In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. I
wanna move quickly to the word of the Lord today.
If you'll join me in Romans chapter eight, verse
28. Romans chapter eight, 28, familiar passage
of scripture. In fact, if they have it on the
screen, let's just read it together. And we know
that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them that are the called according
to his purpose. One more time. And we know that
all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according
to his purpose. Tonight, or this afternoon rather,
we're gonna use the same title that Pastor Linder
used on Wednesday night when it takes some time
to celebrate kingdom purpose. Kingdom purpose.
Let's take another moment and surrender to the
Lord in this place. I believe God's got a word
for somebody in this place. Would you help me
pray against any kind of distraction or hindrance,
any barrier, any doubt or fear? Would you help
me pray today against any kind of distraction,
any weariness that may be here? God, we're setting
all of that aside. We're moving past all of that.
Out of the realm of our flesh, into the realm
of the supernatural, we surrender to your spirit,
mighty God. I pray in the name of Jesus that
we would all receive your word today, that we
would be changed today, that we would draw closer
to you. In the name of Jesus Christ. In the name
of Jesus Christ. The Lord bless you. You may
be seated today. It's been a week and a half
ago now. I had the privilege to teach ILEAD Senior
High. This was not this past Wednesday, but the
previous Wednesday, which would have been February
the 4th. And just the way it worked out, there
was a schedule change. I had just a few hours,
really. to put something together, no curriculum,
nothing like that. I just wanted to hear from
God. And I felt God really give me some direction
for our students. And the amazing part was, of
course, God did give me direction for our students.
But it was cool because in the moment, my lesson,
my message to our students became something very
different immediately. I had prepared a lesson,
a much needed lesson on obedience. That's what
I thought God wanted me to speak. And I did speak
about obedience. But in the middle of that, no
notes, no notice, no heads up. Immediately, God
led me to speak about purpose. And in the past
week and a half, boy, I mean, it's been 11 days
since, I guess 12 days total. that just every
day I cannot get past this concept of purpose.
And if it's all right, I'm going to work this
up in a minute. I'm just going to go ahead and
get right to the point today. I believe that
somebody in this room needs to hear that what's
keeping you from who you need to be in the year
2026 is a sense of purpose. Purpose is absolutely
everything. I need somebody to grab a hold of
this today. There are many different concerns
in life. There are things that can discourage
you or distract you. Maybe there are things that
are outside of your control. But I came here
today to let you know if you will latch on to
this idea of purpose and you will make it your
goal to get a purpose, a destiny, a calling,
meaning, significance straight from God, then
that is the difference between where you are
now and where you know that God is calling you.
It is purpose. We know that all things work together
for the good of them that love God, yes, but
also those that are called according to his purpose.
We all need purpose. We all need fulfillment.
It's not a tangible thing. It's not something
you can calculate. It's not something you can
manipulate or artificially create. Not at all.
No, no, no. Purpose comes directly from God.
And what you so desperately need, whether you
know it or not, please trust me today, you need
purpose. straight from God. In the book of the
Bible, we read the sermon on the mount. This
spans three chapters. It begins Matthew 5 and
3 all the way to Matthew 7 and 27. So basically
three full chapters. I counted it up the other
day. It's 107 verses of Jesus' own words, completely
uninterrupted. One of my Bibles, in fact, it's
the Bible I have today. It shows the words of
Jesus in red letters. And so for these 107 verses,
there is no black ink. It is 107 verses of complete.
read letters. It is the Sermon on the Mount.
You could call this Jesus' longest sermon. I
would take up all of my time today if I tried
to even scratch the surface of what's included
in this one sermon from Jesus Christ. Chapter
5, it begins with the Beatitudes, but there is
so much more. In chapter 6, he teaches us how
to pray, our Father which art in heaven. It's
the Lord's prayer, but there is so much more.
In chapter 7, I think it's verse 12, that's where
we... Read the golden roll. That is a great premise
to live by. It is so profound and so deep. Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you.
But Jesus, this is only one verse in a sea of
107 verses. That should give you a little bit
of perspective about how really rich and profound
this Sermon on the Mount is. That's just one
verse of 107. And it's all gold, and we all need
it. I can't scratch the surface today, but it's
profound. And you could call it the longest sermon
that Jesus preached. It is some of the... most
familiar and foundational teaching in the Bible,
and it's all in the same sermon. And most people
that do public speaking, and I guess definitely
preachers, would recognize that the most important
part of your sermon would really be the conclusion.
Because that's when you have the opportunity
to kind of wrap everything up, kind of contextualize
everything. Hopefully you're able to present
it in such a way that encourages people to pray
in the altars and to apply it to their life and
to change their life to be more in line with
the purpose of Jesus Christ. And so I find it
very telling how Jesus... chose to conclude this
longest sermon he ever preached, this profound
message, the Sermon on the Mount. When you skip
all the way to the end, this is Matthew chapter
seven, verse 24. I'm gonna read this in the New
International Version. It says, therefore, everyone
who hears these words of mine, the context obviously
would be he's just preached for hours and hours
and hours. He's saying, if you have just heard
the preached word of God, If that's you, everyone
who's heard it, but there's one more step. If
you'll put it into practice, if you apply what
you have heard from the pulpit to your life,
that's like being a wise man who built his house
on the rock. Verse 25 tells us that the rain
came down and the streams rose and the winds
blew and beat against that house, yet it did
not fall because it had its foundation on the
rock. That's the people who hear the preached
word of God, but then apply it to their life.
Those are the people that hear pastor preach
on Sunday, but on Monday when they're going through
a situation, they look back and say, I know what
the word of God says. And it's not something
I leave on Sunday at 1410 West Clemensville Road,
but it's something I take to school with me.
It's something I take back home with me. When
I'm at work on Thursday, I'm going to rely on
the word of God to give me direction and guidance
in my everyday life. would do that, Jesus says,
you are wise. Your house is built on the rock.
But then he contrasts that with what he calls
a foolish man. Let's look at verse 26. Everyone
who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice. Somebody who comes to church,
they hear the preached word of God, and it feels
really good in the moment because it's emotional,
it's exciting, the music's just right, everybody
else is surrendering to God, but it's an emotional
decision in the moment. But emotions won't get
you through because you could very easily hear
the preached word of God today and then on Tuesday
around a different crowd in a different location.
Just because you heard it does not mean you're
going to surrender to it. Just because you heard
the word of God does not mean that you're going
to apply it to your life. And Jesus says that
if that's the case, if you hear the word of God
but you don't put it into practice, that is just
like a foolish man who built their house on sand.
Verse 27 is very telling. The rain came down,
the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against
that house, and it fell with a great crash. This
is a story that is so very simple, a child could
understand it. But at the same time, it is so
profound that we can find endless applications
even years later. We're almost 2 ,000 years later,
and the application, the principles of this parable
are just as true now as they ever have been.
Jesus told this crowd, and I believe that he's
telling us today, that your foundation matters.
Because there are storms. There's rain. There's
wind. He says that there are floods in our life.
But notice, it's the exact same storm. The same
storm that merely inconvenienced the wise man
who built on rock was entirely devastating to
the foolish man who built on sand. In this life,
we know it's true. There are disappointments
and there are discouragements and there are distractions.
Everybody in this room can say, I've been through
trials and tribulations. Life has a way. have
taken us up and down, and it's beyond our control.
There are so many parts of life that are beyond
our control, but can I preach to somebody today?
Can I challenge you today? You absolutely can
control your foundation. You can't control everything
that happens to you. You can't control everything
that everybody else says, but you 100 % can control
your foundation, and that's why Jesus tells us
we must build on the rock. The rock is a sturdy
and strong. and level and firm foundation. But
I want to point out today that the wise man and
the foolish man, they are not as different as
you would think. Obviously, wise and foolish
are opposites, but their stories are eerily similar.
And it's kind of scary if you think about it.
They basically did everything the same except
for one element. Both men heard the words of
Jesus. Both men built something. Both men experienced
the same storm. It was the same wind. It was
the same rain. The same flood. Both men, their
houses looked the exact same on the outside.
And the storm was the same as well. So there's
so many similarities. There's only one difference.
And that difference is the foundation. Jesus
said that the wise man... took his words, took
the gospel, took the truth, and applied it to
his life. He put it into practice. The only difference
is that the foolish man heard the word of God.
but didn't do that final, most important step.
He did not put it into practice. He did not apply
the word of God to his life and to his actions
and to his decisions. But this is what we must
understand. I need you to get this today. The
foolish man did not wake up one day and just
declare, I want to rebel against God. That's
not where the wise man was. Eerily similar. Eerily
similar. The foolish man was not out there just
completely out of church doing everything he
knew he shouldn't be doing. The wise man sat
beside the foolish man in church. They were on
the same pew. They heard the same exact sermon.
The only difference was who applied it to their
life. The foolish man did not despise the teachings
of Jesus. The foolish man heard the word of God
and likely he agreed with it and I'm sure he
even admired it. That's not the concern. He sat
on a pew and he said amen because that's right
and he knew it was right and he knew it would
make a difference. But James 1 and 22 tells us
that we have to be doers of the word and not
just hearers only. And James is more blunt than
I would be. He says, if you hear the word of
God, but you don't do it. That's not a small
thing. You are deceiving yourselves. It is that
big of a deal that, yes, you need to hear the
word of God, but the most important thing is
that you do the word of God. Yes, you need to
be in church on Sunday, but the most important
thing is that on Monday, your life is different
because of the spirit of God and the word of
God. And the authority of God that you felt on
Sunday. That's what makes the difference. We
cannot be hearers of the word only. But God tells
us it's so important we have to be doers of.
The word. I want you to know that the foolish
man did not choose disobedience on purpose. He
didn't actively choose. Okay, well, that sounds
good, but I'm going to disobey. That thought
never crossed his mind. It was not a conscious
decision. Just subconsciously, he simply chose
convenience. And convenience became his downfall.
The storm did not reveal his intentions. I believe
that the foolish man had great intentions, but
the storm revealed his priorities. It's very
likely that the foolish man may have intended
to obey eventually. Perhaps the foolish man decided
that, well, I will plan to deepen my foundation
later. Maybe the foolish man just thought, well,
now's not the time, I'm kind of busy, but I know
it's important and I'll get to it. But the problem
here is that the storm does not wait for good
intentions. And when the pressure came, there
was nothing beneath the surface at all. And the
lack of foundation beneath the surface is what...
dictated that the entire thing collapsed. What
was beneath the surface determined what remained
above it. This is my point today. Convenience
may seem, it may appear to be harmless or innocent,
but I want you to know today that there is a
hidden danger to convenience. That's where the
foolish man found himself. He did not actively,
consciously choose to, okay, well, that sounds
good, whatever. I don't care about that. I will
disobey the word of God. That was never in his
thought process. The foolish man heard the word
of God and simply chose convenience. Let's talk
practically for a minute. The foolish man, the
wise man, foolish man built his house on sand.
Wise man built his house on the rock. Why would
you build on sand? It's because it's easier.
If you've ever paid attention to any kind of
construction, you would know that building on
rock requires excavation. You have to dig. You
have to break ground. You have to drill. It requires
specialized equipment. It costs more. It takes
longer. It is loud, and it is messy, and it is
exhausting. Rock fights back. But the beauty
of that is the resistance that the rock gives
you when you're trying to dig into it is the
same resistance that will resist the storm and
keep you steady. But it's not convenient. The
rock fights back, but sand just cooperates. It's
very flexible. Sand is ready -made. There's no
digging. There's no blasting. There's no delay.
Convenience always offers speed, but obedience
always demands surrender. And so we read here
that the foolish man, he was able to build very
quickly, but the wise man built deeply. And Jesus
makes it very plain for us. What you build quickly
can collapse just as quickly. And we all know
that's true because we've seen it in everyday
life. Convenience builds something that's impressive
in the sunshine. When everything is just fine,
convenience can play the part. You would never
know the difference. When there's no storm, you
see two houses. You're not taking pictures of
the foundation. Who cares? You see two beautiful
houses, and that's all you see. And convenience
can totally get you through when it's easy. But
unfortunately, it is obedience that has to be
there to build something. that is immovable in
the storm. Convenience will reveal who you are
on the inside. Convenience will reveal your foundation
in the storms of life. Some everyday examples.
Let's say there's a couple. They rushed into
marriage because it felt right. It was all emotions.
But they never built spiritual habits together.
We've all seen examples of this. When conflict
came, there was no foundation. What about a leader?
who they have influence among people even in
church. And they grow a platform quite quickly
because they have the gift of speaking. They're
very personable. They have a natural smile. They're
just a people person, if that makes sense. And
they grow a platform and they grow influence
just so quickly. But behind that, there's no
foundation of cultivating private character.
And so we've all seen that. That kind of person,
when scrutiny comes, everything falls apart because
there's no foundation. They took shortcuts. Their
influence was built on convenience instead of
obedience. What about a believer who attends
church weekly? They never miss a service, but
they never dig into prayer and they never dig
into the word of God. Well, then there's no foundation.
And so when life, the storms of life come and
they're messing you up, it's very easy for your
faith to fill thin. If you don't have a foundation,
it's very easy to give up and say, well, this
wasn't worth it anyway. That's the problem with
convenience. That's the problem with shortcuts.
That's the problem with not doing the hard work
of digging a foundation on the rock because on
the surface, everything can look solid, but storms
expose foundations. This is something very sobering,
incredibly sobering. It was almost hard for me
to even type it on my computer. I just, it's
so sobering. 90 % obedience. is still disobedience.
There's nothing in the Bible that allows for
delayed obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience.
Partial obedience is disobedience. And so when
we read this parable, we understand that the
foolish man's sin was not hostility. He was not
closed off to the word of God. He sat on a pew
and he heard everything that was preached. The
foolish man's sin was hesitation. What messed
up the foolish man was a shortcut, was compromise,
was this idea, well, it's good enough. That's
what messed up the foolish man. He wasn't wrong
from the very beginning. He did everything right.
But that very final, most important step of applying
the word of God to his life. The foolish man
did not hate the truth. The foolish man did not
hate God and the things of God. The foolish man
just prioritized ease and comfort and convenience.
And it was that convenience that became erosion.
On the other hand. The wise man obeyed and he
was blessed. But this is what I want you to understand.
The blessing is not the material possession.
In our world today, we are trained in our culture
in the United States of America in the year 2026.
We are trained to see material possessions and
view that as blessings. But that is not the blessing
that really truly matters at the end of the day.
When you read this parable, it was not the blessing.
You could say, oh, well, he was blessed because
he had a house. The foolish man had a house.
The material possession is not what delineated
the two. The blessing is the stability. The blessing
is the fulfillment. The blessing is knowing that
you have a purpose straight from Almighty God.
It's not what people can see. It's not what will
go viral on Instagram. It's not what will give
you influence or make you popular. The blessing
is the stability and the fulfillment and the
purpose. And so this is my main point today.
If you don't get anything else, I say. I need
you to get this. Convenience is overrated. Convenience
is overrated. Convenience is not the way from
you to get where you are now to where God is
calling you. Convenience is overrated, but purpose
is everything. If you have a purpose from Almighty
God. You can get through any kind of mess. It
doesn't matter the storms of life. It doesn't
matter all the discouragement and the distraction.
If you know that God has called you for a purpose,
if you know that you are in the center of God's
will, that's all you need to know. It doesn't
matter about the blessings, the material blessings.
It doesn't matter what other people think. If
you know deep down in your heart, I have a purpose
straight from Jesus Christ, that is all you need
to make it. That's all you need. need to get
through another day, another year. That's all
you need to get through the storms of this life.
Convenience is overrated, but purpose is everything
and God has a purpose for every single person
in this place. Do not leave this place today
without saying, God, I need to hear from you.
I need a purpose tailor made for me. I need a
purpose straight from you to my heart and to
my mind and to my life. Purpose is what you need.
When I say convenience is overrated, I feel like
I can get you to agree with me because we all
would agree with this statement. The things worth
having are the things that you work for. I was
using this example with somebody the other day.
You appreciated it 100%. Hypothetically speaking,
your parents were blessed enough to give you
a car when you turned 16 years old. That may
not be everybody's case. It wasn't my case. But
hypothetically speaking. You got a car from your
parents at 16 years old, and you appreciated
it, and you took care of it because, wow, my
parents are great. This is a real blessing. But
at the end of the day, five years later when
that car, you had to sell it, and now you're
21 years old, and you have your own job, and
you have to buy the car yourself, it just hits
different. And hypothetically speaking, because
when you were 16, your parents were, let's say,
50. And now you're only 21. So in theory, you
actually had a nicer car when you were 16 because
your parents have more resources than you do
at 21. But who cares? I bought it myself. Because
I remember all the Friday nights where I could
have gone out and hung out with my friends, but
instead I picked up extra hours. Instead of spending
money, I saved money. And now the benefit is
that I have a car that I worked for and that
I paid for myself. When you were driving your
parents' car, and again, you appreciate it. I'm
not saying you just took it for granted or you
trashed the thing. But when you had your parents'
car, if you noticed, oh my goodness, I should
have got the oil changed 500 miles ago. Let me
look at my schedule next week and see if there's
a convenient time. That's just a fact of life.
But then when it's your car that you know I worked
all that overtime and saved all that money for
this car, you're watching the odometer like a
hawk. I got to get the oil changed. You never
got your tires rotated on your parents' car.
I already know. Don't even pretend. You had to
change, get new tires once in those five years
probably, but you've never rotated them. Let's
not pretend. But when you have your own car and
you know what went into it, when that odometer
says, how many ever miles is it supposed to be?
Somebody doesn't get their tires rotated as often
as they should. When that odometer turns around
and you know it's time to get your tires rotated,
you understand there's a cost to this thing.
There was a lot of work that went into this.
So I'm not just going to take it for granted.
I'm just not going to do the least to get by.
There's a lot of work and dedication, blood,
sweat, and tears that went into this. What about
that degree that you stayed up late nights to
earn? What about that marriage that it was hard
and you felt like quitting? worked hard and you
got back to have a healthy marriage, that's something
you had to work for. That's something you're
not going to take for granted. What about that
ministry that you've developed over the years
and you labored behind the scenes when nobody
else knew what you were doing? That's what means
the most are the things you have to work the
hardest for. What about that character that you
developed by saying no to temptation when nobody
else in the world would have known? You could
have done anything you wanted, but you did the
right thing and you've developed character. That's
something you had to work for. And at the end
of the day, that's what means the most to you.
Pastor said on Wednesday, when you get into heaven,
you're never going to look back and be like,
my goodness, why did I give all that money to
missions? I could have gone on an extra vacation
every year. I think that was the example he used.
But I'll kind of rework that example just a little
bit. I don't think anybody would say in this
context, let's say they're nearing the end of
their life and they don't have all the flexibility
they used to have. They're just hanging out at
home and they know they're in the final chapters
of their life. When they reflect on their life,
they're never going to say, man, I wish it were
easier. Nobody's ever at the end of their life
is going to say, man, I wish I didn't work as
hard to be the best I could be. Nobody is ever
going to say, man, I wish I had taken more shortcuts
or made compromises. Nobody ever will because
we know even in our flesh that the things we
work the hardest for are the things that mean
the most to us. Those are the things that define
who we are. Well, if that concept works in the
physical, can I tell you today that concept doubly
works in the spiritual. Those things that you
have to go through, that temptation you have
to say no to, that discipline that you have to
develop in terms of prayer. and fasting and giving
and reading the word and every other spiritual
discipline, that's what makes you who you are.
And you'll never look back and say, oh my goodness,
I wish I chose convenience. I wish I didn't go
all in. I wish I kind of lived half in the world
and half out. Because when this is all said and
done, your purpose, your destiny, your fulfillment
is going to come from those times that you decided
it may be hard, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Nobody else is doing it, but I want to be right
in the sight of God. Because that's what makes
you who you are. What you work the hardest for
is what defines who you are. No one brags about
what was handed to them effortlessly, but they
cherish what costs them something. But I want
to be clear, and I'm moving quickly. I'm way
behind time. Convenience, ease, and comfort are
nice. And I am not saying that it's wrong to
enjoy convenience. Please understand me today.
What I'm saying is if your motivation is convenience,
you will miss out on the purpose of God every
single time. Convenience and purpose do not belong
in the same sentence, except the sentence I just
said. But convenience and purpose do not go together.
They do not belong in the same timeline. Convenience
and purpose are not related. They are fighting
against one another, and you have to choose.
Am I going to choose the convenient path, or
am I going to choose the purposeful path? Here's
an example. If convenience, it can be a blessing
if it saves you time and energy and effort, and
then you take that extra time and energy and
effort to invest in things that matter. Then
I would say convenience has been a blessing.
But it's still up to you what choice you're going
to make. Because at the same time, you can say,
okay, well, convenience has saved me a bunch
of time and a bunch of energy and a bunch of
effort. And now with all that surplus of time,
energy, and effort, I'm going to invest it in
things that don't matter. That could cause a
lack of focus. That could cause a complacency.
cause laziness almost. So I'm not saying, don't
go home and throw your microwave away. You're
gonna need that later this week when you don't
have enough time and you gotta heat up leftovers
from the night before. Convenience is not a bad
thing, but please do not let convenience be your
motivation. Please do not go into this year,
2026, and say, what's the least I could do? What's
the easiest way to do it? What's the path of
least resistance? At what point have I done enough
to just barely get by? If you do that, you will
miss the purpose that God has for you. for you.
There's something that's so much more important
than convenience and comfort and ease. It's purpose.
I'm trying to preach to somebody today. You have
to have purpose. You have to have purpose. You
will never be happy and fulfilled in your life
if you do not have a kingdom purpose. I told
somebody this the other day. I'm so far off my
notes. Please forgive me. I told somebody this
the other day. And I meant it. And maybe 10 years
ago, I wouldn't have meant it. And maybe even
five. Maybe it's because I'm now a father. Imagine
that. But I told them, and I mean it 100%. And
it wouldn't have been the case five years ago.
And I worked hard for my house. And it was a
miracle. And I don't have time to get all to
it. But I have a house I'm so grateful for. Really.
I'm blessed of God. but I know now, even though
I didn't know it five years ago, if I'm not trying
to lose my, I'm not saying that would be a good
thing, but if I lost my house tomorrow, but I
had my wife and my two daughters, I wouldn't
care what kind of weird place we're living and
what kind of dingy apartment or anything. I wouldn't
care one bit because I have purpose. I can go
to bed at night and lay my head on the pillow
and know that my wife needs me. My daughters
need me. I don't have to worry about what my
life amounts to. I have purpose. It's not about
the material possessions. If I lost every material
blessing tomorrow, but I still have a relationship
with Jesus Christ, if I still call heaven view
my home, I'm going to be just fine. I don't want
to lose my house in this example. I don't want
to go through struggles. But at the end of the
day, what I need more than anything is not convenience,
but it's purpose. I so desperately need purpose.
That is the difference between where you are
now and where God is calling you. It's purpose.
You have to have purpose. straight from God.
Convenience can keep you from purpose. You can
build a convenient life and still lose eternal
impact. You can build a comfortable life and
still miss kingdom purpose. And so the story
of the wise man and the foolish man is not merely
about surviving hardship. It is about building
a life that participates in the kingdom of God.
I want to quickly share a biblical example. If
you want in the Bible a story that really, in
my opinion, explains purpose more than anything,
you've got to go to the life of Moses. The first
part of Moses' life was very convenient, but
it was void of purpose. Moses was raised in Pharaoh's
palace. He had absolutely everything he ever
needed. He was born with a silver spoon in his
mouth. He had education, influence. He had security.
He had political access. And from a worldly perspective,
anybody would agree Moses had arrived. It could
not be better than this. But I want you to know
that heaven measures differently. In Egypt, Moses
could have built wealth. He could have built
power. He could have built influence, but he
would not have been building kingdom purpose.
The palace was convenient. It was awfully nice
to have, but the palace was not. fulfilling and
he could have lived comfortably. And even when
he died, it could have been historically significant.
I don't know, but it would not have mattered
one thing as far as eternity is concerned. He
could have had the perfect life here on earth,
but at the end of his life, there would be no
impact. There would be no impact on eternity
if he had chosen convenience over purpose. And
many people today live in modern palaces. I'm
talking about high paying jobs, but that schedule
in this example does not allow time for prayer
and for reading the word and for faithful church
attendance. Many people today in their modern
palace, they get that promotion at work, but
it's at the cost of a real relationship with
Jesus Christ. There are people today that have
all these social approval they could ever want,
but that getting there has required compromise
and shortcuts that is completely. robbed them
of their purpose in Jesus Christ. And so at the
core, the palace is not wicked. Please do not
misunderstand me. The blessings of God, I would
take every blessing God has for me. The blessing
is not the problem, but the temporal blessings
in this life are insufficient. The temporal blessings
in this life is not where your purpose comes
from. And Moses sensed that. There was a, what
I would say, maybe a holy dissatisfaction within
him. He could not enjoy luxury. and comfort and
convenience while having no fulfillment and purpose
and destiny. Hebrews 11, 24, it says that Moses
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He chose rather to suffer affliction with the
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of
sin for a season. He esteemed the reproach of
Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
And I want you to know when Moses chose to identify,
with the people of God. That's when he had his
purpose. When he said, forget the riches of Egypt,
I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God than to dwell in the tents of unrighteousness.
When he made that decision, he had purpose. He
made a difference, not just in his own life,
but in the life of other people. The difference
between where you are now and where God is calling
you in the year 2026 is a sense of purpose directly
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses' acquiescence
of status and comfort and security, that is literally
what secured his purpose. Let's quickly continue
his life. After fleeing Egypt, Moses spent 40
years in Midian. These were 40 years that he
was tending sheep, 40 years without applause,
40 years without recognition. And if you evaluate
his life by convenience, you would say this was
wasted potential. But I want you to know, if
you are living your life according to the purpose
of God, nothing is wasted. Nothing is wasted.
If 40 years in the backside of the desert was
not a waste for Moses, then there is nothing
in your life that will be a waste. If you know
you're in the will of God and you will trust
God's timing and God's way, you will get exactly
where you need to be, exactly when you need to
get there, because purpose is everything. If
you evaluate life by kingdom purpose, this wasn't
a wasted potential. This was divine preparation.
The desert was inconvenient. It was lonely and
obscure. It was quiet, but he needed the desert
because the desert is what shaped him. He learned
patience. He learned endurance. Moses and the
desert learned humility. The desert was excavation.
Because building on the rock requires digging,
but that's what the desert was for him. You may
be in a season today that feels inconvenient.
You may say, man, I'm in a job that is beneath
my ability. I'm in a certain delay in my life
that completely seems unfair. You might feel
that in your life you have a responsibility that
is just so exhausting. But what if God is digging
deeper? What if that situation right there is
you digging in the rock to build a foundation
that will stand firm and strong in the storms
of life? What if what you're going through is
what is defining the purpose that God has for
you in your life? I'm asking somebody today to
trust in the Lord, not to do it your own way,
not to think about convenience and ease and comfort,
not to think about what everybody else is doing,
but if you'll allow that perfect work of patience
in your life, if you'll allow God to move on
your heart and your mind, if you'll surrender
to him no matter what the cost, you will have
purpose. And kingdom purpose is everything. Convenience
avoids discomfort, but purpose embraces formation.
And so when God met Moses at the burning bush,
he did not offer comfort. He offered calling.
Exodus 3 and 7, he says, I have seen the affliction
of my people. Verse 10, he says, Moses, I am
sending you. Kingdom purpose is not self -centered,
but kingdom purpose makes a lasting. And Moses,
once again, had to choose. Yet again, he had
to make the right decision one step at a time.
We walk by faith and not by sight. Moses, yet
again, after all of this, had to make yet another
choice. And Moses argued and he resisted. Moses,
probably like many of us, felt inadequate. But
obedience is not about feeling ready. Obedience
is being surrendered to the purpose of God. And
when Moses surrendered, that's when his purpose
was activated. Continuing the story of Moses,
he did what God had called him to do, and he
led the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was
not glamorous. It was very exhausting. The people
of Israel complained, and they doubted, and they
resisted. And at the Red Sea, all of that pressure
peaked. This was a very pivotal moment. This
was probably the lowest point of the journey
so far, worse than being in the backside of the
desert. Now he's taken them out of Egypt, and
they're right at the precipice. their deliverance
and the very people he is serving they're complaining
behind them stands the armies of Egypt in front
of them is water and the people literally wanted
to go back the people said it's going to be kind
of embarrassing but it's a lot more convenient
just to go back right back to change right back
to bondage right back to slavery But Moses, because
he had heard from God, because God had developed
something in him, he said, no, no, no. If I was
going to choose convenience, I would have done
that 40 years ago. I'm not choosing convenience.
I'm choosing purpose. And God has given us a
promise. And we're going to claim that promise.
And we're going to stand in faith. And that's
right here, Exodus 14 and 15. God says, speak
unto the children of Israel that they go forward.
Verse 16, lift thou up thy rod and stretch out
thy hand over the sea. And when he stretched
out his rod, that is. when the sea parted. The
sea did not part in the palace, and there's nothing
that he ever did in the palace that would have
caused the sea to part. It wasn't because of
the palace. It parted when he obeyed. It parted
when he surrendered to his purpose. Purpose does
not eliminate storms in your life, but purpose
will produce miracles in the middle of those
storms. And Moses has the greatest testimony
you could possibly have, and that's that his
life was bigger than he was. He made a difference
for generations. How many people want that kind
of influence in the kingdom of God? You're not
going to make a difference in the life of somebody
on your street. You're not going to make a difference
in the life of your coworker if you're choosing
convenience, if you're choosing the path of least
resistance. God is calling somebody today. Purpose
is everything. It's not just going to change
your life. It's going to change the life of people
around you. It's going to change the life of
your family, those kids that you're praying for,
that backslidden loved one, that person that's
on your heart, you have a burden for them. That's
purpose. Purpose is what gets that done. It's
not self -centered thinking. It's not convenience.
God is calling us today. Purpose is everything.
Convenience is overrated, but kingdom purpose
is everything. I ask you to stand in this place
tonight. I'll come quickly to a close. I want
you to know today that kingdom purpose is objective.
That does not mean that we each don't have different
details in our life. We don't have different
variables we're working with. Of course we do.
But I want you to know that at the end of the
day, while God has like... a different exact
design for you, the overarching purpose of your
life is actually the same for all of us. I heard
a preacher say before, just like truth is objective,
not subjective, truth is objective, and so is
purpose. It's the purpose of God. Let's read
down here to 2 Timothy 1. Verse 9, who hath saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. Before you earned anything,
before you built anything, before you succeeded
or maybe you failed, whatever it was, before
you were even a person, God had a purpose for
you. Purpose existed with you in mind. You were
not saved because you were impressive. This verse
says that it's not according to our works. You
were not called because it was convenient. In
fact, calling and convenience, they don't belong
together. Purpose and convenience, they're working
against each other all the time. You were called
according to his purpose. Ephesians 1 and 11,
in whom also we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose
of him who worketh all things after the counsel
of his own will. I want you to know God's not
winging it. God's not improvising with your life.
You are not a guinea pig in some grand experiment
that God is running. That's not at all what's
happening. The seasons of your life that are
like the palace or maybe they're like the desert.
Maybe there's a season of your life that is a
storm. God works all of that for your good. If
you love him, if you're called according to his
purpose. God works all of that according to his
will. You cannot resist purpose. You cannot delay
purpose. But, or excuse me, you can resist purpose
and you can delay purpose. That's your choice
if you'll surrender or not. But you do not have
the option to redefine purpose. Your purpose
comes directly from Jesus Christ. And ultimately,
one more scripture. Pastor Linder closed with
this scripture as well and I feel to do it again.
Revelation 4 and 11. The elders, the angels,
heaven is all rejoicing. They say, thou art worthy,
O Lord, for thou has created all things, and
for thy pleasure they are and were created. You
were created for his pleasure, not primarily
your own. I'm thankful for the blessings of God,
but that's not the point. The point is his pleasure.
The point is that I'm pleasing and acceptable
in his sight. That means... That your career,
as great as it is, is not ultimate. Your comfort
is not ultimate. Your convenience is not ultimate.
Nothing in this life is ultimate. This is John
the Revelator telling us about heaven. When we
are there in heaven and we are... saying ourself
when we join with the elders and we say, thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor
and power. For thou has created all things and
for thy pleasure are and were created. That's
in heaven. That's in eternity. And there's nothing
from this life that gives, that means the same
thing. There's nothing from this life that's
gonna matter in that moment. Our own pleasure,
our own way of doing things, it dies when we
die. Our purpose, and it's the same for everybody
in this room, is to bring God glory. And not
only to bring him glory, but to literally bring
him pleasure. That's your purpose. What can you
do in your life that literally brings a smile
to God's face, if you will? So let me ask you
plainly. Are your daily decisions driven more
by ease or by obedience? Let's ask ourselves
these questions today. If a storm hit your life
tomorrow, would your foundation hold? One more
question. Are you structuring your schedule around
convenience or around calling? Because in the
parable we opened with, the houses looked the
same, but only one endured. And the difference
was not appearance. The difference was alignment.
The difference was foundation. Here's the truth.
When the storm hits, it's not your resume that
will hold you up. When the floods rise, it is
not your comfort that will hold you up. When
the winds blow, it will not be convenience that
would keep you standing strong. Only obedience
will. Only the purpose of God. Convenience is
temporary, but kingdom purpose was established
before the world began. It is sustained by the
will of God and it ends in his glory. That's
what you have to build on. You have to build
deep. You have to build to last. You have to
surrender to kingdom purpose. I wonder if you
come and join me tonight, this morning rather,
in the front here and let's surrender to the
Lord. Would you come and join me for a time of
prayer?