R716 Foundations of A Purpose Driven Life

Foundations are critical in today's Dr. Don Wilton's message is all about the foundations of purpose driven life in just a moment we had in the book of Matthew chapter 24 for today's Bible study, but don't forget to join us online as well EW online.org you can sign up with a devotional document and write their tewonline.org Dr. Don Wilton we open our Bibles this morning to Matthew chapter 25 going to guarantee you something to if you are being blessed of God. You need to be on the God because Satan will not block and he's going to try to do whatever he can to upset your life somewhere, somehow, through someone is going to do that to be on your ball. Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for this extraordinary day to time of worship time when we come to give you thanks in all things. Father, we find out soon calling upon your name were praying for our president for all men and women in uniform for those who are deployed overseas for their families.

For those who are being deployed even here in our own congregation how much we respect them and loved it. Father we pray for the people of our community. Indeed, the world. We pray father that during these few moments that we have together you would so speak to our hearts that we could never be the same again. Some of us applying the food with God.

Some of us are masquerading some of us don't know where to turn to some of us want to know what on earth.

We are here for to begin with. Your word has the complete on Saturday, everything speak to us today. We pray in Jesus name, amen.

Now folks what I'm going to speak to you this morning is on the foundation of a purpose driven life. The foundations of a purpose driven life. I don't have to give you an analogy today, but I think foundations all appropriate for any discussion in life are they not removed the home. We want to make certain that we have a proper foundation that is laid foundations are very important. I think that his parents we always pray that God would give to us the ability the strength and the wisdom provide our sons and daughters with the right kind of foundation so that when they are grown and they leave home and go off on the college and become our parents married people themselves that they would have a strong foundation upon which to stand. I want to read to you this morning in Matthew chapter 25 and beginning at verse 14 because Jesus shares an extraordinary account about 3 million.

It's interesting to note that this is Jesus talking. He's obviously talking about himself.

Remember that every time Jesus told a story in Scripture. He wasn't concocting something to try and get our attention, but rather what he was giving to us was an earthly story that has a heavenly meaning he was speaking from the portals of heaven and he was trying to show us what he requires of us and how we should live our own lives and in this context what his purpose is for our lives. I've met many people who wander around aimlessly on the highways and byways of life looking for meaning, trying to find purpose where they fit what is God wanted them. Well it's read about it in Matthew chapter 25 in verse 14.

Again Jesus said it would be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. The one he gave five talents of money.

By the way, if you're interested, a talent was about $1000. That was a lot of money back. One he gave five talents, the other to another to into another one talent, each according to his own ability. By the way, God is made us all very unique and you know that all of us are different will have our likes and dislikes, but we are very unique. We will have our own individual unique abilities. The wonderful thing that in God's got a special purpose for all of us in the context of our own intimate individual abilities, then this man went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once any parties money to work and gain five more so also the one with two talents game tomorrow, but the man who received the one talent went all he dug a hole in the ground and he hid his master's money off for a long time. The monster those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The manhood received the five talents brought the other five monster. He said you entrusted me with five talents look, I have gained five more is monster applied well done good and faithful servant by the way, did you note what he didn't say he didn't say well done good and successful, sir, success is not what God puts the emphasis upon some of our site will I want to be successful.

God says not what you need to be his wife. And if your faithful successfulness follows faithfulness, not the other way around. And success is measured in terms of God's purpose, not in terms of man's metering stick. All right, let's get back to this verse 19. Let's go down to verse where my okay verse 21. His boss replied. Well done good and faithful servant. You been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, and share your monster's happiness. The man with two talents also claim monster. He said you entrusted me with two talents, he gained two more.

He now had full his boss replied. Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things so I'm going to put you in charge of many things, and share your monster's happiness. Now the manhood received the one talent.

Remember, he's the one went and dug a hole and buried it.

He came in he said monster watch. He tries to rationale this summer told me one time the definition of the rationalizes to tell a rational live. I watch what he says he rationalizes he said monster I knew, but you are a hard man harvesting where you have not started gathering where you have not scattered seed.

So I was afraid you must understand this and so I went out and I hid your talent in the ground. See Garrett is what belongs to you. His monster applied you wicked lazy servant, so you knew that harvest where I have not sown, and gather where I'm not dead, scattered seed, welding, you should put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned the lease that would've happened is that I would've received interest take the talent from him, give it to the one who has the 10 talents for everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance ever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him and throw that worthless servant outside in the darkness where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth by the Lord writing his word upon our hearts. The foundations of a purpose driven life very important. Did you know that the way in which you and God define our own lives will govern the way in which we live our lives. What is important to you in your life is going to be determined by the way in which you see and view your own life. So the question is how how do you define your own life. How do you see your own life. Some people would say will my life is a party. If you define your own life as a party, then guess what's going to happen. Your primary value in life is going to be to have fun of folks. Americans, many of us are smitten with her always doing as we run a funds search we looking for what next is going to give us the most fun.

That's what governs what we do. That's how bad some people would define their lives as a race.

Now I'm guilty as charged. All hold up both hands. This happens to me many times, it's my constant struggle to find yourself is at it as being engaged in a race annual primary value is going to be speed. I'm convinced one of these days, the Police Department of New Orleans at least of Spartanburg is going to come and give me a set of wonderful blue lights so that I can get around the city a little quicker because I just cannot possibly get to where I need to go quick enough and only look at me at all in the same place because you'll cost me as well, folks, life can be so hectic running around taking care of babies children business up this way down that way. School getting stuff in the grocery store. Some people define their lives as a race. If your life is defined as a race.

Your primary value is going to be speed. I go to get as much done in a shorter space of time as quickly as possible. Some people would define the labs America like running a marathon.

That means you primary values going to be endurance well I'm just gonna wake up and do it again.

I'm just gonna keep on attitude second verse, same as the first. Some people define their lives is as a battlefield you ever live with someone will being around someone who sees everything as a battle battlefield.

If you define your life as a battlefield will governing primary value is going to be to win you want to win same as if you define your life is a game you gonna want to win more of the time you define it as a battlefield. Everybody's against me. I'm out there fighting. I bought my right arm to fight my way to the top, it just a constant battle. If you justify in your life is a constant battle.

The whole purpose in life is going to be governed by the need to win all the time. Every now and again I'll play golf with somebody like that. I'm telling you man. If they don't hit that thing smack right down the middle, which means in the Savior of the fairway. I mean, you'd think the end of the wounded, I mean I've been with some people you could probably go and amputate their left leg, then to hit a bad shot of playing golf just going to go to battlefield and everything depends upon where the my team won the game yesterday. If my team didn't win yesterday life is going to come to an abrupt end. Did you know that God's view of life is defined by three overriding matrixes in the Bible. I call them God's three foundations.

There are three foundations that help us to define God's purpose for us. We don't understand these foundations we can build a wonderful house but when a wooden comes it's going to fall down now frame. Listen carefully today. It is very important that these three foundations are in place if they not in place. You don't have a leg to stand on when the storms of life come you gonna be running around in a circle, wondering where you are and who you are and why you all. So how does God define these will Garrett is foundation number one life on earth is attached.

Life on earth is attached everything in life is a test.

According to God and by the way, there are three things that I can tell you if we understand this foundational principle number one that God will test you and me. Listen to this very, very carefully. God will test you and me deliberately all genocide to me pasta you mean that God actually sits up there in the saints, looks down upon mankind and sees a person like Don Wilton says, or I'm going to get him to die watch me folks does God do that yes any questions this morning because God is my heavenly father and because he loves me supremely and because he has his divine sovereign purpose for my life. He is going to deliberately test me, not aiming at it test me deliberately is going to test me continually right through my life. It's not going to stop. Please forgive the interruption will be back in just a moment with the rest of today's message from Dr. Don with Dr. Wilton is calling us to courage, calling us to stand strong. Even though there is grand opposition in the world today to living the Christian life. The resources on our website right now@tewronline.org are called a call for courage. You'll discover more on our website right now. I pray you take a moment and visit TW online.org or call for your copy at 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Landry's one spiritual taste offer.

The Bible is not an easy gonna test me deliberately and continually buddies got it test me practically. In other words, God is going to put practical situations and circumstances in my life that is going to be there in order to test my faith and I never tell you what it produces in just a moment there many instances of that in Scripture God tested Abraham's servant said Abraham I want you to take your only son, Isaac, and done sacrificing to me. He tasted God tested Joseph, it was Joseph, the youngest son of an incredible extraordinary family, put him into a pit sold him into slavery sent them off to a foreign country.

I think Joseph finally rose to the top of Pharaoh's house and said that said, God said I'm not through with you yet. He just put one taste offer another in front of them.

God tested Daniel God tested the apostle Paul demonstrates the great preacher and expositor pasta Shepherd missionary God tested time without number. Put him in a ship and wrecked the ship room in the dryer persecuted him brought opposition into his life gave him a hard time, I mean. There are many people in Scripture that pasta to the many people he fired Adam and Eve failed the taste another want to file the test was King David that he was all-powerful and everything that open and shut. God sent Bathsheba along.

She was a beautiful lady what happened they would file the taste. He failed the taste. You might say to me will pasta. How does God taste any give you a number of ways in which God, God will taste people like you and me.

Perhaps he will test you by bringing about major changes in your life. One of these anyone here today was really comfortable but could I just don't raise your hand. Anyone comfortable here that I'm not talking about where you sitting I'm talking about where you all you got it you got your home and your family, your wherewithal the means security you belong me tell you, folks, if you love the Lord God will test you by turning your comfort zone in the opposite direction God can test you in the second place by delaying promises delayed promises God will taste you with impossible problems.

I mean it's just impossible. I brought the situation. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it. There is no way that I can handle you note God's doing just watching you. He's testing God will taste you with unknowns and pray you say to me will constant you mean God doesn't own suppressed some time exactly right. He did that to Hezekiah second Chronicles said what he did to Hezekiah God withdrew from Hezekiah Y in order to taste them and see what was rarely in his heart. I think Hezekiah was an American, you might say to me how did you know that you know, I know he's an American folks because Hezekiah wanted everything now and he didn't even at McDonald's folks he wanted. Now, folks. That's what we Americans one with so used to that we got everything at our fingertips.

So we expect God to do the same thing. Listen we want something to eat. We go get one.

Have some fun. We go do it on a drive somewhere. We probably want to go to sleep go to sleep go to blog. I am have some fun be around this, do that one something to drink.

We not only do it immediately, but we got everything in the world to drink never sap the restaurant with people like I do all the time and up comes the person is a what would you like to drink. You know the dumbest question I've ever heard in the restaurant is what do you have if I was that person serving I would say will how much time do you have mean you want this folks. Just think about the options we've got our love. I don't have to drink OT books.

If I don't want to. There's everything in the world, you know, we believe God is like at Lord about the situation. Lord I'm leaving on Sunday to know which way to turn in the road and I want you to tell me now unanswered prayer will taste us. Number five. Undeserved criticism. Some of you.

You don't need to nod your spouse right now but have you ever been unjustly criticized by your spouse.

I mean, he walks in and he says I just want to tell you something young lady you might be married to me for 15 years, but I'm not gonna put up with this and you go.

You look like you just one Miss world and it's unjust you know you're right your neighbor did that. Maybe it's at work you been working faithfully been doing everything right you been honoring the Lord and here it comes.

Folks now watch me.

I can almost guarantee you that while you being purpose driven life at some time you gonna get undeservedly criticized God's gonna test God's gonna test number six senseless tragedies.

How do you explain senseless tragedies, God's testing number seven the handling of your possessions, God's watching all of this passage we just read all of verse 14, particularly because the Bible says this man was the monster he came and gave what was his for his service and he entrusted his property to their God tests us in the handling of oppositions you see foundation number one is that life on earth is attached, but what does all this mean how do you bring it all together.

How do we apply to our own lives. We give you a couple of things number one God will test your faith through the way in which you handle your problems. God will test your faith through the way in which you handle your problems.

Number two. God will test your trustworthiness. By the way in which you handle your position want you to listen carefully, God's gonna test your faith through the way in which you handle your problems, but he's gonna test your trustworthiness through the way in which you handle your possessions.

What you doing with your positions. What are you doing with your money with your whole your family, your possessions with your clothes with the things that you have number three God will test your love through the way you handle people you see folks listen to me listen. God will taste you will your spiritual through the way you handle people. God will test your faithfulness to the way you handle spiritual warfare.

Listen, if life on earth is a test I want to guarantee you something today if your marriage is doing well.

You're going to encounter spiritual warfare in your marriage if your children are growing up will and things are doing good game to encounter spiritual warfare. If life is on track in your honoring God you are going to encounter Bible says we need to be sold and we need to be vigilant, because the devil is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We need to put on the whole of God, arguably why we were at the Lord has for me in the house so the Lord somebody say amen are you ready life on earth taste principle number two life on earth is a trust it's a trust God has entrusted to us, our energy, our intelligence, our opportunities, our relationships, our resources what God's word teaches me that if I made.

I understand he's purpose for my life I have got to understand that everything that I have is on loan to me from God folks, if I'm going to accept this basic fundamental principle from God that life on earth is not just a test. It is a trust. I've got to respond. I bought a responder that not, how do I respond that I respond number one by understanding ownership.

Ownership. If life is a trust but understand who owns everything David said in Psalm 24 he said the world and all that is in it belong to the Lord, the earth and all that are in an audience. I don't understand ownership by the way, and the story here about these three men. Verse 14 establishes ownership. The monster of the house came and he said I'm going to give to you. What is mine, and I'll ask your question folks a rhetorical question.

What do you have right now that belongs to you is that anybody today worshiping on television or in this beautiful sanctuary that can stand up and say will let me tell you what I own you don't own a single thing.

Let me save you the embarrassment you don't own your house you done on your bank balance you down on your medical practice you down on your business you done on your children.

You not on your marriage you don't own your retirement. God owns everything. Now you willing to accept. God owns everything. So the first thing you got understand is the ownership principle. The second thing you gotta understand is the management principle and again it comes out in this great parable of the talents. When God created mean creating you gave to us these blessings. He said let's guess what I'm going to I'm going to give you all of these things and I'm gonna put you in charge of managing my position. Such powerful teaching and preaching from the pulpit with Dr. Don Wilton now as he steps in the studio.

Open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that Arneson and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross day. I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus night, my friend. I welcome you today into the family abroad. This is exciting news.

If you praying with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ love to speak with you. Pray with you and give you free resources to call us right now at 866899866899673 or email us at online@tewonline.org you know I'm so glad that we been able to share together by means of radio today. You just means so much to me and thankful we are going to get you can right now and connect with me at 866-899-9673 you get that 866-899-9673 call and connect with me right now him and stay connected, 866899 word 866-899-WORD 9673 or online@twonline.org