Christlike at Heart
Our purpose in life is to bear fruit by reflecting the likeness of Christ, and this is fulfilled by our spiritual growth and transformation into his likeness.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that our core purpose in life is to bear fruit by reflecting the likeness of Christ, which goes beyond merely winning souls to Christ. He explains that true fulfillment of God's purpose is not measured by our achievements but by our transformation into Christ's image. Wilkerson warns against being distracted by outward appearances, like the grandeur of the temple, and encourages believers to focus on their spiritual growth as the true temple of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, our activities and relationships should flow from this central purpose of becoming more Christlike at heart.
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Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is? Do you ever get discouraged because you cannot figure out your true calling?
Jesus sums up our core purpose in John 15:16: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." Our purpose is simply to bear fruit. Many sincere Christians think bearing fruit means simply to bring souls to Christ, but bearing fruit means something much larger than soul-winning. The fruit Jesus is talking about is reflecting the likeness of Christ.
Growing more and more into Jesus' likeness must be our purpose in life. It must be central to our activities, our lifestyle, our relationships. Indeed, all our gifts and callings -- our work, ministry and witness -- must flow out of this core purpose.
If you are not Christlike at heart -- becoming noticeably more like him -- you have missed God's purpose. You see, God's purpose for you cannot be fulfilled by what you do or measured by anything you achieve. His purpose is fulfilled in you only by what you are becoming in him, how you are being transformed into his likeness.
The disciples took Jesus on a tour of the temple in Jerusalem to show him the grandeur and magnificence of the structure, because they thought he would be impressed with it as they were. Instead, Jesus told them, in essence, "Not one stone of this temple will remain. It all looks very impressive, but it is man-centered." In short, Jesus refocused the disciples' attention to the spiritual temple and Paul later wrote to the church, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Many believers today are like the disciples, impressed by the wrong things, but Jesus' message is clear: our focus should be on our spiritual temple. The fact is, the Holy Spirit abides in our bodies and as we spend time with him, he is prepared at any moment to bring us into his purpose.
Sermon Outline
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Our Core Purpose
- Bearing fruit (John 15:16)
- Reflecting the likeness of Christ
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What it means to bear fruit
- Not just soul-winning, but reflecting Christ's likeness
- Becoming noticeably more like Jesus
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God's purpose in us
- Fulfilled by what we are becoming in Christ
- Transformation into Christ's likeness
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The spiritual temple
- Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit
- Focus on spiritual growth, not external things
Key Quotes
“Our purpose is simply to bear fruit.” — David Wilkerson
“Growing more and more into Jesus' likeness must be our purpose in life.” — David Wilkerson
“If you are not Christlike at heart -- becoming noticeably more like him -- you have missed God's purpose.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Make reflecting the likeness of Christ central to your activities, lifestyle, and relationships.
- Seek to become noticeably more like Jesus through spiritual growth and transformation.
- Focus on your spiritual growth by spending time with the Holy Spirit and prioritizing your relationship with God.