As we have been studying through chapter 24 of Matthew over the last few weeks, and again this week as we begin chapter 25, we are continually being confronted by the reality of Christ's second coming and what that means for us as believers. I think the best way to sum up Jesus' message to his followers (and Cody's challenge to us), is to simply say that in light of Christ's second coming, we are called to live our lives with purpose.
In 2002, California pastor Rick Warren released a book entitled "The Purpose Driven Life." In the book, Warren proposed to answer life's greatest question by presenting God's five key purposes for human life (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission). The book became an international phenomena, was translated into over 80 different languages, and sold over 30 million copies worldwide by 2007 to become the best-selling non-fiction hardback book in history, according to Publisher's Weekly. To put that number into perspective, that equates to over 16,000 copies sold per day over a 5 year period.
Admittedly, I have never read the book myself, although I have heard mostly positive responses to it and don't really have any issues with Warren's premise. That is really beside the point though. The question we need to ask is, what is it about a book like this that is so captivating to a worldwide audience? The answer is the promise of purpose. Purpose, it seems is the great mystery of mankind. All of us are seeking after meaning and purpose in our lives. We want to know that our lives matter in some way.
There is nothing inherently wrong with pursuing purpose. The problem arises when we try to find meaning and purpose in created things, rather than our Creator. This is Paul's diagnosis of the plight of mankind in Romans 1, and Jesus himself recognized our tendency to error in this way as well. That is why he belabored the point so exhaustively in his teaching. No matter how many times we are told, we still miss the point. The overwhelming testimony of scripture is that we find our purpose in the one who has intentionally created us in his image...God.
When we ponder over the second coming of Christ and Jesus' teaching through parables like we find in Matthew 25, we should feel a sense of urgency for sure, but more importantly, we should recognize what it means in respect to our purpose in this world. Our focus and goal (i.e. our purpose) should be faithful stewardship. In other words, God has created us in his image, with gifts, talents, and abilities, and placed us in this exact place, in this exact moment in human history for a reason. For some of us, that reason may appear to be more clear than for others. However, the key to achieving that purpose (no matter how unclear it may seem) is to steward well what has been entrusted to us.
We are called to use all that God has given to us, all of our resources, for the good of mankind and the glory of God. It really is that simple Living that out, on the other hand...not so easy. The problem, as always, is our sinful nature. It always hinders us from achieving our purpose in life.
When we focus on the Gospel and Jesus' eminent return to fulfill fully what we now only see in part, we are reminded that the same power which rose Jesus from the grave is now at work in us and through us...and that is the source of our purpose. We are free to live our lives however we see fit. We can decide for ourselves what we want our lives to be about. In the end though, only lives lived in obedience to Christ will prove themselves to have been lives worth living. "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Are you one who has...or who has not? The answer to that question makes all the difference.
In Grace,
Chris Morris
If you missed this week's sermon (or just want to listen again), follow the link below to listen. Or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.
Part 85 - Virgins & Talents
Questions discussed in this sermon:
1. What does a wedding ceremony teach us about the coming of the Son of Man?
2. What is a talent?
3. Do you live with a longing for the 2nd advent of Christ?
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