Embracing the Vision: The Purpose Driven Life — Part 3

Hey, everybody. You know, Pastor Rick Warren often says you were made by God and for God. And until you understand that, well, life will never make sense. Thank you for joining us today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and in our series called God's Vision for the Rest of youf Life. Today, Rick will continue in his effort to help you discover the unique purpose and vision that the Lord has for your life. All right, I can't wait to get to today's message. So here's Pastor Rick with the final part of a message called Embracing the the Purpose Driven Life.

Here's the fourth purpose. God shaped me to serve him. God shaped me to serve him. The Bible says in Psalm 139, you shaped me first inside, then out. You formed me in my mother's womb. Now, this is a truth we've taught over and over at Saddleback Church that you are unique. You're not one in a million. You're one in six billion. God doesn't want you living up to the expectations of other people. God didn't create you to live to be what your parents wanted you to be or what your husband or wife wanted you to be, or what your boyfriend or girlfriend wanted you to be. God wants you to be what he made you to be. And you are unique. And when you die and get to heaven, God isn't gonna say, why weren't you more like somebody else? He's gonna say, why weren't you more like you? And. And he uniquely shaped you. Notice, in your mother's womb for a purpose. It didn't just start once you were born. God planned you before you were born. Now, God says there are illegitimate parents, but there are no illegitimate babies. There are accidental parents, but there are no accidental babies. God had a plan for you. And I don't care if your parents were good, bad, or totally terrible. Maybe they even abandoned you. The reason they were your parents is God knew they had just the right DNA to create you. And God was more interested in creating you than he was in their parenting skills, and that's why they were your parents. God wanted you, and he uniquely shaped you. Now, to help you remember how God shapes you and makes you unique from everybody else, we used a little acrostic here at Saddleback. Spiritual gifts, heart abilities, personality and experiences. These are the five things that make you you. Look on the next page. The Bible says this. God made us what we are. In other words, he shaped us. And in Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works which he planned in advance for us to live Our lives doing. Now circle the phrase good works. Before you were even born, God decided in advance what contribution he wanted you to make with your life. And he wants you to serve him on this planet. God didn't put you on this planet just to take up space, to breathe, to use resources and to die. No, he put you here to make the world a better place. He put you on this planet to make a unique contribution, to serve him by the shape that he gave you. And nobody else could be you. And if you don't serve God the way God intended you to serve him, then the world misses that part of the jigsaw puzzle. Now, another name for good works is ministry. And anytime you use your talents and abilities to help somebody else, you are actually ministering to them. Now, notice this next verse, 1 Peter 4 says this. God has given you, each of you some special abilities. Be sure to use them to make a ton of money. Oh, sorry. That's the reviled, substandard perversion of the Bible. Let me read the correct translation here. God has given each of you some special abilities. Be sure to use them to read it with me. Help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessings. Now get this. You know the talents that you've got. Hate to tell you this, but they're not for your benefit. God gave you your talents for the benefit of helping other people. God gave me my talents for the benefits of helping other people. They're not for me. They're for you, the person next to you. Their talents are for the benefits of helping everybody else. God wired the universe so that we would need each other. As I said, nobody's got it all together. I don't have it all together. You don't have it all together. Nobody does. That's why we need each other. And the Bible says, I want you to serve me now. When you get to heaven, you're going to love God in heaven, so he wants you to practice now. You're going to love other people in heaven, so he wants you to practice now. You're going to grow spiritually in heaven, so he wants you to practice now. And you're going to serve God in heaven, so he wants you to practice now. Now, some of you have a misunderstanding of what you're going to do in heaven. You think that when you get to heaven, you're going to wear a white robe, sit on a cloud and play a harp. Folks, that would be hell. I can't think of anything more boring than if that's heaven. No thanks God, but think about this. Think of all the thrills, all the fun things you can do on this earth. And this is an imperfect planet and God created this. Think how much fun and all the thrills it's going to be in heaven. I mean, look at all the fun stuff there is to do on earth. And this is imperfect. In heaven it's going to be a blast. I mean, there you can do all these bike flips like these, you know, guys do and never crack up. You can surf the big waves and never wipe out. It's going to be unbelievably fun. But one of the things you're going to do in heaven is serve. Serve God. Now here's the fourth purpose of life. To serve God by serving others. You serve God by serving others. You see, on Earth it's impossible to serve God directly. You can't serve him directly. The only way you can serve God on earth is by serving other people. So anytime you help somebody else, God says, it's like you're doing it for me. You're practicing on earth what you're going to do in heaven. When you are unselfish, you stop living this little self centered clod of a life and you start saying, I'm going to help other people with my life. God says, now you're getting the point. You're practicing what you're going to do in eternity. We serve God by serving others. We saw a dramatic example of this just this last week with Ashley in Atlanta. Ashley was going through, she was a part of a church that's doing 40 days of purpose. And she was going through the Purpose Driven Life book. And she went out one morning, about 1am in the morning to go get some cigarettes. Had no idea that as she was walking back into her house, Brian was gonna stick a gun in her back and say, open the door. And he took her hostage, he took her inside her house, tied her up and put her in the bathtub. And it looked like it was gonna be murder number five. But Ashley had been reading about God's purpose for her life. And she told Brian, you know Brian, you're not an accident. And God has a purpose for your life. And you were made to last forever. And God wants you to practice on Earth what you're going to do forever in eternity. And it started to sink in. He goes, God has a purpose for me? Yes. In spite of all the stuff I've done? Yes. There is no pit too deep that God's love is not deeper still. God could reach out to me I've already killed some people. Yes. What could my purpose be? Well, I don't know. But you know what? If you turn yourself in, you go to prison. You may die for the people you killed, but as long as your heart is beating, God has a purpose for your life. And it could be in that prison that he wants you to serve other people. And then Ashley not only told him that, she said, can I read it to you? And he said, sure. So he untied her, and she went and got her Bible and got a copy of the Purpose Driven Life. And it just so happened she was on day 33, which is on how leaders, how real servants act. And she read about how we are to serve God by serving each other. And she even then practiced it. And she got up and she made this guy breakfast. She served him, and it melted his heart. And he turned around and served her by fixing some curtains for her. And then she convinced him to turn himself in and to let her go. And the killing spree was stopped. Now, you may think, well, I'm too far beyond for God. I've done too many things in my life wrong. I've gone too many years without a relationship with God. It's too late. You are dead wrong. You're dead wrong. That's why God brought you here today. He wants you to know him in a personal way. Now, number five, we've got to move quickly. This is the fifth purpose. God made me for a mission. God made me for a mission. Now, I don't have time to get into this, but during the next four weeks, we're going to focus on this exclusively understanding and fulfilling your mission in life. And I hope you'll come back for part two. Jesus said this in the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. So should you decide to accept, Mr. Phelps, God has a unique mission in the world that he has for you, and only you can fulfill it. If you do not choose to fulfill it, the world gets cheated. And that's what we're going to go into in the next several weeks. Look at the next verse. Read it with me. Where there is no vision, the people perish. Now, friends, this is true in every area of life. When there's no vision in a business, the business falls apart. When there's no vision in a family or a marriage, the marriage falls apart. When there's no vision in a nation, the nation falls apart. When there's no vision in your personal life, you drift through life. God doesn't want you drifting through life. He wants you to live a life of purpose and power and significance and meaning. And he wants you to get on with his plan. But we're going to talk about this the next four weeks. We're going to talk about experiencing the vision, expecting the vision, enjoying the vision, expanding your vision and even energizing your vision. But it starts today. It starts with you embracing God's vision for your life. What does that mean? It says God. You say, God, I've been doing my plan for long enough and it hadn't worked out. I've had my plans for my life and it's caused a lot of stress, a lot of tension, a lot of fatigue. I've had some heartbreaks. I've had some dead ends. I've had things not turning out the way I thought they were going to turn out. So, God, I wasn't put on this planet anyway to live my plan. I'm switching to your plan today. I'm switching to your purposes which you put me on this planet for. So I am embracing your vision for my life. That's the first step. Notice what the Bible says. Those who embrace my ways are most blessed. Have you done that? Have you said to God, God, I'm going to stop living my way and I'm going to start living your way for the purposes that you put me on this planet for, in getting me ready for eternity. I am embracing your purposes for my life. Now you say, why should I do that? I'm living the good life. And it's true. You are living the good life. I've been in Africa and Kenya and Uganda and Rwanda, working with orphans, those orphaned by AIDS and those orphaned by the genocide in Rwanda. And believe me, you're living the good life. They weren't. Those kids would love to have your problems. They'd love it. And because you live in Southern California, you are living the good life. There's only one problem with the good life. It isn't good enough. It isn't good enough. It's a shallow, superficial life. The good life is all about looking good, feeling good and having the goods. And that is a shallow, superficial life. It has nothing to do with doing good or being good. You were made for more. Now, if there was a life that was better than the good life, would you be interested in it? I would think you would. If there was a step up, that there was more than just the good life, that that's not the ultimate in life, the ultimate is the better life. Wouldn't you want to know about it. Well, of course you would. The Bible says Jesus included everyone in his death so everyone could be included in his life. A far better life. Not just a good life, a better life than people could ever live on their own. That's the life that God offers you today. Not the good life, the better life. How do you get started on this better life? A life of purpose and peace and power. You open your eyes. The next verse says this. Open your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him. Now I want you to pray a little prayer. Say, God, I'm running to you. I'm opening my eyes. I'm now switching from my plan for my life to. To your purposes for my life. I hope by now you've realized you're not here by accident. This morning, 1,000 years before you were born, God planned for you to be at Saddleback Church so he could get you to slow down long enough that he could just get your attention and say to you, you matter to me. You're not an accident. I planned you before. I planned the foundation of the world. I made you to last forever. I want you to live with me forever. I want you and my family. I know everything about you and still love you. And I want you to know and love me back. And I want you to grow up spiritually, and I want you to learn to be unselfish and serve others. And I have a mission for your life. But you gotta step across the line and say, okay, God, I'm embracing your vision for my life. I'm not going with my plan anymore. I'm going with your purposes. And that's why you're here today. This last week, when I got back from Africa, a lot had been going on in America. And I did 12 national network TV interviews this last week. And they all wanted to know the same thing. They said, rick, is there a common denominator spiritually, between the killings in Minnesota, the hostage taking in Atlanta, and the Terri Schiavo case in Florida? And of course, I said there is. Everybody needs a reason for hope. The fundamental emotional need of everybody is a legitimate reason for hope. Not a phony, false reason, but a real reason for hope. And when people feel hopeless, they act in hopeless ways. They become advocates of death, as in all three cases. You see, you can go about 40 days without food, and you can go about 8 or 10 days without water. You can go maybe a minute or two without air. But you cannot exist without hope. So let me ask you a very personal question on what are you basing your hope on? What are you basing your hope? Everybody is betting their lives on something. And I have no doubt in a crowd this size, some of you came in here today feeling hopeless about some area of your life. I'm never going to get out of debt. You're hopeless about your finances. I'm never gonna get married. We're never gonna have a baby. I'm never gonna reach my dream. I'm never gonna see this problem resolved. I'm never gonna feel any better. And you feel hopeless about some area. In fact, there's some of you, I'm sure, who are even feeling like throwing in the towel on your own life. Don't. God's purpose for your life is greater than the problem you are facing right now. And Jesus Christ offers you the invitation of a lifetime. Listen to this. Jesus says, are you tired, worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me for real. Rest and you'll recover your life and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. Look at the next verse. It makes no difference who you are or where you're from. If you want God and you're ready to do as he says, the door is open. Now, I love this because he says, I'm not offering you religion. Religion is not the answer, folks. Jesus didn't come to give you religion. He said, I came to give you life. Not rules, religion, restrictions, rituals, but to give you a relationship. You were made for a relationship with God. And I don't care what your religious background is. You may be Catholic, you may be Protestant, you may be Jewish or Muslim or Mormon or Buddhist or Baptist, or no religion at all. Then it really doesn't matter. What matters is, do you have a relationship with God who loves you and sent his son to die for you on the cross? And it doesn't matter what your background is, and it doesn't matter what you've done. What matters is the direction of your feet and what they're headed now. It doesn't even matter if you have doubts. I wish somebody had told me a long time ago that I could become a believer in Jesus and still have doubts. I would have done it a whole lot sooner. I used to think I had to figure out everything in the Bible before I could become a follower of Christ. Well, that's ridiculous. I mean, I don't understand the chemistry of digestion. That doesn't stop me from eating a steak. I don't understand how internal combustion works. That doesn't stop me from driving a car. There are a lot of things in life that I benefit from without knowing how they work, like a cell phone and the Internet. Lot of stuff that I enjoy that I don't have to know exactly how it all works. Now, I've been a follower of Jesus Christ for over 40 years and there's still things in this book I don't understand. I go, whoa, why did God say that? That doesn't make sense. And I don't know why. But I know God is God and I'm not. And if I could figure it out, I'd be God. But it hasn't stopped me from having a 40 year relationship and friendship with God and living a life of meaning and purpose and significance. And all I know is that when I said I'm giving up my plan for your purposes, my life got better dramatically. And that's your invitation too. Let's bow our heads as we close. I want to pray for you and I want to lead you in a prayer. Father, I know that there are some here who've been living the good life, not realizing that there's a far better life. A life of purpose. Forgive us all for shallow living, thinking that the only thing is life is only about collecting possessions or having pleasure or achieving popularity. I pray that today many will step across the line to the better life. A life of purpose and power and peace. Now you pray. Doesn't matter. The words you say, just say it in your mind. Just say yes to God. But if you don't know what to pray, you can say these words. Just follow me in your mind. Say, dear God. Just say it in your mind. Dear God, I don't know if I've ever said this, but thank you. Thank you for creating me and loving me. I want to fulfill the purposes that you made me for. So starting today, I want to get to know you and love you and trust you. And I want my life to bring you pleasure. And I want to become a part of your family. Help me to grow up spiritually like your son, Jesus. I want to use the life you've given me to serve you by serving others. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me in the weeks ahead. Help me to understand your vision and mission for the rest of my life. Amen. You know, if you just prayed that prayer for the very first time or.

You just recommitted your life to Jesus.

Again today, would you let me know about it? There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me rickastorrick.com and say, Rick, I prayed that prayer of commitment. I gave my life to Christ. And I'll send you some material that'll help you on your journey with Jesus. And I'll also pray for you. God bless you.

Hey, thanks so much for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. I hope you were as blessed as I was from today's show. And now here's Rick to tell you about today's offer.

I know many of you use the Daily Hope devotionals as part of your regular Bible study, and so I wanna share some exciting news. We've put 365 of the best devotionals into a new book that we're calling the Daily Hope Purpose, Peace, and Promise for Every Day. This devotional book is designed with clear, practical biblical teaching to help you make knowing God your number one priority. And what does that mean for you each day? It means you'll be able to conquer your fears and overcome temptations. You'll be able to let go of your worries and to shake off stress. And by starting your day focused on God, you'll be prepared to face any conflict as you build healthy relationships within your family, your neighborhood, and at work. This book is a great way to share the hope you have in Jesus with your friends, co workers and relatives. I hope you'll get a copy for everyone you know.

Just go to pastorrick.com to get your copy. That's pastorrick.com or just text the word hope to 70309. Again, the word hope to 70309. And thanks so much for your support. Your gift to Daily Hope means so much to us because it helps us share the hope of Jesus Christ to people all around the world. Be sure to join us next time as we look into God's Word for our Daily Hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.