PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE TEACHING # 1 "What on earth am I here for?'' by Rick Warren as adapted for Christ Church Quaker Farms

Sermon Notes: The Purpose Driven Life – Week 1 Rick Warren LIFE’S GREATEST QUESTIONS 1. QUESTION OF EXISTENCE: ______________? a. “Why was I born? Was it only to have trouble and sorrow, to end m y life in disgrace?” Jeremiah 20:18 (TEV) b. “The Lord has made everything for his own purpose.” Proverbs 16:4a (GW) c. “I am your Creator. You were in My care, even before you were born.” Isaiah 44:2 d.. WHY WAS I CREATED? ____________________________ 2. QUESTION OF INTENTION: ____________________? a. GOD: I FIND MY PURPOSE ____________________ b. “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16 (MSG) c. “It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for... part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” Ephesians 1:11 (MSG) d. “It makes no difference who you are or where you're from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” Acts 10:35 (MSG) Note: The sermons for the CCQF Purpose Driven Life program come from messages by Rick Warren, designed for use on Sundays to complement the program. While the Rector s pleased to share these materials, he makes no clam of authorship. Welcome to Christ Church’s 40 Days of Purpose Program. We have been planning this journey since May and today we begin. Would you please take out the violet insert from your bulletin, and turn to the side with the schedule: Our Fall program will involve 3 components: • Looking to column in the middle and the one on the left, you see that we will have Sunday teachings from Rick Warren, which will focus upon themes,---the same themes which many of you will explore in Small groups, which s the 2nd component of the program. We are so pleased that 50 plus of us have registered for these groups, which begin next week. Although one group s already filled up, there are spaces n the others. • So, Sunday Teachings from Rick Warren, Small groups, and component # 3 is the book, itself. On the right column you can see the pages that correspond to the theme of the week. So, chose one, two, or all three of these components, and God will bless you n the next 40 days. Now, please turn the back of your sheet your sermon outline, and pass out the pens at the end of the pews, and let’s get started. Today, we’re going to look at life’s two greatest questions: 1) The question of existence 2) the question of intention. # 1 The Question of Existence,: please fill in the blank with “ Why am I alive?” This question is key, but there is a lot of confusion about the answer. SLIDE # 1 The late Isaac Asimov, famous science fiction author of the 20th century, wrote, “As far as I can see, there is no purpose to life.” SLIDE # 2 Oprah Winfrey once had a show about learning your purpose in life by looking within yourself. The hour long show was all psycho babbles and meta physical blah blah, which clearly demonstrated that none of the panel could even articulate their own life purpose, much less help anyone else. SLIDE # 3 Rap artist Ice T wrote, “The only reason we’re here is to reproduce. Just chill out and reproduce. Keep the species alive.” The hedonist writes, “The purpose of life is pleasure – have fun, party-hardy.” The materialist says, “Life is all about the acquisition of things.” Your life is measured by the things you own. You know the problem with that is that he who dies with the most toys, still dies. And so, these are not really satisfying answers. Okay, why does God want us here? Why are we on this planet? Is there a reason? Let’s read the scripture in 1 b in unison: “The Lord has made everything for his own purpose.” God has never made anything without a purpose. Every rock has a purpose, every plant has a purpose, every animal has a purpose and if you’re alive, YOU HAVE A PURPOSE. If you want to know if God still has a purpose for your life, check your heart. If it’s still beating, God still has a purpose for here on Earth. The truth is God has five purposes for your life. In the next 40 days we’re going to look in detail at those five purposes for which God put you on this planet. However, let’s first look at God’s motives in giving you a purpose. For the past year, we have reflected on the foundational TRUTH that U R IMPORTANT TO WHOM? God created you to love YOU. –THAT S WHY you are on earth, alive and kicking. SLIDE # 4 If you want to know how much you matter to God, look at the next verse on your sermon notes, where God speaks to you and says, “I am your Creator. You were in My care, even before you were born.” (Isaiah 44:2) God was caring for you even in his mind, as he thought you up. You are important to God because He does love you. He sees everything in your life, the good, the bad and everything in-between. . So the question of existence , which is question 1 B on your outline, “why was I created? “ God answers it by saying, “I made you to love you.” Now, moving to question # 2 in your sermon notes, we come to the Question of Intention: Please fill n the blank writing,” What is my purpose?” What on Earth am I here for? God made you for a purpose. The question is: How do we find t? Let’s look at 2a on your sermon notes: I find my purpose by getting to know God. Moving down to 2b, let us read together, saying, “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Look at the next verse, “It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for…part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” If you want to know your purpose in life, start getting to know God. The more you get to know God, the more you’re going to understand the ways and the wisdom of God and the more you’re going to understand the meaning and your direction & purpose of life. During the next 40 days, I pray that more and more of you will grow to see the brightness of God and His purpose for you, with dazzling brilliance. You may be asking, why 40 days? Well , in fact, in the Bible, any time God wanted to prepare people for his purposes, He took 40 days. For instance: • SLIDE # 5 Noah’s life was transformed by 40 days of rain. • SLIDE # 6 Moses’ life was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai. • J SLIDE # 7 Jesus was empowered for ministry by spending 40 days in the desert. • The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after the resurrection. The next 40 days are going to transform your life. I’m absolutely confident of that. Please look at the last verse. “It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from – if you want God and are ready to as he says, the door is open.” (Acts 10:35) George Herbert once said, “It’s never too late to be who you might have been.” It’s not too late. Let’s bow our heads –. Dear God, you made us because you love us; and you made us on purpose, for a purpose. Lord, we now consecrate the next 40 days at CCQF to get to know you better, and to learn or renew your purposes for our lives. Just as Jesus lived a life of purpose, which resulted n joy, healing, hope, and peace, may we likewise follow in his footsteps, all for the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.” ************************ Our fall Program s being brought to you by a team of leaders, who will led our Small groups and our Youth Group in this material. At this time, I invite the Small Group Leaders so we can pray for you and your ministry. The congregation is invited to look at the bottom of your sermon notes, where you will find your part of the commissioning liturgy: