Eight Ways to Fulfill God's Purpose for Your Life

Purpose, God’s purpose, that is, is what we want to take a look at this week. On the heels of this idea on purpose comes the following illustration. The guest was a body builder a while back on “The Merv Griffin Show,” the guest was a bodybuilder. During the interview, Merv asked, “Why do you develop those particular muscles?” The bodybuilder stepped forward and flexed a series of well-defined muscles from chest to calf. The audience applauded. “What do you use all those muscles for?” Merv asked. Again, the muscular specimen flexed, and biceps and triceps sprouted to impressive proportions. “But what do you USE those muscles for?” Merv persisted. The body builder was bewildered. He didn’t have an answer other than to display his well-developed frame. I was reminded that our spiritual exercises—Bible study, prayer, reading Christian books, listening to Christian radio and tapes—are also for a purpose. They’re meant to strengthen our ability to build God’s kingdom, not simply improve our pose before an admiring audience.¹ I like this story; it shows that we need to be intentional about our life and our purpose in God. Eight Ways to Fulfill God’s Purpose for Your Life that’s our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Be led by the Spirit. Get involved in your local church. Plug into God’s purpose for your life.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
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Question: What can you add to this thread? How has being in contact with the ministry Gifts of God impacted your life?

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to those podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years, emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

God’s Purpose: A List of Eight

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

So, in a previous podcast, we defined for you the five ministry gifts that Jesus died to obtain; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
God put these gifts in the Church for several reasons.
Let’s review the list of eight reasons
- To equip the saints.
- To attain the unity of the faith.
- The purpose of which His people can arrive at the knowledge of the Son of God.
- To attain mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
- So that we may no longer be unstable children easily deceived.
- To the end that we may speak the truth in love.
- So that we may grow up
- For the body of Christ having the express purpose of building itself up in love.
Now, get this: you don’t get any of these benefits without the influence of these five ministry gifts.
This is the way God set.
We must go God’s way.
Now let’s back into these verses – what will happen if we don’t follow God’s plan.
The saints will not be equipped for the work of ministry.
There is no attaining the unity of the faith — that will go by the boards.
As part of the Body of Christ, the individual believer won’t get the knowledge of Jesus that they should have.
They won’t mature and develop right without these five ministry offices.
Going on further, we have some side effects of isolating ourselves from Church.
You could say this is the negative side of the story.
Without the ministry gifts, without apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, children of God will be unstable in their walk.
They will be easily deceived.
There is a tenderness that will be lacking among them because they won’t have the ability as they should to speak the truth in love.
They will be diminutive in size — they won’t grow right or develop properly.
And because they don’t develop properly, the whole body is affected because they will not be able to build up one another in love.
Now, as we take up these eight areas individually, think about what you will realize growth-wise going God’s way and, at the same time, what you won’t attain if you don’t.

God’s Purpose: Equipping the Saints

Ephesians 4:11–12 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers are put in the church by God to equip the saints for the work of ministry.
The Greek word ‘equip’ is one we want to look at a bit deeper, and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
The word ‘equip’ means to complete.
It means bringing someone or something to be perfect and adequate in every respect and thereby fit for some purpose.
Now, look at the word ‘work’ — work of the ministry.
Ministry is work.
When I say ministry, we’re talking about professional ministry.
When you think ministry, think of helping people.
Think reaching people.
See in your mind lifting people.
To do any of that takes work.
The Greek word ‘work’ means that which displays itself in activity of any kind, deed, action²
There’s one more component to the work of the ministry, time.
All of you understand what it means to work a job.
Working is an exchange — your time in exchange for monetary compensation.
Work of the ministry means the same thing — time is part of an exchange.
You give your time in exchange for lifting people.
You give your time in exchange for reaching and helping people.
And, with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

The story is told of an old Norwegian who had kept very careful notes of his life in a series of notebooks he kept on the shelf of his business. On his eightieth birthday he went to the store and pulled the books from the shelf and began to compute his life. He was surprised to find that he had spent five of his eighty years waiting for people. He had spent six months tying neckties, three months scolding children, and eight days telling dogs to lie down and be quiet.³

Now, let’s add some things to this illustration.
Let’s say you are this person — this Old Norwegian.
And, you’re saved forty-five out of those eighty years.
You listen to your pastor’s sermon weekly and then attend Sunday School.
When you compute all that, the total amount of time spent listening to messages would total around thirty-five hundred hours.
That’s about five months of your life.
Now, that is time spent consistently — you do it every week.
Here’s the question, and allow me to personalize it by using the word ‘you.’
If you spent five months listening, how much would the total be of you doing what you heard?
That is, If you were keeping a log of the time you spend doing the ‘work of the ministry,’ how much would that add up to?
You see, the hearing has to transform over into doing.
The only reason I mention that is because in our Western culture, hearing and doing are separate.
In the world of the Bible, which is not western culture but eastern, hearing and doing are the same.
You show that you have heard what you do if I can say it that way.
It’s that way in the Bible.
Look at the Hebrew word Shema for example.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV) — 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Verse four begins with the command to hear; that’s the word, Shema.
With that thought, here’s the Quote of the Day.

The word, shema, we usually translate “hear.” But the word shema has a much wider, deeper meaning than “to perceive sound.” It encompasses a whole spectrum of ideas that includes listening, taking heed, and responding with action to what one has heard.⁴

So it’s not hearing, and then if you feel like it do — like you have an option.
It’s hear AND do all in one package.
So equipping the saints for the work of God is one of God’s purposes for your life.

God’s Purpose: Attain Unity of Faith

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers… 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith

These ministry gifts will function until we all attain a level of maturity in Christ, manifesting in a spirit of unity.
Unity is a super big thing in all things God.
It seems to me that we have a bit of road to travel before attaining this unity that Jesus is saying we need to have.
That’s why ministers need to keep ministering, and teachers need to keep teaching.
Is this podcast a part of that process? Well, you judge.
Unity begins at the home level.
If husbands are not on the same page as their wives where spiritual things are concerned, if the reverse is true, that wives are not on the same page as their husbands spiritually, how can we expect to be in unity when we come to the church house?
In the church, we are dealing with a bunch of strangers.
Learn to flow spiritually with your spouse?
It starts with respect.
Respect is a supermassive piece in the affairs of Kingdom life.

Ephesians 5:25–31 (ESV) — 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Colossians, the sister book to Ephesians, says it this way.

Colossians 3:19 (ESV) — 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

To attain the unity of the faith, husbands must love their wives to the same level that Jesus loved the church.
It starts at home.
Similarly, wives have their roles.

Ephesians 5:22–24 (ESV) — 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

The Greek word submit means to be submissive.
It means to be or become inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or show such inclination.
You don’t need this Greek definition to understand the word submit.
All you must do is reread verse twenty-four.
The scripture says that as the church submits to Jesus, wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
So, obedience is the idea here.
As you obey Jesus, why should they obey their husbands? Some of the ways that wives are trying to signal their independence and I’m going to do things my way and you better not tell me what I need to be doing kind of attitude is not what the scriptures teach.
Now, the scripture is unequivocal here, and I want to ensure you understand.
The scripture does not say husbands make your wives submit – reread it; that’s not what it says.
It says wives submit to your own husbands.
This is something that the wife has to do willingly in and of herself.
So wives, if you are rebellious to this idea, that’s the work you’re going to do on the inside of your heart so that you can fulfill God’s purpose for your life — that is the unity of the faith.
So the husband has his work that he has to do, and the wife has hers.
Everybody should work on their end, and unity will be the result.
So, God’s purpose number two is attaining the unity of the faith.
Let’s go, number three.

God’s Purpose: Attaining the Knowledge of the Son of God

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers… 13 until we all attain the… knowledge of the Son of God…

We are all in learning mode when we come into the salvation that is available only in God.
And, with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

I heard a true story about a rescue attempt some years ago at an oil refinery. An explosion had occurred and a man had fallen inside a metal structure. The rescuers determined that there was no way to get him out without cutting through the metal. When they applied that technique there was a huge explosion from the sparks. One rescuer died. The man inside the metal structure was also dead. It was tragic – but what was even more tragic is that when the autopsy was done on the man inside the metal structure, it was determined that he was already dead before the rescuers ever cut the metal. One man died trying to save a man that was already dead.

Knowledge would have saved an additional life – the man who was the focus of the rescue was already dead.
Knowledge applied transforms to life, but you must acquire it.
We are supposed to learn about Jesus.

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) — 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Learn from me, Jesus said.
How are you going to do that?
Well, to continually learn, you must constantly come to Him.
How do you come to Him?
One way is via the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said that one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to take what belongs to Jesus and show it to you.

John 16:13–14 (ESV) — 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

So, one way of learning about Jesus is to say in your heart, ‘Holy Spirit,’ show me, Jesus.
Another way to learn about Jesus is to ask questions.
The disciples asked Jesus all kinds of questions during His earth walk.
In Matthew 9:14, they asked Jesus, “Why do the Pharisees and we fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Moving to Matthew 11:3, the disciples asked Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”
What about Matthew 18:1? — At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
They were questions on end-times and inquiries about the meanings of parables.
One day, Peter asked Jesus this question, ‘What will we have if we follow you?
Listen to Jesus’ reply.

Matthew 19:28–30 (ESV) — 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

You see, Jesus answered that question.
They gained knowledge of Jesus, and you can attain levels of understanding of Jesus similarly by asking questions.

God’s Purpose: Fully Grown in Jesus

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV) — 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers… until we all attain to… mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Mature manhood, acquiring that level of growth, is the fourth purpose in God’s mind.
God wants His children to develop — to grow.

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) — 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—

Without ministry gifts in your life, that is, having contact with them, you can not be perfect and adequate in every respect and fit for the purpose God has laid out in your life.
One of those purposes is to grow.
That’s one of our lead-in segments at the front of our podcast.
Are you growing in God?
Are you closer to Jesus?
Do you want to know Him better?
According to this passage in Peter, the growth path is milk consumption — spiritual milk consumption, that is.
Spiritual milk is the Word of God.
You can’t grow without God’s Word.
Don’t just think of Bible reading as just reading.
Think of it as feeding.
Bible reading is Bible feeding.
Some listen to the Bible on tapes, CDs, and cell phone apps.
Sharon and I use Audible; we have a Bible we purchased that we listen to with that app.
Bible listening is Bible feeding.
Study the Bible yourself, with your pastor at church, and with your Sunday school class.
Bible study is Bible feeding.
Quote the scriptures — learn to do it.
It’s one of the best ways to get God’s Word down in your heart.
Quoting the Bible is Bible feeding.
Listen to Bible teaching podcasts, listen to Light on Life.
Listening to Bible podcasts is Bible feeding.
Are you getting the idea?

A young man left for his freshman year at Duke University, his parents gave him a Bible, assuring him it would be a great help. Later, as he began sending them letters asking for money, they would write back telling him to read his Bible, citing chapter and verse. He would reply that he was reading the Bible—but he still needed money. When he came home for a semester break, his parents told him they knew he had not been reading his Bible. How? They had tucked $10 and $20 bills by the verses they had cited in their letters.⁵

The target of all this reading, feeding, listening, and quoting of the Bible is application that leads to maturity.
Feed so you can do.
Study so you can apply.
Listen so you can perform.
Quote, so you can work the Word.
The by-product of feeding and doing is growing and developing.
And, if you keep growing and doing and developing, you will grow and eventually expand to a state of mature manhood.
You will be a lover of God and men because loving God and loving man is the whole commandment.
We are running out of time here.
We’ve covered four of the eight ways to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.
- To equip the saints.
- To attain the unity of the faith.
- The purpose of which His people can arrive at the knowledge of the Son of God.
- To attain mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
We will pick this line back up and discuss the remaining four in another podcast because there is much to discuss.
You guys have a great God-week in Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Why the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Matters

__________
References:

Gary Gulbranson, Leadership, Summer, 1989, p. 43 Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 390. ↩
Charles R. Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart and 1501 Other Stories (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2016), 572–573. ↩
Tverberg, Lois. Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus (p. 34). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. ↩
John T. Spach, in Reader’s Digest Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩

emeryhorvath.com

Equipping people to pursue God's glory

Eight Ways to Fulfill God’s Purpose for Your Life

Encore Podcast: Light on Life Season Eleven Episode Thirty-Six

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

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Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to those podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

God’s Purpose: A List of Eight

God’s Purpose: Equipping the Saints

God’s Purpose: Attain Unity of Faith

God’s Purpose: Attaining the Knowledge of the Son of God

God’s Purpose: Fully Grown in Jesus

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in iTunes

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to those podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

God’s Purpose: A List of Eight

God’s Purpose: Equipping the Saints

God’s Purpose: Attain Unity of Faith

God’s Purpose: Attaining the Knowledge of the Son of God

God’s Purpose: Fully Grown in Jesus

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