Limapela Education Project
Faith in Action
This project aims to provide quality education to children in Zambia's Copperbelt Province.
On 1 May 2005, three weeks after Greyfriars Church completed the ‘ Forty Days of Purpose’ programme, minister Rob Yule revisited the theme for a further time, to help members clarify their personal priorities and prepare a life purpose statement. In this address he looks at several biblical passages which challenge us to re-order or simplify our lives, and illustrates the powerful attraction of a selfless life with reference to the late Pope John Paul II. He concludes with some helpful tips for preparing a life purpose statement.
Jesus tells a story about a man who is ploughing a field when his plough goes clunk against a metal object. Getting down to investigate he discovers that he has unearthed a cache of buried treasure. At this point the story departs from our modern values. Instead of just taking it, stealing what is not lawfully his, the man covers it over, goes away, sells all that he has and saves up until he has enough money to buy the whole field. Thus he makes himself the legitimate owner of everything in the field, including the treasure that he discovered.
It’s a story full of integrity, patience, sacrifice, expectancy, and joy. Integrity, because he didn’t take what wasn’t his. Patience, because he had to wait till his hopes were realised. Sacrifice, because he had to sell all that he had, give up everything of lesser value, to purchase what was of supreme value. Expectancy, because all this long waiting was inspired by hope. Joy, because the Bible tells us that it was ‘in his joy’ that he ‘went and sold all that he had and bought that field’ (Matthew 13: 44, NIV).
Today, I want to revisit the Forty Days of Purpose programme before we leave it behind, and help you focus on your life purpose. I want to challenge and encourage you to do what this man did - give up what you have, for the sake of something so much greater. Jesus says this is what the kingdom of heaven is like. It crops up unexpectedly in the midst of your life, perhaps when you were doing something quite ordinary like this man was. But it’s such a wonderful discovery that it changes everything, upsets your regular routine, reorders your priorities. You must rearrange your whole life around it. You can’t just add it on as another activity or hobby. It claims everything. You can’t add Jesus to an already busy life. You must rearrange your busy life around Jesus.
The Forty Days of Purpose programme raised three very important life issues for us to consider: 1. The question of identity: ‘Who am I ?’ 2. The question of importance: ‘What should I value ?’ and 3. The question of impact: ‘What difference will I make ?’ Let’s review these before coming back to this important matter I want to help you clarify today: the matter of reordering your personal life purpose.
Just before his death Jesus did a very humble gesture and washed the feet of his disciples. John’s Gospel tells us why he did what was normally the job of a slave. ‘Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God ; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.’ (John 13: 3-4, NIV).
Notice the little word so. He knew he was the Son of God, so he became a servant of people. He did it because he was secure in his own identity. This is quite astonishing. He knew God had put all things under his power, so he does this humble action, the duty of a household servant. The Son of God was the servant of people. Jesus, as Karl Barth described him, is ‘the man for others.’
If you’re not secure in your identity, in who you are and in God’s call on your life, you’ll always be seeking self-advancement instead of preferring others to yourself. It’s because Jesus knew he was God’s Son that he could behave like a servant. It’s because he had all power that he could humbly serve others. This is revolutionary stuff. Here’s a Chief Executive who holds the towel, a boss who wants the best for his team.
Who am I ? If you are a true Christian, a born-again child of God, you’ll gladly serve others rather than promoting yourself.
A quick glance at today’s glossy magazines will show you that what contemporary society values most is image and celebrity. New York University psychology professor Paul Vitz calls it ‘the cult of self-worship’ or the ‘selfist society’. It’s graphically symbolised by the narcissism of music videos, where the artist struts around portraying herself or himself, rather than being a servant of their art.
Jesus calls us to value a diametrically opposite way of life. Instead of indulging self, he says your must deny self. Instead of building a big ego, he says you should pursue what the Maori language calls whakaiti, ‘growing small.’
Jesus made the most astonishing sign-up invitation of any leader when he said, ‘If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save you life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.’ (Mark 8: 34-35, CEV).
What impact will your life have on others ? What difference will you make in your lifetime ? What are you going to leave behind in this world when you die ? Are you going to leave behind a legacy that people will appreciate, or a burden that people will resent ? Think about it for a moment: are you a net benefactor, or a net debtor, to society ? Some peoples’ lives are take, take, take. Jesus taught us to give, give, give, saying ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20: 35, NIV).
In the Bible’s accounts of the events leading up to Jesus’ death, is a story that shows that even an insignificant person can be remembered for their great love and devotion to Jesus. An unknown woman took an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it over Jesus’ head as he was reclining at the table. Jesus’ disciples criticised her for the waste. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’
But Jesus stuck up for the woman, saying ‘She has done a beautiful thing for me. You will always have the poor with you, but you won’t always have me. She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.’ Then he added, ‘You may be sure wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others’ (Matthew 26: 10-13, CEV).
This woman made an impact. She is remembered because of her extravagance.
A life poured out in love for people, in extravagant devotion to Jesus, has a tremendous impact. We saw this recently in the astonishing scenes of devotion that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. His funeral showed the huge attraction of a selfless life. It was the biggest gathering of political leaders in world history, some 200 of them, paying tribute to a Christ-like man whose leadership was respected across all boundaries.
They were not only paying tribute to his courageous role in the fall of Communism and the triumph of faith over atheism - the great events of the second half of the twentieth century. They were not only acknowledging his contribution, through his 104 journeys to other countries, to the mission of Jesus Christ and the spectacular growth of the worldwide Christian movement during his pontificate.
They were acknowledging something deeper: the impact of a life wholly given over to God. I wonder if you noticed his epitaph: Totus tuus, ‘Totally yours.’ An expression of complete surrender or availability.
Pope John Paul II’s close friend Cardinal Ratzinger - shortly after to be elected his successor as Pope Benedict XVI - gave the funeral homily. He highlighted three sayings of Jesus from John’s Gospel that were dear to the late Pope’s heart:
‘You did not chose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last.’ (John 15: 16, NIV)
‘The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’ (John 10: 11, NIV).
‘As the Father has loved me so have I loved you: abide in my love.’ (John 15: 9, NRSV).
I want to leave you with a twofold challenge:
There are many good things in life, but to serve God will probably mean stopping doing many good things that get in the way. Jesus’ story of the man who unexpectedly hit treasure with his plough illustrates this very powerfully. His unexpected discovery changed his whole life. He went away, sold all that he had, saved up, and bought the field, in order to get the treasure that was buried there. Some of you are being challenged by the Lord to do just that: to sell up what you have and invest in the priceless treasure of God’s kingdom. God’s blessings come to those who earnestly seek him.
In the last chapter of The Purpose - Driven Life, Rick Warren urged you to take time to write out your life purpose statement. As he says, ‘Don’t try to complete it in a single setting, and don’t aim for perfection in your first draft ; just write down your thoughts as fast as they come to you. It is always easier to edit than to create.’
So let me encourage you to fill out this form that I’ve provided. Put down some Picasso-like brush strokes. You can always develop it and improve it later. Consider some of these suggestions to help you get started:
What Bible verse sums up my sense of God’s calling ?
What is my sense of who I uniquely am ?
What is my sense of God’s call and purpose for my life ?
What or who do I long to be ?
What are my primary responsibilities ?
What are my strengths, gifts and passions ?
What is God calling me to focus on ?
What things that clutter or distract my life do I need to set aside ?
Rob Yule, 1 May 2005
© 2005, Greyfriars Presbyterian Church
