Moving With Purpose! (Check Your Savings Account pt. 2)
Sunday Morning
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream
09/12/21 (2nd Sunday Message)
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Starting with a scripture from last week:
Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV)
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.
We have 2 types of treasures.
Earthly Treasures:
Not To Be Our Focus
Can Be Destroyed
Can Be Stolen
And
Heavenly Treasures:
Should Be Our Focus
Can NOT Be Destroyed
Can NOT Be Stolen
We are talking about our mindset.
What do we think about?
What are we after?
Which Savings Account Is Bigger?
Luke 16:19-21
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The Rich Man was covered in the things people wanted in life.
Purple (sign of royalty)
Fine linen - wore the best.
Lazarus was covered in the things people didn’t want.
Sores
He was a beggar.
He was hungry.
Even the dogs felt sorry for him.
Another translation says his only friends were the dogs.
Verse 22
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
Both men died.
Lazarus was carried to Abraham’s side.
The Rich Man was buried.
Verse 23-31
23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
The Rich man ended up in torment.
When he asked for relief in the afterlife…
He was told he received his good things in his lifetime.
We don’t know much about Lazurus.
The bible says he was a beggar.
Leads us to believe he didn’t have much at all.
He DID had sores…
But if he ended up with Abraham…
There was something he DID HAVE to put him there.
One Man Had A Large Savings On Earth,
The Other Had A Large Savings In Heaven
The Rich Man had all the signs of having everything together on the surface.
He could give to others.
Lazarus was referred to as a beggar.
He needed others to give to him.
Only one had something stored up for later.
Don’t Be So Focused On Your Right Now That You Aren’t Storing Up For Your Future!
Don’t be so focused on making money and wealth and material stuff right now.
You need heavenly treasure also!
Luke 16:22
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
Time isn’t promised.
What are we doing with the time we have?
Only The Things You Do For Christ Will Last!
Don’t forget to store up treasures in heaven!
So how do we store up heavenly treasures?
What do we do?
How Do We Store Up Heavenly Treasures?
- Spend More Time With God
- Learning and Living His Word
- Walking In Your God-Given Purpose
- Showing Love To One Another
Talking today about:
Walking In Your God-Given Purpose
We spent the beginning of this year talking about walking in purpose.
It’s been 9 months.
How’s it going?
For anyone needing a reminder:
Each One Of Us Was Created With A Purpose
What is a purpose?
Many of us live life wondering if we have a reason for being here.
We ask questions like:
What Am I Here For?
Am I Doing What I’m Supposed To?
Am I Making The Right Life Decisions?
Is There More To Life Than This?
It’s impossible to answer these questions on our own.
We don’t know enough to figure that out.
Here’s a question:
What are these?
{Photo: Marbles}
These are marbles.
If I asked you what are they used for?
Depends on who you ask.
Ask A Young Child:
Roll them on the floor.
Putting on the floor to make others slip.
Ask An Older Child:
A Game Of Marbles
Ask An Adult:
Decoration (Arts and Crafts)
Uses in jars or fish tanks.
Many other uses also.
What’s The Actual Use Of Marbles?
No one REALLY knows because we don’t know when they were created.
They have been found in ashes of Pompeii.
They have been found in tombs of ancient Egyptians.
Archaeologists say they were created as early as 2500 BC.
We have many uses for marbles.
People will tell you the best use for marbles.
But what is the REAL use?
To know that…you have to ask the one who created it.
If You Want To Know Your True Purpose, You Have To Ask The Creator!
People will tell you what your best use is.
They will tell you what you’re good for and what you aren’t.
But the BEST way of finding out is asking your creator.
God Gave You A Reason To Be Here!
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
You are a chosen, royal, holy, God’s people.
Each of the words give further explanation to what we are.
But you can make it read:
You are chosen….to declare the praises.
You are chosen…for a reason.
God choose you…for a purpose.
Many of us understand this now…
How do we figure out what that purpose is?
How Do I Determine God’s Purpose For Me?
What does the scripture say?
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
We are chosen for a reason.
We are chosen for a purpose.
That purpose will declare praises of him.
Our Purpose Will Give God Glory
Someone say:
“My purpose will give God glory.”
Many of us who are looking for our purpose may ask God:
How Do We Distinguish Between Our Thoughts And God’s Answer?
Does it give God glory?
Start there!
Continue to pray over it.
Continue to ask God about it.
But also know…
God isn’t keeping it a secret from us!
Psalm 32:8
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
He will instruct us in the right direction.
He will teach us the right way to go.
God wants us to do what we were created for.
God Wants Us To Walk In Our Purpose!
If you’re trying to store up heavenly treasures for yourself,
what better way than to walk in the calling of God!
Remember God is supposed to get the glory.
As we’re looking for that purpose…God is supposed to get the glory.
If God Isn’t Getting The Glory, It’s Not Our Purpose
Who is it all about?
Is God getting the glory?
Or are we?
You may be on the front lines and everyone knows you…
But God is to get the glory.
You may be on the back end and very few know you…
But God is to get the glory.
If we want to store up heavenly treasure.
Walk in your purpose.
The rich man had everything he wanted in this life…
But he had nothing stored up for the next.
So even if you’re trying to figure out what your purpose is right now,
While You’re Waiting To Hear From God, Do Something!
Many of us can say we’re waiting on God…
But he’s really waiting on us!
Start looking at all the ways we can use our gifts and talents to give God glory and let’s get to it!
We Can Miss Out On So Many Opportunities Waiting For The Perfect One. Start Today!
Paralysis by Analysis is real!
We’ve been trained to think we have to have it all together first.
We have to know our plan.
We have to have all the answers first.
“I’ll come to church when I get right.”
But We’re supposed to take the first steps!
Some of us are afraid of the first step.
But you aren’t alone!
If your desire is to give God glory through what you do…
God Will Be With You!
Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Don’t be afraid.
God is with us.
Your purpose is to give God glory.
If you don’t fully know your purpose yet,
find a way to give God glory and walk in it.
I said this earlier this year.
If You Want To Walk In Purpose, Show God You’re Willing To Go!
The reason some of us don’t have answers yet is because God knows we aren’t going to move when he tells us!
Walking In Purpose Has Benefits:
- God Get’s The Gory On Earth
- It Stores Up Treasures For Us
God rewards those who honor him.
Matthew 10:42
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
God sees us and is looking.
If he will reward us for giving cold water…
What will he do when we’re fully walking in purpose?
Many of us are missing rewards because we aren’t willing to step out.
Walking in purpose is a great way to store up treasures in heaven.
If you want to build your savings account…
Start doing things that will bring glory to God.
This Week:
- Ask God For Help To Remember To Seek Heavenly Treasures
- Ask For Clarity In Your Purpose
- Do Something That Brings Glory To God This Week
