Life Ministries

“I Came” - “To Do The Will Of Him Who Sent Me”
John 6:38 and 4:34 and 14:25-31

    We long to live a purposeful life. One Christian author Rick Warren wrote a book, "The Purpose Driven Life", with a subtitle, "What on earth am I here for?" It turned out to be a bestseller, because that’s the cry of the human heart. We want to live life with meaning and purpose. I want to make my life count.

    Jesus need not have to ask the question, "What on earth am I here for?" It was clearly prophesied even before He was born. His parents did not need to think of a name for Him, His name was given even before He was born. His Name epitomizes His entire life purpose – “You shall name Him Jesus, for He shall save His people”…He was born to save.  He was driven by a passion to fulfill God’s will.  His commitment to the will of God the Father is what sustained him, what drove him and gave him passion, and it’s what energized him.
    Jesus and his disciples were on their way from Judea north to the area of (Galilee). If they had taken the normal route, they would not have passed through Samaria. In fact, there are at least 3 different routes from Galilee to Judea, yet Jesus made a deliberate trip to stop at this place -  The Bible says in v.4 “Now he had to go through Samaria.”…Why? Because He knew His purpose – to bring the message of God’s love to the Samaritans.
    God revealed to us, from Scriptures, the grand purpose of Jesus His Son…and it is therefore ours in life as well – to know Him and make Him known. That takes on many different forms and a great variety of ways… but that is ultimately the grand purpose…the #1 purpose of all that we do as His church.
    However, the saints -- the entire church family…have many other responsibilities that are not only part of that purpose, but are given in His Word as “God’s will” for us - Much of His will is simple and specific – I want to mention just a few;
1. Ephesians 1:4,6.- “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”
2. 1 Thes. 4:3-7 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,…⁷For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.”
3. 1 Thes. 5:18 – “Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes. 5:18 -- in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
4. 2 Peter 3:9 – “It is God’s will that not one should perish but all would come to everlasting life”. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 -- For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
5. It is God’s will that the Gospel be preached to all nations  Matt. 28:19 and Acts 1:8
6. It is God’s will that we strive for unity.
7. It is God’s will and command that we love Him and one another.  
8. It is God’s will that we Pray always with a passionate assurance that “God can do what he says he can do”. 
9. It is God’s will that we Claim for ourselves and within ourselves the power of the Holy Spirit who is the giver of gifts and the fruit of the Spirit that testify of His presence in our lives. He wants us to be Spirit Filled -- Ephesians 5:18 -- And do not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit …Which will lead to our growing in the fruit of the Spirit.
These are all part of our main responsibility in the Church which is to know and to do God's will.
    I wonder how many things do we in the church do or consider to be important, that have nothing what-so-ever to do with God’s will. Maybe it would be better the other way around; How many things don’t we do in the church that are in fact the will of God?
    God’s Word says that we are predestined to become Christ-like and to “have the mind of Christ” which was “to do the will of him who sent me”. It comes then to three important questions; A. What is the will of God? B. How do we know the will of God? C. How do we do the will of God?
   Wouldn't it be nice if there was a nice little step by step process to follow the Will of God? Why would God ask or command us to do His will and not tell us how?  I think He does, but we simply don’t put forth the effort … there are just too many other important things in life than to know and do the will of the Father.
    In reading 1 Peter 2:21-24 - Jesus is the supreme example of all these things... “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps”:  Jesus came to do the will of God, and to set an example for His church.
    In order to know the will of God I must be in the will of God. What I mean is that there are two things I need to know about God’s will; One is that God has a general, moral will for all of us as Christians…that we should know and walk in His ways…that is all the things I have said about God’s will thus far. They are His will for all of us… The other is that God has a will and a purpose for my life Individually. I could put it this way; “I must be IN God’s will in order to know God’s will for my life.” I have to find and know and walk in the will of God… and I will discover through my gifts, my talents, my skills, and my experiences how I can “know him and make him known”…which is my ultimate purpose. The key to this is found I believe in Prov. 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and Lean not unto your own understanding; In all your ways, acknowledge Him…and He will make your paths straight.…which means that He will bring you to the place He wants you to be. “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.” Jesus said “I have come to do the will of him who sent me”… He stayed focused on his purpose to the very end…and then he passed the mantle to the church.
    I saw a video not long ago that I wish I could play for you this morning, but the message was sung by a man playing an old Hymn on the piano… He was singing “I want my own way, Lord, I want my own way”… I’ll be the potter, you be the clay…” While it was humorous, it also rang with a tinge of truth.