Coronavirus Bible Study Series November 18, 2020

“God Why, Series?”

God, Why Am I Here Part 1?

Delivered By Pastor Lee Bynum, MDiv.

Bible Study Synopsis November 18, 2020

Isaiah 46:6-7 NKJV
They lavish gold out of the bag, And weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. ⁷ They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble.

INTRODUCTION: Why are you here? Why am I here, what is my worth and all those questions are important? Do I have intrinsic value? These are fundamental questions particularly why I am here is one of those prolific questions that every single person has asked at one time in their life. How you answer that question will determine how you see the world as Christians. As Christians we are in the world but remember we’re not of the world, so how we see the world should be through the lens of our relationship through Jesus Christ, not through the images, not through somebody’s timeline. We see the world through our relationship through Jesus Christ and that’s why its important that we resolve these fundamental questions because it’s important that we approach them honestly and with truth because as mature believers in Christ you cant afford any short-term reasons for living like, I’m just here because my parents wanted to have children. You are here for something much more amazing, something much more extraordinary.

In his book Gift of Being Yourself, author David Benner defines identity as who we experience ourselves to be and goes on to suggest that each of us carries that I within us. Beener suggests that an identity grounded in God would be that when we think of who we are the first thing hat would come to mind is our status as someone who is loved by God. Do you know how much God loves you? Who you are is tied to what God has invested in you? Sometimes we feel pressure to define ourselves through our jobs, financial status, accomplishments and there is nothing wrong with that but this study and is designed to help you understand that your life cannot become a soap opera. Soap operas just continue for decades but nothing meaningful ever happens it is the same old thing. The great Mark Twain said that the two most important days in our lives is when we are born and the day when we find out why we were born.

I.DEAL WITH YOUR IDENTITY-WHO AM I?

Now the question is why am I here, but it is useless if I cannot answer the question who am I? You may not know the answer to that question so let us examine something. You know the story of Zacchaeus climbs up a tree to see Jesus. Now let us understand there is not anything in scripture that indicates that Jesus was stressed out about anything. In many instances Jesus always was regarded as calm and relaxed and self-control.

Understand that Jesus knew who He was and where He came from and He knew where He was going so what I have to be clear about in my identity who am I, where did I come from and where I’m I going. If we are to be the men and women of God created in God’s image we have to have the knowledge of our whole being the sense of yourself cannot fully exist if you place your identity in external things. Your identity is the foundation of your purpose and without having a clear understanding of your identity you will never tap into your real purpose. Satan wants to destroy every understanding of your identity and cloud your mind and cause confusion because he is the author of confusion. Nothing is more dangerous than to make you doubt the greatness on your life. Since I believe that God exists and has great plans for my life and God has been working in my life and God has been navigating circumstances in my life. So, your identity comes from within you.

A. Your Identity Always Comes From Within You: You will never find your identity outside of you. People will change their perspectives about you one day they tell you that you are this or that, but you must understand you were created in the image of God. When God allows you to be created under His image you must understand that God and His anointing is in your life. What happens when they develop film? You take the picture and drop it off at the drug store and it use to go through the darkroom and it was in that space where there was no light that’s where development took place and pictures were developed in a dark room. That is interesting because sometimes in some of the darkest seasons of our lives is where God is developing us in ways in which we never imagined. So rather than complaining the reason why is so dark and difficult is because something is being developed in your values, your prayer life, your perspective you have been developed to what you have gone through, but your identity never changes.

B. Your Identity Never Changes: It is true that who you were at one time is not who you are today. Everyday you are striving to become a better person because purpose is evolutionary. You are evolving into the person that God has made that is why you have to be patient with yourself. Do not beat yourself up wondering why I am not there yet. You must realize the evolutionary process of coming into purpose nobody woke up and suddenly everything just fell in place. When you spend time alone with God, God renews your heart, God restores your mind, and your focus is on what you have done for God. Your worth and value is measured by who God says you are not what people say. When I know who I am in God and the image of God, God defines a constant definition and that is me. I am not the sum-total of my successes nor am I the sum-total of my failures I have to realize I am here because of the loving grace of God and His mercy. So, it is not what people call you that makes you who you are is what you choose to answer to. So, you must be reminded that you are a child of God created in the image of God to live out the purposes of God in the earth nothing more nothing less. Who I am is the foundation for why I am here?

C. “Who Am I?” Is The Foundation For “Why Am I Here:

CASE STUDY: ZACCHAEUS

Luke 19:1-10 NKJV
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” ⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Zacchaeus was tax collector now in those days you must understand he was a rich man in the city of Jericho. It was a fact that in the Jewish society during Jesus’ day the tax collector collected taxes from their own people on behalf of the Roman oppressors and they often levied more than the amount due in order to fill their own pockets. They were viewed as crooked tax collectors. So, imagine how people viewed him and in the city of Jericho under the jurisdiction of the Romans he was incredibly prosperous. He was popular among businesspeople but when He is introduced as a wealthy man, but another part of the culture viewed him as a sinner as a wicked man. Now he amassed his fortune through illegal practices like other tax collectors of that day however Zacchaeus was branded a sinner and envied for his high position and wealth. People on the one hand called him a sinner despised him but on the other hand they also wanted what he had. Think about that for a moment, out of all this mocking that took place Zacchaeus climbed the tree and, in that moment, had a desire to see Jesus. He wants to know who he is and why he is here. He sees Jesus and knowing Zacchaeus desire Jesus sees him and Jesus calls him by name. It does not matter what you have done it doesn’t matter about our mistakes, our failures the Lord calls you by your name the culture calls you by what you have done. Come down immediately He says I am going to your house. Can you imagine what that must have been like Jesus says Zacchaeus I have it on assignment to come to your house. Now this is the beginning point of recovery for his whole identity everything he’s ever thought of himself everything people have said about him now is about to be taken away because he is faced with the question who am I? The starting point for the recovery of your identity is the question who is Jesus? This is the first step toward the question of who am I? Now there are many factors that influence individual’s development of identity.

II.FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT OF IDENTITY

A. Social Identity: When you think about your social identity you have to begin to think now the social identity is imposed on us by family, community and so there is a pressure to live up to social expectations. People often go into careers because others in the family are in a particular profession, and they feel the social pressure to please other people. Now Zacchaeus has Jesus going to his house and now the people are talking about he is going to the house of a sinner. If Jesus has confirmed, you and affirm you why are you so upset about what society is saying about you. You must understand that your character and who you are is all being reshaped by your relationship with Jesus Christ. When you allow him to come to your house come into your life come into your career that is when everything begins to change. Despite the talk Jesus stays at Zacchaeus house. Jesus tells him to come down out of the tree and Jesus figuratively goes up to a tree called Calvary in order that he might save Zacchaeus and us. The next factor is the hope of your identity.

B. The Hope Of Identity: You must believe in the hope of your identity. The Bible says that salvation has come to this house to this man he is the son of Abraham. Now that means now he is in the family and Jesus has just declared salvation is in the family. You are in the family and it doesn’t matter who threw you away it doesn’t matter who rejected you, you must know you are still a son or daughter of the Lord Jesus Christ. Zacchaeus is a great example because our identity is only found in God and when you meet Jesus and recover your identity as Gods child through the grace of the Lord you become free.

III.3 STEPS TO UNDERSTANDING “WHY I AM HERE?”

1. Devotion: You must spend time with God. One of the reasons for so much emotion and commotion in your life is because you do not pray and do not read the word of God. God will give you the roadmap in his word, but you must have the discipline.

2. Discipline: You must walk in wisdom in this season of your life. You must make sound decisions because once you know who you are and why you are here the discipline kicks in and now, I am walking in wisdom. The Bible says ask the Lord for wisdom and He’ll give it to you liberally, but you have to embrace your difference.

3. Different: You are different; the Bible calls you a peculiar people. Stop apologizing for being different. You are different you are not like everybody else. God made you just like he wanted you and nobody else has your fingerprint nobody else has your DNA nobody has what God has wired you to become. You do not have to try to replicate others learn how to be the best you that you could ever be. Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 NKJV
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Do not conform because anytime you conform you become deformed and cannot perform. Get to a point in your life where you say Lord allow me to shift my mindset. There are four truths about why you are here listed below.

IV.FOUR TRUTHS ABOUT WHY YOU ARE HERE

1. To Be Like God In True Righteousness And Holiness:

Ephesians 4:22-24 NKJV
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You were created to be ever increasing in the glory. Can you see more Jesus in you than you did last year? God takes us from glory to glory what are your metrics for growth? How do you measure, is my prayer life better?

2. To Have Fellowship With Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 1:9 NKJV
God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

3. For Good Works: Good works goes beyond works done her on earth. God works are things eternal things that matter.

CASE STUDY: SOLOMON

The story of Solomon expressed this universal feeling. We know Solomon was so blessed; he was the most blessed man on the planet. He asked God for wisdom and God gave Solomon not only wisdom, but God gave Solomon riches, but Solomon put life in perspective like some of you are starting to do particularly in this season of pandemic.

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NKJV
Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my from any pleasure, For my heart rejoiced in all my labor; And this was my reward from all my labor. ¹¹ Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

With all the things that Solomon had he looked at his life and said you know what all of this is vanity because he began to have a deeper understanding of his purpose and who he was in God. So, in the midst of all your accomplishments your success there must be something deeper about your life. You must wake up everyday asking God why am I here what was I created to do? You may have achieved great levels of success, but you have not received fulfillment in the midst of all that there’s still this void. You must understand something; you must learn how-to live-in harmony.

4. Live In Harmony For Your Reason For Being Here: You must denounce anything that contradicts your reason for being here. You are here because God created you; you’re here because there’s a specific purpose on your life. You are here because you were created for the pleasure of God and to give God glory. That is why you are here you to manifest something powerful. You are here in the image of God in the righteousness of God. Once you tap into your why once you understand who you are you will manifest purpose in your life.

V.MY LIFE HAS TO MANIFEST PURPOSE: Everyday that you wake up you have purpose. You are born with a purpose. God never create something that does not have purpose tied to it. There are 10 things to manifest my purpose.

1. Predestined: Predestined means in Jeremiah 1:5 before I form you in the womb, I knew you.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

God told Jeremiah before he was even born, I already had plans in your life. I already knew who you were. I already had great things I was going to do in your life, so you are predestined before you even got here God was at work in your life. Through your mother and father and grandparents God was at work. You were born with a passion.

2. Passion: You came into the world with so much passion. You came in crying you came in and as you grew you had all these things you wanted to do. I want to be a fireman I want to be a doctor all is passion, but that passion needed to be focused needed to be centered. The disciples had passion their passion was they were fishermen, but they had not been focused on purpose yet. Now purpose is how he calls you in destiny.

John 21:5-6 NKJV
Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” ⁶ And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

3. Purpose: Understand how purpose works, that is the calling you have been predestined you have got passion and God calls you. He is moving you away from things that will not be able to embrace the greatness of your life. You are being called you do not choose that it chooses you and then once you accept that then you start to making preparations.

4. Preparation: You will never start preparing for what you are not passionate about. You’ll never prepare where there is no purpose so now you’re calling and the preparation takes place that’s when you start to see that you must learn all you can about this thing that God has given to you. After you are prepared God will connect you with the right people.

5. People: It is during the preparation process where God starts connecting you with the right people. You start getting connections you never thought you would have. These are people in your life that God starts connecting you with the right relationships and connections for you to grow because iron sharpens iron.

6. Platform: This is where we end up walking in certain platforms, so the platforms are significant because they are opportunities that become available to you. These are the opportunities that God begins to give you doors that open because it’s not all ways what I know it’s who I know. That is how God uses certain relationships.

7. Pressure: The pressure you must inspire the pressure you have to endure the pressure you go through are the things that every single person must endure. That is why you are being made that is why you are being developed. The pressure is what is going to make you, that’s why successful people know this is par for the course and you cannot run from it. In fact if it were easy anybody could do it so why are you tripping you ask for it you got the platform you got the job and now you complaining because its hard. You must learn how to handle the pressure because it causes you to produce.

8. Produce: When you produce you produce without excuse and you become fruitful. Producing means that I remember what John 15 says that here is my Father glorified that you bear much fruit that we are going to be fruitful and multiply. Once I start producing fruit from the platform out of that pressure it sets my priorities.

9. Priorities: My priorities are to seek first the kingdom of God. I give to God I’m loyal I’m faithful I don’t just produce this kind and forget about God.

10. Praise: I give God glory for the journey. The Bible talks about this that we are in

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

That is how God works in our lives that’s how purpose manifest in your life. When you can walk that out these ten fundamental principles toward purpose you will not have any trouble knowing who you are and knowing why you are here. You are not just here as an accident you are here because God has an assignment for your life. Are you ready to live it out? You were created in the image of God and there are amazing things that are going to happen through your life.

Stay Informed.

Stay Safe.

Be Encouraged!