Cet enseignement est donné par un protestant et pour des protestants. Il doit donc être reçu avec certaines précautions et adapté. On sera attentif en particulier à la place des sacrements, de l’Église, et à ne pas avoir une utilisation instrumentale de la Parole de Dieu.
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First part of Class 101, out of 4.
Most Christians don’t understand the big picture. They don’t know why God created and did all this, and where all this is heading. Ecc 3,11. Eternity is in our hearts! We are made for more than just here and know! We are wired that way.
So: why did God make the universe? And why did he make me, what does he want me to do with my seventy eighty years here?
I. What is God eternal plan?
(1) Everything starts with God. You were made by God, and for God. When you understand that, life will start to make sense. Rm 11,36 ; Pr 16,4; Co 1,16. If you want to understand something, talk with the inventor.
(2) God is love. He doesn’t “have” love: he is love. Everything God does, he does by love. So why is there a universe? Because God is love. 1 Jn 4,7-8
(3) God loved you before he made the universe. God made the universe because he had us, you in mind. Ep 1,4 ; Jc 1,18 ; Is 44,2. God is love, and he loves us, you. The reason why you are there, the reason you take your next breath, and wake up in the morning is that you were made to be loved by God. He didn’t need you, he is relationship in himself, but he wanted to love you. Hand he made you in his image, which is why you are different from animals.
(4) God wanted a family he would love forever. Rm 8,29. That’s why he created the universe. To create this planet, and us, to love us forever. That’s why he created this perfect environment for us.
(5) God family is the Church. 1 Tm 3,15. So the Church is the reason everything else in the universe exists! God didn’t say “I’ll build my nation” or “my business” or “my organisation” or “my religion”. “I’ll build my church.” That’s what he’s been doing for thousands of years. Ep 3,14-15.
(6) The Church is the only thing in the universe that will last forever. Everything else will vanish at some point. The Earth will disappear. In one thousand years, there won’t be anymore McDonalds, anymore Apple and Amazon, and USA. Nothing we do lasts forever. But in one thousand year, there will still be a Church – except if Christ comes back. Church will (and has so far) outlast every political system or organization ever. 1 P 1,3b. And 1 Co 2,9. You cannot possibly imagine how wonderful this will be. It’s too big for you!
(7) Jesus died to make this plan possible. 1 Th 5,10. Nowadays, everybody is in an identity crisis. Bible says: it’s in Christ that we find out who we are. This is the plan! Ep 1,10.
(8) Jesus is waiting to return for two reasons. (1) He wants more people in this family, so he gives us time. 2 P 3,9. (2) He wants us to practice the 5 purposes. You will spend far more time on the other side of life than on this one! Eternity. This life is the warm-up phase, the preparation! God wants us to learn things, and this life is the best phase for this. So if you don’t learn this, you missed the whole purpose of your life! You weren’t made to grow up, work, retire and die. You were made for far more!
II. God has 5 purposes for me
1) Made for his pleasure (adoration)
God planned me for his pleasure. Made by God and for God, until you don’t understand that, life won’t make sense. Ap 4,11. God takes pleasure in watching you being you. Ps 149,4. God isn’t happy just when you are at the church, or reading the Bible! He’s like “that’s my boy!” “that’s my girl!”! Like a parent with his child. As a father sometimes I would just go by my son’s bed and watch him sleep, and I was so happy! God loves you and wants you to love him back. Mt 22,37-38. So my first purpose on Earth is to learn to know and love God. I don’t want you to make offerings, and I want you to know me. The most important things you can know in life is that God knows you. The most important thing you can do in life is to love God back. The Bible calls this worship. How do you know you’re not worshiping God? Very simple: you worry. Mt 6,32.
2) Made to form his family (fraternity)
God formed me for his family. Ep 1,5. God never wanted you to go through life alone. First thing he says in the Genesis after creating man. That’s why he created a family! A family that lasts. Your spiritual family will outlast your physical family. 1 P 1,3. When you are born, you are part of the human family. And you have no choice. In this family, God loves everybody and has a plan for everybody. But you have to choose to be part of His family. You have to say yes. 1 Tm 3,15. 1 P 2,17. God doesn’t just want you to believe, but also to belong. And here on Earth, he wants you to practice this. So my second purpose on Earth is to learn to love God’s family. Otherwise you will be very embarrassed in heaven! The Bible calls this fellowship. Where will you learn to do this? Very simple: in small groups. That’s why here, everybody has a small group. You can’t love a crowd. You need other believers in your life. If all you do is come and listen to messages and music and never imply in relationships, you missed the purpose of your life. You. Need. Other. Christians. In. Your. Life. He 10,25.
3) Created to become like Christ (ministry)
God created me to become like Christ. Jesus Christ is the model of what a mature person looks like. God doesn’t just want you to be born again – it means you are a baby. He wants you to grow up! You want take your career into eternity, but you will bring your character. Rm 8,29. Col 1,15. That’s the plan since the beginning (Gn 1,27). It means you will get through what Jesus get through. And at some point Jesus suffered, and was alone, and felt abandoned. Because God wants you to be like Jesus. So what is Jesus like? Nine qualities of Ga. It doesn’t just happen by chance: you will have to build the habits. That’s class 201. 2 Co 3,18. Before God takes you to heaven, He wants you to grow-up spiritually. Don’t remain a baby all you life! “I want it now!” “I think about me!” The Bible calls it discipleships, and disciples are learners. He 6,1.
4) Shaped to serve him (ministry)
God shaped me to serve him. God wants you to contribute, to make a difference. To know what he wants you to do, you have to discover your SHAPE. Ps 139,13. To discover your shape, we have the SHAPE program: class 301. Ep 2,10. The Bible calls this ministry. 1 P 4,10. You’re made to learn to serve God by learning to serve others. Here at Saddleback we have 500 different ministries created by people who discovered “that’s what I’m meant to do!”
5) Made for a mission (evangelization)
God made me for a mission. God has a life mission for you. Jn 17,18. You’re in mission towards non-believers. 2 Co 5,18b.20b. Ac 20,24b. You’re going to be in heaven because somebody told you. Who will be in heaven because you told him? Mc 16,15. You are here to learn to bring others to Jesus. The Bible calls this “evangelize”. Pr 11,30.
6) How?
You are not made to learn all this alone. The Church is here to help you to fulfil this 5 purposes. A Church family will help me:
(1) Center my life around God (worship)
(2) Connect my life to his eternal family (fellowship)
(3) Cultivate my life for spiritual growth (discipleship)
(4) Contribute something back with my life (ministry)
(5) Communicate my life message (mission)
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