Title: Purpose of Living
Bible: Romans 14:7-8
Title: Purpose of Living
Romans 14:7-8'7. No one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself. 8. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's' - Amen.
A rich man prepares for his daughter's wedding, and the owner summons all the animals in the house and convenes a meeting, saying, 'I'm going to make delicious food and serve the villagers. What do you think?’ The animals were all in unanimous approval.
The owner said, I like goose dishes - Master, I lay big eggs...
The hen, the hen - I tell you the morning...
Sheep, sheep - I provide warm fur.
Horse meat, horses - Who will pick you up when you travel?
Cow meat, cows - Where is the animal that farms hard like me?
The animals agree to the feast, but flatly deny their sacrifice.
It is highly acceptable for others to sacrifice, but I do not want to sacrifice myself.
Paul teaches that the purpose of the Christian life is not to be selfish for oneself, but to serve Christ. Today, I would like to share a message with the title of <The Purpose of Living>.
1. If you live without a purpose, you are no different than animals
Life without direction is futile, like a sailboat driven by the wind.
You can't ask the animals why they live, but pigs will go to the banquet if they're fat, and cows should go to the slaughterhouse when prices go up. Crazy for money, for the sake of the family, for the sake of fame, they live and die without knowing the fundamentals of life.
Ecclesiastes 9:3 “The end of all men is common, and it is evil in all things under the sun, that the hearts of men are full of evil, and they cherish madness all their days, and then they return to the dead.”
If our members ask why we live, we believe that our lives should at least be prepared with valuable answers.
2. The existence of saints was bought with the blood of Jesus
To say, “I believe in Jesus,” is equivalent to saying that it belongs to Jesus, who was purchased with the blood of Jesus. Many believers do not remember this fact, so they do not receive the true grace of faith.
In verse 8, we say that we belong to the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:23), which means that our saints were for themselves when they were worldly, but now they have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord and become people of the Lord.
Acts 20:28 “… God hath caused the church, which he bought with his own blood, to be attacked.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ‘19. ... You are not yours, 20. You were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body' (1 Corinthians 7:23).
Revelation 5:9 "...and he bought men with his blood, and gave them to God"
Even if they go to church, they live proudly and proudly, but one day, when God lifts a rod and disciplines them, they realize their immaturity and try to live according to the will of the Lord.
We must live knowing that the existence of a saint is a being who is saved on behalf of the life of the innocent Son of God. Life is meant to be lived as you know what you are. To be the Lord's and to be God's is not to lose one's self, but to discover a great being. I believe that only when we think like this will we receive the grace of the Lord and live.
3. Even if we live, according to the will of the Lord, even if we die, according to the will of the Lord
In verse 7, Romans 14:7 says, “Not one of us lives to himself, and not one dies to himself.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 “Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
To live must be for the Lord's will, and to die is not to die without purpose, but to die for the glory of God.
Selfishness harms others directly or indirectly in everyday life. As a small example, the unconscious act of throwing toilet paper anywhere on the street is an act without the realization that it will end up harming others. Earning money should not harm others or neighbors.
Proverbs 21:6 “Gathering wealth with deceitful words seeks death.”
In the last days, 2 Timothy 3:2 says, “People will love themselves, love money, be proud, be proud…” Here, to love oneself means to live with selfishness.
People say that they save money for themselves and live for honor, but eventually lose their self and commit suicide due to emptiness or live a life that is in vain and then dies. However, as believers who know the fundamentals of life and who know the afterlife, we must live with the awareness that we are a precious life that has been bought with the blood of the Lord. Paul said, Galatians 2:20, ‘… it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…’
We must first realize that serving the Lord and living a life of helping our neighbors without harming them is the way to get better before we become devoted with expensive words. In the end, I pray that you and I, who strive to live a life that God blesses us with, not for our own greed, but to live for the Lord and for our neighbors, will receive grace and enjoy it.