Chasing Purpose Part II: Protecting my Progress

Micaiah Irmler

Acts 1:1-8 NKJV

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Command vs. 4

The Collaboration vs. 5 & 8

The Calling vs. 8

There was a Command Before There Was a Calling vs. 4

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

Remember: Before You Fulfill Your Calling Follow the Command vs. 4

We are more obsessed with calling than obeying the command.

Our lack of is related to our lack of proper priorities.

Don’t Attempt to Fulfill Heavens Purpose Without Heavens Power vs. 4-5

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Question: Have you been attempting to fulfill heavens purpose without heaven’s power?

Note: We love to tell the Holy Spirit what to do.

Waiting is an admission of .

Weakness is a welcome mat for God to work.

Are You Looking to Fulfill your Purpose or Find a Way to Get Promoted? vs. 6 & 3

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Note: My fear is that Christians today are not looking for their purpose but something that will promote them.

Are you willing to serve and not be seen?

Are you willing to serve and be treated like a servant?

Are you willing to serve and surrender the outcome to God?

Progress is Made Through Partnership vs. 8

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Remember: You and I are not pawns to our path or purpose we are the partners.

God stands before you with the offer of opportunity to partner with Him to fulfill your purpose.

Illustration: Several weeks ago with went out to the Mandarin Garden Chinese restaurant across the street from Oakridge Mall. As we were walking in I see Steve Wozniak cofounder of Apple Inc. Jane and I walk past him and I tell her that Steve Wozniak. She said no its not. I said yes it is. She said no its not. We get in eat our food Jane googles him and still is skeptical I mean she doesn’t even know how to cut apples let alone know who the co-founder of Apple is. Little call back to last weeks message.

Steve Wozniak invented the apple computer he also just raised $56 million for his new startup called Privateer.

Imagine he comes up to you and says let’s partner together to start a company. What are you going to say?

YES!!

Because you trust his track record.

Remember: Your destiny is not a solo sport. God is partnering with you.

Question: Can you trust God’s track record?

Can you take God at His Word and say yes I will follow you path and your purpose for my life.

Remember: There is power in partnership.

Definition: The Greek word for power is dunamis which means miraculous power but there is another definition for dunamis its also means meaning.

Remember: You and I were meant to have a life defined by power.

Question: Are you living beneath your potential?

Illustration: I’ve never flown first class but I have flown premium economy. Do you know the only difference is what you are willing to pay for? However God is not asking you to pay for this but to pray for it.

Remember: You are not a second-class citizen so don’t live a second-class life.

Ephesians 5:15 NASB And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Note: You and I are never not filled.

Illustration: When you go to BevMo or Total Wine they have an aisle called Wine and Other Spirits.

Question: Are you a sipping saint?

The Power of the Spirit Will Change Your Walk

The Power of the Spirit Will Change Your Talk

The Power of the Spirit Will Change Your Behavior

Illustration: You have heard of a DUI Driving Under the Influence what about Dreaming Under the Influence of the Holy Spirit, Decisions Under the Influence, Developing Under the Influence, Destiny is Under the Influence, My Devotion is Under the Influence, Discerning Under the Influence, My Disposition is Under the Influence, Doubt Under the Influence, Death is Under the Influence,

Take Away

Your God-given purpose needs God’s power to make progress.

Have you received Christ as your Savior? Today won’t you invite Him into your life? Won’t you follow His command before you fulfill your calling?

Today there is a baptism of water and of the Holy Spirit.

In context to your created purpose?

You have a purpose?

You have a personal purpose.

You get to pick your purpose.

Your passion will catch up to your purpose.

Your will be more about who you are than what you do.

God is more focused on your transformation than transportation to the destination.

Note: The Philistines banded together.

The enemy is united they are more destructive.

Shammah may have realized that he couldn’t let the enemy get momentum.

What is taking ground in your life and banding together with others that will intern make you want to disband.

You don’t need the to know your purpose.

Note: When two teams face on in a competition they don’t give the trophy to the person who wants it more but to the person who

Note: The Israels troops did nothing wrong and they also did nothing right as well.

Remember: Preparation comes disguise as problems.

Question: What will you do when others don’t see the point of protecting this patch of lentils.

People don’t see the point to your purpose.

Remember: If God is real then we need to live like it.

The load is not your limit its just your current level.

We are called to take new ground other times are called to defend ground that is about to be taken.

Many are giving up on the Bay Area moving out leaving the lentils.

Teach me old man what my young heart doth not know and what is to live our my days in splendid struggle for a cause.

What was I meant for?

The answer is not what was I meant for but who was I meant for.

Illustration: They asked the man building a cathedral what he thought of his work. He said I am a brick layer.

Do you choose your purpose or does your purpose choose you?

Ready or Not…

Quote: I heard a preacher say in one of my Bible College chapels twenty years ago, “God does call the qualified but he qualifies the called.”

God doesn’t say go when your ready… He says Go and I will be with you.

Note: Church sometimes I do things and I don’t even have enough faith but my faith will catch up with my pursuit of purpose.

Unhindered by Uncertainty

The two greatest days in your life are the day you were born and the day you discover why you were born.

Question: Do you know the odds of your being born? You won the greatest lottery of all. The chance at a life.

The greatest day is the day you were born, saved, and discovered your purpose.

God has a purpose for and a purpose for His people.

We are creatures of calling

We are here for purpose.

Ever felt lost? Some of you are feeling like that for your purpose.

If you are not living your purpose then how can you reach your full potential?

Which He hath prepared for us to do.

Imagine if you had a purpose inside of you that woke you up in the morning.

Your purpose needs .

It was HIS stand no one else.

Standing Still but Stepping Forward

Want to discover the meaning to life and how to live a meaningful life?

First find a Field that Needs a Fighter

My purpose is not about me personally but what problem am I solving.

The Israelites chose relief while chose responsibility.

Shammah faced trouble without being troubled.

How is that?

What troubles you? What is stealing your peace, contentment, and serenity?

It was this moment that gave his life meaning.

They became Davids mighty men because of what they chose to do in a moment.

Note: Jesus only used the word easy one time in the entire bible.

My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30

Note: Easy doesn’t come from outside but from inside.

Easy doesn’t describe my problem or my purpose but it does describe my power from Christ.

Quote: If you make easy decision you end up with a hard life if you make hard decisions you end up with an easy life.

Pseudo - Purpose

Money - Power - Fame - Romance - Stuff

2 Samuel 23:11-12 NIV

11 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. 12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.

We’ve done something called a partner WOD.

Now you have the potential of this other person to do more than ever thought possible.

I have a theory as to why we don’t wait on the Holy Spirit more. We haven’t seen it work enough times to trust it.

The power of the holy spirit is the privilege of every Christian.

God can use wrong roads to lead us to the right place.

A Spiritual Buzz Doesn’t Change Behavior