Sunday Recap @ da Chapel
Pastor Joshua Goodin
Luke 2:41-52 (NKJV)
“Catch Me on Purpose”
When was the last time somebody caught you doing something good?
There are a lot of people constantly being caught, but not being caught on purpose. They’re doing what feels or seems good, what people will applaud, but not operating on purpose. As the year closes out, reflect and think about whether or not you have been caught on purpose. If you haven’t been caught on purpose in this new year will you be? You’re doing frivolous things thinking that it appeases God, but God is not appeased he’s offended. There’s a difference between living and existing. People who exist get up every day and go about their normal routines. People who live understand what they’ve been called and designed to do, and they walk and operate in the purpose God has designed for their life. Are you living or existing? If you’re existing you’re probably on your way to a cut-off notice. You can take his silence or his no, but you don’t want to be cut off from God. Without him, you can do nothing, but with him, you can do all things.
*If you’re going to be caught on purpose you have to realize you have to let go of people that you really treasure. There are some people that you value and treasure, but they’re not helping you get to your purpose. Every time you say you have to do something, they try to get you to do something else. The worst thing you can do is tell somebody what God has told you to do. Then every time you try to do what God told you to do, they keep trying to talk you out of it and keep you busy from what God told you to do. Everybody is not concerned with you fulfilling your purpose. There are some people that don’t want you to fulfill your purpose because they think that if you don’t do it that they can step in, do it, and get the benefits of what you would get. The thing about purpose is your purpose is not the same as someone else’s purpose, so if they step in they won’t get the benefits and blessings God promised you. You keep trying to go home because you’re running from what God is calling you to. Home is not just defined as where you lay your head, it is a place of comfort. You keep running back home because you know being caught on purpose means you have to be uncomfortable. The surest sign that you know God’s hand is on your life, is you always feel uncomfortable. The closer you get to the Lord the more uncomfortable you feel around certain people. Learn how to love people at a distance. You can’t tell everybody everything, some things have to stay between you and God. The reason people can talk you out of your purpose is that you tell them all your business.
*If you’re going to be caught on purpose everybody is not going to be able to comprehend what God is trying to do in your life. You cannot spend a lot of time explaining to people what they will never comprehend. Trying to explain to people what they will not comprehend is wasting time from what you have been called to do. If God wanted them to understand it he would have told them. Since he did not tell them, why are you spending time trying to tell them what God didn’t need them to know? They’re never going to understand it, because they don’t have the purpose on their life that you have. They can’t understand what you’re trying to explain because you’ve outgrown them. Some people are ok being the biggest person in their circle. If you’re the biggest person in your circle you spend more time coddling and nurturing than you do growing and developing. At what point are you going to get tired of constantly pouring out but never getting poured into? Wasting time in places and with people who will never be able to pour into you because they don’t have the capacity. As much as you want them to grow and be stretched some people are complacent where they are. You can’t wish and want for somebody else what they don’t want for themselves. Even when you know what you’ve been called to do and are walking in purpose, you still have to recognize and honor the order and the authority that has been placed over you. People discover these gifts and say God called them to operate in that gift. They realize this gift and think they are supposed to operate in it at any time, any moment, or any place. You may have a gift, but you’re not the leader, and the leader has to stop you because they cannot allow you to cause division in the body because you are out of order. People will get in their feelings and leave the church because they can’t operate in their gifts. The leader would let them operate in their gifts if they see evidence of it. If you can’t do what’s asked of you how can you be allowed to operate in your gifts. If you get mad because your leader tells you no and you leave you are being disobedient and welcoming a curse on your life. You will miss out on your blessing if you’re in your feelings.
*If you’re going to be caught on purpose God will allow one person who understands. Walking in purpose as lonely as it can be, every now and again you need someone that can encourage you to keep going. Walking in purpose you will grow physical maturity, mental maturity, spiritual maturity, and social maturity. That when you walk in purpose on purpose, God will develop you in ways you could never imagine. Although you have not grown in all areas you can testify at least that you have grown in one. You’re not everything God wants you to be, but you’re better this year than you were last year. If you get caught in the new year, make sure you get caught on purpose.