completely pitch dark. There's

no light coming in through the windows, there's no lights anywhere in the room.

It's completely pitch dark, and now you want to get across the room.

But this isn't your normal bedroom. You're staying in a hotel, and

so it's not a question of familiar You know, most of us could probably

step out of our bed at home and take steps and be pretty confident where

things are. But a room you've not stayed in before you wake up in

the middle of the night a little bit disorientated. You know, Well,

you could turn the lights on, but that's going to wake you up and

then you won't go back to sleep again. I don't know what you're like,

but I kind of start to put my foot out of the bed and

push my foot forward, and I'm pushing forward my hands, just making sure

I don't stub my toe or walk into something. But what I'm using is

all of my senses to try and find out where I'm at. God has

created us to know where we are and to know where we are in time

as well. Our bodies are made that if we turn upside down, we

know we're upside down. If we sit on something and our eyes, if

we've given a blindfold and headphones on and we're moved around, we have a

sense of where we are in relation to other things. We will know what's

up and what he's down. We will know what he's moving left and moving

right, just because of the way our bodies have been built. And it

goes on to say in sorry Revelation, chapter one, verse three, blessed

is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy those things

which I've written in it for the time is near now. God wants to

speak into our worlds. God wants to speak to us, and those prophetic

words, those words from God can be in scripture, as we've read here

in Revelation, but they can also be bought by somebody else, a friend,

someone, a prophet, someone like Clime and traveling through another member of

church. We can hear from God and we can share those words that can

speak into our lives. And I want to encourage us. Let's get hold

of something, an anchor that will cause us to cling on to something.

I'd like you to think about something significant that God has said to you.

Whether it's in a dream, whether it's in a vision, whether it's a

prophetic word, whether God just took you to a particular scripture. But there's

something about an anchoring of it. It's very solid to you, it's very

real. To you, it's very secure because you know what, in times

of trouble, those are the things we need. We sing a song about

the anchor holds. Now. I don't know how much you know about boats

and anchors, but typically the anchor is on the bottom of the scene.

There's a chain or a rope from the anchor to the boat, and as

the boat is being tossed around, it moves around a bit, but the

anchor holds. So it's not like we're lots solid, because if we were

solid, then we would be really buffeted by the waves and the wind.

But we move around with the waves and the wind. But the anchor still

holds. And I want to encourage you. What is it that God has

said to you that causes you to say, this is who I am,

this is the way I was made, this is why I'm here. Because

when testing times come, When testing times come, we start to question.

We wonder did I do the right thing? Did I make the right choice?

And that's where we need to just recognize the anchor still holds. The

anchor still holds. There have been times when I've been leading church when I

can't sign what did I get it wrong? Did I missdo something? Did

I miss listen? Do you know? I go back to prophetic words that

are over thirty years old. I remember being at a youth camp, and

that's a long time ago. I remember being at a youth camp many years

ago, and a guy called Ian Green, who I'm still in touch with,

called me out as a youth leader. And he called me out and

he said, you're called to leadership, Dave. I was leading the youth

group at the time. But you know then that was the beginning of a

journey, and I'd never forget that moment, never forget that moment. And

when the enemy wants to come along and have a go and have a pop

and wide me up and say, see, you've made a bit of a

mess of things, I say sorry. I try and do that, But

then I go back to the things that anchor me, the things that remind

me of who I am in God, and the anchor holes and the anchor

holes, and some of those anchors are not rusty, they're fresh. Even

though it's thirty or forty years old. I can still see Ian's face.

I have seen him since then, so I've got to kind of overlay,

but I can see the face as he spoke, then He's spoke into my

life, and destiny and purpose was released. And I cling on to that.

Not every day. I'm not thinking of him every day, but certainly

when testing times come, I press into that. And as I press into

that, I wage a good warfare. Let's click onto the next scripture,

one Timothy one eighteen. You might expect this scripture, this charge I commit

to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously may concerning you,

that by them you may wage the good warfare having faith and a good conscience.

Just want to encourage you. If God has said anything to you,

keep it fresh, keep it relevant, keep it alive until it's done,

I mean, when it's finished. When it's completed, then set up some

kind of thanksgiving, a moment of thanksgiving. You know. For example,

if God promised you a child, and then your child has then been born,

then you know, thanksgiving for the arrival, but then thanksgiving that the

child is still there, Thanksgiving that the child is bringing joy, Thanksgiving that

the child is growing into a man or a woman of God. Wage a

good warfare with the prophetic words have been spoken to you. You know,

one of the most important things why I think is I love this scripture.

I use it quite a lot, and I use it because I want to

remind people that God has spoken into our world, and when he speaks,

it's not without purpose. It's not just a one time conversation. You and

I have probably had lots of conversations over the years. We've had lots of

discussions. Can we remember them all? No? Do you know what a

conversation with God? I remember that particularly certain phrases, certain things that stick

in my mind, and they echo in eternity. They echo in my head,

and they echo in my heart, and they echo in my life.

And I want to encourage you shake up your life, allow circumstances to come

and shake up your world, because what happens when you get shaken is the

good stuff comes to the top again. You think about anything that's all a

jar of a jar of oil with other herbs inside it. If you want

to get all the fragrance out of the oil, you shake the jar,

and then the fragrances come out again as the mixing of everything comes together.

And life often shakes us. You know. I think of what's going on

in the world today, and I look and I just think wow in my

lifetime concerns about world security. So wage a good warfare. Let's do something

with what God has spoken to us. Let's do something with what God is

speaking through us. And let's have faith because if God has if God has

spoken, then it's coming to pass. Because He's spoken, he is,

he is faithful and true. In the Book of Joshua, it says this,

and it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord. Choose this

day whom you will serve, whether the gods of fathers served in this region

beyond the river or the gods of the Emirits for those in the land that

they will dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve

the Lord. Choose this day whom we will serve. Am I going to

serve me today? Am I going to just going to satisfy me? Am

I going to serve my boss or the company? And I'm going to serve

others. Am I going to serve the challenges of feeding the money? Miss?

Do you know what? I hope and I pray that we can all

say for as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

There are plenty of other things that we can choose. But if in doubt

ask God. You know, God gives us common sense and often those anchors,

those words, those prophetic dreams, those visions, those things that God

has spoken to us are the things that nudge us on a daily basis.

Who are you? What have you been called to do? What is your

gifting? And how can it serve others? I know there are people here

in the room. I know there are people in church whose gifting is to

serve, and they get great, great pleasure out of serving. You know,

they come and they serve in a gentle way, and then somebody turns

around and says, thank you so much. I was having a conversation only

on I think Tuesday this week. We were talking about sitting at a table

and being served in a restaurant. We were describing what good service was.

I said, do you know what you never noticed good service? You never

notice good service when people come up and it's just a glimpse. It's just

a moment you look down and your your your plate that you finished is gone,

that's away. You didn't even notice. You know, in good service.

You know, we as I'll be honest here, I think we as

Brits are often really poor tippers. I think that's scientific that you think if

you go and record that that's true, you know. I think actually we

need to get better at recognizing the service that people bring. People bring us

service, people give service to us. And that's not just in restaurants.

That's in hospitals, that's in council offices, that's in companies, that's at

home parents, that's also with children as well. But the point I want

to make is the good service you often just don't even notice it's happened.

And as you don't notice it's happened, sometimes we miss it. Do you

know what? When I've served someone, When you've served someone and you've been

blessed, when you've been able to bless someone else, there is a satisfaction

that goes deep down and touches our lives. As for me and my house,

we will serve the Lord. This goes to our next scripture. The

Rachels thank you. In John five nineteen and twenty, Jesus said to them

most assuredly, I say to you, the son who can do nothing of

himself, but what he sees the father do. For whatever he does,

the son also does in like manner. While the Father loves the son and

shows him all things that he himself does, and he will show him greater

works than these that you may marvel. God promises through Jesus that he's going

to do great things. And then we read of the disciples, and Jesus

says, to the disciples, and you will do even greater things. So

isn't it important that we get ourselves aligned with God's purposes, get ourselves aligned

with his plans. You know what, there's a real dilemma here. Some

people say, well, I'll wait on God for everything. I said,

well, do you ask what color socks you put on in the morning?

And they say no, I said, okay, so we don't need to

check everything with God. He gives us common sense. He gives us the

freedom to choose. I have heard prophetic words shared where God has said,

your choice, whichever path you choose, I am with you. And sometimes

that's completely freeing because suddenly we realize we don't we're not going to get it

wrong in that moment. But God has just said it's okay, I'm with

you, I'm for you. And as Jesus said, as God said through

Jesus, you know, he only does what the Father. He sees the

Father doing, and I do want to follow the echoes of the Father.

I don't want to come to a place where I'm lined up with him.

We don't hear it quite so much now, but there was a thing in

older cars talked about synchromeshure. I don't think we hear it nearly so much

now because cars are so much better. But for those people who remember when

you had to put your foot on the clutch or maybe even double de clutching,

going back even a bit further, it was about a line in the

cogs so that the engine that was spinning was putting power to the wheels.

And if you got it wrong, there was a and then you know if

you've got it, if you had people in the car with you, be

a little embarrassed and you put your foot on the clutch and try again.

And for learners, it was just that bite point and getting it right.

Why why am I saying this is an illustration? Well, because we need

to sink ourselves with God. And when we're in step with God, when

we're doing what He's called us to do, we have those moments hair standing

up on the back of our neck, moments when we sense God's with us

moments when people say an angel's with me. And I've heard at least five,

possibly six times this week people talking about angelic visitations, stories of stuff

going on in the Ukraine, people talking about people arriving on their doorstep,

and then somebody's saying, well, that has nothing to do with our company,

but something had been delivered. And so I'm fascinated by how God wants

to invade our world but the os to use us as well. Have you

ever had someone turn to you and say, oh, you're an angel.

I know sometimes for some people it's a bit of a phrase, but all

this saying is you're a blessing. You've done something that I really needed.

Well, I believe we can. We're not an angel, but we've acted

on behalf of God, as if we weren't there, then God would have

sent an angel to make that thing happen. And so let me close out

what I want to share this morning with my final scripture from Ephesians, and

Ephesians says this Ephesians one verses four and five, just as He chose us

in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and

without blaming, before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons

by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his will. Yeah,

there is there is an issue about adoption for children who are born into

a family, they are the son or daughter of the parents. But God

said I chose you. We are adopted children of God. And we need

to get over this issue where we see ourselves as limited in some way.

Because God looks on us as the same way as he would his own children.

He doesn't look at us differently, and so he has a plan and

a purpose one of us. He doesn't have a plan and a purpose for

the best ones. He has a plan and a purpose for each one of

us. Whether we're on track or off track, he still has a plan.

Whether we're off his plan or on his plan, he still has a

plan. And as David says in Summer one hundred and thirty nine, where

can I flee from your presence? Even if I go to the uttermost parts

of the sea, Even there your hand will guide me. So let's not

say, well, when we got our lives sorted out, we'll come back

to God and ask him to help us to keep on track. It's when

we're off track that we need to hear from God. We need to hear

from God, whether we're on track or off track. We need to hear

from God, whether we're on the plan or off the plan. We need

to hear from God, whether we're in the groove and synchronize with God or

not. But God has a plan and a purpose for each one of us.

And as He has a plan and a purpose for each one of us,

we can know that plan in our lives. We can know that plan

working out in our lives. For God is a good God, and he

made a way for us in his son Jesus. So let me pray.

Father. I want to pray firstly for those Lord, who are feeling a

little out of sorts, a little out of kilter with life. Father,

would you allow the gears to connect again? Would you synchronize us with you?

Father? Would you synchronize us with your purposes? O God Father,

we don't want to do things half hearted, but Lord, we do want

to do something, and so we do want to respond to your nudge,

to your prompting. And so Father, help us to step Lord. I

know as I pray that, Lord, God, it's so easy for you

to step into our world, but you want to work with us, You

want to work through us, and so help us, Lord Father. For

those who are far from you, those who we're crying out to, we're

crying out to you and saying, Lord, my friend, my sister,

my brother, my relation. Lord, would you would you connect with them?

And we're crying out for synchronization. We're crying out for a moment where

God meets with them. Father, I pray for moments of breakthrough this week.

I pray for moments of breakthrough in our families, in our worlds.

I pray for an unsticking where things have got stuck. Father, I pray

for the oil of your spirit to flow the Lord. We might have the

fullness of your presence. We might be able to testify to answered prayer.

And we do it all for your glory in Gee His name. Amen. Yeah,