Menu
Ernest O'Neill

Can You Live It?

The sermon emphasizes the importance of recognizing our unique purpose in Christ and allowing Him to live through us to fulfill that purpose.
Ernest O'Neill preaches about the feeling many of us have that we were made for bigger things, a unique purpose that we struggle to grasp, leading to a sense of unfulfillment and missed potential. He delves into the concept that we were created inside Christ Jesus for good works planned by God long before our existence, emphasizing the importance of aligning our will with God's to fulfill our true destiny. O'Neill highlights the truth that we are part of God's only Son, with the capacity to either allow Christ to work through us or hinder His purpose within us, ultimately urging us to repent and believe in the reality of being vessels for God's unique work.

Text

Most of us feel we were made for bigger things -- bigger things than we're involved in! We recognize that there are megalomaniacs - people who think they're Napoleon or God; we know that's insane and wrong. But we still feel we have something unique inside us -- something which we were made to do - that nobody else can do in the just the same way ! But we feel we're somehow "missing it": we feel a bit let down - a kind of anti-climax in our lives. It seems as if we're not fulfilling our full potential: there's a saying in the Bible that expresses it - it's in Ecclesiastes 2:11: "He has made everything beautiful in its time: also he has put eternity into man's mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end".

Do you ever feel that ? Do you feel there's something you were put here to do but you can't quite get your hands around it? Sometimes you think you know what it is, but then you seem to lose it - and life sinks down into the old repetitive rut. What is the explanation of it all this sense of futility and missed purpose?

You're part of Someone Else

You think you were made inside your mother ! But that was just the human channel God used to get you here on earth. He makes it clear in Ephesians 2:10 that you were created inside someone far more important than your Mom: "for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them". This means that God planned this whole thing long before he made the planets and the earth. In a millisecond he looked at his only-begotten Son, Jesus, wanted his beauty and infinite being to be expressed, and resolved to make you and me (and millions of others) inside His Son so that each one of us would express a unique beauty of Christ that only we could.

Immediately our Creator saw that this entailed us having the same free will as Christ to obey or disobey, to do what He planned for us or go our own way. At that same moment (because a thousand years to Him are as a day), He resolved to let us go our own way, destroy and recreate us, and then let us see the choice played out here on earth, so that we would have a true freedom to choose that way - or His way ! And all of this - inside His own Son, who would have to bear our choosing and our destruction and re-creation inside Himself ! (This is why Revelation records in chapter 13, verse 8 that the "lamb was slain before the foundation of the world" and 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that "he made him to be sin who knew no sin".

Your Present Destiny

This is why you sometimes feel that you're missing it - that you were put here to do something that you haven't quite found out yet. You were - there is actually only one plan for one human being - that's the plan our Creator has for his dear Son. He is the great Human Being - all of us are just parts of Him - we're "the body of Christ and invidually members of it" (1 Corinthians 12:27). Jesus is in us and we're in Him (John 17:23) - and there are things He has planned to do in you and through you - which only He can do - and only if you let him - and will what he wills - and are willing to speak what he wants to speak !

The terrible truth is that you can bleed him to death from within - He will hold you in Himself until you die - and bear the pain and agony you may choose to torture him with - right to the very end. Then at that point even He has to accept your final decision - and let you go - even though it is like losing his own arm or leg. But until that moment, he continues to move inside you, giving you feelings that there is something you've been put here to do - or let him do!

What Can You Do?

What can you do about this ? Jesus said it plainly in Mark 1:15: "repent" - change the way you're thinking about life - "and believe the gospel" - believe that this is reality - you are part of God's only Son - and He has things to do and be through you - things that He cannot be and cannot do through anyone else. Believe that - and begin to let him live inside and through you. Stop burying him - stop pushing yourself and your old former interest forward - and let him begin the life that he wants to live in you!

Sermon Outline

  1. I points: - Introduction to the feeling of unfulfilled potential - Biblical reference to Ecclesiastes 2:11 - Common experiences of feeling lost or stuck
  2. II points: - Understanding our creation in Christ - Ephesians 2:10 and God's plan for us - The significance of being made in His image
  3. III points: - The concept of free will and choice - God's foresight in our choices - The role of Jesus in our creation and redemption
  4. IV points: - Recognizing our present destiny in Christ - 1 Corinthians 12:27 and our role as members of His body - The unique purpose each individual has in God's plan
  5. V points: - The importance of allowing Christ to work through us - The consequences of resisting His will - The pain of separation from Christ
  6. VI points: - Practical steps to align with God's purpose - Mark 1:15 and the call to repentance - Believing in our identity and purpose in Christ

Key Quotes

“He has made everything beautiful in its time: also he has put eternity into man''s mind.” — Ernest O'Neill
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand.” — Ernest O'Neill
“Repent and believe the gospel.” — Ernest O'Neill

Application Points

  • Reflect on your life and identify areas where you feel unfulfilled, seeking God's guidance.
  • Practice repentance by changing your mindset and aligning your desires with God's will.
  • Embrace your identity in Christ and allow Him to express His unique purpose through you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be created in Christ?
Being created in Christ means that we are designed to reflect His beauty and fulfill a unique purpose that only we can achieve.
How can I find my purpose?
Finding your purpose involves recognizing that you are part of God's plan and allowing Him to guide you in fulfilling that purpose.
What role does free will play in our lives?
Free will allows us to choose whether to follow God's plan or pursue our own desires, impacting our relationship with Him.
Why is repentance important?
Repentance is crucial as it involves changing our mindset to align with God's truth and accepting our identity in Christ.
What happens if we resist God's will?
Resisting God's will can lead to a sense of emptiness and separation from the fulfilling life He desires for us.

Everything we make is available for free because of a generous community of supporters.

Donate