Aligning Our Vision with Eternity's Purpose

In today's message, I emphasized the critical importance of aligning our vision with the concept of eternity. I began by highlighting that our ultimate purpose, whether in our homes or cities, is eternity. I referenced 2 Corinthians 4:18, which encourages us to focus on the unseen, eternal things rather than the fleeting, visible things of this world. Similarly, Colossians 3 reminds us to seek the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, and to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

I shared an illustration by Francis Chan involving a long rope representing eternity and a small portion signifying our life, to demonstrate how we often focus too much on our brief earthly existence and neglect the vastness of eternity. This perspective shift is crucial as we pursue God's vision for our lives, ensuring we don't get so caught up in the 'what' that we forget the 'why.'

I spoke about our church's commitment to being a light for middle schoolers and high schoolers in our city, emphasizing that every Sunday we spend in our current seats is a Sunday that these young people are not being reached. Our vision is to create a space where they can safely encounter Jesus, receive godly counsel, and be encouraged in their purpose.

I also addressed the danger of forgetting the 'why' in ministry and in our personal lives. I used the example of Jonah, who lost sight of his purpose and became angry when God spared Nineveh after Jonah's warning. This story serves as a reminder that our actions and gifts should always be used to turn hearts towards God.

Furthermore, I discussed the distractions that can lead us away from our 'why,' such as Martha's preoccupation with serving instead of listening to Jesus, who was teaching in her home. Our vision must always be driven by eternity, and we must constantly ask ourselves if our pursuits are ultimately for people to come to know Jesus.

I concluded by reiterating the importance of not getting comfortable with where we are but to keep moving forward with the vision God has given us. Our church's goal to raise funds for the new building is not just about physical expansion but about increasing our capacity to reach people for Jesus.

Key Takeaways:

- Our vision must transcend the temporal and be anchored in the eternal reality of God's kingdom. As we engage in our daily tasks and pursue our God-given dreams, we must continually ask ourselves if our efforts contribute to the everlasting impact on souls. [52:13 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

- The story of Jonah serves as a powerful reminder that even when we are walking in our calling, we must guard against becoming so focused on our tasks that we lose sight of the reason behind them. Our ministry and work should always be about leading others to repentance and a relationship with God. [01:03:46 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

- The example of Martha and Mary teaches us that even noble tasks can become distractions if they cause us to miss the presence of Jesus. We must prioritize our relationship with Christ above all service and ensure that our service flows from a heart attuned to Him. [01:12:10 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

- When evaluating whether a vision is from God, we should consider whether it aligns with His heart for people to know Him. If our pursuits are not ultimately aimed at drawing others to Christ, we need to reassess our path and realign with God's purpose. [01:14:11 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

- As a church and as individuals, we must not become complacent with our current state but always strive to expand our reach for the gospel. Every aspect of our ministry should be designed to increase our capacity to bring people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. [01:16:19 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMP) - "So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable."
2. Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV) - "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
3. Jonah 4:1-4 (NIV) - "But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, 'Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.' But the Lord replied, 'Is it right for you to be angry?'"

#### Observation Questions
1. According to 2 Corinthians 4:18, what are we encouraged to focus on, and why?
2. In Colossians 3:1-2, what does Paul instruct believers to set their hearts and minds on, and what is the significance of this instruction?
3. How did Jonah react when God spared Nineveh, and what does this reveal about his understanding of his mission? [01:03:46 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
4. What was Martha's main distraction when Jesus visited her home, and how did Jesus respond to her concern? [01:11:21 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to focus on the unseen and eternal things rather than the visible and temporary things, as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 4:18?
2. How does setting our minds on things above, as instructed in Colossians 3:1-2, influence our daily lives and decisions?
3. What can we learn from Jonah's reaction to God's mercy towards Nineveh about maintaining the right perspective in our ministry and personal lives? [01:03:46 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
4. How does the story of Martha and Mary illustrate the potential pitfalls of being overly focused on tasks rather than on Jesus' presence? [01:11:21 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your daily activities. Are there specific tasks or pursuits that distract you from focusing on eternity? How can you realign your focus this week? [01:12:10 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
2. Think about a time when you were so focused on achieving a goal that you lost sight of the reason behind it. How can you ensure that your future goals are aligned with God's eternal purpose? [01:00:04 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
3. Jonah struggled with understanding God's compassion for Nineveh. Is there a group of people or a situation where you find it hard to extend God's grace? How can you change your perspective to align with God's heart? [01:03:46 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
4. Martha was distracted by her service while Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet. In your current season of life, how can you prioritize spending time with Jesus over your busy schedule? [01:11:21 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
5. Our church is focused on reaching middle schoolers and high schoolers. How can you personally contribute to this vision, whether through prayer, volunteering, or financial support? [01:19:29 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
6. Identify one area in your life where you have become complacent. What steps can you take to move forward with the vision God has given you? [01:16:19 <2_weKtIv1pA>]
7. How can you ensure that your actions and decisions this week are driven by the goal of leading others to a relationship with Jesus? [01:14:11 <2_weKtIv1pA>]

Day 1: Eternal Perspective Shapes Vision
Eternity is not just a distant concept; it is the ultimate destination that should shape every aspect of life. When setting goals and making decisions, it is essential to weigh them against the backdrop of eternity. The temporal achievements and material possessions of this world can often distract, but they will eventually fade. Instead, one should focus on the unseen, the eternal aspects of life, which hold true value. This perspective shift is not about dismissing the importance of daily responsibilities but about infusing them with eternal significance. By doing so, one ensures that their efforts contribute to a legacy that lasts beyond their time on earth. This approach to life aligns with the heart of God, who desires for everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth and the salvation found in Jesus Christ [52:13].

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." - Philippians 3:20-21

Reflection: How can you adjust your current goals to better reflect an eternal perspective?

Day 2: Purpose Beyond Tasks
Walking in one's calling involves more than just performing tasks; it requires a deep understanding of the 'why' behind the actions. The story of Jonah is a stark reminder that losing sight of God's purpose can lead to frustration and anger, even when one is doing what they were called to do. It is crucial to remember that the ultimate goal of any calling or ministry is to lead others to repentance and a relationship with God. This focus ensures that one's work is not just busywork but a meaningful pursuit that aligns with God's desire for all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth [01:03:46].

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" - Mark 16:15

Reflection: In what ways can you remind yourself of the 'why' behind your daily tasks to keep your focus on God's purpose?

Day 3: Service Rooted in Relationship
Service to others is a noble endeavor, but it must stem from a relationship with Christ to have true value. The example of Martha, who was preoccupied with serving to the point of missing out on Jesus' teaching, illustrates the danger of allowing even good deeds to distract from what is most important. Prioritizing time with Jesus ensures that service is an overflow of one's love for Him and not a substitute for genuine intimacy. This balance is essential for maintaining a vision that is driven by eternity and for ensuring that one's actions are always aimed at drawing others closer to Christ [01:12:10].

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

Reflection: Are there areas in your service where you have prioritized tasks over your relationship with Jesus? How can you realign your priorities?

Day 4: Vision Aligned with God's Heart
A vision that is truly from God will always align with His heart for people to know Him. It is important to regularly assess whether one's pursuits are aimed at drawing others to Christ. If they are not, it may be time to reassess and realign with God's purpose. This process of evaluation is not a one-time event but a continual practice that ensures one's path remains true to the calling God has placed on their life. By doing so, one can avoid the pitfalls of self-centered ambitions and instead pursue a vision that has eternal significance and honors God [01:14:11].

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" - Matthew 16:26

Reflection: Consider your current vision or goals. How do they align with God's desire for people to come to know Him?

Day 5: Complacency Versus Gospel Expansion
As believers, it is not enough to become comfortable with the current state of affairs, whether in personal growth or church ministry. There must be a continual striving to expand the reach of the gospel. Every aspect of ministry should be designed to increase the capacity to bring people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. This means being willing to step out of comfort zones, invest in resources, and create opportunities for others to encounter the love of God. The goal is not just physical expansion but spiritual growth and the transformation of lives through the power of the gospel [01:16:19].

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9

Reflection: What are some ways you can contribute to the expansion of the gospel beyond your current level of involvement?

Well, good morning! How's everyone doing this morning? I'm excited to see each and every one of you this morning. Amen for those alarm clocks, huh?

Before we get started, I have a video. Last week, I’m going to say it’s a video, but last week we had the great opportunity of really just talking about, very briefly, celebrating one year of being here in this building.

So, most of you don't know because a lot of you haven't been here that long, but we actually used to be at the Woodland Christian School Performing Arts Center. When we started our church, that's where we started it at. God blessed us, just blessed our socks off, and gave us the privilege of being here in this building and on this property.

After we purchased the property, there were a lot of things that needed to be done to get this room ready, to get our kids' room ready, and all the rest of the buildings ready. Last week, one year ago, was the very first service that we were actually able to have here on our property. So, we've officially been here one year having services, and we've gone from one service to two services, and now we're doing our midweeks and our small groups, and all these amazing things are happening.

However, we are not done yet. I want to show you this quick video, and then we'll move forward with service.

Hey, Limitless! I'm so excited to be here right now. Last week, we had this amazing opportunity to celebrate one year of us being in this building. That's right, one year ago last Sunday, we moved into our new property. We've had some amazing, exciting things that have happened. We had our baptisms that have taken place, our communions that have taken place, baby dedications, wonderful service worship nights, and so much more.

Now, while we've been here and done these things, I want us to remember that God has called us forward. That's right, we are not done. While your seat may be comfortable and you may have this place where you come to and you sit and enjoy being there, this is not your permanent seat. We have to move next door. God has called us to this building; He's called us to this place so that we can finish the vision for eternity that God has given us.

One thing about our church is we love our people, and specifically, we have a desire to minister to our middle school and our high schoolers. And guess what? If you're sitting in a chair right now, it's there not being ministered to. So, we need to do what we can. Let's partner together, let's finish strong, and move forward.

We have a desire to raise $430,000. Last year, we started that goal, and we've been moving towards it. But I believe in God that by the end of this year, we will have raised that money to finish phase two of our new home project. So, I ask that you would pray, that you would consider, that you would see what God would place on your heart above your tithes and offerings to sow and to finish in phase two so that we can move next door and minister in this building to our middle schoolers and high schoolers.

But let me recap and tell you everything that we've done in phase one and phase two. First, we trenched our parking lot so that we now have water running to our new building for our new restrooms. We had to dig up a portion of the parking lot, lay new piping down, cover the parking lot, and then connect that piping to our new restrooms. Yes, that's right, we will have restrooms in the main sanctuary!

The piping is there; there's a corridor that leads directly into the men's restroom and another one that leads into the women's restroom. On top of the restrooms are our brand new balcony. I'm so excited about this! A beautiful view from up there. We will be able to see approximately 44 to 50 people on that balcony for additional seating.

Also, we've installed a T-bar ceiling in our new tech room. We had a group of people come and they installed that, and we are almost finished with that as well. We have reinforced the ceiling in the back of the sanctuary.

Forget this: drum roll please for our brand new air conditioning units! That's right, our air conditioning units are here, and they have been installed on the ceiling of the church. So, AC and heat will not be a problem, and we’re very, very excited about that. Along with that, we have brand new electricity that has been serviced and placed in our new building because to run those AC units, to run the lights, and everything in our new property, we need power. We now have that installed, and there’s so much more ready to do, and there’s so much more left. So, let's make sure that we finish strong. Amen? Amen!

Heavenly Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the opportunity to hear from you. God, we focus in on this moment. We lay aside any distractions, anything that we're worried or concerned about. God, we cast that care onto you right now, and we ask that you would speak to us, that you would speak to us so that we could hear you. God, that you would open our ears to hear what you're saying—not just what you're saying across the pulpit, but what are you speaking individually to each and every one of us.

We ask that you would open our hearts to receive what you're saying, that it would rest on good ground and that it would produce the harvest, that we would not just be hearers of the word, but we will be doers of the word as well. We thank you for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Two very quick things. I want to remind you of the first one: Easter is coming in a few weeks, and yes, we can make some noise for that! Thank you! You be clapping; thank you! You be the only one. I'm all right. So, Easter is coming, okay?

I love it, and my wife is big on this too. When I go to somebody's house or somebody comes to my house, and I'm already ready, I'm already prepared, right? You want to go to when someone invites you over, especially if it's somebody you're in anticipation for and you're happy that they're there.

When you get there, or when they get there, you want to make sure your house is already prepared. You don't want to go to someone's house and they're busy cleaning up or they're busy washing the dishes or vacuuming while you're there, right? You're trying to figure out where I'm going. Stay with me, stay with me.

This is why we need you to register for Easter, okay? Why? Because we want to prepare for you when you get here. We want to make sure that we have a seat available for you when you get here. I don't want it to be a service where you get here and we're rushing around pulling out chairs, moving things to make room for you.

So, we ask you to register your seat for Easter. It's very simple; it takes about 30 seconds. You just scan the QR code that's on your screen, on the walls all around you here. On the top, you'll see it says Easter Service, and you can register for 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. The purpose, again, of this registration is to make sure you have a seat.

I know y'all like to come in and sit in your spot. You don't want to get here and somebody else is in your spot. You're going to be upset; I understand that. I get that. So, what I need for you to do again is I need you to register. We want to make sure that we have enough chairs out and that we're prepared for you when you get here.

The second thing is baptisms are next week, and we are excited about that! Okay, so what is baptism? Baptism is this part where we get to share with people who have recently made a decision to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. It is the public declaration of this inward confirmation that you have made. You said, "Hey, I'm going public with my faith."

Everybody's coming out; everybody's going public with everything. I'm telling the world that I've accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, and I'm living my life for Jesus. We are excited about celebrating with that.

We have some people that have already registered for that. This is the last week that you'll be able to register, so please, please, please get to that QR code and register. We will call you this week to make sure you have everything that you need so that we can be ready to celebrate with you right here next Sunday. Amen?

All right, let's dive into this message. We've been talking about vision for the past three to four weeks. We've been talking about vision and having a vision—the vision that God has given each one of us.

Now, we've defined vision as this divine revelation or insight that's been provided by God to individuals or groups regarding His will, regarding His purpose, His plan for their lives or situations. Okay? Divine insight, divine revelation given to us by God, and that's groups or individuals regarding His will, purpose, and plan for their lives or the situations.

We talked about this desire. Each and every one of us, when we're born, we have a desire on the inside of us to leave a legacy. We know that we've been created for a purpose. We have this thing in us; we want to do something that matters. We all have vision, but we said that the only vision that will have a lasting impact is the vision that has been given to us and put inside of us by God.

We said that selfish ambition will not last. Last week, we talked about the importance of having a vision that realizes that God-given vision is bigger than you and I. This idea of just me, I'm just trying to make it to the top, trying to get to this place, and it's all about me—that's ambition. It's selfish ambition.

But God-given vision realizes that it's bigger than you or I. It's not self-serving; it's not self-promoting; it's about others. This Sunday, I want to take that step just a step further. I want to take that thought just a step further.

Today, I want you to realize that no matter what your vision is or how God has called you to walk out that vision in your life, ultimately, the purpose of vision has to be eternity. The purpose of vision has to be eternity.

Okay, what is eternity? Eternity is our forever future. It is our infinite existence after we leave this earth. When we accept Christ, when we leave this earth, we spend eternity in heaven with God. Whether God has called you to the mission field or whether He's called you to the work field, whether His grand vision for you is in your home or in your city, we must be reminded that the ultimate purpose for vision is eternity.

Somebody say eternity! Eternity!

Second Corinthians chapter 4, verse 18, I'm going to look at it in the Amplified. It says, "So we look not at things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen. For the things which are visible are temporal; they're just brief, they're fleeting. But the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable."

Again, talking about eternity, it says we're not looking at the things that we see; we're focused on the things which are unseen. Colossians chapter 3, Paul is talking to the church, and he says, "Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on the things that are on earth."

Keep eternity in mind. C.S. Lewis said, "If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who precisely thought most of the next. Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, and you will get neither."

Eternity—keeping eternity in mind. A pastor that I watch by the name of Francis Chan, he has this example. About ten years ago, he had a rope. This rope is really long, and he brings the rope on stage and he says, "Imagine that this rope is eternity."

So, you see how long it is, and he holds the end of the rope, just to fit in his hand. He holds the end of the rope and he says, "This is eternity." Then he takes it out and he shows this little piece right here. He says, "And this is your life."

This small portion right here is your life. The problem with some of us is that we live so much for this. We live so much for this little moment. We want to get all of the pleasure here; we want to get all of the things here. We want to do everything we can to live and have the best that we can right here in this little moment, and we don't live with eternity in mind.

We live thinking about this little moment, and we forget about all of eternity. It is important that as we pursue God's plan and God's vision for our life that we don't get so caught up in doing the thing that we forget the why.

We can't get so caught up in doing the thing that we forget the why. If our hearts are not focused on eternity, our eyes never will. And if our eyes are not focused on eternity, our actions never will.

Vision is the what; faith is the how; and eternity is the why. Okay? Vision is the what—the thing that God has called you. It's the conduit; it's the way that the thing will be walked out. Vision is the what; faith is the how. We don't know how it's going to happen; it requires faith.

God has given me a vision; God has put this thing inside of me to do, but I don't know how to do it. Why? Because it requires faith. But eternity has to be the why.

In my life, I've walked through several whats. I started as a Christian hip-hop artist, okay? I went from doing that, and then I started in youth ministry, and then young adult ministry, and then planting a church and pastoring a church. There were several whats. Each one of those whats required faith to do.

However, the why never changed. The why remained consistent through them all. The why was always eternity. It's always eternity; it never changes.

In your life, God may have called you to some whats. Maybe your what is a business owner; maybe your what is a nurse, a construction worker, a teacher, an entrepreneur. But the why never changes. The why must always be eternity.

Philippians 3:12, I'm going to read it out of the Message paraphrase. It says, "I'm not saying I got this all together, that I got it made, but I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong; by no means do I count myself as an expert in this, but I've got my eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward—towards Jesus. He says, 'I am off and running, not turning back.' So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything that God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision; you'll see it yet. Now that we're on the right track, stay on it."

He said, "Let's keep focused on that goal." Why is it important that we remain focused on the goal? Because the enemy will do and use anything to get you distracted. He will use anything whatsoever to distract you from what God has called you to do.

Get this: even the vision that God has given you, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. I know when I heard it, I was like, "What? Wait a minute." He will even use the vision that God has given you to distract you.

How so? Because what will happen is we will get a vision, and we'll be excited about that vision. Here's where we get off: we get so focused on that vision, we begin making that vision happen. We begin manipulating; we begin getting and doing things that God never called us to do so that we could see the thing happen.

We get in God's way. We begin to help God fulfill the vision for our life as if He needed our help. We get so focused on pursuing the goal; we want to pursue the business, we want to pursue the vision, we want to pursue the corner office, we want to pursue the bonus, we want to pursue the position that we forget why we're doing it.

We forget the why. We're so focused, and the enemy will even use that, that we forget why God has called us to do it, right? We cannot forget the why. The moment that we think we control the vision, we've lost it. The moment we think that we need to help God make it happen, we've lost it.

How many stories have we heard about people who have pursued things that were great, who said that and believed that they had a call from God, and they pursued it, and then it went left? Somewhere along the way, they forgot the why.

In traveling, when I travel full-time, I remember meeting pastors. It never made sense to me. It never made sense to me that I would meet somebody who communicated the word of God and was a shepherd to people, but they were mean and nasty.

Then I would have conversations because I like to play them like, "You know, got why? What got you here?" I'd be turning it around. "What got you here?" And this is what they would say: they would say, "When you've been in ministry long enough, you will encounter people and you will encounter things. You'll encounter some pains; you'll encounter some people who will turn against you. You will encounter some people who lie on you and lie on your name, and it'll make you this way."

And I would say, "But isn't that why we're here? I thought that was in the description." I remember Jesus said, "He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd." Guess what, guys? Sheep bite, and it hurts. But that doesn't mean you're not called to still be a shepherd. Just because you've been bitten, you forgot the why.

Why did you even get into ministry? You forgot the why. You forgot that you were called to people, that you were called to broken people, that you were called to hurt people, that you were called to love people that might even hurt you. You forgot the why.

You forgot that you were called to minister the gospel to people. That's a part of the job; that's the why. Why has God given you the job? Why did God give you the bonus? Why did God give you the finances? Why did God give you the platform? Why did God give you the position?

Please make sure that you don't forget the why, and the why has to always be eternity. He gave you the position so that people could come to know Jesus. He gave you the resources and the finances so that people could come to know Jesus. He gave you the corner office so that you could have a platform so that people could come to know Jesus.

It's always been about eternity. Please do not forget the why. And when God told me this, I was like, "God, that's good! That's good right there!" I need you to show me that in the scripture, though, because it sounds good, but I need to see it.

He said, "Look at Jonah." I was like, "Oh, okay then, look at Jonah." Jonah was a prophet. We read Jonah's story. This wasn't Jonah's first time at bat. Jonah wasn't a new prophet; he didn't just wake up and then God sent him. No, he already had a call and a vision that God had given him that he was walking in.

Yeah, but somewhere along the way, he forgot the why. He forgot the why. Jonah gets called, and God says, "Jonah, I want you to go." Jonah says, "No." God says, "Oh." He gets in the belly of a fish, and you would have thought that if you escaped the mouth of a fish, the belly of a fish, that you probably would have had your act together when you got out of there.

He’s praying; he had to come to Jesus meeting inside the fish. He's like, "God, I was tripping. I'm sorry." He comes out, and you would have thought he would have had it together. Sometimes we’re a little hardheaded. Hallelujah!

He goes and he walks about 20 to 30 miles. He gets there; he delivers the word that God has for him to deliver to the people, and a miraculous thing happens. The people hear the word; they lament, they feel sorry, and they repent for how they've been acting. They turn the whole city around, and they begin to move for God.

Now, you would have thought Jonah would have been throwing a party. He'd be like, "Yeah, Jesus! I did it! Thank you, God! You gave me this gift! So glad that I walked out what you had for me." That's not what he did.

He prayed to the Lord, "Didn't I tell you this was going to happen, Jesus? Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at the house? I told you that this was going to happen. This is why I ran to Tarshish, because I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and great in loving kindness."

Next verse: "And when sinners turned to you, you revoked the sinners of disaster against them. Therefore, just take, just kill me now. Take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live."

And after all of this, Lord, just looking at him, I can imagine just he's crying out. His heart, and this is what the Lord's response: "Do you have a good reason to be angry?"

You really mad right now, huh? You really upset? You big mad? Let me put a cape on you so you can be super mad, okay? He said, "You have a reason to be mad."

So he went, and he goes and calms down because sometimes, you know, sometimes when you're upset, you just need a nap. We save a lot of marriages, husbands. Pay attention: just go take a nap, sit down somewhere, save yourself, okay?

He goes and takes a nap, and God is so gracious that He had a tree come up from the ground with leaves over it to cover him because it was smoldering high in the desert. God said, "Let me take care of you," puts the shade over him, and then overnight, when he wakes up in the morning, God sends an animal to come and eat the entire tree.

I probably would have been gone, but I don't do bugs, let alone ones that can eat trees, all right? So he takes it, and then he starts to complain again. He starts to get upset again; he's angry.

And we meet him again at verse nine. God says to Jonah, "Do you have a reason to be angry about the loss of this plant?" He said, "Yeah, I got a good reason! I'm angry enough to die!"

Then the Lord said, "You had compassion for a plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, a great city where there are more than 120,000 people who don't know the difference between their left and their right and are not yet accountable for sin, as well as many blameless animals?"

So, you had compassion for that tree, but you mad because I had compassion for 120,000 people? Jonah, you've forgotten your why.

See, Jonah is a prophet, and I've been around a prophet for the past 12 years of my life, and I've studied prophets in the Bible. Here are some things that I know about prophets: a prophet's job is to deliver the word of the Lord. A prophet's job is to encourage; a prophet's job is also to rebuke, and a prophet's job is to warn—to send a word of warning.

Now, why would you need to send a word of warning? Because God is a gracious God; He is a loving God. And God should not just be up there like, "Oh, you want to do something wrong? Everybody did." No, He says, "I'm so gracious that I will send anybody and anything I can to get a word to you, to get you to turn from what you're doing. I will send a man from a whole other town, and I will put him in a fish if I have to, to get him here to get you this word so that you can turn."

Why? That's who I am. That's a prophet's job. Somewhere along the way, Jonah forgot why he had gotten the gift. Part of his job was to warn. He didn't want to warn because he knew God was going to be gracious. He didn't want—he forgot the why.

He forgot the why. He knew that God was going to be gracious; he knew that God was going to make a way, but he forgot why he had been given the gift. He got so tied up in the what, tied up in the delivering of the word that he forgot why God called him to deliver the word.

It wasn't so that they would die; it was so that they would turn their hearts to Him. That's right. We look at Mary and Martha's story. We know very, very well that we've gone over Luke chapter 10.

Jesus has come to their home. Now they're on their way. Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching.

But Martha was distracted by much serving. She went up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me!"

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. Martha was consumed with the cooking; she was consumed with the cleaning and the preparations. She was so consumed with the what that she forgot the why.

Jesus was at her house! The Son of God was at her house! The King of the Jews, the Savior of all the world was at her house! Sometimes we can be busy with noble things. It is noble to want the house to be clean and to want the food and the dinner and the things to be prepared.

It's noble to do even noble things. We can be distracted by so much that we forget the why. Jesus was there teaching, sitting in her house, and she missed it. She missed it.

We can miss the why when it comes to vision. We can be assured that our vision is God-given when our why is eternity. When our why is eternity, why am I pursuing this dream? Why am I relentless about this vision? Why am I doing this? The answer should always be because eternity is on the line.

Because eternity is on the line. We have this thing where we're trying to figure out—we have this question, and the question is, "Is it me or is it God?"

Pastor, you don't understand. I'm trying to figure out what God is calling me to do. How do I know whether it's God or whether it's me? One of the ways that you can do that is you can look at your why. Why are you doing it?

It should be so that people can come to know Jesus. Ultimately, there are a lot of things on the way, but the ultimate goal—why am I pursuing this position? Why am I pursuing this business? Why am I pursuing these things? Why? So that I could have an opportunity for people to come to know Jesus.

If that is not your why, you are on the wrong path. I would implore you; I would beseech you, as the Bible says, to stop. Stop now. Go back and seek God and say, "God, somewhere I got off. Somewhere I began pursuing the money; somewhere I began pursuing the accolades; somewhere I began pursuing these other things, but I stopped pursuing eternity. Lord, I apologize. I repent. Put me back on the path that you have for me."

Because what happens is you get there, and you find out that it's empty because you're at the wrong place. You do not want to spend your life pursuing something that doesn't even matter. That doesn't even matter.

There's a quote from Francis Chan. He says, "Our greatest fear should not be a failure but at succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." This is why we should be pursuing God's vision for our life.

I don't want to get to the end and get all the way there and be like empty again. Get to the top; it's lonely. Get to the job; get to the finances; get to all of the things and realize that I spent my life pursuing something that doesn't even matter because along the way, I forgot the why.

I forgot the why. We cannot forget our why, Limitless. We cannot forget our why. Even as the church, we can't forget our why. Everything as Limitless, everything that we do when we're here in this building every Sunday, everything that happens every week, we must remember that our why is eternity.

Our why is eternity. Everything we do here is to increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus, to reach people with the message of Jesus. When we moved in here one year ago, we had one service. We moved to two services. Why? To increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus.

When we started our outreaches, we did The Bash; we did the handouts and the food distribution. Why? To increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus. We started kids' ministry in our first service. Why? To increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus.

We started our auxiliary ministries—our men's on Thursday nights, our women's on Wednesday nights. Why? To increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus. And we're not done yet! We still aren't done. There's more capacity that we have; there's more things that God has called us to do.

God has called us to move forward, and we have a vision. Some of you haven't been here very, very long, but Limitless, we have a vision for our Limitless Life Center. We want to have an opportunity to do what? To increase our capacity to reach people with the message of Jesus.

We need to move next door. We need to move next door because our vision is to reach middle schoolers and high schoolers with the message of Jesus Christ. Because right now, in the city of W, middle schoolers and high schoolers are being attacked like never before.

I've spoken with the chief of police; I've spoken with the city manager, and I said, "What is the biggest problem facing this city right now?" And he said, "Our middle schoolers and high schoolers are being pulled in by gangs and drugs like never before."

Why? Because there's nowhere for them to go. We have a desire to reach those people. We want to be the light for our middle schoolers and our high schoolers here in this city.

And every Sunday, put your seatbelt on, okay? Every Sunday that we sit in these seats is a Sunday that a middle schooler and a high schooler is not being reached because we're supposed to be over there. Yeah, we're supposed to be next door.

We want to minister to them at a level and at a place that they can hear it, they can see it, it's in a way that they can receive it, and that they can come to know Jesus. Sunday mornings, 9 and 11, right here, we're sitting in their seats. We're using their stage right now; I'm using their mic. This is their building, but we're here because we haven't moved next door.

This is why we have to remember the why. I love these chairs; I love this building, but the why is eternity. And if there's a middle schooler and a high schooler's life that's on the line, I have to remain focused on the vision, and that vision is eternity for those kids.

That's what God has called us to, and that's what God has called us to do—to be reminded, to be focused, to not move to the left or to the right. That's what He's called us to do.

Our vision is to get them Jesus by any means necessary—not just Sunday, Monday through Friday. This building, the buildings next door, this building, we want to dedicate it all to ministering to them. Why? So that they can have a safe space that they can come to where they're not feeling pressured to be a part of something.

So they can have a safe voice that can spend time with them and love them for who they are and that can give them godly counsel, that can minister to them the word of God, that can encourage them in everything that God has called them to do—to say, "You know what? I see vision in you. I see purpose in you. God has a plan for your life. You don't have to go to the streets; you don't have to go to drugs. You can be right here. Do your homework over there; go learn about the computers over there; go learn about the studio over there; go learn about these things so that you can be a productive member of society, and most of all, you can grow into a relationship with Jesus."

That's what this is about. That's what the vision of this is. So even as we sit here, we got to remain focused on eternity. It's good that we see; we enjoy. I want you to come to church; I need you to come to church so that you can get an understanding, so that you can get empowered, so that you can get filled up.

But we can't get comfortable in our seat because that's what we do. Let's say, "Hey, this building is fine; it's not ours. Why don't we just stay here?" Because it's not ours! God has called us to move forward. We're not done yet!

This is why it is important that we continue to raise the rest of phase two. Last year, we said $430,000, and we've been working hard to do that. I'm believing God that we can continue to raise that money so that we can continue to be focused on the goal of eternity for the new families that are going to walk in that door, for the people who don't know Jesus that are going to walk in that door, for those who may have fallen away and they're trying to make their way back and they're just not sure, but they say, "You know what? I'm just going to come to church, and I'm just going to see what it's about."

And they come in those doors and they encounter Jesus, and it changes eternity for them. For those people who are going to walk in those doors that are in desperate need of hope, because there are some people that are going to walk in there, and they just want to see what the building looks like.

That's okay! I don't care how you get in there; once I got you in the seat, I got you! You mine now! Why? Because I am assured, I am assured beyond a shadow of a doubt that the presence of God will show up and show out in every single service, and you will get to encounter the presence of God.

I don't care what gets you in the door. Oh, you know many people, "Oh, you know, I used to go here, and I used to go here 20 years ago and 30 years ago, and I had my baptism here and my catechism." I don't care what gets you in the door, but you going to get this Jesus! I bet you that every single time!

Eternity is on the line! But whatever it is that God has called you to do, whether the vision that you feel that God has called and the vision that He’s given you, whatever that might be—husband, wife, entrepreneur, teacher, construction—it don't matter what it is. You cannot forget the why.

The why has to be, it must be in the forefront of everything you do, every decision that you make, every conversation that you have. Every decision, eternity must be the why. Is eternity driving you? Is the ultimate goal salvation and eternity in heaven with God? Because if so, that is a vision that God has gotten behind.

Why am I doing it? I don't know why I'm doing it. I think you need to seek God. Seek God. Seek God. He'll tell you. I told first service, whenever I'm questioning whether God has given me a vision, there are a few things that I go through.

The first one: does it require faith? That's what I ask myself because I'm a creative, and once I get something, I blow it up immediately. By the time I'm finished blowing it up, I don't know whose idea it was—was it mine or was it God?

So I go through this checklist, and the first thing I ask myself is, "Does it require faith?" The second thing I ask myself is, "Does it go against man's natural rhyme or reason?" In other words, does it sound crazy to unbelievers?

1) "We cannot forget our why, Limitless. We cannot forget our why. Even as the church, we can't forget our why. Everything that we do when we're here in this building every Sunday, everything that happens every week, we must remember that our why is eternity. Our why is eternity. Everything we do here is to increase our capacity to reach people for Jesus." [01:16:59 <2_weKtIv1pA>] (Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



2) "We get so focused on pursuing the goal, we want to pursue the business, we want to pursue the vision, we want to pursue the corner office, we want to pursue the bonus, we want to pursue the position that we forget why we're doing it. We forget the why. We're so focused, and the enemy will even use that, that we forget why God has called us to do it." [59:23 <2_weKtIv1pA>] (Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



3) "The why must always be eternity. Philippians 3:12, I'm going to read it out of the message paraphrase, it says, 'I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made, but I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.' Friends, don't get me wrong; by no means do I count myself as an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—towards Jesus." [57:10 <2_weKtIv1pA>] (Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



4) "Every Sunday that we sit in these seats is a Sunday that a middle schooler and a high schooler is not being reached because we're supposed to be over there. We're supposed to be next door. We want to minister to them at a level and at a place that they can hear it, they can see it, it's in a way that they can receive it, and that they can come to know Jesus." [01:19:29 <2_weKtIv1pA>] (Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)



5) "We can miss the why when it comes to vision. We can be assured that our vision is god-given when our why is eternity. Why am I pursuing this dream? Why am I relentless about this vision? Why am I doing this? The answer should always be because eternity is on the line." [01:13:32 <2_weKtIv1pA>] (Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)