Finding Your God Given Purpose

Welcome to the Lone Start Church Podcast.

Pastor CF and Nicole Ray are here to share the Word of God with you each week, helping you grasp the fullness of God's plan for your life.

We hope you'll be blessed by this week's message.

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But I want to talk today just for a little bit about purpose.

Purpose, right?

And so I was looking some things up, and uh God's uh purpose, right, if we're talking godly, is God's sovereign design for his creation, right, overall.

And then the specific call that he has for each person, right?

So there is a general purpose for everyone.

I was reading actually, uh Billy Graham said this the general purpose for all people on this earth is for everyone to know him personally by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

That is that is the purpose for every human being who's ever been born on this earth, that they get born again, that they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

So that is everyone's purpose.

But then, right, there's a more specific purpose for each individual.

And uh I think sometimes we we struggle.

I had uh some kids, man, kids uh remember remember the old show kids say the the the darnedest things, right?

And kids, Nicole used to at Rama work with kids and uh and then at different churches we've been at, and and uh kids just say things.

I'm gonna be honest with you.

If you have kids that are anywhere between three and and seven, uh man, they're gonna tell your secrets somebody.

They're gonna tell your secrets to somebody.

Right.

I remember one time Nicole uh was we were at the Assembly Got Church uh serving there in Bethany, and uh she kind of started the children's ministry there, and she was down with the kids and they were having snacks.

She goes, Hey, hey, hey, before we have snacks, we always bless the bless the food and give thanks to God for these snacks.

And this one little boy, and a lot of people in here know him if I said it because he's not a little boy anymore, he's an adult.

His parents were faithful in that church.

They said, We don't we don't pray over our food unless pastors at our house.

Was that it?

Yeah.

Like we don't do this just on our own.

We only do this to people from church, people from church over here.

We, oh, bless this food.

Because everyone, we're just digging in.

Every time I saw his parents, I'm like, y'all need to thank God for your food.

Right?

So kids, kids just ask questions because they don't know better.

And these were uh freshmen, right?

They definitely don't know better.

Um, and so they're like, Mr.

Rainey, when you were our age, what did you want to do in life?

I don't know, that's a question you start to think about when you get to that age, 14, 15, 16, you're right.

Obviously, as you get to be a senior in high school, uh, I was talking to a young lady uh the other day who is a senior, and I said, Hey, uh, what are your plans when you get on?

She's like, I don't really know.

I said, That's all right.

I know, that's okay.

I don't know where we came up with the idea that at 18, 17, 18, 19, you had to know what you're gonna do the rest of your life.

I said, Well, well, what are your plans then?

She's like, Well, uh, I'm gonna take a few classes uh over in Trenton.

I'm gonna live at home and I'm going to work.

I've got a good job here in town.

I'm just gonna do that for a year.

I said, that's great.

I know a lot of people would be like, oh, that's not good.

You gotta go do something.

No, that's great.

That's great.

And so I started thinking about when when I was uh that age and and I was man, probably not not much older than Olive.

It's interesting.

Yeah, you ever look back at your life and you see things differently looking back than you did when you were in it?

And and I remember I used to see myself.

I'd I'd be if if I was home alone, right?

Everyone's gone doing things, I was home alone, and uh I would see myself sometimes standing in front of a group of people, like on a stage.

I'd see myself standing on a stage in front of a group of people.

And I thought, man, maybe because I did uh I was in plays and stuff, and I even did some the some acting and things in college.

I thought, well, maybe I'm maybe I'm gonna be an actor or comedian or do something like that.

I don't know.

Who else stands on a stage in front of people?

I do it every Sunday.

I know in the moment at 12 and 13 and and and uh not not understand how to be led by the Spirit of God, I did I didn't know God was showing me some things about my life way back then.

About what what where where he wanted to bring me.

And then I've told the story for when I was at college and I had this opportunity to uh to help this guy up that had fallen on campus, and something on the inside of me is like, man, I know I'm supposed to help people.

Help people.

And then I look back at that, right?

Uh at uh 54, I look back at that moment that happened when I was 20, and I think, boy, helping people up.

I I help people up, I help people rise up to different levels.

Well, well, praise God.

What is that?

It was God showing me part of my purpose, my purpose, personal purpose, all those times, but I could never put them together.

And so it's interesting in life.

God has a purpose for everyone.

We're gonna look at a few scriptures and then talk about a couple of examples from the Bible.

Uh, 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 9.

2 Peter 3:9

Right?

This goes to what we said that God's purpose for everyone, the general purpose is that everyone to get born again.

Listen what he says here, 2 Peter 3 9.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering.

Aren't you glad God is long suffering towards us?

He's patient towards us.

What?

Not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

So the general purpose for everyone is you get born again.

That you wouldn't die not knowing Jesus is your Savior.

But then we get into some things.

We're going to go over to Proverbs chapter 19.

Proverbs 19 · chapter mention

Proverbs 19 and verse 21.

And I'm going to read this one out of the Passion Translation.

Uh Chad, you can you can put it up in the New King James uh because I I think I want to see it in both, please.

Uh Proverbs 19, 21.

Right?

And so it's interesting.

How many of you over your life have had uh an idea about a plan for your life?

Right?

So here it says, there are many plans in a man's heart.

Right?

Plans you've got.

And here, can I tell you something?

There are things God has placed on the inside of you that he placed there for your future, for your purpose.

Right?

But sometimes some of these plans are just our plans.

Nevertheless, it says the Lord's counsel will stand.

Listen to this in the passion.

A person may have many ideas concerning God's plan for his life, but only the designs of God's purpose will succeed in the end.

A person may have many ideas concerning God's plan for your life, but only the designs of God's purpose will succeed in the end.

And here's the thing uh some people don't get to the place of really finding the purpose of God until later in life.

And part of it is they haven't been connected to the people they need to be connected to to get there.

And we're gonna see that.

There are people in the Bible that a connection to someone else led them to their purpose.

That's why being in the right church is important.

Being around the right people is important.

Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5.

Jeremiah 1:5

Listen to this.

Man, Jeremiah, prophet of God.

God said some things to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 1, 5.

Look at what he says.

He said, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.

Before you were born, I sanctified you.

What's that sanctified?

I set you apart for a holy purpose.

Before I formed you in the womb, God says, I knew you.

Before you were born, I had a purpose for your life.

I know, everyone in here, before you were born, God had a purpose for your life.

Sanctified, a divine purpose.

And the divine purpose isn't always, right?

So here, he as a prophet, right?

Sometimes we think of divine purpose, sanctification, right, for a purpose God set aside that it has something to do with a five-fold ministry.

That's not for everyone.

Not everyone is called to stand behind a pulpit.

Not everyone is called to be a pastor or an evangelist or a teacher or a prophet or any of those ministries we look at as more full-time.

But everyone has a purpose, and it is a God-ordained purpose to help the kingdom.

How many know your purpose could be as a businessman to help fund the kingdom?

Your purpose could be as someone who can help with uh administration within the church.

Your purpose could be someone who can use their hands to help build a church, who who can use their hands to help fix things, who who has knowledge of electronics and and sound and video and and all these things.

Right?

That purpose, so I do it in this realm on the earth, but but that purpose is divine, and I can use that purpose to help get the gospel around the world.

Right?

My purpose doesn't have to be that I that I was preached.

No, everyone has a purpose.

Here's the thing my purpose was to be a pastor.

It was always it was always the the the plan of God for my life.

And I'm thankful for that.

But but but the the purpose is God ordained, whether it's to be a pastor or to be a plumber.

But but but it's it's that purpose, right?

Jeremiah 29, 11.

Right?

You you you've probably heard this one before, right?

We we we use this sometimes around graduation, sometimes around different times.

Jeremiah 29, 11.

For I know the thoughts, right, in the New King James, that I thank towards you.

Aren't you glad God thinks about you?

Says Lord, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and hope.

Listen to that uh same verse here in the Passion Translation.

Here is what God says to you.

I know all about the marvelous destiny I have in store for you.

The marvelous destiny God has in store for you.

A future planned out in detail.

My intention is not to harm you, but to surround you with peace and prosperity and to give you a beautiful future glistening with hope.

What's that talking about?

Purpose.

God has a purpose for our lives.

Amen.

Uh Romans 8, 28.

We're going to kind of go through these quickly.

I want you to write these down.

If you don't get them all down, go back, watch the video, and write these scriptures down because I think uh faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.

It'll help you to build faith to hear God's purpose.

Romans 8 and verse 28.

Because I want to get to a couple examples in the Bible.

And he says, here we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

God has a purpose for my life.

And there are things going on in my life that there are not always of God.

And sometimes they're because I've made bad choices, sometimes they're because I've allowed the enemy to do something in my life.

But God can use all those things to work together to get you to the place he's planned for you to be.

I look at some of the decisions I made in my life, right, in my late teens and early 20s.

Right?

They weren't always uh led of God, but but God can still use those things to help shape me into the person he's called me to be to the get me to the purpose and plans that he has for my life.

And I look at that and I met some people in those years when I wasn't being obedient to the plan of God.

I met some people in those years that I can still speak in their lives today.

And in fact, having a daughter back at the University of Missouri has allowed me to reconnect with some of those people.

Interesting.

Interesting.

I've had some of those people contact me when they're going through a divorce, going through something in their life.

Kind of like Nicodemus come to Jesus at night.

Yeah.

They don't come up to me at a tailgate and ask me to pray for them.

But they'll they'll they'll they'll contact me when there's something going on.

Well, what was that?

That's that's God working all things together.

Even though I wasn't living right, even though I wasn't making great choices, even though I wasn't where God wanted me to be at that age, God's still using those things.

Thirty thirty some odd years later.

Ephesians chapter two and verse ten.

Ephesians two ten.

Praise the Lord.

Just go ahead and say, say, God has a purpose for my life.

God has a purpose for your life.

You know where people really start to struggle when they don't realize there's a purpose?

Rudderless ships, rudderless ships will never get anywhere.

Ephesians 2.10.

For we are his workmanship.

Created in Christ Jesus.

Now I'm telling you, get up every day.

Put this scripture on a post and put it on your mirror and look in the mirror and say, I am God's workmanship.

I was created in Christ Jesus for what?

For a purpose, for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Listen, listen to this in the uh amplified version.

For we are God's own handiwork, his workmanship, recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew, that we may do those good works which God predestined, planned beforehand for us, taking paths which he had prepared ahead of time, that we should walk in them, living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live.

So what's this tell us?

It tells us God had a purpose for your life, and it is a good purpose.

And if you'll get to the place you're supposed to get, if you'll be in his word, if you'll you'll you'll you'll you'll hear from the Holy Spirit, there is a good plan for you that was planned before you were even born, just like he said to Jeremiah.

Amen.

Plan to do good works.

And so I was thinking about this, about purpose, and uh I thought of Joseph.

Right, Joseph, right?

Uh lineage of Abraham.

And so Joseph, when he was young, had a dream.

In fact, he had a couple of dreams that God gave him.

Dreams that he didn't completely understand.

It showed his brothers bowing down to them, it showed him in a position of leadership.

And he didn't understand those dreams.

And the problem Joseph had was he shared those dreams with people he probably shouldn't have shared them with.

That's why you need to be around the right people and make sure there are certain things that you keep close to your heart.

Not everything God shows you need to be put on Facebook or Instagram.

In fact, a lot of what God shows you should not be when it's involved with your personal plan, purpose.

And so Joseph had these dreams.

He shared them, and his brothers got upset.

And so, what his brothers do, his brothers tried to kill him or thought about killing him, then sold him into slavery to some gypsies.

She almost sold you to gypsies one time.

Right?

And and and then so he gets sold to these gypsies, and then he becomes a slave and a servant, and then because of God's favor on his life, he gets uh elevated as a servant in Potiphar's house.

Then Potiphar's house, uh uh Potiphar's wife makes a lie up about him.

He gets thrown in jail and in jail again because God's favor on his life, he gets elevated to positions that people say will get you out, and then they get out and they never come to get him out.

And it seems like time after time that this purpose, this dream, God, there's a dream in my heart.

There's there's something on the inside of me that I know I'm supposed to do, and I've seen it manifest in certain areas.

It manifested at Potiphar's house, and then I got in in jail, and then it manifested in jail, and now I'm back down here.

God, what is it?

And all of a sudden, right?

Because there is a purpose for his life, and he just kept pushing after it.

All of a sudden, the the king Pharaoh comes because people say, hey, there's a guy in this jail that can interpret dreams.

And he interprets dreams of Pharaoh that says there's going to be seven good years and seven bad years.

You need to plan during the seven good years for the seven bad years.

Make sure you're you're taking the extra and you're putting it away, not just for you, but for others.

And all of a sudden he gets elevated to this place.

And then decades later, from the time when he had that dream, decades later, you know what happens?

His brothers come and they bow down before him.

Exactly how he'd seen it years before.

What was it?

There was always a purpose in his life.

There's always a plan for Joseph's life.

But it's, it's, it's, it's number one, realizing it, right?

First thing you have to do is you've got to hear from God.

Second thing you have to do is you've got to be faithful to do what he tells you to do.

Third thing you have to understand is that God's timing is not your timing.

Just because God gave you this dream that you're going to be a leader doesn't mean you're a leader today.

How many believe Joseph learned some things about leadership during all those times?

Learned some things.

But the but there is a plan.

Moses.

Right?

Moses, when he was born, all of a sudden the the Pharaoh at the time had gave given an edict to kill all of the uh Israelite young, young, young men, young children, boys, males.

Why?

Because he'd heard that one of them was going to uh lead the people out.

So he said, I'll just take care of this, I'll kill them all.

Well, what happened?

We know his mother made made the basket and put him in it, and she sent him down the river, and all of a sudden he comes right to Pharaoh's daughter, and then this young man who's going to lead Israel out of uh slavery, out of bondage, is raised and educated in Pharaoh's own house.

Then, because of the mistreatment of a man, Moses steps in, ends up killing a man, runs and hides.

Right, Moses' life is is broken up into segments of 40 years.

40, 40, 40.

There's there's lots of to numbers in the Bible that have meaning, but it's interesting.

Right.

And so at 40 he goes in hiding, and now he's in the desert, and he's out as a shepherd in the desert.

He finds a uh a lady and he gets married and he's with her family and he's out there, and then what happens?

Uh we see in Genesis, right?

Uh he's out and there's this burning bush, but it's not being consumed, and he stops and he's like, This is holy ground.

And God says, Moses, I'm calling you to go, lead my people out.

I know from the time when when Pharaoh gave the edict to kill him, there was a purpose for Moses' life.

And God was working things behind the scenes.

He was working things, right?

Those things that didn't make sense.

He's working things behind the scenes.

All of a sudden he's saved, and then he's educated, and he's taught.

And so he doesn't just know the ways of what God wanted to know.

He knows how Pharaoh works, he knows how it works in Egypt.

And then he comes back and what's he do?

He leads them out.

Leads them out of slavery, leads them out of bondage.

Why?

There is a purpose for his life.

There is a purpose for his life.

David.

Right?

David born to his father Jesse, uh, grew up in a uh a family that raised sheep.

He was a shepherd.

And he's out watching the sheep.

In fact, he was out watching the sheep when when the prophet came to uh anoint the new king.

That's how little uh even his own family thought of him.

When the prophet said, I'm I'm come to anoint a new king, and they're like, Well, you know, I got my I got my other boys.

I mean, though those those moments out watching the sheep were preparing him.

Yes.

For what his purpose.

Being a shepherd wasn't the end of David's purpose.

When he went to to fight Goliath, what'd he say?

Well, I remember being out watching the sheep.

How God prepared me.

For what?

For my purpose.

God anointed him king.

David is uh what what people say he is a type of Christ, meaning he's a shadow of what Christ would be.

How many know?

Jesus, shepherd, king.

David had a purpose that was beyond what he thought it was early on in life.

Let's go over to uh Matthew chapter 4 real quick.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

We're gonna look at just a couple scriptures.

Matthew 4, verse 19.

Matthew 4:19

So here we see some gentlemen here in Matthew 4 19.

We get introduced to them, honestly, the first time we see them here in the Bible.

This is Jesus outright, and Jesus said.

Had been teaching.

Can we go up to verse 18?

Sorry, I want I want to make sure I get this context.

So Jesus, walking by the sea galley, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, Andrew his brother, casting that into the sea, for they were what?

Fishermen.

Here's what I know.

In biblical times, most of the time, if you were a fisherman, that meant that your dad was a fisherman, and it meant your grandpa was probably a fisherman.

Right?

Your great-grandpa was probably a fisherman.

So that's what they knew, and they thought, this is my purpose in life to be a fisherman.

And there was something on the inside of them that when they went out to fish, it just felt right.

Just felt right.

Boy, I think we're supposed to be fishermen.

I don't hate this.

Right?

I like it.

And verse 19 now, Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men.

Verse 20.

They immediately left their nets and followed him, verse 21.

Going off from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.

He called them, verse 22, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

So here's what's interesting.

I believe when they were young men, these four young men who end up being 12, four of the 12 disciples of Christ, four of the pillars of the early church.

I believe there's something on the inside of them that's like, man, you know what?

There's something in me, I just want to catch things.

I just want to gather things up.

I just got something on the inside of me.

I just feel like I just.

And then their dad's like, hey, why don't you come out fishing with me?

And they throw those nets out and they bring in all the fish, like, man, that's fulfilling on the inside of me.

What was it?

A plan and a purpose that God had put in their hearts, a desire he put in their hearts to what?

To gather things up like that.

And then all of a sudden, one day they're out doing what they have always been doing.

And Jesus walks by and he says, Come follow me.

I'll make you fishers of men.

You're still going to be fishers.

That thing that's always been on the inside of you, you're still going to do it, but not with fish anymore.

Now you're going to do it with men.

You're going to gather them up so they can hear the gospel, so they can get born again.

So they can learn to fulfill their destinies.

Amen.

I know that purpose was always on the inside of them.

And Jesus, right, just just hearing the words of Jesus, what'd he do?

He released what the true purpose was.

He released that thing.

And some of you, you've had, you you have, thank you, Lord, you have natural giftings and talents in a certain area.

And you've always wondered, why are those there?

There's a thing.

They can be there to help provide for you, right?

Those talents and gifts can be there to help provide for you in a job and in a career.

But ultimately they're there to grow the kingdom of God.

That's why they're there.

They didn't know.

Why do I have this great desire to cast nets?

Why do I have this great desire to pull in a harvest of fish?

Why do I have this great desire to do that?

Because it was greater than fish.

It always was.

It always was.

And when they heard it, something clicked on the inside and they said, That's it.

That's why they dropped everything all at once.

That's where, like, that's why when when finally I got to the point and I knew what God had called me to do, it didn't take me long to quit my job, pack up myself, and move to Oklahoma.

Literally a matter of weeks.

I mean, a matter of weeks.

And that was before the internet when you could find an apartment, do all those things.

I mean, literally, I just packed up and I'm like, I'm gone.

I've got to get there.

Why?

Because for the first time in my life, it clicked on the inside.

There is a purpose greater than what I thought it was.

Think about Paul.

Let's go over to Acts 9.

We're going to finish here in Acts 9.

This is Paul's conversion.

Right?

At this time he was known as Saul of Tarsus.

And here in Acts 9, verse 1, we see something going on in his life.

Acts 9:1

It says Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found anyone who were of the way, meaning believers in Christ, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

And he said, Who are you, Lord?

The Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you're persecuting.

It's hard for you to kick against the goads, against the pricks, against the thorns.

So here's what's interesting.

Paul, I believe, since he was born, always had a desire to know God.

Always had a desire to know more about God.

That's why he he went down the path he did.

He was a Pharisee.

He was he was a student of the Word.

He knew the Bible.

In fact, on the earth at the time, he he may have been one of the people who knew the scripture more than anyone.

And he wanted what God wanted, but he didn't know how to get there.

He thought he was doing right by persecuting those who believed in Christ because uh he had heard that Jesus was a heretic, that he was a false prophet.

And so he thought he was doing right, but there was always something driving him to get the word out, to go do what God wanted him to do.

He was just doing it in the wrong way.

You ever felt like you were just kicking against the thorns, kicking against the goads, right?

Just spinning your wheels.

Man, I feel like this is what God's called me to do, but I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels.

Or that's where Paul was.

He thought he was doing what God called him to do, but he was just spinning his wheels.

He wasn't getting anywhere.

Man, I thought he'd called me to do this.

And here's the thing: you you took steps towards that.

Thank you, Lord.

You took steps towards what you thought God was calling you to do, and then you feel like you're just in neutral, you're just spinning your wheels.

You're like, I don't understand this.

Well, it's because what you thought wasn't exactly what God had planned for you.

So he, verse six, trembling, astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do?

Man, that is the place you've got to get.

You want to find out God's purpose for your life?

You've got to stop saying, What do I want to do?

You've got to say, Lord, what do you want me to do?

Then the Lord said to him, Arise, go into the city, and you'll be told what you must do.

It's interesting, right?

Jesus did not tell Paul, Saul at the time, did not tell him what to do.

He said, There's someone you need to hear this from.

A lot of people don't like this, but there are people that you're called to be around.

It's the reason you got to be in the right church.

Why?

Because there are things God's going to tell me that He wants you, He, He, He wants you to hear.

Well, why doesn't He just tell me?

Here's the thing: a lot of times He will.

Thank you for tuning in to the Lone Star Church Podcast.

We hope this week's message strengthen your faith in God's Word.

Remember, if you live in northwest Missouri or southern Iowa, we invite you to join us in person on a Sunday morning.

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