“For when David had
served God’s purpose in his own generation he fell asleep.” - Acts 13:36
I heard a
story about a dairy farmer who went to buy a new pickup truck. He had seen an
ad in the paper for a great deal on a new truck, so he decided to trade in his
old clunker. He went to the dealership, chose a pickup and was ready to write
the check for the full amount. But the salesman said, “Wait, I haven’t given
you the final price yet.” The farmer asked, “Isn’t it the price I saw in the
paper?” The salesman said, “No, that’s for the base model. All the options cost
extra.” So, after the options were added, the farmer reluctantly wrote a check
for $2,000 more than he had planned to pay, and he drove off the lot in his new
pick-up.
A few
months later the car salesman called the farmer because he wanted to buy a cow
for his son’s 4-H project. The farmer assured the car salesman he had several
good milk cows for sale for $500. The salesman drove out, selected a cow and
took out his checkbook. The farmer said, “Wait. I haven’t given you the final
price yet.” Then he handed the salesman a bill that read: “Basic cow,
$500. Two-tone exterior, $45. Milk storage compartment, $60. Four handy spigots
at $10 each, $40. Leather upholstery, $125. Automatic rear fly swatter, $38.
Natural fertilizer attachment, $185. Grand total … $1,233.”
Now, I’ve
never purchased a cow, but because I’m a bit of a cheapskate, I’m pretty sure
I’d go for the base model. When I buy a car, I LIKE the base model … as long as
it has air conditioning. If the car has four tires, an engine and a steering
wheel, the base model is just fine. But when it comes to living the Christian
life, the base model will never be “just fine.”
On Paul’s
first missionary trip, he went into the Jewish synagogue in Pisidian Antioch to
preach a powerful message about Jesus. In this message, Paul mentioned one of
the greatest heroes of the Old Testament: King David, the only man in the Bible
to be called “a man after God’s own heart.” David had a fierce love for God and
served Him faithfully. And then, in Paul’s words, “when David had served God’s
purpose in his own generation he fell asleep” (Acts 13:36).
Paul was
making the point that God had a plan for David’s life. God gave him a clear
purpose to carry out in his own generation. And David carried it out. David
served God’s purpose in his own generation. God called David to slay Goliath,
so David obediently slew Goliath. God called David to serve in King Saul’s
court, so David obediently served in King Saul’s court. God called David to
lead Israel Israel in her battles and led them to follow God.
Isn’t that
good? In a day and age when most people were pretty much living for themselves,
David was the servant of his generation. Could the same be said about you and
me? The Bible makes it clear that everything in this vast universe of ours was
created by God. He created every bug, every fish, every bird, every animal and
every person—including you. The Bible is clear that God created you and
designed you just the way you are. He knit you together in your mother’s womb.
Your eye color and hair color are by design. Your height and your build are by
design. Your natural strengths and even your natural weaknesses are by design.
So, are we
living the lives God designed us for? In a day and age when most people are
pretty much living for themselves, are we, like David, a great blessing to the
age we live in? Are we servants of our generation? Matthew Henry reminds us,
“We were not born for ourselves, but are members of communities, to which we
must study to be serviceable.” And as devotional writer A.W. Tozer says, “David
was smart enough to serve God and his generation before he fell asleep [ie,
“died”]. To fall asleep before we have served our generation is nothing short
of tragic…. It is a moral calamity to sleep without having first labored to
bless the world.”
So true!
But what is that purpose? At Impact Christian Church, we summarize God’s
purpose with the shortest mission statement I’ve ever seen. It’s only three
words: Love. Learn. Serve. Every Sunday morning, we seek to love God by loving
people. Our greatest desire is to see every person who comes through our doors
accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and begin loving him too. Our second focus
is to learn God’s word. As we study His word, we get to know Him better, and we
learn how to love and serve Him better. Our third purpose is serving. Just as
David was created to serve God’s purpose in his own generation, so too are we.
Jesus didn’t come to earth to be served, but to serve. And we follow in his
footsteps as we serve each other and our community.
My life has
meaning and purpose, and so does yours. So, we must boldly stand and declare,
“I will NOT waste my life!” You and I were created not to be served but to
serve, and to serve God’s purpose in our own generation. I do not believe that
anyone was created by God for base-model Christianity. I believe you and I were
created for greater impact. And that boils down to this: Loving God by loving
people … learning His Word … and serving others. If you don’t already have a
church home, then I’d love to invite you to start joining us every Sunday. And
we’ll serve God’s purpose in our generation—together.
Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact
Christian Church. Come join us Sunday at 10 a.m. at the new Ralph Baker
School
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