Remember all those messages about performance-oriented Christians? They had positive and negative ramifications:
(+) It did identify dead works, legalism, and self-righteous-do-gooders.
(–) But it also shamed believers out of tangible Purpose, something you DO!
(–) We were supposed to bathe in Father’s presence, sit on His lap, and love Him without works.
(–) We all treasured the spiritual and ethereal over the practical and the results (in business).
(–) We were prone not to celebrate the business Mountain; we viewed it all as carnal when it wasn’t.
The big lie in the performance message about letting go and letting God is that we all share a common corporate purpose as one loving body. Pressing for the mark of your high calling, initiative, and work were all diminished as carnal. The premium was on passivity and service, not passion and sonship. Servants mindlessly maintained the one-size-fits-all religious principles of evangelism, missions, personal transformation, health, wealth, and church planting/growth. We didn’t seek God for Purpose because we thought we already had it in the principles. (See the paradox of self-righteousness?)
Many Called, Few Chosen? – Life and life more abundantly in the Kingdom flow from a unique purpose. Our calling is an invitation from Father where the response from sons requires initiative to clarify it and work to implement it! Sons feel chosen by God “when” they have clarity on their unique Purpose and start doing it. Think of making a cultural difference through a vocation or business. Our spiritual life, vitality, and enthusiasm come from sharing our Father’s Purpose and doing even greater works. Father’s Purpose flows out of the desires of my heart because He wrote it there. Doesn’t that sound like dreams coming true? That’s the genius and the fun of the Kingdom. We get to make a difference and participate in a Reformation of People, Businesses, Communities, and Nations!
Jn 4:32 – I have food to eat that you know nothing about (Jesus’ ministry to the woman at the well)
- Purpose: doing what Father is doing feeds our hearts, causes rejoicing, life, and enthusiasm.
- The light and life are not ethereal – it’s your purpose/book that’s real.
- You can be excited about your story,
- When you know what it is.
- Father raised you up and seated us with him in heavenly realms (Eph 2:6, Council to hear Purpose)
You are God’s handiwork, created to do works Father prepared in advance (Eph 2:10, Do Purpose)
The progression from called to chosen goes through three stages of maturity:
- We feel called (invited) when we know something about our purpose from the Council.
- We feel chosen (favored) when we put that purpose into practice, bringing heaven to earth.
Because it’s the anointing/favor that breaks the yoke, Co-laboring with Father - We feel faithful (rewarded) when we finish the works God gave us to do, the applause of heaven.
Rev 17:14 – They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them,
for he is Lord of lords and King of kings,
and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. ESV
Where is Purpose Made Clear? – The practical question is, How do I find my unique Purpose? How do I seek God and get an answer without substituting that multiple-choice bag of religious principles?
The traditional answer is the Holy Spirit will speak to you. He will speak and give you a word if you ask and are attentive. That word from the Holy Spirit is really an invitation (a calling) to a larger conversation in the Father’s Council. All the specifics of your Purpose and how to implement it over a lifetime come from routine conversations with Father on His turf in the Council. Our Purpose flows from some strategic and unique aspect of doing what Father does (Jn 5:19). The invitation to calling implies ascending to hear and see what it is!
Are you that hungry? Are you willing to move from words to conversations in the Council with Father, Jesus, and the Seven Spirits? When we make that move, we get clarity on our personal and business Purpose and all the mid-course corrections. Clarity of Purpose and the fruit of doing it makes us feel very chosen by God. It thrills our entrepreneurial hearts to hear Well Done! from Father and feel the wind of His favor in our business.
Purpose has a plan – It’s wisdom to have a plan (around a purpose, your kingdom purpose). The Spirit of Wisdom will lead you there. Father’s Purpose for you is specific (you can make a plan around it). You can discern the reality and the practicality of Purpose in your business and personal life.
The Litmus test questions for discerning your Kingdom purpose are:
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- Is it a position or title (you will have)? Or is it a purpose (you will do)?
- Is it specific and practical enough to build a plan? A Business Plan with Cash Flow?
- Is it in your heart? Are you excited, ignited by it? Will you do it?
- Is it in Father’s heart? Is it prophetically correct? Did He say it? Can others confirm it?
- Does it resonate? Is anyone else excited by it? Can they hear it? Engage with it?
Understanding (tactics for Purpose) – Don’t offer substitutes from your bag of multiple-choice religious principles. We’re not papering the walls with commercial C-Suite platitudes others mock (see Despair.com). Take the time to get it right by 1) hearing from Father in the Council and 2) putting your Purpose in writing and discerning it:
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- Allow yourself 25 tries.
- Let others participate, make suggestions, and comment.
- Go with what has prophetic juice.
- Improve it with more light and more conversations.
- If you get stuck, we can help you get unstuck!
Purpose Profiles – We help businesses transition to the joy and prosperity of a Kingdom business culture by leveraging your unique Purpose to ignite your staff and customers. The fun begins when you discover “the why” God wrote in your heart. We marry the cultural and practical side of sound business practices. Cash flow comes from a well-motivated, engaged staff and a wisely managed, value-based business built on a Kingdom purpose already written in hearts. We have the coaching resources to help you shift the culture and respond to the challenges. The starting place is a Purpose Profile (see examples).
Here is where to start:
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- Get started with a self-help option, the Kingdom Business Culture Field Guide
- Discover Your Purpose Profile via 1-on-1 help
- Glance at the Kingdom Business Coaching Intro.
- Set up a conversation with John on Zoom or text 509-308-6873.
PS: This blog came from two Council sessions that have much more insight on this topic and are great examples of what sons can receive in the Council:
- 2023-10-24 Council – Discerning Purpose
- 2023-10-27 Council – Where Purpose is Found
- Scaling Reformation of people, businesses, communities, and Nations!
Cutting Room Floor
Rev 17:14 – They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them,
for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. ESV
Called (Kletos G2822) – Invited
Calling (Klesis G2821) – an invitation
Chosen (Eklektos G1588) – Select, favorite
Church (Ekklesia G1577) – a calling out to shared purpose (Mt 16:18)
Faithful (Pistos G3982) – Trustworthy
Faith (Pistis G4102) – Persuasion, moral conviction; based on hearing God speak (Rom 10:17)
