 So if you have your Bibles, would you please turn with me to Nehemiah chapter two? If you don't know where Nehemiah is, then just wait for the person to turn there next to you and then steal their Bible. Today I want to talk to you about the importance of realigning our priorities to God's in order to step into doing our part so that we can fulfill God's purpose for our lives. So I want to share a message with you that I've entitled New Year, New Purpose. And let's pray as we look to God from His Word for who it is that He would have us to be this evening. And Lord, we thank you so much once again for this opportunity to open up your Word. We pray, God, that your Word would open up our hearts. Lord, would you do that work within our lives that we would be prepared and ready for what you would have in store for us? And Lord, we come with anticipation this night thanking you, God, that you are here, that you're going to speak to us and that we're ready to receive from you. So Lord, give us ears to hear what you would want to speak to us this evening, not only for this night, but for this next year. And ultimately, Lord, for our life, moving forward until we get to eternity. So bless this time that we have to be together. And Lord, as we look forward to this next year, give us courage to follow you, to do whatever you lead us to do. In Jesus' name, amen. As we approach the beginning of a new year, it comes with anticipation in our hearts and our lives, anticipation for the next year because a new year, well, it brings new beginnings, doesn't it? A new year comes with a sense of a new start, a fresh beginning to hopefully do better in this next year than we've done personally in the year prior. And we get a do over almost every year and we need them, don't we? And so we enter into a new year with making resolutions. How many of you with a show of hands have made or thought about a new year's resolution or having some goals in your life for 2022? Raise your hand if you have some goals for 2022 or a new year's resolution for 2022. A lot of us do, almost everyone does, make resolutions or have goals for this next year. The most popular resolutions for 2022, I looked this up so it must be true, it was on the internet. Those include eating healthy, exercising more, saving money, getting more organized, and losing weight. Some of the most popular resolutions that people have for 2022. And it seems that almost everyone has a resolution or a goal. My dog, true story, even has a resolution. Well, my dog couldn't make the resolution for itself, so my wife and I, we made a resolution for our dog. You see, about two years ago, we took our dog to the vet and we found out that our dog is obese. That's what the vet said anyways. And it's true, we have a Labrador and really it's not a Labrador, it's a Pigador. Our dog is huge and obviously has some weight management issues. And so two years ago, we were told by the vet that we had to put our dog on a diet. So we had to start buying this expensive diet dog food and all the stuff and exercising our dog more and all of these things. And true story, after two years of hard work, two years of dieting our dog, two years of all of this stuff, our dog has gained 25 pounds. It's true not only for our dog, but for many of us that resolutions we resolve, we determine in our hearts, we want to do better, but we seem to fall short. And so each year we try harder or do better and it seems that resolutions don't last. One child actually asked their parents what New Year's resolution was and the parent answered by saying it's a to-do list for the first week of the new year. And I think that's true for a lot of us. But in the beginning of a new year, it's not only a time to make a resolution for the next year, but more importantly as we look to this next year to ask ourselves on the eve of this new year, what is the purpose that God has for our lives in this next year? And not only for this next year, but what is the purpose that God has for our lives individually? Why am I here on earth at this time in history in this location in the world? Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of your life? Well, if you've ever asked yourself that question and wondered what is the purpose of my life or even struggled to find the answer to that question, you're not alone. Many people struggle with the idea of questions like what is our purpose in life? But when you understand the purpose in which you exist, the purpose for your life, when you understand the answer to these questions, you will be able to live out God's purpose for your life and fulfill the plan that God has with your life. So this year, I want us to not only look at the things that we want to do better in in our resolutions, but more importantly, the purpose that God has for our lives in this next year so that we could step in because when you understand your purpose, then you can know your part. But if you're going to do your part, then you have to realign your priorities. And without knowing our purpose, we often experience ignorance of our own significance. Without understanding that God has a purpose and a plan for your life, oftentimes we live in ignorance of our own significance. And that's true because growing up through school, in the secular school systems, you're taught from a very young age that you happen by accident, that the whole world happened by accident, and everything in your life is all a big accident that you exist by an accident. Your parents might even tell you you were an accident, but in the economy of God, there are no accidents. You see, God has created you with a purpose God has a plan for your life. And it's our responsibility to do our part to fulfill the purpose in which we exist. You see, before we can be a part of God's plan, we have to understand our purpose. So I want to give you three things tonight to take with you into this new year so that you could understand more of the plan that God has for your life. See, the number one question I'm asked as a pastor is, what is God's will for my life? It's funny that people think that pastors know the answers to that question. Often I just look at people and say, I have no idea. How am I supposed to know what God's plan is for your life? But I'll tell you this, when you walk closely with God and you walk wholeheartedly after God, God will be faithful to get you into all that he has for you. And you'll see God's purpose and plan be fulfilled as you walk with him. So I want to give you three things to hold on to. Number one, you have a purpose. Number two, God wants you to be a part of it. And number three, you need to make God's priorities your priorities. So I want to share and expound on those three things. Number one, you might want to write this down if you're taking notes tonight, your purpose. Number one, your purpose. Because it's true, there are innumerable amounts of people that have difficulty discerning what God really has for them. Their purpose in life. What God has called them to do with their lives. And this is true whether you're a college student trying to side on your major or you're in your mid 40s or 50s and wondering if you're wasting your life on a job that you barely want to wake up to go to let alone give your life to. What is my life meant for? Is it more than this? Well, I wanted to share this with you. It's Colossians chapter one verse 16. Colossians one 16, it says this, for through Jesus, God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things that we can't see, such as thrones and kingdoms and rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. Everything that exists, you need to understand this because you won't find purpose in your life until you understand this simple truth. Everything that God has made, he has made for him. You exist for God. Revelation chapter four verse 11 says you were all things were created by God for you created all things and for your pleasure they exist and were created. So some things that you have to understand to step into and understand God's purpose for your life. First is God's purpose is why you exist. God's purpose is why you exist. God made you with all of your idiosyncrasies and your corks and your personality traits and everything that you are. God designed you that way to fulfill his purpose and his plan for your life to accomplish and to have what you already have to be able to step into all that God has for you. People say I don't know if I have what it takes to do what God's calling me to do. God has already created you with what you need to do what he is calling you to do and he promises to give you all that you need to see it through. All things were created by him and for him and for his pleasure we are created. We will always miss out on the purpose of our life if we aren't living for God's purpose. You see we will never find purpose in our lives until we realize our one and sole purpose in why we exist is to accomplish God's plan in our lives. You are made by God and for God and until we understand that life won't make sense when you live for God wholeheartedly. When you make God's plans your plans his priorities your priorities to fulfill the purpose in which you exist then you'll find that you have the most satisfying most fulfilling life that you could ever have. So God's purpose for you is why you exist also God's purpose for you is not completed you need to understand that tonight. God is not done with you. Acts chapter 13 verse 36 it says for David after he had served God's purpose in his own generation he died he was buried with his ancestors and experienced decay. God created you for his purpose to serve God's purpose in your own generation that's why you exist in the time in the days in which we live in to fulfill the purpose that God placed you on earth for this generation and it says in Acts 13 36 for David after he had served God's purpose that is after David did all that God had planned for him he died that means if you are alive today that God still has a purpose for you that God has put breath into your lungs and if you still have breath in your lungs that you have not yet finished serving God's purposes and so God's purpose for you is why you exist God's purpose for you is not yet completed thirdly God's purpose for you is best we will find God's plan will always be better than our plans no matter what God's plan is and what you think you don't know the future but when you follow God's purpose for your life you will find that God's purpose for your life will always be so much better than what you thought your purpose for your life would be Jeremiah 32 verse 19 it declares this great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind you reward each person according to their conduct and their deeds deserve God's purposes for you his plan for you is great it's much better than your own and when you live your life for his purposes rather than your own you will find yourself living life with purpose having a plan but if you live your life for yourself trying to fulfill your own purposes to accomplish your own plan you'll miss out on all that God has created you for you see the enemy our adversary wants nothing more than to keep you from all that God has for you because if our lives exist for one purpose that is to accomplish God's plan and purpose if the enemy can keep us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives then our lives become a waste the only time it's a waste of a life is when it's a life lived for our own purposes not God's and that's why it's so important to understand fourth and finally God's purpose for you can be rejected God's purpose for you is why you exist God's purpose for you is not yet completed God's purpose for you is best but God's purpose for you can be rejected it's Luke chapter 7 verse 30 it says the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God's purpose for themselves you can reject God's purpose you can deny God's plan and not submit your life to him and what he has for you oh you can believe in God you can even worship God but you can go throughout your life living for yourself trying to have quote unquote the best year yet and try to resolute all the things that you need to do to have a better life and miss it completely that's the great paradox of the bible isn't that what Jesus taught if any man wants to gain life he must first lose it if you want to have life you have to be willing to give your life to God 100 not part of you not the Sunday morning you and the other six and a half days are for you and that mornings for Jesus no every aspect of your life has to needs to resolve revolve around God's purpose God's plan what does God want me to do and I'll tell you this is a really important key for relationships especially for you married couples because when both husband and wife in a marriage wants nothing more than to fulfill God's purposes and plans in their marriage and in their family there's no more room for fighting and arguing it's no longer what I want or what she wants or what she wants what I want it's about what God wants and fulfilling God's purpose in God's plan through our lives the times that fights and arguments and all of those things break out in unhealthy relationships it's when we are more concerned with our own purposes and what we want selfishly rather than what God has for our lives for our marriages for our family for our church for our ministries and all that God has called us to and so we can reject God's purpose now I don't like that purpose I don't like that plan I like my plan better but you'll always find that God's plan will be better than your own and that's why it's so important not only number one to understand your purpose but number two to do your parts you not only have your purpose but there is your parts God has a purpose for your life but in order to accomplish God's purpose you have to do your parts that's what we call responding to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in our lives that God prompts you within your heart guides you by his word calls you that's what we call your purpose is really answering the call that God has placed on your life we need to respond to the call that God's placed before us to step up and to step into all that God has for us and that's not only for you individually you in your family but also applies to you in your ministry in your church family to do your parts and Nehemiah well he's in the example of that that I want us to look at tonight Nehemiah well he responded to the call that God placed before him and was able to accomplish great things because he recognized he had a great God Nehemiah to set the stage was used by God to complete one of the most impossible tasks ever taken on and I believe that God has the same plans for you Daniel chapter 9 says he who knows his God will do great exploits because when you truly know how great God is you know that God's calling you to do great things but we also need to understand like Nehemiah did and this is a huge task a huge undertaking a huge problem and you might say who am I I'm just I'm just a nobody how can I change my community how can I bring change to our country that that's just too big I'm too little of a person I'm too insignificant well who is Nehemiah he was just a cut bearer his job wasn't a leader of construction projects he wasn't a foreman Nehemiah was just obedient but what Nehemiah did is he traded the greatness of his tasks for the greatness of his God he only had a few men with him and he but God put something in his heart to do and God put in his heart to rebuild the walls of their city and so he pulls a few people aside and he shares that vision he cast that vision the purpose for them and he says in Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 17 I said to them you know very well what trouble we are in Jerusalem lies and ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace and I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me and about my conversation with the king and they replied at once yes let's rebuild the wall so they began the good work Nehemiah he cast the vision to them he tells them what he believes God is calling them to do and look how the people respond they don't say oh well that's that's going to be too hard you know that's going to be too big of an undertaking no they immediately responded by saying yes let's do it let's get to work because they weren't looking at the size of the task they were looking at the size of their God it was a huge project and we might not have what we need to can change the conditions of the land in which we live in but if you just stay faithful to the call that God has placed before you watch how God will use you in supernatural ways to change the conditions of the land you might say it's too big for you listen you'd be right but nothing is too big for God so watch what God does in Nehemiah chapter 6 if you want to flip a few pages over Nehemiah at the end of this story says on October 2nd verse 15 of Nehemiah chapter 6 on October 2nd the wall this impossible task this undertaking in between Nehemiah 2 and Nehemiah chapter 6 all sorts of opposition all sorts of problems all sorts of disgruntled people also sorts of people attacking them but just a few chapters later it says the wall was finished and then Nehemiah puts this parenthetical insert into the text and he says just 52 days after we had begun as if to say yeah people thought it was crazy people thought it was impossible people thought it would take forever or never even get accomplished but God did it in just 52 days it took 52 days to do this impossible project 52 days when it could have taken 52 weeks or longer because God was the one that completed the work and it's God that calls us to do great things because we serve a great God and just because it's beyond you does not mean that it is beyond God God helps supernaturally and when you respond by simply doing it your part and what God has called you to do God will be faithful to finish the work that he's begun in and through you aren't you so thankful tonight that God promises to carry you on to completion that God doesn't say here's what I'm calling you to do and good luck you're on your own but that God will walk with you and when you feel like you can't take one more step forward that God picks you up and carries you and gets you to where you need to be like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that God will be there with you when you go through the fire God will never leave you nor forsake you and he's going to see you through all that he has called you to do as long as you respond in obedience to him by doing your parts and then Nehemiah says in Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 16 when our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it they were frightened and humiliated they realized this work was done by our God this is what I desire in my life and this is what I desire for your life as well I desire that what God wants to do in us and through us would be so great and so supernatural that when people look at your life and my life when they look at our lives they would have no other conclusion to come to other than to say it must be God the enemies it says the enemies of God's people and the surrounding nations who were pagans we would call them unbelievers they would look at these people's lives in obedience to God and they would be forced to come to the conclusion to say it must be the God that we don't believe in there's no other possibility for that to come to pass unless it was God Nehemiah shared with the people the vision God gave them to accomplish together but everyone had a part a role to be a part of and let me say as pastor David and the leadership of Cowry Chapel of the Chino Valley there's big vision for 2022 this church is moving forward into this next year with many amazing plans and things going on but in order to see the purpose not only for our lives individually but for your church congregationally the church has to do their parts every one of our lives we are all a part of the body of Christ whether you are a finger or an elbow or a shoulder or a neck bone collar bone whatever part you want to be whatever part God's called you to be you might say well I didn't want to be the big toe well that's what you are but let me just say you can't run fast and forward without your big toe and some people might feel like well I serve behind the scenes no one sees me well it's a good thing because no one wants to see the big toe anyway this pretty big toes are just ugly but you might say I feel like I'm the big toe but I'll just say churches can't move forward without the big toe and every person has an important role to be a part of you have a part God has called you he has placed you in Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley with a purpose for your life a purpose to come alongside of the body of Christ you are in a part you are a spectator God is calling you to be a participator you can sit on the sidelines but God is calling you to step up into the front lines and sometimes we can sit in the grandstands and watch all that God is doing on the field but then we miss out of the reward of what God would do if we just got in to the game listen God is calling you by name I remember watching some old sports movies growing up and there's always that underrated athlete that sits on the bench and then it comes his time to shine and there's no one else left so the coach has to call on him the last choice okay it's your turn get in the game and then as the movie goes on you realize this person does something supernatural and they end up winning the championship because of that bench warm I love those underdog type of stories and so too God can use every person no matter how much of an underdog you are because God never counts you out so don't count yourself out do you know in the feeding of the 5000 you know that parable the story of the feeding of the 5000 where Jesus fed 5000 people well do you know it was 5000 men because in that day they didn't count the women or the children it was most likely about 15 000 people that Jesus fed but in the feeding of the 5000 they only counted the men but in through the feeding through the miracle God used a little boy's obedience willing to relinquish all that he had to God and when the boy relinquished all that he had to God his sack lunch a couple of loaves and some fish God used what the boy relinquished to feed the multitudes I share that because God will use who often society counts out to bring about great things so that people around you would have to say it must be God and so I wonder if we could be like Isaiah in Isaiah chapter six verse eight when he said I heard the voice of the Lord saying whom shall I send and who will go for us and then Isaiah responded by saying here I am send me I wonder what God can do with a man or a woman individually when we get to the point when we realize our purpose in life is simply to serve God with our lives our jobs are not our identity our careers are not our identity what you do for a living is not your identity you are not a mom primarily or a dad primarily or a worker primarily listen a lot of us call ourselves we are you know this who is a Christian no you are a Christian who is a mom you are a Christian who is a dad you are a Christian who has that profession God his identity is given to you because God adopts you into his family and so we identify with him his purposes that is why we exist and let me just share with you dear friends if we live for anything else we'll miss it if we try to gain life we'll lose it but when we lose our life for his sake we'll find it because Jesus came to give life and that much more abundantly and if you want to experience life to its fullest that is a life lived for God completely and so we need to understand God has a purpose for our lives number two it's our responsibility to respond in obedience to do our part but in order for that to happen number three we have to realign our priorities in order to find purpose you have to make God's plan your plan and there is a huge importance in our lives to realign our priorities with God's let me ask you what's most important to you what do you spend the most time thinking about doing living for what is your priorities listen to this to help you answer that question listen to how a priority is defined to focus one's attention and energy on that which is most and truly important to know what your priorities are all you have to do is look at your actions what's most and truly important because actions convey priorities priorities aren't often what you think they are priorities aren't even what you say they are priorities are revealed by the decisions that you make and how you live in other words our priorities are reflected and what we spend our time our money and our energy on so if you want to know really what your priorities are what do you spend the most time doing what do you spend the most finances on and what do you give your life to that is what's truly and most important to you and if you want to excel in life and succeed in life as far as resources go and finances flow you need to learn this godly principle and apply this godly principle to your life seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness as matthew 633 jesus instructed us to do because when you seek god first you make his priorities your priorities jesus goes on to say all of these things all of your needs everything that you need in life to do all that god has called you to do will be added unto you god promises to give it all all that you need if you put the lord first you see we will find success in our life when we live in obedience to the lord the person that keeps their priorities aligned with god's perfect plan is the one that will be able to step into all that god has for them listen i want you to be able to step into all that god has for you in 2022 more than exercising more which is important more than eating healthy which is good more than maybe losing a few pounds and then gaining it back a couple weeks later more than any of those things may 2022 be the year that you would determine that you would resolve that your resolution would be god i want to live for you like i've never lived for you before god i want to serve you like i've never served you before god i want to dedicate my life to you not might mean you have to realign some of your priorities to the lords maybe there's been some things in your life that have been really important to you but god would show you those aren't what's most important to him but as you realign your priorities then you'll find yourself stepping in and doing your part because what's important to god becomes important to you and then you start doing your part in the home as a husband as a wife in your church all that god would call you to do you begin entering into an actively engaging in your part and then church what takes place is you find god's purpose being fulfilled in your life so may 2022 be that year would that be the year that we say god here am i so send me god whatever it is that you want to do with me not my will be done on earth as it is in heaven but your will be done on earth as it is in heaven god your will not mine i promise you if you live your life that way you even live 2022 that way i can promise you can take this to the bank you'll never regret anything you ever do for the lord but you'll always find purpose fulfillment and satisfaction when you simply live for the lord may that be true for each of us our purpose our purpose god has a plan for your life your parts to respond to the call that god has placed on your life and your priorities make god's priorities yours and 2022 guarantee it will be the best year you've ever had let's pray lord thank you so much