Citywide Baptist Church
What Jesus says about finding your life's purpose
Jesus explains how some people find their life's purpose and some people don't
Locations & Times
Citywide Baptist Church (Mornington)
400 Cambridge Rd, Mornington TAS 7018, Australia
Sunday 10:00 AM
What does Jesus say about the purpose of your life?
Is there a more important question?
Jesus criticises the chief priests and elders of the people for avoiding God's call on their lives.
Is there a more important question?
Jesus criticises the chief priests and elders of the people for avoiding God's call on their lives.
All of us are called to go and work in the vineyard.
From the very beginning we were given work to do on God's behalf, as his image bearers.
From the very beginning we were given work to do on God's behalf, as his image bearers.
“Like many scholars today, I understand the idea of the “image,” as in Genesis 1:26–28, to mean that humans are designed to function like angled mirrors. We are created in order to reflect the worship of all creation back to the Creator and by that same means to reflect the wise sovereignty of the Creator into the world. Human beings, worshipping their Creator, were thus the intended key to the proper flourishing of the world.”[1]
N.T. Wright
[1]N.T. Wright The Day the Revolution Began (2016), Loc. 1677
N.T. Wright
[1]N.T. Wright The Day the Revolution Began (2016), Loc. 1677
When human beings chose to go their own way instead of fulfilling their vocation, God appointed a nation to be his representatives in the vineyard of the world
Israel, despite promising to be faithful, instead went their own way.
When Jesus began his public ministry, he found ordinary people responding to his cousin John's call for repentance while the religious people refused to rediscover their original calling.
Jesus is telling this story to highlight this reality.
When Jesus began his public ministry, he found ordinary people responding to his cousin John's call for repentance while the religious people refused to rediscover their original calling.
Jesus is telling this story to highlight this reality.
The first son changed his mind (repented) and went to work in the vineyard, while the second son said the right things but didn't do the work.
The kingdom of God is the vineyard, and it is wherever God is King.
For Jesus, the most important question of finding your purpose is whether you have repented, believed and acted on that belief.
No matter what your history has been, your future is always open if you are willing to let God be King instead of you.
The kingdom of God is the vineyard, and it is wherever God is King.
For Jesus, the most important question of finding your purpose is whether you have repented, believed and acted on that belief.
No matter what your history has been, your future is always open if you are willing to let God be King instead of you.
Jesus unpacks the implications of what he is saying with another story.
Jesus is referencing Isaiah 5:1-7
The tenants in this story represent Israel and it's leaders, the servants represent the Old Testament prophets and the son is Jesus.
The tenant's motivation for killing the son is to "take his inheritance."
It is the same motivation that Adam and Eve had for disobedience.
They both wanted to be "like God" and in charge of their own destiny.
Jesus says that you will find your life's purpose if you are willing to give up what is most precious to you for his sake.
It is the same motivation that Adam and Eve had for disobedience.
They both wanted to be "like God" and in charge of their own destiny.
Jesus says that you will find your life's purpose if you are willing to give up what is most precious to you for his sake.
The consequence for Israel, the original tenants, is that their entrustment is taken away and given to people who were not part of the original deal, but who will give God what is rightfully his.
Jesus now unpacks the profound implications of what he has been saying and doing in chapter 21.
By quoting Psalm 118:22-23, Jesus brings to a head the implications of what the crown had been shouting as he entered Jerusalem at the start of the chapter ('Lord Save us...Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord' - Ps 118:25-26)
The kingdom of God is being taken away from those to whom it was originally entrusted in Genesis 12, and given to "a people who will bear its fruit."
Jesus understands that you will find your purpose as you understand that you are part of a new nation, "a people" that transcends all other commitments you have.
Your purpose is, as it was originally in the garden, to be God's representative to the world and to represent the world to God. You are to impact the world in ways that demonstrate in words and action that Jesus is Lord.
The kingdom of God is being taken away from those to whom it was originally entrusted in Genesis 12, and given to "a people who will bear its fruit."
Jesus understands that you will find your purpose as you understand that you are part of a new nation, "a people" that transcends all other commitments you have.
Your purpose is, as it was originally in the garden, to be God's representative to the world and to represent the world to God. You are to impact the world in ways that demonstrate in words and action that Jesus is Lord.
Jesus quotes the King's vision in Daniel 2, making it clear that the Kingdom of God is unbreakable.
Rather than repent, the Jewish leaders seek to get rid of Jesus
So, What Jesus would say to you about finding your purpose would be to seek first God's Kingdom and make sure that his priorities are your priorities.
The specific outworking of that is something you need to work out with him each day as he points you to what he wants done in the vineyard.
The specific outworking of that is something you need to work out with him each day as he points you to what he wants done in the vineyard.
Questions
1) What words would you use to describe the purpose of your life?
2) In what ways do you reflect God to the world? How do you reflect the world to God?
3) What people do you know who you would say are "bearing fruit."
4) What are the parts of your life that you find hardest to trust God with?
5) How would you like people to pray for you as you seek to be God's representative this week?
1) What words would you use to describe the purpose of your life?
2) In what ways do you reflect God to the world? How do you reflect the world to God?
3) What people do you know who you would say are "bearing fruit."
4) What are the parts of your life that you find hardest to trust God with?
5) How would you like people to pray for you as you seek to be God's representative this week?