Finding Purpose - Part 4 [Notes]

There is a purpose behind everything in life. For Christians, this realization can help sustain us, especially during difficult times. We can find meaning in our work, in our family, and from life itself... We can even find meaning behind the pain and suffering we endure. Join us as we begin a new series called "Finding Purpose," and invite a friend who may benefit from these messages.

Today's Takeaway // We need the church, and the church needs us.

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ^[1] 
- Hebrews 10:24-25 (HCSB)
  _{[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Heb 10:24–25). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

"People go to church three times in their lives: when they're born, when they're married, and when they die – hatched, matched, and dispatched. The first time, they throw water, the second time rice, and the third time dirt."
- Dr. Adrian Rogers

But you are a chosen race, ^v a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises^e of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.^[1]
- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (HCSB)
_{v 2:9 Or generation, or nation
e 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (1 Pe 2:9–10). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.
- Ephesians 4:11-16 (HCSB)
^{• The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.}

1. We need to be trained for effective ministry.

"And He (Jesus) personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ."
– Ephesians 4:11-12 (HCSB)

2. We need others to help us grow up spiritually.

And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
– Ephesians 4:11-13 (HCSB)

3. We need to be protected from doctrinal error.

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.
– Ephesians 4:14 (HCSB)

4. We need to experience the love of Christ through others.

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.
– Ephesians 4:15 (HCSB)

Paul stated positively that by speaking the truth in love (lit., “truthing in love,” which has the idea of maintaining truth in love in both speech and life) believers may grow up into Him with reference to all things. ^{[1] 
[1] Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 635). Victor Books.}

…I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- Ephesians 3:17b-19 (HCSB)

For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. Now there are many parts, yet one body. So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!"^[1]
– 1 Corinthians 12:12, 17-18, 20-21(HCSB)
^{[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (1 Co 12:12–21). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.
- Ephesians 4:16 (HCSB)

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