Sermon Summary - 10 May 2026
My Daily Pursuit in the Power and Purpose of God
To the people of the world, many things are important, except God. In other words, people want their own wills and their own ideas. War is an example of people bent on exerting their will and pursuing their interest by going to war to achieve their evil intention.
For Christians, our aim must be to live life in pursuit of God’s purpose rather than our own desires. The three steps to do this are: (1) Recognition and Realisation – Seek God. To recognize who Jesus is and realise we need to seek Him for His sustenance to live according to His purpose. (2) Requirement – A Whole Heart. It is required of us to do according to God’s Word and not to what ‘I’ want. (3) Result – God’s Mercy. The result is God’s mercy entering and transforming our life.
The Recognition and Realisation: Seek Him Now
People disagree with God because of their own idea and thinking. For example, many think that if God is good there should be no suffering in this world. Acknowledgement of God comes by recognition of Him as the Sovereign God. It might take time for us to come to the point of recognition of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the impulsive disciple, Simon Peter, took some time to come to the point of recognising Who Jesus is with these words: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69). Recognition of Jesus comes through the Word
of God.
Realisation is coming to our senses. An example is the prodigal son in the parable in Luke 15:17-20, who came to his senses and returned to his father. We need the realisation of the day of reckoning that everyone faces (Hebrews 9:27). Without Jesus, we are only existing and waiting for the day of judgment. With Jesus, we truly live and our judgment will not be for salvation but for our life (how we live). Realisation is repentance and walking back to the Father.
The Result: God’s Mercy (Naham)
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7, NKJV) These verses in Isaiah 55 says that when we forsake our wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, and return to the Father, we will experience God’s mercy.
When we read of God’s mercy, it does not mean that He changed His mind, but rather He revisits our circumstances when we repent, and applies mercy and forgiveness of our sins. He replaces our broken sinful life with what is pleasing to Him.
In pursuing to live in the purpose of God, one thing we clearly need is the Word of God. The Word is like daily bread for us. We need to feed on it daily for the Word of God to direct our way and influence our thoughts. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17).
Let us turn away from self-willed living and not be like the world that lives by “I want” and “My way”. Let us forsake wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, and return to the Lord for His mercy to transform our life.
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