Divine Connections
Week 1: Connecting Purpose
There are many verses in the bible that speak about God’s grand purpose for mankind, for the church and for us. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we sometimes wonder, “How do these verses relate to people who are struggling with troubled marriages; trying to raise their children; worried about paying bills; juggling busy schedules; and who are grappling with powerful temptations and sins?” Thinking about God’s eternal purpose may be interesting for theologians and philosophers, but how does it help people who wrestle with the kinds of ordinary challenges that life throws at them? In other words, we are sometimes missing that connection between our everyday experience and God’s grand purpose for mankind.
Perhaps you’ve heard the story of three men who were working on a stone pile at a construction site. A curious passerby was eager to discover what was going on. He asked the first worker, “What are you doing?” “Chiseling stone,” was the reply.
Trying for a better answer, he asked the second worker, “What are you doing?” “Earning a living.” Another washout.
He had one more hope. He asked the third worker, “Sir, what are you doing?” He dropped his sledgehammer, stood erect, and with a gleam in his eye exclaimed, “I’m building a great cathedral!”
All three men were doing the same job, but only one of them saw how his role fit into a larger, more important vision. In connecting us with purpose, God wants us to see how our lives, and the everyday things we do, fit into His glorious eternal purpose for us. When we see this, it will help us very practically to deal with life’s difficult trials.
Intro credit: bible.org
Pilot text
Rom 8:28-30 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
The pilot scripture tells us in v28-29 that God’s purpose for us predates us and that He has already put in place everything we need to fulfil purpose. The result of our being connected to God’s purpose is that all things will work together for our good. But how do we actively connect with God’s purpose for us?
- To connect with God’s purpose, we must actively and knowingly answer His call. God already foreknew us and completed His own side of the bargain. But to get from that point to the experience of glory starts with the call to purpose, and our response to it.
- To respond the right way, we have to understand that this is a calling. Not all apparent giftings, experiences and opportunities equate to a calling. The way to get that understanding is to check with the Person we think might be calling us.
- We have to move in the direction of the call. Answering a call is not about what we say, but about what we do.
Questions for Discussion (use scriptures to support your position):
- Is our purpose in the church different from our purpose when we are in the world?
- Can non-Christians fulfil God’s purpose for them? Explain your thoughts.
