Good morning.  Well, this morning we are wrapping up our last sermon from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Church.  Thus far we have looked at what drives our church, and the idea that we had to be purpose driven.  We looked at the foundation for a healthy church being grounded in Christ.  After that we explored the idea of defining our purposes and making them cleat.

Then came the step of communicating our purposes to those in the community and in our church as well.  After that, we learned how to organizing around our purposes and to make sure that everything we do at least meats one of our purposes.  And last week we looked at applying our purposes, moving from a purpose statement to purpose driven actions. 

Today as we finish this series we are going to look at God’s purpose four our church.  In the same way that many books of the Bible end by giving a summary of what has already been said, and giving one final piece of advice, in that same way, we are going to end our series this morning on becoming the purpose driven church.

Let’s Pray

So, what is God’s purpose for the church?  Listen to a couple of verses that I feel tell us what God’s purpose is for our church as well as every other church in the world.  In Ephesians 3:21 it says, “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

The purpose of the church is to bring glory to God.  We may have other purposes that we think the church should be accomplishing, but the main thing and the only thing that really matters is that we bring Glory to God.

Also in Acts 13:36 it says, “When David had served God’s purposes in his own generation, he died.”  The only purpose that we have in this life is to bring glory to God.  How do we do that?  Well, it can be fulfilled by meeting the 5 New Testament purposes that we have been looking at for the past several weeks.  By loving God, loving others, making them into disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey what God has commanded we can fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.

Listen to how Warren begins this last chapter.  He writes, “One of my hobbies is gardening.  I think one reason I enjoy it so much is because it fits the way God wired up my personality: I love to watch things grow.  I have always been fascinated by the different ways plants develop.  No two plants grow in the same way, at the same rate, or to the same size.  Each plant’s growth pattern is unique.  The same is true of churches.  No two churches will ever grow in identical ways.  God intends for your church to be unique.”

So, from this we see that just because we follow some of the things that Saddleback tried, does not mean we will end up looking like them.  In fact, we will look much different, because we are unique as well. 

The point of this is that we have to do the things that we do because we know it is what God desires, and not because we want to have huge numbers here at church.  If we do that, we have changed our driving force form God to numbers of people.  It is important that our driving force remains on God, and if the numbers go up, thank God for it and let it goes.

Warren goes on to say, “Of all the growth patters I’ve observed as a gardener, the growth of the Chinese bamboo tree is the most amazing to me.  Plant a bamboo sprout in the ground, and for 4 or 5 years (sometimes much longer) nothing happens!  You water and fertilize, water and fertilize, water and fertilize- but you see no visible evidence that anything is happening.  Nothing!  But about the fifth year things change in rather dramatically.  In a 6- week period the Chinese bamboo tree grows to be a staggering 90 feet tall!  World Book Encyclopedia record that one bamboo plant can grow 3 feet in a single 24 hour period.  It seems incredible that a plant that lies dormant for years can suddenly explode with growth.”

So, again we are reminded that it will take time to see big changes in our church, it may even take longer than what some of us are here for.  However, the important thing to keep in mind is that we need to be making progress and doing the things that are going to cause us to be a purpose driven church.

As Warren ends his book, and as we end the series today, I want to give us all one last piece of advice: don’t worry about the growth of our church.  We simply need to focus on fulfilling the purposes of the church, which are the purposes that God has established for us to fulfill, and I honestly feel that as we do that, growth will be a result of our efforts.  We have to keep watering and fertilizing and cultivating and weeding and pruning.  God is going to grow us here at Fly Branch Church of Christ to the size that He wants us to be and at the rate that fits best to our situation.

A lot of times it can be hard to keep on keeping on when you see no results, but we have to realize that God is in control, and everything is working out.  Sometimes we will never see results of things, but we are planting seeds, and possibly expanding the roots of our church without being able to see considerable differences.

Remember the passage that we stated this series with.  In Proverbs 19:21 it says, “Many are the plans in a mans heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

When we build our church on the principles and the purposes of God, we cannot and we will not fail.  In Galatians 6:9 it says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  We must continue to do the things that we know are right, and not become discouraged when we see no results.  Just like the bamboo tree, God can make changes overnight when the time is right.

And I really like the way that Rick Warren end this book, he hits on one of the things that I have been stressing all along the way.  In order to be a purpose driven church, we must be purpose driven individuals.  I have always liked that verse that we began with today.  In Acts 13:36 it tells us that David was purpose driven.  Once again in Acts 13:36 it says, “When David had served God’s purposes in his own generation, he died.” 

When I think of that, I cannot imagine having a better epitaph.  Could you imagine having engraved on your tombstone “He served God’s purposes in his own life”, or “She served God’s purposes in her own life.”  That would be an amazing statement of someone and the level of faith and commitment that they had in their own lives to be willing to put aside their own desires, and to fulfill the purposes that God has laid out for them.  that would be amazing if that would be said about me when I die, and I hope that it is.

As we are talking about epitaphs and engravings on tombstones, one of my favorite epitaphs is the one that says, “Listen friends as you pass by, as you are now so once was I, as I am now, soon you must be, so prepare for death and follow me.”  And the only thing that I can think of that I have seen is the one that was written in chalk underneath this one that said, “To follow you I’m not content, until I know witch way you went.”

Now, one day we are all going to face death, for some that may be sooner than others, but one thing is for sure, you want to leave a path that leads to Heaven.  In order to do that you must strive to be a purpose driven individual. 

To follow someone I’m not content, util I know which way they went.  In others words, we need to be leaving a good path for those that are following us, such as your children, your grandchildren, and so on.

The past is behind us.  We can only live in today and prepare for tomorrow.  We must live the words of Charles Wesley’s poem that Lowell Mason put to music over 100 years ago:

A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify

A never dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky

To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill

O may it all my powers engage, to do my Master’s will!

As long as it is today, we need to be striving to fulfill the calling that we have.  No matter what you do, you are still commissioned to fulfill the 5 New Testament purposes that God has given us as individuals and as the church body as a whole.

So, what encouragement can we gain out of today?  If you want to turn with me to Philippians 1:6 we find the encouragement that we need to focus on today.  Here in Philippians 1:6 it says, “1”

God finishes whatever it is that He starts, and I don’t thing that it is an accident that we just went through this series.  But we need to remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:29.  Here Jesus said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” 

If we don not have faith in this process, and we do not commit to it, we will get the results of that.  You get what you are willing to put into it.

Listen to what Rick Warren has to say, He writes, “Sometimes a church’s situation may seem hopeless from a human standpoint.  But I am firmly convinced, as Ezekiel’s experience in Ezekiel 37 proved, that no matter how dry the bones may be, God can breath new life into them.  Any church can come alive if we allow the Spirit to infuse us with a new sense of his purpose.  That is what the purpose driven church is all about.”

In Ezekiel’s case, the bones where all dried up, things seemed hopeless, however, God was able to breath new life into them.  The same can be true of a church.  No matter how dead and dry it may seem, if we allow God to do His work, it can be made new and fresh again.

Warren ends the book by saying, “My hope is that this book has strengthened your faith, stretched your vision, and deepened your love for Christ and His church.  I hope you will share it with those who care about your congregation.  Accept the challenge of becoming a purpose driven church!  The greatest churches in history are yet to be built.  Are you available for the task?  I pray that God will use you to fulfill his purposes in your congregation.  There is no greater use of your life.”

There is no greater use of your life than to be purpose driven individuals and to cause our church to be a purpose driven church as well.

So, what are our purposes?  Well, they come from two of Jesus’ statements.  What I would like to do today in our final sermon on becoming the purpose driven church is to have us all recite these two verses.  First in Matthew 22:37-40 is Jesus’ Great Commandment.  Here in Matthew 22:37-40 we read, “2”

And the last three can be found in Matthew 28:18-20 in Jesus’ Great Commission.  Here in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus writes, “3”

So for the last time, our 5 purposes are to: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples, Baptize Them, and Teach Them To Obey.

As I leave you with the challenge to go out and to do just that, I would like to share with you one final story.  I was recently given this story, and I feel that it is an excellent closure to our series on becoming the purpose driven church.  It is about and different church named Saddleback, and a declaration that they all made following a special service.

On April 6, 1980, 205 people attended a different Saddleback Valley Community Church's first public worship service.  On Sunday, April 17, 2005, 30,000 people gathered at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, to celebrate 25 years of ministry at Saddleback Church.  At the culmination of a three-hour service of worship and remembrance, thousands rose to their feet to read the following together as a commitment to doing God's will for the next 25 years. 

It is and will be referred to as The Angel Stadium Declaration: April 17, 2005.  I read this to you today as an inspiration to in the same way that it was to 30,000 people on that day.  Together they all said,

Today I am stepping across the line.  I'm tired of waffling and I'm finished with wavering; I've made my choice, the verdict is in and my decision is irrevocable.  I'm going God's way.  There's no turning back now!

I will live the rest of my life serving God's purposes with God's people on God's planet for God's glory.  I will use my life to celebrate His presence, cultivate His character, participate in His family, demonstrate His love, and communicate His word.

Since my past has been forgiven and I have a purpose for living and a home awaiting in heaven, I refuse to waste any more time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, trivial talking, thoughtless doing, useless regretting, hurtful resenting, or faithless worrying.  Instead, I will magnify God, grow to maturity, serve in ministry, and fulfill my mission in the membership of His family.

Because this life is preparation for the next, I will value worship over wealth, "we" over "me," character over comfort, service over status, and people over possessions, position, and pleasures.  I know what matters most and I'll give it all I've got.  I'll do the best I can with what I have for Jesus Christ today.

I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation or intimidated by the devil.  I'll keep running my race with my eyes on the goal, not the sidelines or those running by me.  When times get tough, and I get tired, I won't back up, back off, back down, back out or backslide.  I'll just keep moving forward by God's grace, I'm Spirit-led, purpose-driven and mission-focused so I cannot be bought, I will not be compromised, and I shall not quit until I finish the race.

I'm a trophy of God's amazing grace so I will be gracious to everyone, grateful for every day, and generous with everything that God entrusts to me.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say: However, Whenever, Wherever,

and Whatever you ask me to do, my answer in advance is yes!  Wherever you lead and whatever the cost, I'm ready.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  Anyway.  Whatever it takes Lord; Whatever it takes!  I want to be used by you in such a way, that on that final day I'll hear you say, "Well done, thou good and faithful one.  Come on in, and let the eternal party begin!"

“Father we just come to you now…”