PURSUING A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE TO ITS PEAK
Ref: PASTOR W F KUMUYI
TEXT: ACTS 26:16-19,22a
All the questions you are asking are all based on the past and heaven has answered them for you.
• You couldn’t, now you can.
• You were not able, but now you are able.
• You were defeated, now you are victorious.
On the first day, we dealt with the first letter of IMPACT, on the second day, we dealt with the second letter. Today being the third day, we are dealing with the ‘P’ with the message titled PURSUING A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE TO ITS PEAK. God will take and move you to the highest peak where He created you for.
As I look at people all over the world, I see people without a purpose going through a rigmarole of routines, doing the same thing every day without a plan and purpose. Such people have
• PASSIVE, DEADENED LIFE. It is like vital parts of their lives are dead. No goal, desire or prospect whatsoever.
• PINNED-DOWN life. Some are stuck in one spot, not making any progress at all.
• PROBLEM-DROWNED LIFE. Some make mountains out of molehills. They magnify the little problem they have to a great extent. They are overwhelmed, tears have blinded their eyesight. They hear the messages but they don’t take them to heart. God who brought Jonah out from the sea bed will bring you out.
• PURPOSE-DRIVEN LIFE. All of a sudden, power comes from above and a purpose drops from heaven into your heart. Then there is a goal and a path to get to the peak. You feel fresh as if you are just born again.
• PASSION-DOMINATED LIFE. Passion comes upon you and you are dominated by it even when problems and challenges are not yet removed.
• POSITIVELY-DIRECTED LIFE. All negative roots of problems are gone and in your life, every plant my heavenly Father has not put there will be uprooted.
• PEAK-DESTINED LIFE. Every day and moment you look up because your life is destined for the peak, to the place the Lord has ordained for you.
POINT 1. THE REGRETS OF PURSUING MONEY AND MATERIALISM
(Luke 12:15–21; Jeremiah 17:11; Mark 8:36,37)
Some people think that life is all about money. They labour for the winds without any purpose dropped on their hearts from above. I want you to look at the story of a man pursuing money and materialism before finally finding out that he had been foolish. As for you, if you follow the direction of God, had-I-known will not be your portion in Jesus’ name.
Some people must get money through gambling, fraudulent activities, cheating others, cutting corners, abandoning education and personal development, robbing others of what they have, etc. The Lord said a man’s life does not depend solely on the abundance of what he possesses.
The man in our text was so rich that he didn’t think about his Maker or anyone around him. He thought only of, about, within himself. Everything revolves around him, no concern for others.
– I want to be a Doctor to alleviate the suffering of people
– I want to be an Engineer because I’m concerned about rickety things around me, I want to raise good-quality structures that will benefit others.
– I want to bring shelter, and happiness to others…
This is how we have an impact. You want to live, labour and do things that will impact your generation and others around you and improve their lives.
This rich man was all about himself, ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’… etc. He was self-sufficient and had the goal to eat, drink and enjoy life all alone, no matter what others are going through. In vs 20, God who blessed and prospered him called him a fool despite his wealth and success in farming.
How do we trace the lives who are not rich towards God? They have:
1. SUCCESS without SALVATION. When you see them, their bank accounts and all they have gathered, it is as if all is well with them.
2. SATISFACTION without SONSHIP. They refused to yield to God who wants to be their Father.
3. SUBSTANCES without SPIRITUALITY. They have a lot of material things which they brag about but they are not spiritual. They care less for their souls which will go to God when they die here.
4. STATURE without a SAVIOUR. In the community, they try to push themselves forward as leaders, but they don’t have salvation or a Saviour.
5. SKILLFULNESS without a SHELTER. They desire to have this and that but there is no shelter for their souls when they die when the evil angels will carry them to the other side.
6. SELF-SUFFICIENCY without SERVICE. Remember that rich man who said he will build this and acquire that? He wanted to acquire but could not serve others. When I was in university, I was so good at Mathematics. Once it was taught, it sticks to my brain.
Even though I was not giving him money, I was rendering service free of charge. That was how we continued, and he was not the only one, there were others too. Whenever you have sufficiency in anything, you impact the lives of others through it.
7. SENSUALITY without SENSIBLENESS. Some people live a life of ease and pleasure.
Everything gathered together through crooked means will eventually be lost and the person will be a fool. Be conscious of how you are gathering wealth. What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Your soul is greater than any wealth or treasure.
POINT 2. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PURSUING THE MANDATE OF OUR MAKER
(Isaiah 43:7,21; Ecclesiastes 9:10; John 15:4,5,7,16)
God made you different and unique. There is something He ordained you to do that no one else can do or achieve.
I want you to break the word ‘responsibility’ into two, you have ‘response’ and ‘ability’. The Lord is giving you a mandate, a goal and a direction to follow and He also gives you the ability to respond ably, in a way that is qualitative, quantitative and measurable.
It may be that your life is messed up, and that is why you are on this programme. What will God do in your life to bring you back to the right position?
1. He MELTS you. When He does this, you can reason well and realize as well as understand His will for your life.
2. He MOULDS you. After the rod has gone through the fire, you can then mould it to the right shape. So after melting you, God moulds you into the right shape He wants.
3. He MENDS you. He corrects all the things that are wrong in your life: where you go, how you talk and react to issues, what you eat/drink, that is why He tells you not to smoke, not to do this or that, etc.
4. He MONITORS you. After bringing you back to the right way, God monitors you so that you don’t deviate from it.
5. He MENTORS you. He sends people your way to teach, and help you to stand up straight, He sends messages to you so that you will do something tangible with your life so that your life will not be meaningless.
6. He MODELS you. When He is through with you, He lifts you as a trophy, conqueror and champion for other people to look up to.
7. He MASTERS you. So that you will be able to master other things in your life with great mastery and therefore get to the point where He wants you to be.
Now, God will give you a new ability to do what you could not do before. New wisdom, energy, and skill with which to stand erect, facing the future like a conqueror.
Are you working practically like a farmer, Doctor, or Engineer? Are you carrying or nursing a baby? Are you using your hands to make others’ lives better? Are you mending and rebuilding a broken and dejected life? Are you carrying something or driving a car?
Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with all you might. It is not only those people engaged in manual labour, but if you are going to amount to something in life, you must use your hands. Your hands must have the support of your heart and head with the hope that what you are doing will lead you to the desired height.
POINT 3. OUR RE-ASSURANCE WHILE PURSUING HIS MISSION TOWARDS MEN
Our lives are to impact our environment, community, nation, and everyone around us. He assures us that while we pursue His mission, He will do great things for us, through and with us to get us to the top.
What Reassurance is the Lord giving you?
1. I will HELP you (Isaiah 41:10)
2. I will HEAL you (Jeremiah 30:17)
3. I will HEAR you (Job 22:27-28)
4. I will HOLD you (Isaiah 41:13)
5. I will HIDE you (Psalm 27:5)
6. I will HEDGE you (Job 1:10) The Lord will set a hedge of protection around your house, your brain, whenever you have an exam to write, your brain that used to get hot will no longer be so. Anytime you are to do anything, you will succeed in it.
7. I will HONOUR you (Psalm 91:15)
~ Pray for yourself, that you will pursue a purpose-driven life to its peak in Jesus’ name.
~ Pray for renewal of strength for our father in the Lord.