Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. In all that we do, in all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. Thank you for tuning in to Service for Christ. Here, take your Bibles to Psalms chapter 8 and Psalms chapter 14. I want to talk about reclaiming our divine purpose. Here, God created us with purpose, but our sin keeps us from living out that purpose. And so, when we look at the word abandoned, It's acceptance, belief, assurance, nurture, deliverance, openheartedness, never forsaken, empowerment, and direction when we look at the acronym that it stands for. Because here we're talking about how to prosper and living on purpose. Knowing the purpose God's given us helps us to live with confidence. And we're living out God's plan and desire for us. The reaction of the world around us is of little consequence. Not everyone is a fan But I'm glad that each and every one of us as we go through life today, too many of us go through life without purpose or ever realizing God created us with a purpose in mind. Life can be mundane, even a sense of hopelessness, but that was never God's intent for us. God created us with purpose and when we discover that purpose in Christ, life takes on a meaning and richness that the world can't offer. And I'm glad that when we see, one of the first things that I see in Psalms chapter 8 verses 1 through 6 is we were created to bring God praise and glory. When we look at the word praise, the acronym spells prayer, rejoicing, adoration, inspiration, salvation, and eternal life. And then we look at the acronym of glory. Gratitude, love, obedience, reverence, yielding to God's will. You know what? When we look at Psalms 8, verses 1 through 6, the Bible says, O Lord, O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings has that ordained strength. because of thine enemies, that thou mightest steal the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers, and the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou had visited him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. And verse six, thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, thou hast put all things under his feet. And so, Skip on down with me to Psalms chapter 14 verses one through three. The fool has said in his heart, there's no God. They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There's none that doeth good. The Lord looketh down from heaven upon the children of men. to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Let's skip down just a little bit further in Psalms 14 to verses four through seven and finish up the reading that we'll get into and have a word of prayer. And the Bible says, have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge. Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord? There were they in great fear, for God is the generation of the righteous. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge. Lastly, in verse seven of Psalms 14, O that the salvation of Israel will come out of Zion, when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people. Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Let's open up with a time of prayer. Father, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude and humility. Here in our Sunday school, we ask for your forgiveness for our daily sins and shortcomings. Help us to put on the forearm of God that we may stand strong against the temptations and the challenges of this world, and guide us as we explore your Word to discover the purpose that you've created for every one of us. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, You don't imagine a grand piano, not just any grand piano, but one with a cracked soundboard. Its music was once pure and resonate, but now it sits unused, serving as a makeshift bookcase. And though it was designed to create beautiful music, it ends up fulfilling a purpose far less grand. The story mirrors our lives as men and women of God. Like that piano, we were created with a magnificent purpose and yet we often settle for less existence. You know, when we look and we realize, first of all, that we see what we read God, praise and glory. In Psalms 8 verses one through six, we see that here in verse one that it said, Lord, you're great, your name is honored throughout the entire world and your majesty is even greater than the heavens. He said in verse two, even young children and infants praise you with strength and then praise helps you silence your enemies and those who oppose you. And he said in verse 3 that when I look at the vastness of the sky, the moon, and the stars that you have created, I'm amazed. He so says in verse 4, I wonder why you care about humans. Why do you pay attention to us and visit us? You've made humans just a bit lower than the angels and have honored them with glory and dignity and you have given human's authority over all your creations, everything that is under your control. And so, when we look at this, we're reminded what we read in Psalms 14, in verse one, that the foolish people says in the heart that there's no God. Because of this belief, they act wickedly, commit evil deeds, and no one is doing good. God looks down from heaven, he sees if there's anyone who understands and seeks him. And everyone has turned away from the goodness, they become corrupt, and there's no one who does good, not even one person. And so, when we look at verses four through seven, he tells us, do those who do wrong not know anything? They harm my people as if they were just eating bread and don't even call on the Lord for help. And verse five, these wrongdoers are in fear because God is with the righteous people. In verse six, you have treated the poor with disdain despite the fact that the Lord is their protector. And then the last thing that we read was in verse seven, I wish that salvation for Israel would come from Zion, a reference for Jerusalem's holy place, and when the Lord restores his people from their troubles, Jacob, another name for Israel, will be joyful and glad. You know, as we look at these verses, And as we think about the grand piano that at one time was a beautiful instrument for music, but it has a cracked soundboard and it's just sitting there not even being put to use. God created every one of us with purpose, but our sin keeps us from living given out that purpose. What can remind us to reclaim our divine purpose? The majesty of God's creation and our purpose. We see a glory of God revealed in creation because in Psalms chapter eight verses one through six, David marvels at the grandeur of God's creation. He writes, oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. You know, the splendor of the heavens, the order of the universe that declares God's glory, David is hauled by how humanity, though seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme, is crowned with honor and given dominion over creation. And so, I'm glad that in Psalms 19.1, the heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands, and so we see the glory of God revealed in creation. And so, that reminds us of our divine purpose. But secondly, we see our created purpose. David reflects on the purpose for which humanity was created, to rule over creation, to bring glory to God, and we were designed to be stewards of God's creation, reflecting His image and character. The purpose is intristically tied to praising God and honoring His creation. And so the glory of God is revealed in creation. Our created purpose and then the fall and its impact on our purpose because Psalms 14 verses one, two, and three reveals the state of humanity on our purpose. And so, we see that the fool has said in his heart, there's no God. You see, this rejection of God leads to corruption and loss of true purpose. Our sinful nature distorts the original intent of our creation, leading us to live for ourselves rather than for God. And so Rick Warren said one time, the greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without purpose, amen? And so God created us with a purpose, but our sin keeps us from living out that purpose. What can remind us to reclaim our divine purpose? First thing I said was the majesty of God's creation and our purpose. Secondly, the consequences of sin and the need for redemption because we see the foolishness of rejecting God. As he said in Psalms 14, verses one, two, and three, that describes the fool as a corrupt, morally bankrupt, and it illustrates how rejecting God results in a loss of purpose and direction, manifesting in actions that harm others and disregard God's commands. And so it's the foolishness of rejecting God. But secondly, the judgment and the deliverance of God, because in Psalms 14, verses four through seven, David gives us the contrast of the wicked with the hope of deliverance. Despite the success of evil, God's justice will ultimately prevail. He'll deliver his people and restore them. This deliverance is found in Christ, who took upon himself the penalty of our sins. And so, Max Licato said, the most important thing in life is not where you are, but which direction you are headed, unquote. And so, when we look and realize that the consequences of sin and the need for redemption is not only the foolishness of rejecting God, the judgment and deliverance of God, but lastly, the restoration of purpose through Christ. Through Christ is sacrifice. We are given a new chance to fulfill our divine purpose. And Christ's resurrection assures all born again, men and women of God, that we can reclaim our purpose, live in alignment with God's will. And this restoration invites us to live with a renewed purpose, honoring God in every aspect of our lives. And so God created us. with purpose, but our sin keeps us from living out that purpose. How can we reclaim our divine purpose? We said, first of all, the majesty of God's creation and our purpose. Secondly, the consequences of sin and the need for redemption. But thirdly and closing, living out our divine purpose. We reflect on our purpose. We consider whether our current life God has for us. We reflect on how we can shift from living for self to living for God's glory. In Psalms 8, it reminds us of our high calling and the honor God has bestowed upon us. So we reflect on our purpose, but also we confess and repent. We acknowledge areas where we've strayed from God's purpose because Psalms 14 highlights our need for confession and repentance. And we embrace God's forgiveness and we seek to realign our lives with his will. And so, not only when we look of living out our divine purpose, do we reflect on our purpose, confess and repent, but lastly and closing, We extend forgiveness to others that are around us because mature Christian living involves sharing God's grace with others. If someone has wronged you, ask for the strength to forgive as God has forgiven you. This act of grace reflects our restored purpose and commitment to living according to God's commands. And so, Mark Twain said, forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the hill that has crushed it. That is powerful. I can't say that enough. In closing, God created us with a grand purpose, to reflect his glory and steward his creation. And yet sin has led us to live for lesser goals. Far removed from the divine calling, through Christ we have the opportunity to reclaim that purpose, to live in harmony with God's will, and to extend His grace to others. Let us embrace our true purpose with a renewed vigor, remembering that through God's forgiveness and redemption that we are restored to our original design. How do you reflect on God's creation to inspire you to fulfill your purpose? I think that we can deepen our understanding of greatness and purpose that he has for us by appreciating the beauty when we look at the nature everywhere that God has created. Nobody else could do the wonderful details of what God has done. and the beauty and order of that creation, that we're reminded of our role as stewards and bearers of His image, motivating us to live in a way that honors Him. You know, I wonder what ways can you actively seek to align your life with God's purpose? I think as I say this same thing and the reason I say it and the reason that I'm like an old-fashioned preacher that repeats it and repeats it every time I preach and every time I say a message is for that very reason that if you don't remember anything else remember this the answer to that question In order to actively seek to align your life with God's purpose, you've got to get involved in regular prayer, study of the scripture, and examine the actions that reflect on your will. That means making conscious choices that prioritize God's commands over personal desires. What steps can you take to extend forgiveness to those people that have wronged you? I believe that it requires a heart, of humility and compassion. We begin by praying for the strength to forgive and reflect on the forgiveness God has extended to you and I. We communicate our forgiveness to that person that is involved and we seek to restore that relationship if at all possible. Sometimes you won't be able to, you'll just have to go on and let it be. And so, may we all strive to live with purpose, reflecting the glory of our Creator in all that we do. And I hope and pray that you're able to reclaim your divine purpose. Father, we thank you for the incredible purpose that you've given each and every one of us, the spiritual gifts that we all have. We confess our sins and ask for your forgiveness. Help us to embrace the purpose that you have for our lives and to live each day reflecting your glory. And may we be instruments of your grace and love, reaching out to those who need salvation and guiding them to repentance in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. you