Chasing Purpose Part III: The Paradox of Purpose

Micaiah Irmler

I Samuel 17:17-55 NKJV

17 Then Jesse said to his son David, “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. 18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.” 19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army. 22 And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. 23 Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. 25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” 26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.” 28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” 29 And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?” 30 Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did. 31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. 32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” 38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. 55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”

Remember: Don’t assume that only your passion will lead to your purpose because your problems can also lead to your purpose.

Question: Could it be that your purpose hasn’t found a worthy problem?

Question: What concern does your calling answer?

Question: What problem does your purpose fulfill?

Question: What distress does your destiny relieve?

Big Idea: Your purpose will never be greater than your biggest problem.

There is Peace When I Understand God is Moving the Pieces vs. 33-37

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God wants you by uncertainty.

Remember: The paradox is not that God is not saving me from the struggle but through the struggle.

Psalms 73:16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

God has a Unique Purpose for You God has a Universal Purpose for His Church God has an Ultimate Purpose for His Glory

Your Beliefs Will Determine How You Behave vs. 33-37

33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Note: David faced trouble without being troubled.

My purpose doesn’t need passion it needs .

How You Behave Will Determine What You Become vs. 45-51

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

Note: Saul should have gone to battle being the biggest.

Destiny requires development.

Calling requires competency.

What You Become Will Determine Where You Belong vs. 18:1-2

I Samuel 18:1-2

1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family.

You need a life too deep for .

Happiness must happen and be a byproduct of ones pursuit of a cause greater than ones self.

Quote: An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior. ~Viktor Frankl.

The Paradox of Passion

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. ~Unknown.

Pseudo - Purpose

Money - Power - Fame - Romance - Stuff

The Bigger Your Problem the Bigger Your .

Quote: The standard word for the condition of being problem free is dead. ~John Ortberg.

Question: Could it be that your problem is that you don’t have big enough problems?

A Worthy Problem

Question: Why else are you here?

Your purpose is not about you.

David and Goliath

Nehemiah and the walls

Esther and the Jews

Paul and the Gentiles

Your dreams are free so dream BIG! Your prayers are free so pray BIG!

Stop praying for a bigger/better purpose start praying for bigger/better problems.

Stats: You make on average seventy decisions in one day, 25,550 decisions in a year, and over seventy years you will have made 1,788,500 decisions. Those decisions are you.

Quote: You get to make your decisions and then your decisions make you. Unknown.

Quote: 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. ~ Unknown

Note: Power and Meaning are synonymous.

Note: When you know your meaning you also know your power.

Remember: Last week we learned that the Greek word dynamos is doesn’t just mean power but its also means meaning.

Life even when miserable can still be .

The meaning of life is brought about by the meaning we make it or bring to it.

Note: Jesus talking to the woman at the well can be one of the most forgettable situations but its not because Jesus made it meaningful.

You have to make your life full of meaning.

It’s not about wanting wishing and waiting for a meaningful moment but making the mundane meaningful.

Like a movie that is holding your attention but if you don’t see the last scene it won’t have the same meaning.

Alternate Ending

Getting more meaning out of life or are we to put meaning into every moment of life?

God’s Ultimate Purpose for Creation God’s Universal Purpose for His Church God’s Unique Purpose for You

Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.