START UP: On Purpose
In this series, we follow the journey of Jesus as he begins his ministry to see what we can learn as we enter into a new chapter as a Church.
Scripture: Luke 4:38-44
“WeCrashed” is a show that released on Apple TV in 2022, and it follows a man named Adam Neumann as he attempts to build up his own business. That business was named, “WeWork,” and it is essentially a business made for renting out offices. However, what we see within this movie is a major flaw in how Adam Neumann starts his business. This flaw is what would eventually lead to the downfall of his company: They began without a firm purpose.
On the other hand, when we take a look at Jesus during the beginning of his ministry, we will see that he always had that firm purpose in mind from the very start. So, as we dig deeper into our passage, we will be looking at three things that it tells us about purpose: What is purpose? Why can’t we find our purpose? And how did Jesus know his purpose?
So what is purpose? If we take a look at the dictionary definition of purpose, we are told that purpose is the reason for which something is done, created, or exists. We have so many different views when it comes to purpose, but when talking about purpose, Jesus uses the word, “apostello,” which means to set apart or send out on a mission. This is also where we get the word, “apostle,” from. With that in mind, if we take a look at the question again from Jesus’s point of view, the answer is that purpose is something that comes from God. By knowing God and having that personal loving relationship with him, we will ultimately be led to our purpose.
Now some of us may already know what purpose is, but if we know what it is, then why can’t we find it? A major reason so many of us struggle to find purpose in life is because we attach our purpose to everything but God. Most often, our purpose is to be happy, but the main problem with this is that we don’t have a clear definition of what happiness is. If we look closer at this happiness, we will realize that it often isn’t happiness, but what we idolize. So really, the reason why we can’t find our purpose is because we’re too busy with our idols.
With all of that in mind, how did Jesus know his purpose? His purpose wasn’t to heal and perform miracles, but in having a deep relationship with the Father. Two huge things that we don’t talk about often, but are essential for deepening your relationship with God, are obedience and sacrifice. We always talk about love, but how often do we talk about these two things? Not often, because it isn’t glamorous, but they are extremely important. When you train your dog through obedience training, it isn’t done to subdue your dog, but to strengthen the bond between dog and owner. If we look at the reason we are even able to have a relationship with God in the first place, it is because the sacrifice of Jesus took place.
The answer may not be what we expect, but in order to find purpose, we need to come to God through obedience and sacrifice.
Study Questions:
1.) What is your current view of Purpose, and how does that conflict with this message?
2.) What are places in your life where you find purpose apart from a deep and intimate relationship with God?
3.) Is there an idol that is holding your purpose for you, or replacing God?
4.) What steps can I take to be more aware of my idols?
5.) What steps can I take to actively practice obedience and sacrifice in order to deepen my relationship with God?
