Five Purposes of God’s People

Sir Christopher Wren was England’s greatest architect of all time.  There is a legend that when St. Paul’s Cathedral was being built, a visitor walked on the site where three stone cutters were working.

He asked the first one, “What are you doing?”  He replied, “Cutting stone. I work four hours in the morning.  Four hours in the afternoon.”

He asked the second man, What are you doing?”  The worker looked up, wiped his brow, and said, “Just making a living.  I earn six pence a day.”

When the third stonecutter was asked, “What are you doing?”  He stopped.  Looked up.  Smiled. And with a wave of his hand exclaimed, “I’m building the world’s greatest cathedral for Sir Christopher Wren!”

Many are like the first two stone cutters.  Just working.  Making a living.  Doing their job.  Then there are those like the third man.  He was working for a reason.  He had a goal.  An aim.  A noble purpose.

Our Christian life is also like that.  God has a purpose for us.  Yesterday we discussed the power of purpose.  Today I want to share the five purposes God has for his people.

 #1 To be a member of His Family.   There are many metaphors in the Bible for the Christian.  We are called Sheep. Soldiers.   Servants.  But none is more understandable or more accurate than the idea of family.

God wants to be our spiritual Father (2 Cor 6:18).  Jesus Christ desires to be our elder brother.  We are called to be family (Eph. 1:19).  And we are born into this family through a spiritual birth (John 3:3-5; 1 Pet. 1:22-23).

We enjoy community and communion.  We share a special relationship with God and each other.  And we find a place to belong.

#2  To be a magnifier of God.  The Psalmist said,  “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.”  (Ps. 34:3).  Paul said he desired to magnify God in his body either in life or death.

There is an inborn urge in each person to worship. If we don’t worship Jehovah God, we will find something else to worship.   It might be a job. Family.  Money.  Sports.  Or even ourselves!  But God wants us to worship Him.

Of course, God has a day designed for worship.  Sunday.  We join with others in the spiritual Family to worship God.  But we also magnify and praise His name daily.

 #3 To be a model of Christ’s character.  This is the personalized goal of discipleship.  God wants every believer to grow up and become like Christ.  Peter penned “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

While learning is important to spiritual growth, maturity is measured more by lifestyle.  Character.  Integrity.

#4 To be a minister to others.   God expects us to use our gifts, talents, and opportunities to benefit and bless others. The Bible says Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (I Pet 4:10).

In Bible times every member was a minister.  The idea of just THE MINISTER in a church is not really Biblical.  Elton Trueblood once wrote, “If you are a Christian, then you are a minister.  A non-ministering Christian is a contradiction in terms.”

#5 To be a messenger of His love.  God is love.  And he wants us to be like Him.  And to share his message of life, light, and love with the world.

Make God’s purpose your passion.  Your pursuit. Your vision for discipleship.    Then the epitaph for your life can read as it did for David that “…he served God’s purpose in his own generation…” 

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman