The Second Vision - Our Purpose

A sermon preached at Open Door Christian Fellowship February 26th, 2012

You can hear the sermon here:
http://www.odcf.ca/index.cfm?i=11810&mid=18&g=40637

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.
John 4:34-35 (NASB)

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”


Matthew 9:37-38 (NASB)


In 1977 My wife and I were preparing to return home from Kiriat Anavim in Israel. We had gone there on a short term mission with Project Kibbutz.

As I was in prayer about our return in our little stone room I saw a beautiful table set with the most wonderful food you could imagine. It was a huge table that was so very long. Beautiful place settings were arranged on it.

No animal substances could be found on the table. There were fruits, nuts, vegetables and breads of all kinds. There were beautiful adornments on the table including golden candelabras which were the light of the table.


As I watched intently to understand what the vision meant I saw three very thin men come and sit down at the table. I watched as they began to eat.


They continued eating and it the room grew lighter then darker, lighter, darker, lighter, darker. I knew that this represented the passing of days and months....... perhaps years.


As I watched them eat, their bodies changed. They grew larger and larger until they were huge. Their clothes no longer fit. Their bellies were giant. They had rolls of fat all over them. Finally, one by one, they fell asleep.


The scene changed. This time I saw a beautiful field of ripened grain. It was glorious! The sun shone on beautiful golden stalks of wheat as far as the eye could see. In front of the field was a white picket fence with a gateAs I watched, I saw a man go and pick up a sickle laying on the ground. He then went through the gate into this marvelous field.


The man was terribly thin and emaciated. He looked like someone out of a concentration camp. He started to harvest the wheat but it was pitiful. He could barely cut a few stalks. Still, he persisted.


Again the cycle of light and darkness occurred. As it did a subtle change began to take place. The man began to develop muscles. His stroke became surer and more effective. He began to sweat and get dirty.


Soon he was pushing the sickle through the wheat with an incredible force. The stalks were being harvested in great number. In the end of the vision he looked like a gladiator.


The vision is self-explanatory. The first part dealt with those who came to the Lord's table to eat from His Word and gifts of grace but did not apply themselves to the purpose for which they were fed.


They remained at the table never ceasing to eat in spite of their obvious growing condition of obesity. Finally the very thing that was meant to give them the energy for the work God had for them did just the opposite. They fell asleep in their gluttonous state and became even incapable to eat.


The second part of the vision was about the work God intends for us to do. The effect of applying himself to work in the harvest was wonderful to the harvester.


He remained steadfast in the beginning when it seemed he was making no real progress and had such a little effect.


The discipline of work in the field gradually began to change him. Finally he was totally effective. The food he ate turned into muscles. He was completely alert to his task.


As I meditated on this vision I realized it spoke of the purpose and destiny of every Christian’s life.


But it was not a generic word about everyone. It cut deep into my heart. The question God asked me that day has stayed with me and continues to convict me as I share it with you today.


He asked me, “Which do you want to be? – The one who fell asleep at the Lord’s table or the one who worked in the harvest?”


I knew with all my heart which I wanted to be and answered unreservedly the one who worked in the harvest.


But I have found that to remain effective I have had to let him ask me the same question every day and often every moment of every day of my life.


Today God asks you the same question.


Which do you want to be?


If you answer, like I did this morning when I woke, “I want to be the one who labors in the harvest -- the one who goes into my world to extend the kingdom of God,” then the vision is one of instruction, hope and full of promise.


DOING of God's will is our purpose of life. It is DOING it that brings the transformation in our being.


The call of every Christian is fulfilled in doing God's specific will for their lives


"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?


Luke 6:46 (NASB)

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.“


Luke 6:47-49

In his book “Principle of the Path” Andy Stanley correctly points out that when you follow a certain path it will take you where it takes everyone no matter who you are or what your intentions are. (NASB)


This is what the Lord said in the passage we just read. It is a simple principle and easily seen.


In Andy’s words:


“Direction, not Intention, determines your Destination.”


“If you head north on I-85, you won’t get to Florida, regardless of what you’re intention is.”


There is a path to safety and a path to destruction. Both paths treat everyone on them exactly the same.


You may want to build a safe secure house but if you do not follow the path of those who know how and have built safe houses you will not build a safe house.


No matter who we are we will find the same result from following any particular path anyone else has found that has gone down


So what path does God want all of us to follow?


And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.“


Matthew 28:17-19


And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.


Mark 16:15 (NASB)


Physical eating which is not used to produce work in our bodies produces obesity and slumber. So also spiritual eating without spiritual work produces the spiritual equivalent to obesity and slumber.


Many Christians believe that going to church, hearing sermons, listening to teachings, watching Christian T.V., going to Christian entertainment or even reading the Bible are the main activities of the kingdom life.


The vision gives a picture of what the Bible clearly teaches about this. Those who participate in these things without having the focus of going to work in the harvest grow spiritually fat, lazy and finally fall asleep.


The very things that God provided to give us the ability, instruction and energy to do his will becomes what keeps us for doing it.


And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.


Isaiah 6:9-10


The converse is also true. God created us to be physically active in work. When we are, our bodies become strong and healthy from the food we eat.


The man who was harvesting is the promise for all who will apply themselves to the work God has destined for them. They will experience the wonderful increase of spiritual strength, endurance and skill in the harvest.


Many want to be made instantly into gladiators for God but it is a process.


Here is the great hope for those of you who feel like I have so often when I have seen my almost non-existent strength and skill.


It will be the thin, emaciated weaklings that choose to press daily into the work of God who will become the gladiators.


Acceptance of the task and daily pressing on made the man in spite of his seeming ineffectiveness.


But first he was tested by the days of small beginnings. We tend to think that we will arrive fully matured and have no period of preparation in which we see little of effectiveness or fruit.


It is the purposeful intention and actual action to build God’s kingdom first that brings the transformation in our being. It is the practice of our ministry that turns us into effective servants of God.


The craving for more and more teaching – supernatural events – blessings and so forth is evidence that we have missed the point of our salvation.


God did not save us to give us a great life. He saved us to honor Him with the life He has given us.


So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.


Philippians 2:12-13 (NASB)


The way to honor Him is to do the work he predestined us to do to build His Kingdom.


For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.


Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)


Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.


Matthew 5:16 (NASB)


When we see God as our servant we think we should sit at the table all day long and eat from His provision and nothing more.


When we understand that He saved us to serve him we ask where am I to give my life away for you? Where am I to work for you?


Every believer should have an identifiable place where they are purposefully working to extend the Kingdom of God.


We are all called to service. Not one is exempt no matter what their limitations, inabilities or on the other hand how important they might think they are.


And as Jesus said, as we give up our own self-centered pursuits, our own pre-occupation with our lives and give our lives to Him. It is only then we truly find our lives.


For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.


Matthew 16:25 (NAS


He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.


John 12:25


So where are you giving your life away for God?


I had the wonderful privilege of having no hindrances to giving my life away to God. When I met Jesus I had nothing left to give and I knew it. Still on the night I first met him I realized that he was not just there to save me.


I knew I he was asking for my life.


All of it.


For the rest of it.


He was asking me for the rest of my life to go into all the world and extend his kingdom by living a life centered on serving him and others. To surrender my life completely to His will and keep on doing it for the rest of my life.


Only that which has been surrendered to God can bring forth his life to the world. Giving our lives to God through purposefully living out his will by doing it is the only cure for our soul.


The GOING is not so much about a change in location,  though in a very real way we need to purposefully go to where others are. It is ultimately about the movement in our souls. We go from the place of personal benefit to the place of serving God first and others before self.


So again I ask, “Where are you purposefully giving your life away to God and to others?


Where are you actually going?
What are you actually doing?


Let me give you the challenge God gave me when I was first a believer and which he has continued to challenge me with to this day.


Would you in this day surrender everything in your life to God?

Would you choose today who you will serve?

Will you give yourself unreservedly to God?

Would you offer the life he saved back to him as fully as he surrendered his for you?
Would you purposefully seek to live his life by setting a place that you and he spend together each day?

Would you purposefully study his word so that you can be equipped to do the work that he has prepared for you?


Would you set as your highest purpose to DO what he says to do no matter what he says to do? To go where he says for you to go, where ever that may be?


Would you choose to live the life of Jesus without limits?


If you do I can promise you that in the end of your life you will not look back with regret. You will have lived life to the full. You will have found the greatest joy possible.


The life of God will have transformed you into his own image.