Pastor Rick Warren often says you were made by God and for God, and
until you understand that, life will never make sense. Welcome to Pastor Rick's
Daily Hope. Today. In our series called God's Vision for the Rest of
your Life, Rick continues in his effort to help you discover the unique purpose
and vision that the Lord has for your life. Now, before we get
started, we want to let you know that a very generous friend has given
one hundred thousand dollars matching grant to Daily Hope. That means that all this
month, every dollar you give to help Daily Hope share the hope of Jesus
around the world will be matched up to one hundred thousand dollars. You can
find out more by going to Pastorick dot com or by texting the word daily
to eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four. That's Pastorick dot com,
or the word daily to a hundred six hundred five thousand and four. Right
now, here's Pastor Rick Warren with the final part of a message called Embracing
the Vision the purpose driven Life. Now, when you get to heaven,
you're gonna love God in heaven, So he wants you to practice now.
You're gonna love other people in heaven, so he wants you to practice now.
You're gonna grow spiritually in heaven, so he wants you to practice now.
And you're gonna serve God in heaven, so he wants you to practice
now. Now, some of you have a misunderstanding of what you're gonna do
in heaven. You think that when you get to heaven, you're gonna wear
a white robe, sit on a cloud and play a harp. Folks,
that would be hell. I can't think of anything more boring. If that's
heaven, No thanks God. But think about this. Think of all the
thrills, all the fun things you can do on this Earth, and this
is an perfect planet and God created this. Think how much fun on all
the thrills it's gonna be in heaven. I mean, if look at all
the fun stuff there is to do on Earth and this is imperfect, in
heaven, it's gonna be a blast. I mean. There, you can
do all these bike flips like these you know guys do and never crack up.
You can serve the big waves and never wipe out. It's gonna be
unbelievably fun. But one of the things you're gonna do in heaven is served
serve God. Now here's the fourth purpose of life. To serve God by
serving others. You serve God by serving others. You see, on earth
it's impossible to serve God directly. You can't serve him directly. The only
way you can serve God on earth is by serving other people. So anytime
you help somebody else, God says, it's like you're doing it for me.
You're practicing on earth what you're gonna do in heaven. When you are
unselfish and you stop living this little self centered, clawed of a life and
you start saying, I'm going to help other people with my wife, God
says, now you're getting the point. You're practicing what you're gonna do in
eternity. We served God by serving others. We saw a dramatic example of
this just this last week with Ashley in Atlanta. Ashley was going through she
was a part of a church that's doing forty days of Purpose and she was
going through the Purpose Driven Life book and she went out one morning about one
am in the morning go get some cigarettes. Had no idea that as she
was walking back into her house, Brian was gonna stick up gun in her
back and say open the door. And he took her hostage. He took
her inside her house, tied her up, and put her in the bathtub,
and it looked like it was going to be murder number five. But
Ashley had been reading about God's purpose for her life, and she told Brian,
you know you're not an accident and God has a purpose for your life,
and you were made to last forever, and God wants you to practice
on earth what you're going to do forever in eternity. And it started to
sink in. He goes, God has a purpose for me. Yes,
in spite of all the stuff I've done. Yes, there is no pit
too deep that God's love is not deeper. Still, God could reach out
to me. I've already killed some people. Yes, what could my purpose
be? Well, I don't know. But you know what, if you
turn yourself in, you go to prison. You may die for the people
you killed. But as long as your heart is beating, God has a
purpose for your life. And it could be in that prison that he wants
you to serve other people. And then Ashley not only told him that,
she said, can I read it to you? And he said sure,
so he untied her, and she went and got her Bible and got a
copy of The Purpose Driven Life, and it just so happened. She was
on day thirty three, which is on how leaders, how real servants act,
and she read about how we are to serve God by serving each other,
and she even then practiced it. And she got up and she made
this guy breakfast. She served him and it melted his heart, and he
turned around and served her by fixing some curtains for her. And then she
convinced him to turn himself in and to let her go, and the killing
spree was stopped. Now you may think, well, I'm too far beyond
for God. I've done too many things in my life wrong. I've gone
too many years without a relationship with God. It's too late. You are
dead wrong. You're dead wrong. That's why God brought you here today.
He wants you to know Him in a personal way. Now, number five,
we got to move quickly. This is the fifth purpose. God made
me for a mission. God made me for a mission. Thank you so
much for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. We've got some incredible news to
share with you. A very generous friend has given a one hundred thousand dollars
matching grant to this ministry all this month, every dollar you give to help
Daily Hope share the certain Hope of Jesus around the world will be matched up
to one hundred thousand dollars, So twenty five dollars becomes fifty dollars, fifty
becomes one hundred and five hundred becomes a thousand. Whatever you give will be
doubled by the matching grant up to one hundred thousand dollars, but only till
midnight December thirty first, so please contact us today go to Pastorick dot com
or just call eight hundred six hundred five thousand and four. If you want
to make your time in prayer the best it can be, then you're going
to want to get a copy of the brand new twenty twenty one Daily Hope
Prayer Journal. This year's theme, God's Great Adventure for You, will help
you tap into God's power and presents when you learn how to pray with passion
and purpose. Covered in soft vegan leather with full color pages, this prayer
journal has sections to pray for specific people and situations, as well as space
to express your gratitude and personal prayer requests to God. Each page is beautifully
designed and filled with inspiring Bible verses, photos, and artwork. The God's
Great Adventure for You Prayer Journal is a spiritual growth tool designed to help you
enjoy a vibrant prayer life, connect with God, and establish consistent daily prayer
time. When you give a gift to help daily Hope take the certain Hope
of Jesus to people around the world, we'll send you the all new twenty
twenty one Daily Hope Prayer Journal to say thanks. Quantities are limited, so
don't wait. Call eight hundred and six hundred five zero zero four to get
your Prayer Journal and have your gift matched up to one hundred thousand dollars.
Or you can visit Pastorick dot com. That's eight hundred and six hundred at
five zero zero four or Pastorick dot com. You're listening to Pastor Rick's Daily
Hope once again. Here's Pastor Rick Warren. Jesus said this, in the
same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them
a mission in the world. Should you decide to accept, mister Phelps.
God has a unique mission in the world that He has asked for you,
and only you can fulfill it. If you do not choose to fulfill it,
the world gets cheated. And that's what we're going to go into in
the next several weeks. Look at the next verse. Read it with me.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. Now, friends,
this is true in every area of life. When there's no vision in a
business, the business falls apart. When there's no vision in a family,
on our marriage, the marriage falls apart. When there's no vision in a
nation, the nation falls apart. When there's no vision in your personal life,
you drift through life. God doesn't want you drifting through life. He
wants you to live a life of purpose and power and significance and meaning,
and he wants you to get on with his plan. But it's we're going
to talk about this the next four weeks. We're going to talk about experiencing
the vision, expecting the vision, enjoying the vision, expanding your vision,
and even energizing your vision. But it starts today. It starts with you
embracing God's vision for your life. What does that mean? It says God,
You say, God, I've been doing my plan for long enough,
and it hadn't worked out. I've had my plans for my life and it's
caused a lot of stress, a lot of tension, a lot of fatigue.
I've had some heartbreaks, I've had some dead ends. I've had things
not turning out the way I thought they were going to turn out. So
God, I wasn't put on this planet anyway to live my plan. I'm
switching to your plan today. I'm switching to your purposes which you put me
on this planet for. So I am embracing your vision for my life.
That's the first step. Notice what the Bible says, those who embrace my
ways are most blessed. Have you done that? Have you said to God,
God, I'm going to stop living my way and I'm going to start
living your way for the purposes that you put me on this planet for in
getting me ready for eternity. I am embracing your purposes for my life.
They said, why should I do that? I'm living the good life,
And it's true, you are living the good life. I've been in Africa
and Kenya and Uganda and Rwanda, working with orphans orphaned by AIDS and those
orphaned by the genocide in Rwanda. And believe me, you're living the good
life. They weren't. Those kids would love to have your problems. They'd
love it. And because you live in southern California, you are living the
good life. There's only one problem with the good life. It isn't good
enough. It isn't good enough. It's a shallow, superficial life. The
good life is all about looking good, feeling good, and having the goods,
and that is a shallow, superficial life. It has nothing to do
with doing good or being good. And you were made for more. Now,
if there was a life that was better than the good life, would
you be interested in it? I would think you would if there was a
step up, that there was more than just a good life. But that's
not the ultimate in life. The ultimate is the better life. Wouldn't you
want to know about it? Well, of course you would. The Bible
says Jesus included everyone in his death so everyone could be included in his life,
a far better life, not just a good life, a better life
than people could ever live on their own. That's the life that God offers
you today, not the good life, the better life. How do you
get started? Run? This better life, a life of purpose and peace
and power. You open your eyes. The next verse says this, open
your eyes and see how good God is. Blessed are you who run to
him. I want you to pray a little prayer, say God, I'm
running to you. I'm opening my eyes. I'm now switching from my plan
for my life to your purposes for my life. I hope I now you've
realized you're not here by accident. This morning, a thousand years before you
were born, God planned for you to be at Saddleback Church so we could
get you to slow down long enough that he could just get your attention and
say to you, you matter to me. You're not an accident. I
planned you before, I planned the foundation of the world. I made you
to last forever. I want you to live with me forever. I want
you and my family. I know everything about you and still love you,
and I want you to know and love me back. And I want you
to grow up spiritually, and I want you to learn to be unselfish and
serve others. And I have a mission for your life. But you got
to step across the line and say, Okay, God, I'm embracing your
vision. For my life. I'm not going with my plan anymore. I'm
going with your purposes. And that's why you're here today. This last week,
when I got backed from Africa, a lot had been going on in
America, and I did twelve national network TV interviews this last week, and
they all wanted to know the same thing. They said, Rick, is
there a common denominator spiritually between the killings in Minnesota, the hostage taking in
Atlanta, and the Terry Shivo case in Florida, And of course I said
there is. Everybody needs a reason for hope, the fundamental emotional need of
everybody is a legitimate reason for hope, not a phony, false reason,
but a real reason for hope. And when people feel hopeless, they act
in hopeless ways. They become advocates of death. As in all three cases.
You see, you can go about forty days without food, and you
can go about eight or ten days without water, You can go maybe a
minute or two without air, but you cannot exist without hope. So let
me ask you a very personal question on what are you basing your hope on?
What are you basing your hope? Everybody is betting their lives on something,
and I have no doubt in a crowd this size. Some of you
came in here today feeling hopeless about some area of your life. I'm never
gonna get out of debt. You're hopeless about your finances. I'm never gonna
get married, We're never gonna have a baby. I'm never gonna reach my
dream. I'm never gonna see this problem resolve. I'm never gonna feel any
better. And you feel hopeless about some area. In fact, there's some
of you, I'm sure who are even feeling like throwing in the towel in
your own life. Don't do it. God's purpose for your life is greater
than the problem you are. Faith right now, and Jesus Christ offers you
the invitation of a lifetime. Listen to this. Jesus says, are you
tired, worn out, burned out on religion? Come to me for real
rest, and you'll recover your life, and you'll learn to live freely and
lightly. Look at the next verse. It makes no difference who you are
or where you're from. If you want God and you're ready to do as
he says, the door is open now. I love this because he says,
I'm not offering you religion religion is not the answer, folks. Jesus
didn't come to give your religion. He said, I came to give you
life, not rules, religion, restrictions, rituals, but to give you
a relationship. You were made for a relationship with God. And I don't
care what your religious background is. You may be Catholic, you may be
Protestant, you may be Jewish or Muslim, or Mormon, or Buddhist or
Baptist, or no religion at all. That it really doesn't matter. What
matters is do you have a relationship with God, who loves you and sent
his son to die for you on the cross. And it doesn't matter what
your background is, And it doesn't matter what you've done. What matters is
the direction of your feet and what they're headed. Now, it doesn't even
matter if you have doubts. I wish somebody had told me a long time
ago that I could become a believer in Jesus and still have doubts. I
would have done it a whole lot sooner. I used to think I had
to figure out everything in the Bible before I could become a follower of Christ.
Well that's ridiculous. I mean, I don't understand the chemistry of digestion.
That doesn't stop me from eating a steak. I don't understand how internal
combustion works. That doesn't stop me from having a car. There are a
lot of things in life that I benefit from without knowing how they work,
like a cell phone and the Internet, and a lot of stuff that I
enjoyed that I don't have to know exactly how it all works. Now,
I've been a follower of Jesus Christ for over forty years, and there's still
things in this book I don't understand and go, WHOA, Why did God
say that? That doesn't make sense? And I don't know why. But
I know God is God and I'm not. And if I could figure it
out, i'd be God. But it hasn't stopped me from having a forty
year relationship and friendship with God and living a life of meaning and purpose and
significance. And all I know is that when I said I'm giving up my
plan for your purposes, my life got better dramatically. And that's your invitation
to let's bow our heads and as we close, I want to pray for
you, and I want to lead you in a prayer. Father. I
know that there's some here who've been living the good life, not realizing that
there's a far better life, a life of purpose. Forgive us all for
shallow living, thinking that the only thing is life is only about collecting possessions
or having pleasure, achieving popularity. I pray that today many will step across
the line to the better life, a life of purpose and power and peace.
Now you pray, doesn't matter the words you say. Just say it
in your mind. Just say yes to God. But if you don't know
what to pray, you can say these words. Just follow me in your
mind. Say Dear God, just say it in your mind. Dear God.
I don't know if I've ever said this, but thank you. Thank
you for creating me and loving me. I want to fulfill the purposes that
you made me for, so starting today, I want to get to know
you and love you and trust you. And I want my life to bring
you pleasure. And I want to become a part of your family. Help
me to grow up spiritually like your son, Jesus. I want to use
the life you've given me to serve you by serving others. Thank you for
sending Jesus to die for me in the weeks ahead. Help me to understand
your vision and mission for the rest of my life. Amen. Hi,
everybody, this is Rick and I hope you enjoyed today's broadcast. You know,
if you just I prayed that prayer for the very first time, or
you just recommitted your life to Jesus again today, would you let me know
about it. There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me Rick
at pastor Rick dot com and say, Rick, I prayed that prayer of
commitment, I gave my life to Christ. And I'll send you some material
that will help you on your journey with Jesus. And I'll also pray for
you. God bless you. Thank you so much for listening to Pastor Rick's
Daily Hope. We've got some incredible news to share with you. A very
generous friend has given a one hundred thousand dollars matching grant to this ministry.
That means that all this month, every dollar you give to help Daily Hope
share the certain Hope of Jesus around the world will be matched up to one
hundred thousand dollars. Here's Pastor Rick to tell you more. Jesus told his
disciples that they should live their lives according to five specific purposes. He said,
you've got to love God with all your heart. That's worship. And
love your neighbors yourself. That's ministry. That's called the Great Commandment. And
then Jesus said, go make disciples. That's evangelism. Baptize them into the
Family of God. That's fellowship, a sign of fellowship. And then he
said, teach them obey everything I've taught you. That's discipleship. And we
call that the Great Commission. We believe it daily hope that a great commitment
to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will produce a great Christian, a
great church, a great company, a great community. You know, I
started Daily Hope so I could spread the good news about Jesus, not just
across America, but all around the world. And we want people to know
that God's word is filled with hope and truth, and the power that we
need to follow him every day is available to every single one. You know
as well as I do, that the Word of God changes lives. It's
alive, it's active, and it breathes new life and new love into all
of our lives. So wherever you listen to this, whether you listen on
the website, whether you listen on a radio station or whether you listen to
a podcast, You're a part of the Daily Hope family, and I need
your help. We could not do this without your support. Now, you
know, I don't take any funds from this broadcast. We don't have any
giant, million dollar donor who's giving big gifts to this. It comes from
daily donations from listeners like you. We're one hundred percent listener funded. Would
you continue to pray for this broadcast and would you continue to support us?
And let write to me, let me hear from you. I absolutely love
reading the stories that are sent to me. So write me, pray for
me, and support this ministry, and God will bless it, and God
will bless you, and we'll get to heaven, and we'll thank God for
all the people going to be in heaven because you cared all this month.
Every dollar you give to help Daily Hope share the certain Hope of Jesus around
the world will be matched up to one hundred thousand dollars. So twenty five
dollars becomes fifty dollars, fifty becomes one hundred and five hundred becomes a thousand
Whatever you give will be doubled by the matching grant up to one hundred thousand
dollars, but only till midnight, December thirty first. Anything not matched will
be lost, so please contact us today. You can give right now by
going to pastorig dot com or by calling eight hundred six hundred five thousand four.
We'll say thanks by sending you the brand new Daily Hope Prayer Journal that's
Pastorrick dot com or call eight hundred six hundred five thousand four. Be sure
to join us again next time as we look into God's word for our daily
hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and your generous financial support.