THE BENEFITS OF PURPOSE

Matthew chapter 12




Today we are walking in: The Benefits Of Purpose




Job 33:17

That he may withdraw man from his purpose H6213, and hide pride from man.





purpose








Today we look to the word-PURPOSE- H6213 ’asah--to do, work, make, produce; to act, act with effect, effect








The Torah testifies...............

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The prophets proclaim..................






Isaiah 14:26

This is the purpose H6213 that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.









The writings bear witness...........................






Ecclesiates 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose H6213 under the heaven:







AT that time Yahusha went on the Shabbath through the fields; and his Talmidiym were hungry, and began to pluck the heads of grain, and to eat. But when the Parashiym saw it, they said unto him, Behold, your Talmidiym do that את which is not Lawful to do upon the Shabbath. But he said unto them, Have ye not read את what David did, when he was hungry, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of Elohiym, and did eat the showbread, which was not Lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the Torah, how that on the Shabbaths the priests in the Temple profane the Shabbaths, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the Temple. But if ye had known what this means, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned את the guiltless. For Yahuah is the essence, and the Shabbath; the Son of A'dam. And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it Lawful to heal on the Shabbaths? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Shabbath, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is Lawful to do well on the Shabbaths. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Yesha`yahu, which says, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should turn back, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For amein I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see את those things which ye את see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye את therefore the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it; Yet has he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Elohiym is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the house came and said unto him, Adonai, did not you sow good seed in your field? from whence then has it tares? He said unto them, An enemy has done this. The servants said unto him, Will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spoke he unto them; The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. All these things spoke Yahusha unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled את which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. Then Yahusha sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his Talmidiym came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that sows the good seed is the Son of A'dam; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of A'dam shall send forth his angels, and את they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do transgress the Torah; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who has ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Yahusha said unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Adonai. Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which brings forth out of his treasure things new and old. And it came to pass, that when Yahusha had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so much so that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Miryam? and his brethren, Ya`aqov, and Yoceph, and Shim`on, and Yahudah? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then has this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Yahusha said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. MATTITHYAHU (MATTHEW) 12:1-58 את CEPHER

The Benefits of Purpose




Without purpose, life is subjective.




Go with me in your imagination to a marina where large yachts come and go. As we arrive, you see a man standing on the wharf looking out to the sea. Youngsters surround him, fighting among themselves and periodically complaining that they are hungry. After a few minutes the man looks at his watch, then resumes looking beyond the harbor to the open sea. Ten or fifteen minutes pass and the children become more insistent in their demands to go home to supper. Finally, in the distance, a boat becomes a mere speck on the horizon.




As you watch the boat, it becomes evident that it is a white yacht with a large red flag on the stern. By now the man is smiling. He too has seen the boat with the red flag. As the sound of the boat becomes more audible and the name on the side visible, the man turns to the children in excitement. “She’s coming. Mommy’s coming!”




At that the children look at the man in surprise, for they did not know that they had been waiting for Mommy. Immediately, they too begin to cheer and to shout to the people in the boat. As a slender woman emerges from the lower deck and climbs onto the wharf, she is swept into the corporate embrace of the joyous man and the clamoring children. The wait has ended and purpose has been fulfilled.




This word picture illustrates some of the benefits of known purpose. They are advantages that bless those who choose to find and obey Yah’s predetermined will for their lives.




Confidence




First, purpose gives confidence. It assures us that what we are doing is the right thing. Thus, even though the object of the man’s wait was not visible when he arrived at the wharf, he obviously expected his reason for being there to be fulfilled, for he waited until the yacht pulled into the harbor and his wife greeted him before he turned to go.




This same confidence due to an understanding of purpose was seen in the life of Yahusha. The Gospel of Matthew tells a story in which Yahusha healed a man who was blind and mute because he had a demon. When the religious leaders saw that Yahusha had the power to cast out demons, they accused Him of receiving His power from Beelzebul, the chief of demons.

Yahusha, unperturbed by their charges, used the image of a country or a family fighting within itself to show the falsehood of their allegations.




Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. ...You say that I drive out demons because Beelzebul gives Me the power to do so. Well, then, who gives your followers the power to drive them out? What your own followers do proves that you are wrong! No, it is not Beelzebul, but Yah’s Ruach, who gives Me the power to drive out demons, which proves that the Kingdom of Yah has already come upon you (Matthew 12:25,27-28 GN).




Confident in His Yah-given purpose, Yahusha insisted that His power came from Yah, not satan. This same confidence in the power of the Ruach HaKadesh in His life was visible when Yahusha addressed the congregation in the synagogue at Nazareth.




The Ruach of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. ...Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:18-19,21).




Talk about confidence. By applying the words of the prophet Isaiah to Himself, Yahusha boldly proclaimed that He was the Messiah. Oh, He didn’t actually say that, but His listeners certainly would have made the connection. Knowledge of purpose gave Yahusha the confidence to pursue His Yah-given tasks.




The same confidence is available to us. When we know what Yah intends for our lives, we can get on with it, assured that our work is not in vain. The Scriptures state that Yah’s purpose will prevail (Proverbs 19:21), His purpose will stand (Isaiah 14:24; 46:10), and all His purposes are established forever (Psalm 33:11). In essence, when you discover Yah’s purpose for your life, you can be confident and persuaded that you will succeed. This confidence will also inspire the trust of others. Purpose is the key to confidence.




When you discover Yah’s purpose for your life, you can be confident and persuaded that you will succeed.



Protection




Second, purpose provides protection. In some ways this benefit of purpose is an extension of the first, because purpose gives the confidence that nothing can harm us until our purpose is finished. This includes not only the physical mishaps that might occur, but also the fear, worry and distractions with which the adversary may attempt to deter us from completing our purpose.




Thus, in the word picture with which we began the chapter, the purpose of meeting his wife protected the man from the distraction of the children that surrounded him. Had he been unsure which night the yatch was to arrive, he might have given in to the children’s insistence that he leave the wharf and take them home to supper.




This protection occasioned by purpose is also visible in the life of Yahusha. One day, Yahusha and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm arose that threatened to sink the boat. Yahusha was asleep.




The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. “Where is your faith?” He asked His disciples (Luke 8:24-25).




Yahusha couldn’t die by drowning in a storm. That was not His destiny. His Father had sent Him to die on a cross for the salvation of mankind. No mere storm was going to interfere with that purpose. Therefore, He was protected from death by stoning and drowning because of the purpose of the cross. Purpose is your defense against premature death.




The same protection is available to all who know their Yah-given purpose, because Yah’s purposes always prevail. Once Yah tells you His purpose for your life, relax. He’s already told your predestination, so no matter how much pressure comes or how many problems threaten you, they cannot overcome you. When you know and live within Yah’s will for your life, you are invincible until your purpose here is finished. Purpose doesn’t make life easy. It makes it possible.



Perseverance




Third, purpose empowers perseverance. For the man on the wharf, purpose kept him standing, looking out to sea. As the minutes passed and there was neither the sound of a motor nor the sight of a boat on the horizon, purpose enabled him to wait for the desired end. He was not deterred from p hysically seeing that which he had envisioned.




Perseverance in the face of a seemingly desperate and hopeless situation kept alive the dreams of a biblical character named Joseph. The favored son of Jacob, Joseph was hated by his brothers. This animosity increased when Joseph had a dream and shared it with his brothers.




“Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” (Genesis 37:6-8)




We observe here that Joseph was envisioning his purpose for life. As a teenager he discovered his purpose.

Joseph’s brothers became even more jealous when he had a second dream that he told to them and to their father.

“Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me” (Genesis 37:9).




Although Jacob rebuked his son, he remembered what Joseph had said.




One day when his brothers were grazing their father’s sheep, Joseph went to see how they were doing. When they saw him coming, his brothers plotted to kill him. One brother, however, convinced the rest to throw him into a dry well there in the desert. When a band of traders came along, another brother suggested that they sell him into slavery. Thus, Joseph went to the land of Egypt as a slave.




In Egypt he was sold to the Egyptian captain of the guard, whose wife accused Joseph of improper behavior toward her because he would not allow himself to be seduced by her. That landed him in jail, where he was soon put in charge of everything that happened there.




Some time later two Egyptian officials household were emprisoned with Joseph because they had displeased the king. Each had a dream that Joseph interpreted for them. What Joseph foretold came true, although the official who was released forgot all about Joseph.




Two years later, Pharaoh also had a dream. None of his magicians or wise men could tell him what it meant. Then the official who had been in jail remembered Joseph and spoke of him to the Pharaoh. Joseph was thus brought from prison to interpret Pharaoh's dream.




When Joseph was able to tell Pharaoh the meaning of his dream, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of the preparations for the drought that he had foreseen. Thus, many years after he had dreamed it, Joseph’s dream came true. His brothers came to Egypt to buy food. Not recognizing him, they bowed down before him when they were ushered into his presence, for Joseph was governor of the land and the one who sold grain to its people. In time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and told them that Yah had sent him ahead of them to Egypt to spare their lives and that of their father and their families. So, many years after Yah revealed His purpose to Joseph, the dream was fulfilled (Genesis 37; 39-46:7).




Many of us would have been very discouraged by the events in Joseph’s life. But the memory of his dreams strengthened Joseph throughout the humiliation of being sold as a slave and the injustice of being imprisoned. His Yah-given purpose enabled him to use the opportunities that were before him and to cling to the vision he had received.




The same is possible whenever a person finds and acts on his destiny. Though the obstacles may be many and hard, purpose will ultimately triumph. Very often these hardships are part of the journey toward the fulfillment of purpose because they provide necessary experiences for the task ahead. Purpose, when it is seen and believed, can motivate us to keep on keeping on, no matter what.




If you are convinced that what you are doing is Yah’s purpose and will for your life, then no prison, pit or Pharoah can stop you. Stand firm in the face of adversity and persevere with a passion for your purpose.



Objectivity




Fourth, purpose introduces and maintains objectivity. It permits a view of life that looks beyond the apparent surroundings and the obvious pitfalls. Undaunted by the other boats that must have entered and departed from the harbor that day, the man on the wharf expected more than he saw. This hopeful attitude that looks beyond the evident problems in a situation is also observable in the life of the prophet Elisha.



When the countries of Syria and Israel were at war and the king of Syria had set up camp in a certain place, Elisha warned the king of Israel not to go there, for he would be ambushed. After this happened several times, the king of Syria called his officers together and asked them who was on the enemy’s side. One of them told the king that the prophet Elisha was telling the king of Israel where the Syrians set up camp. So the king ordered his men to find Elisha, so he could be captured.




When the report came to the king that Elisha was in a certain city, the king sent a large force of horses and chariots to surround the city by night. When Elisha’s servant saw the armies surrounding the city the next morning, he expressed his fear to Elisha.




“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:16- 17).




Although Elisha’s servant became fearful at the sight of the surrounding armies, Elisha saw something that his servant could not. That preserved him from fear and gave him an objective view of the entire situation. Elisha also knew that it was not yet time for him to die. No one was going to kill him before the Lord had gotten everything from him that He had purposed. Therefore, Elisha looked beyond the physical realm with the eyes of faith and cooperated with the Lord’s plans, and the enemy became helpless in his hands.




The same is true in your life. When you are within Yah’s purposes, your enemies are powerless to move you until Yah allows you to be moved. What you see in the natural is not all there is. Yah works for those who trust Him completely and expectantly. In essence, purpose protects you from being distracted by other people’s assignments, good activities, unrelated works and company. Purpose keeps you focused.



Contentment




Fifth, purpose sustains contentment. It sup p orts a tranquility that refuses to be ruffled by the changing circumstances and states that pass through our lives. This peace that reaches beyond turmoil was evident in the watchful presence of the man on the wharf. He refused to allow either the quarreling children or the delay of the yatch to change his course.

This calm reliance upon a determined purpose is also evident in the life of the apostle Paul.




... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:11-13).




It was also Paul who confidently said: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion ...” (Philippians 1:6)




This testimony of calm assurance reveals the attitude of a man of purpose. This was not a man whose path was smooth, for Paul endured hardships that would throw many of us into despair. But Paul knew what Yah had ordained for his life. The obstacles that cropped up along the way could not deter him from completing all that Yah had given him to do, because his sufficiency lay in the Lord.




Purpose thus enabled Paul to cope with a myriad of hardships and blessings because of his contentment in the all-encompassing care of Yah. He recognized the inner peace he enjoyed as the gift of the Yah who enabled him to meet all life’s circumstances with the same trusting perspective. He learned not to sweat the little things as long as the overall picture furthered Yah’s will and plan.




This unwavering journey toward a predestined end is possible for all who find and pursue Yah’s purpose for their lives. Purpose both sets a course after determining the end and encourages the traveler along the way. This gift of contentment is a primary benefit of purpose, for it lifts us above the everyday disappointments and trials that would hinder our progress toward the desired end. If you know that what you are doing is Yah’s purpose for your life, relax, because He is the Author and Finisher of your life and destiny.



Joy




Sixth, purpose creates joy. It occasions the spontaneous affirmations that both precede and follow the successful completion of a desired end. The joy of both the husband and his children knew no bounds as the moment for which they had waited drew near. The surprise and delight of the children, who had not known the purpose for the sojourn on the wharf, particularly reveals the joy of purpose as it motivated them to forget their hunger and whining in the more delightful prospect of reaching that for which they had waited.




The New Testament shows that life illuminated by purpose can erupt into joy even in the worst of circumstances. Paul and Silas had been beaten and thrown into jail for healing “a slave girl who had a Ruach by which she predicted the future” (Acts 16:16). Her angry owners, seeing the end of the fortunes the girl had brought them, seized Paul and Silas and charged them with creating an up roar in the city by promoting customs that were unlawful for Romans to follow. Now, with bleeding backs and feet secured in stocks, Paul and Silas were imprisoned in an inner cell.




“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to Yah, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25). As their thoughts turned to the One whose call on their lives had gotten them into this mess, the joy of knowing and serving the Lord overshadowed the desperateness of their physical situation. The sufficiency of their position within the will of Yah bubbled up within them and burst forth in song. Nothing, not even a dank, filthy Roman jail, could remove the satisfaction of living within the Yah-ordained purpose for their lives.




This joy in the midst of hell is the hallmark of those who have truly found Yah’s purpose for their lives and have committed themselves to cooperating with it. They have learned that Yah will move the jail if necessary to permit them to accomplish everything that He has established for them. Such assurance produces a satisfaction that cannot be stolen. Purpose produces joy in those who are wholeheartedly committed to the way of the Lord.






Intercession of the Ruach HaKadesh




Finally, commitment to personal purpose brings the power of the Ruach’s intercession on our behalf.




In the same way, the Ruach helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Ruach Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Ruach, because the Ruach intercedes for the saints in accordance with Yah’s will. And we know that in all things Yah works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:26-28).




What power. Purpose has the capacity to lift you above your worries because the Ruach Himself is praying for you. You’re worrying and He’s praying. He’s praying for you to get what you need to fulfill Yah’s purpose for your life. That’s the key, because Yah works in the lives of those who are committed to His purposes.




If you entrust yourself completely to His will for your life, He promises you that He will take everything and use it for the accomplishment of His purpose. Nobody will move you until Yah says it’s time to move. Your days are wrapped in His protecting love and concern.




Thus, the advantages that purpose brings are wrapped in this final and encomp assing benefit. When the Ruach intercedes in your behalf and you are committed to the purposes of Yah, Yah is obligated to act for your good. That is the most wondrous blessing of knowing your purpose and living within it.




PRINCIPLES




1. Purpose gives confidence.




2. Purpose provides protection.




3. Purpose empowers perseverance.




4. Purpose introduces and maintains objectivity.




5. Purpose sustains contentment.




6. Purpose creates joy.




7. Purpose brings the intercession of the Ruach HaKadesh into our lives.