PURPOSE; PART ONE

TOPIC: PURPOSE (PART ONE)

TEXT: Gen 1:26

AIM/OBJECTIVE: 

To understand the meaning and nature of purpose. 

MEMORY VERSE: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jer. 1:5)

INTRODUCTION:

The greatest tragedy in life is not death; but life without a reason. It is dangerous to be alive and not know why you were given life. The search for relevance in life is the ultimate pursuit of man. Your fulfillment in life is dependent on your becoming and doing what you were born to be and do. Until purpose is discovered, existence has no meaning, for purpose is the source of fulfillment. 

LESSON DETAILS:

WHAT IS PURPOSE? 

Purpose is the original intent in the mind of the creator that motivated him to create a particular item. It is the “why” that explains the reason for existence. God created you with a particular purpose in mind. So, it is important to note that there is always a reason for every creation. Living with the understanding that you are useless is devilish and if you don’t curb it, you fall prey into the hands of the enemy.

THE NATURE OF PURPOSE:

1. Purpose is Inherent e.g. Moses (Ex 2:13-14; 3:1,10): Even before God called Moses, he showed glimpses of his purpose as a liberator.
2. Purpose is Individualistic: This describes the uniqueness of one person’s purpose from another. e.g. Peter (Acts 10&11) and Paul (Gal 2: 7-8). No one can take your place or purpose, and for you there is no substitute. 
3. Purpose is often Multiple: Though you were born with and for a purpose, that purpose may however incorporate many minor facets whose purposes or intents are to fulfill the greater, overall purpose for your life. e.g. The Sun [Gen 1: 14-18]; Moses [spokesman of God to Pharaoh (Ex 3-13), warrior of God who by his lifted hands brought victory over the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-13), the priest of God mediating between God and His people (Ex 19-31), servant and intercessor (Ex 32:1-14). 
4. Purpose is Interdependent: Nothing exists for itself; everything is related to something else. e.g. the moon and the sun, the Church (Rom 12:4-5; 1cor 12:24-27). Purpose cannot be fulfilled in isolation.
5. Purpose is Permanent: What God wants is established, unchanging but how He gets it may vary. e.g. Abraham, Sarah and Hagar [Gen 17:17-22] 
6. Purpose is Resilient: This describes the character of purpose to remain unchanged irrespective of the challenges and problems it faces. God’s purpose is not hindered by your past. e.g. Paul, Gideon (Judges 6-8); Moses a murderer to a deliverer (Ex 3); the Samaritan woman, who can be said to be in modern times a prostitute to a preacher (Jn 4:1-42). 
7. Purpose is Universal: Every human being, every living thing, indeed everything that exists has been chosen by God to fulfill his purposes (Rev 4:11). Nothing is outside God’s universal purpose. 

CONCLUSION:

Your existence is evidence that this generation needs something that your life contains. Find your Purpose and you find fulfilment in Life.