MY HIGHEST PURPOSE

Road of Damascus – Apostle Paul a blue blood Jew, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, was riding on his horse in hot
pursuit of a band of wayward Christian. While he was trailing and tracking them he was on a way that he was being
shadowed and followed Himself. The hunter was being hunted, the killer was being stalked, the predator was being
sought after by none other and the supreme man of the universe Jesus himself.

And even though Paul had come from one of the most well regarded families in Tarsis, Paul was searching for
something, to give his life a sense of meaning and purpose. Brothers and sisters just because you have money and
pedigree it doesn’t mean you have a healthy sense of who you are. There are many people who are chasing success,
when they are really hungering for purpose and significance. Money may buy you possession and power but it doesn’t
buy you purpose. I remember an old preacher said one time I was telling him somebody told me he wanted to help me
do this and do that. He said that’s wonderful but beware of people who can afford their fantasies, don’t let someone
else’s fantasies swallow up your sense of purpose. And no matter how young or old you are, every one of us must
answer the call of purpose. Who am I? What am I living for? Why did God wake me up this morning? Why am I here?
And what would God held me to do? These are questions we cannot avoid or dodge.
And for every one of us from the moment we are born the clocks starts ticking. And time is running out for you to find
your true purpose. Into differently we know our lives were not mean to be just random days strung together by the thin
thread of chance or coincident, they are to be some purpose to all your living days, and life is only lived well when you
know the golden thread of purpose that propels you forward with energy and vitality. Someone once said the greatest
tragedy in life, is not death but living life without purpose. Life has only great meaning when you discover your purpose.
A sense of purpose is what gives your life significance and relevance.

I was 16 yrs. Old when I began to grasp and understand that I could live the dream - God dreaming for me. And the God
you serve is the ultimate dreamer. I tell people when he dreams planet are born, when he dreams star twinkle in the
sky, when he dreams flower come a part of the ground and when they see His glory they bless in technique color. God
created you and created me to live in purpose. Do you know your purpose? Do you really know your purpose?

Many years ago I read a story that touch me deeply it was about an old native American Indian scout, a chief who was
responsible for training young scouts in the customs and traditions of the old Indian way. One day the chief took a few
young scout to remote area and told them they had to climb on a very high and distant mountain but before they return
he wanted them to all promise that they were to go as far as their skill and courage would take them and bring
something back as proof of how far they had reached. After some days the first young scout return, tired and drain. He
had in his hands a piece of cactus. The chief said very good son, you reach the high dissert. Soon after another young
scout return, he had in his hands a piece of sage bush, the chief said very good you reached the stunning beauty of the
foothills. The third young scout came back tired and exhausted, he had in his hands a few maypop leaves, the chief said
very good you reached the trees that go around the up the mountain lake. Another scout came back came drain
and___________ stand and in his hand he carried fragments of pine. Oh! Very good, said the chief, congratulations you
have traveled farther than any other of the scouts had reached. But there was still one young scout, who had not
returned, everybody waited anxiously concerned even for his safety. Some speculated about what that young scout
could be carrying in his hand. They all could see him in the distance walking slowly towards them, as he draws closer;
they tell he looked tired but happy. He looks weary but renewed. Well, my boy, said the chief, what did you bring back?
The scout said, chief I saw nothing to bring back. Oh but chief, he said, you should have seen what I saw, the river
stretching out like a huge green carpet. Ah! Said the chief, you reach the top my son, didn’t you? How did you know?
Said the young scout, because my son your face is all a glow with the light of wonder, astonishment and discovery.
 I want you to know brother and sister that for 30 years I’ve been climbing a mountain of spirituality. This morning I’ve
got no cactus or pine to show you. I must say if you had asked me a question five or ten years ago, do I know my
purpose? I would have given you a prepackage/incomplete answer. And like many of you my response would be
centered around my profession, my occupation. Even though I’ve been blessed, I confess to you, I did not understand
my highest purpose. God had to teach me that my calling is my role in the work. And you can know your role in the work
and still missed your purpose, because your purpose in the world is higher than your role. You may be a doctor, you may
be a lawyer, teacher, policeman, cook, cleaner, that’s your role in the world, it’s not your highest/ultimate purpose in
the world. Your purpose is greater than your career. And no amount of money in your bank account or how impressive
your career accomplishments are, none of them cannot tone for your lack of knowing your purpose.
Where there is no sense of purpose there is no reason to be constrain by conviction (ethical boundaries) when you don’t
have a sense of purpose you cannot be a moral being. Without purpose you are not a person of self-control. You don’t
have the reason to a person of self-control unless you know your purpose. If you don’t know your purpose, you’re
probably living below your potentials. Knowing your purpose determines your priorities, knowing your purpose guides
your decisions, knowing your purpose dictates your companions, knowing your purpose shapes your choices.

And the apostle Paul spent many years searching for his sense purpose. Unlike many in this world, he first looked to his
race. And racial identity to the sense of purpose.

By the way you won’t find your life purpose in your race. You won’t find your life’s purpose in your ethnic identity. Yes
you won’t find your purpose in ancestry.com. Your bloodline may not be the name in your birth certificate, for some of
us their only relative we know we have for sure is Adam. So no matter how confuse your family tree, you can always
remember if I go back 250 generations. Many people didn’t know their roots but they know their purpose.
Paul didn’t find his sense of purpose in his ethnicity, in his racial identity. And so Paul did what many, who are searching
for their sense of purpose, often do, he entered the seminary. He was schooled by a great gamalia in a regorious form
of a classical great education and because of his scholarship and sophistication, because of his erudite and adjure mind
and Paul matriculated with honors, he was welcomed enthusiastically into the fellowship for the Pharisees. But Paul,
didn’t know his purpose, Paul didn’t find his purpose in his degree and magnificent education accomplishment. So Paul
did what many do searching for a sense of purpose, he joined the ministry. And Paul exceled in ministry, Paul became a
vice president of the general conference, a leading authority in Jewish, leaders and legend will coming to Paul for council
but Paul still was not fulfilled in his quest for greater respect amongst the Pharisees, Paul embark upon a vicious
campaign to prove his loyalty to his faith. Paul fought by showing cruelty and vindictiveness to those he saw as enemies
of the Jewish faith. Those who call themselves Christians, Paul saw his purpose as a defender of the faith. He thought of
using violence to protect a righteous cause would give his life a greatest sense of purpose. Even the bible warns us in
John 16:2 The time cometh and whosoever killeth you

On the road to Damascus the bible says suddenly all around his head shone a blinding light brighter than the noonday
sun, out of the light spoke a heavenly voice, a voice ringing the thunders melody, Saul why are you persecuting me, and
Paul answered who art thou Lord?, and the lord answered, I am Jesus the one you are persecuting. But later what Paul
said in acts 9:6 Paul trembling and astonish said, Lord Show me my purpose, what will that have me To do. Paul was
blind for a few days, God send his servant Ananias to restore his sight when his eyes are open, Paul thought he had
found his purpose. Paul became a seventh day Adventist preacher Acts 9 :20 - Paul was preaching the good news of the
risen Christ and the good news of his soon return. The bible says in acts 9:21 – everyone who heard Paul was amaze.
Paul had found his purpose but God friend may had call you to preach but I want you to know that there is a purpose
higher than even your calling to preach. There are preachers who don’t know they have a purpose higher than their gift
to preach the word. Paul was preaching but his children know that God had for him a higher purpose than preaching,
you see the people who see their purpose as bound up with their careers when the career is over they think their
purposes over. So when Paul begin to preach the opposition became so fierce for his own safety, God stop Paul from
preaching exile Paul in Arabia. This is what I want to tell you today, it was in Arabia exiled from his prejudices and
traditions that God shape Paul’s life. It was there in Arabia that Paul finally found hi purpose. Ellen White says, Jesus
commune with Paul and talked Paul his purpose. You know in Arabia God told Paul he had a purpose that was higher
than his race, higher than his education, higher than his career, higher than even his calling as a preacher. And this
morning I want Paul to tell you himself, I think I’d rather you hear it in Paul own words. So you got your bible turn it to
the book of Galatians 1:15 – and you were hear Paul’s declaration of his purpose – that he finally found in his life. Paul
said, but when it please God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, that means Paul said , I was born for a
reason, and then he says God called me by his grace and here it is here’s Paul declaration of his life’s purpose. God called
by his grace to reveal his son in me. Paul says I found the supreme, the highest purpose in my life, the preeminent
purpose of my life. It is revealing the character of Jesus in me. There is no higher purpose in life than to reveal the
character of Jesus. Paul had been searching all his life for purpose and meaning in all wrong places but now he found it.
This man who is trying to be an antagonism of Jesus and enemy to the followers of Jesus who tried to find his purpose
dragging disciples of Jesus to be tortured and jailed. This man who hunted down the followers of Jesus, who thought he
had found his purpose as a well-paid zealot, persecuting those did not believe the way he believes. This man who was
once a critique of Jesus is now in Arabia declaring he has found his purpose and his purpose is revealing the world the
character of Jesus in his life. He said I did not find it in my ethnic race, I did not find it in my scholarship in education, I
did not find it in my acceptance to the ministry, in fame and success, church employment or church position, I did not
find it in my role as zealot protector of faith. God showed me that the character of his son revealed in me is the highest
purpose for which I could ever live. Paul understood what we need to understand that to resemble, reflect and reveal
the character of the Son of God is the greatest calling and highest purpose for which you could ever live.
I love the way Ellen White says, she says the Christians mission in the world is to reveal the character of Christ. That’s
your mission and my mission in the world to reveal the character of Christ. Higher than the highest human though can
reach is God ideal for His children, Godliness and Godlikeness is the goal to be reach. Friends I can tell you, you won’t
find your highest purpose in anything else. You won’t find it in the probation and affirmation of your peers on the job. If
you died on Sunday you will be talking about how nice you were on Monday and on Tuesday your name won’t be
spoken. I can tell you, you will find your highest purpose in the applause of men. You will not find your purpose in
medals, awards, in diplomas and degrees, money and wealth, in owning property. You will not find your highest purpose
in man, in marriage, in your children. The highest purpose for which we could ever live is to resemble, reflect, and reveal
the character of the Son of God