Life of Purpose (Ephesians 2;10)

Proverbs 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish

There are many people don’t know where to go and what to do 

As a result they wander. 

Not only teenagers wander but also adults 

Because they don’t have purpose in their lives /they have no vision. 

That is why they wander and waist the time 

You know time is so fast/ time flies like an arrow 

Now, most of you are younger than me, but sooner, you will become like me 

You will become old in no time 

it’s too bad if you don’t know where to go and what to do 

It’s to bad if you wander and waist your life 

You know, if you do not have purpose in your life 

You have no vision / no dream 

Your life will be just Que-sera sera / bahalnana 

Brothers and sisters 

What is your real purpose in life? 

I’m not talking about your job, daily responsibilities, or your long term goals 

I mean the real reason why you are here at all- the very reason you exist. 

You know Oriental people since early times, interest about the “Way’ 

Have you heard about Confucius? 

Confucius is the main current of the China thought (idea) 

Someone says it’s academic someone says it’s religion, anyway 

Confucius means “the way” 

It is seeking after way 

But Jesus says I’m the way, amen? 

If you meet Jesus you can find the right way of your life. 

How about western people 

You know Western people from old times, look for the truth 

That is why their philosophy had make remarkable progress 

What is truth? / Thru or false/ O or X / yes or no 

They like clarity and precision 

This is the American style 

But Jesus says I’m the truth Amen? 

If you meet Jesus you can discover the truth. 

Oriental and western people both are interested about life 

How to live long 

After we die what will happen 

But Jesus says I am the life 

If you meet Jesus you will have eternal life 

so when you meet Jesus, Jesus will show the way 

Show the truth and give life 

There’s everything in Jesus Amen? 

But the problem is even Christian, are lost in their way 

Many Christians don’t know, where to go and what to do 

They don’t know how to live 

You know, if non-Christians don’t know their way 

We understand 

But if we Christian don’t know where to go and wander 

That is a big problem 

It is like, the table is already prepared but they could not even eat 

we have to know this one 

Today’s passage says (Ephesians 2;10) 

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, 

which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 

We are here in this world for God’s work 

and God prepared already what we have to become/what we have to do 

Meaning, even before we were born, 

the path(our way) had been laid down already by the Lord. 

Do you believe that God will use you for his kingdom? 

Do you believe that God already prepared your way? 

And do you really want to work for his glory. 

You say amen (but it’s not confidence) 

But maybe some of you thinks “hew I cannot do it.” 

You despair 

It’s like the Israelites who stand in front of Goliath, 

Walang confidence 

Afraid for your future 

Your job is fighting to Goliath 

But you cannot fight because you are already afraid 

When Israelites arrived at the dessert of Paran 

They saw the people who lives in Canaan 

And they said, “We are like grasshopper comparing with them” 

They were afraid of them because they were very tall 

And they cried and grumbled to Moses 

It’s better to die here than go forward 

Others said let’s go back to Egypt 

Walang confidence 

They underestimated themselves. 

What is my goal? 

What is my vision? 

What shall I do? 

How to l live for the glory of God 

You are thinking and praying what is God’s will for you 

But the problem is you estimated your ability too lowly 

And finally you give up 

change your thinking

God will use you for his kingdom

When the Israelites came out from Egypt they had purpose 

their purpose is enter the Canaan 

Let’s go to the Promised Land which is flowing with milk and honey 

They had a goal 

But when they arrived in the desert of Paran and saw the people of Canaan 

They became afraid and sat down /they collapsed 

They lost their purpose 

Conquer the Canaan is their purpose 

That is their goal 

But they lost their goal in front of Canaan 

As a result, they were wandered in the desert for 40 years 

And Most of them died in the desert. 

Brothers and sisters 

Do not miscalculate your self 

Do not underestimate yourself 

You are special in God 

God already prepared your way 

2 Corinthians 2;9 it says

God has prepared for those who love him

You know, someone said 

people only use 10% of their ability in their lives (Dao) 

Means; God gave us 100% of ability but we are just using 10%. 

while we are living in this world 

And we think 10% is all of my ability 

This is wrong/ misunderstanding 

That’s why we despair and wander 

It is like this; you are rich but you don’t know you are rich 

In your account you have a million but 

you think that you have only 1000 or 100 pesos in your account, something like that 

10% is not all 

You still have 90% 

God already gave gift to you when you were born 

You were born to be used for God’s will. 

We are not industrial product made by factory 

We are all different 

Even twins are different 

Means; each and every one of us have different talents 

So we have to nurture and develop that talent 

Let’s go back to our passage 

Why God created us? 

For good work 

God has already plans for you and me 

He has blue print for you 

God has the project for you and me

God has already great purpose for each every one of us 

Bible says in Jeremiah 1; 5 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set a part; I appointed you as a prophet to the nation 

God has already planed to make Jeremiah as a prophet to the nation before he was born 

God has already planed to Moses to be leader in Israel before he was born 

God has already planed to ptr.sung to serve ABC before i was born

It’s the same with you 

God has already planed something for you before you were born 

God has already purpose for your lives 

And he gave different talents to each every one 

Remember we have special talent for his work 

So do not despair 

It is not all which is what we are seeing

That is only 10 % 

We have still 90% amen? 

So be loved ABC students.

Discover the right way 

Which way I should go 

Find out what is God’s plan for us 

This must be our 1st concern 

In my country, we usually celebrate the baby’s 100 days 

When we celebrate we put money, pencil, thread, and cake in front of the baby 

And let the baby grab 1 thing 

If he gets money, we think, wow he will be a rich man 

If he gets a pencil, we think that he will be a teacher 

If he gets a thread we think that he will live long 

And if he gets cake, we think that he will be healthy 

Something like that 

I don’t know what your talent is 

but, we should go the right way so that it will maximize our talent 

For example, 

our dress does not suit us, it becomes uncomfortable. (diba?) 

Like this, if it is the wrong way, we could not make use of our talent fully. 

So think about it, what is your talent 

Some are good at singing 

Some are good at drawing 

Some are good at mathematics 

so when you are study here in ABC you develop your talent 

and when you graduate use it for the Glory of God amen

When I was preparing this sermon 

I was thinking about what my talent is 

I think what I like? 

I like hiking 

And I go around mountain 

And I’m happy 

Because I do what I like 

Discover your way Amen? 

Then how do we find the right way 

Think about what you like? 

You like music 

You like talking… 

I will give you an illustration 

There is one guy who studied in a medical college 

Because his parents were both doctors in the hospital 

And they wanted their son to be a doctor also. 

But he doesn’t like to be a doctor 

He is not happy with what he is doing 

He is afraid to operate with knife 

And he thought this is not my job 

so after he graduated he ran a way to USA 

His father got so angry and stopped in support him. 

So he got a part time Job while he studying 

he is working in a Japanese restaurant 

And one day, the cook was absent 

So the owner told him to cut sasimi 

When he cut raw fish, it felt so good 

He was very happy and he said this is my job 

He found out what he likes 

Now he is a chief cook in walker hill Hotel which is the best hotel in Korea 

Brothers and sisters 

you also look for what you like 

As for me I like young people 

I feel young when I talk to you and stay with you 

I’m happy 

You know when I came back to the Philippines as a missionary 

One day I dreamt 

I was fishing in Burnham Park Lake with net 

I got many Tilapia 

And suddenly those tilapia grew big 

And they cut the net and went out 

So I thought “oh why did all the fish run away” 

And I wake up 

And I thought “why the Tilapia ran a way” 

“Maybe missionary work is not my task’ 

I was discouraged with that dream 

I said dream is only dream, just forget it 

But now I understand that dream 

You are studying here and growing big through your training here 

And you will become like those Tilapia 

You will go forth and do your ministry 

So I strongly believe that this bible school came to pass as my way 

This is what God wants me to do 

And I’m happy with this work 

Brothers and sisters 

Do what you like best 

Do it what you interest. 

That time you will be happy 

But remember that it should be in line with God’s will 

I will finish my sermon with one story 

One time I went to mountain ministry 

I lost my cell phone 

So I got upset 

And I couldn’t continue to preach 

In my mind “Oh where’s my Cell phone….’ 

How many times I lost my cell phone 

If I tell to my wife that I lost my cellphone 

May be my wife will say tata……. 

Oh what shall I do 

That time God spoke in my mind 

Are you upset only because of your cell phone? 

Think about me how upset am I 

I lost so many souls 

If you find your cell phone may be you will be happy 

It’s the same with me 

If I find even one lost soul I’m very happy 

And I realized that time 

Through my work, if only a single soul return to God 

How happy will God be? 

And if God is happy through me 

How happy I would be. 

Brother and sisters 

I don’t know your way I don’t know your ability 

But I know one thing God will use you 

And He has already purpose for you 

So you have to find it 

Pastor, missionary, evangelist, preacher’s wife, Worship leader, teacher etc... 

Find your right way 

Find God’s will 

If you find, God can work with you, no matter what you have done, who you are or where you come from, if you find your right way, God can make something out of your life 

But don’t forget this one 

Through your work, you must testify of Jesus Christ 

Through your work, you must find lost souls and bring them back to God. 

Let us pray