Knowing My Purpose, Living Sacrifice

Recognizing who you are in God, and knowing what your purpose is. Two things that are super important, super provocative, and on the minds of many believers. I'll use two Scriptures to illustrate this point. The first, Romans 12:1-2. The second scripture is Matthew 16:15–23. 

Please read both of the Scriptures. The first is the roadmap, the second is an enactment of that roadmap. 

The first scripture basically says that in order to know the Will of God for you life, that you must present yourself as a living sacrifice to God. Holy and acceptable to God. We must give it all to God. In today's life we really do not understand complete and total surrender and sacrifice. We barely sacrifice any time to pray, read the Bible, and fellowship with other believers. Here we are told to give it all up. The worry, the hurt, the power, the control... Everything. 

Think about this; Peter had been walking with Jesus for around two years by the point of the second scripture. That was him being a living sacrifice. Peter following, learning from, living with, and for Jesus; a living sacrifice. 

Peter's constant striving to please Jesus was holy and pleasing to God. Notice that he was not perfect, and that he made mistakes. However, God saw fit to speak through Peter to answer Jesus' question. Peter did not conform to the world when Jesus asked the question, "Who do you say I am?”, but instead he was open to hearing from God the Father. After which, Jesus changed his name from Simon to Peter. This was a transformation, and a renewal of his mind. It was then that Peter understood that his purpose in life was to tell the world who Jesus was. After the living sacrifice. After two years of dedicated living, learning, and communing with Jesus. That is when his purpose was revealed to him. That's not to say that God will reveal your purpose after two years of that sort of dedication... It might come before then, or after then. But, understanding that your purpose is in and with Him is a great place to start.

Having trouble understanding your purpose? Start by being dedicated, committed, and truly following Jesus. And if you still don't hear... Keep serving!!!

We love you, and we are praying for you.

~Pastor Erroyl and Sis. Pinky

SALT 

Sis. Pinky’s Prayer

Almighty God,

Maker of all things, we bless your name. Thank you for giving us Jesus as an example of living sacrificially for the Kingdom. Help us to truly give ourselves away so You can use us on this Earth and in turn our purposes will be revealed.

In Jesus' name we pray,

Amen

Transformed? New Creature? Have you jumped in?

John: 21  (you will have to read the entire chapter before this post will make total sense..)

So, the Bible talks about us being new creatures, having new birth, all things being new, etc. in other words, transformed and/or transfigured.

What evidence is there that we are transformed? We cannot assume just because a person goes to church, or attends a weekly Bible study, etc. that they are truly transformed. Just because we walk with Jesus for any length of time, does it automatically mean that our life will truly reflect that we are new creatures?

Here in the book of John we see the disciples; they have been with Jesus for the length of his Earthly ministry.  They witnessed his ministry, miracles, death, burial and, resurrection. By the time we get to Chapter 21 of John they have seen him twice after his death. Yet, here they are not out spreading the good news. But rather, they are fishing. They are back to doing what they did before knowing Christ. They have allowed something to return them to their former lives. 

Think about that. They had been with Jesus for two years, they had seen blind men's eyes opened, they had seen lame men walk again, multitudes fed, Lazarus raised from the dead yet they went back to their normal lives. Maybe it was grief, maybe they felt they had some sort of mass hallucinative experience, and didn't actually see Jesus two times after the work on the cross was finished.  Maybe that's why the Scripture says they didn't dare to ask.. Is that us? Even after being with Christ, after witnessing His power, after seeing a person delivered from alcohol, drugs, abusive situations we still allow something to draw us back to our former selves. 

I ask the question again, what evidence is there? In this chapter of the Bible, there is a portion that we as preachers call "The Restoration of Peter". This is the scene where Jesus asked Peter three times if he loves Him. But, immediately before that we see that John recognizes the man on the shore as Jesus. Peter jumped into the water and swims toward him (are you excited enough to plunge all the way in towards Jesus?). I firmly believe that Peter was guilt ridden, and could not start the ministry that Jesus placed in him until he had released his guilt. (is that a revelation for you? Are you holding onto something that is preventing you from fulfilling the mission that Jesus has given you?)

I believe it was not until this restoration that the disciples were truly transformed. The very next chapter, and book of the Bible is Acts. (Acts of the Apostles) Peter starts off on fire immediately after he is restored by Jesus, and by chapter 2 of Acts, Peter was preaching to a great multitude and 5000 people were saved. This is when they began to do what Jesus had instructed them to do. Evidence of their transformation was when they stopped being who they were, and transformed into who they were supposed to be.
And that is also true for us. 

I Love you, and I am praying for you.
~Pastor Erroyl

SALT