The Mentality Of The Pilgrims by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Has it ever happened to you that you were in traffic and from behind you began to hear a siren? The responsible ones now move to the side so that the car with the siren can pass, because for the purpose of that person's assignment, the government has given them a pass so that they can have an easy passage. Now some of you have done this: when you see the siren and the entourage going, you just join the convoy, put on your hazard lights, and because you joined somebody on the train of purpose, you now had an easier passage in life.

That is how to live your life. For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. God is God-centered. He is committed to his own plan. So when you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that is when all these other things begin to be added onto you, because all these other things are supposed to be equipment for people of purpose.

It Is a Sin Not to Live a Life of Purpose

My first claim with this sermon is to prove to you that it is a sin not to live a life of purpose. Purpose is more than a good idea. It is literally a sin not to live a life of purpose.

Hebrews 12:1 — Therefore, we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

When we talk about this text, most of the time we talk about it in the context of moral sins. But the sin that so easily ensnares everybody, the sin consistent with the metaphor of a race, is the tendency to live a life without purpose, without meaning. He calls it a sin to come to this world and not realize that there is a spiritual race to run.

Hebrews 12:2 — looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set ahead of him endured the cross, despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.

So when Jesus came into the world, he had what was on the other side in view. He is using that as your example. To live a life conscious of eternity is the ultimate definition of living a life of purpose.

The Mentality That the Pilgrims Carried

In Hebrews 11, there is the cloud of witnesses referenced in chapter 12. So to understand the conclusion, you need to go to the previous chapter.

Hebrews 11:8-9 — By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country.

All this while you thought that when Abraham was sojourning and not knowing where he was going, the promise was Canaan. But now this text tells you: even in Canaan he dwelt as if he was in a foreign country. So Canaan was not the promise. He was dwelling in tents — temporary architecture used as a metaphor. Meaning even his spending, even his investments, reflected: this is not my final destination.

Hebrews 11:10 — For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

So the promised land was a spiritual metaphor of the actual promised land. One of the most important things you can do under heaven is to live here as if heaven exists. You get heaven's attention when you conduct your activities on earth conscious of the fact that your maker is coming.

Jacob Called His Years Pilgrimage

One of the most epic scenes in the entire Bible: Jacob the patriarch relocates to Egypt. And the Bible records his conversation with Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob: how old are you? And Jacob said to Pharaoh: the days of the years of my pilgrimage are 130 years. Few and evil have been these years of my life.

For someone of an Egyptian ideology, measuring years carries a sense of finality. But he calls his years pilgrimage. Meaning, I am passing through all these years to lead somewhere else. This wasn't a sermon. This wasn't in church. This is a normal conversation. That's why the writer of Hebrews says they said it plainly.

The biggest irony of life is this: it is the people who walk in the consciousness of the afterlife that heaven gives grace to possess this life.

It is the meek that shall inherit the earth. The most powerful way to live on the earth is to live as if your final destination is not here.

Jacob told Joseph: do not bury me in Egypt. This is not my final destination. Let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in the burial place. And Genesis 50:25 shows that Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel saying: God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.

Joseph knew the promise that God gave to Abraham: your children will return. He said even if I am dead and gone, God will surely visit you. Do not leave my bones behind.

In all the prosperity you are seeking, do not forget the ultimate promise, the ultimate purpose.

Joseph was celebrated for being able to interpret the economic trends of the next 14 years. But the real strength of his lineage was that he could interpret the next thousands of years: Christ is coming. He said make sure you don't leave my bones behind. That was a more important prophecy.

Siding With What God Is Doing

When Joshua encountered the captain of the Lord's army with his sword drawn, he said: are you for us or for our adversaries? The captain of the Lord's army said: neither. As the commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.

Listen, it is my battle. You are the one on my side. I am not on your side.

This is the language of purpose. People who are living a life of purpose have sided with God in what God is doing.

It is not about getting God to bless what you are doing. It is about doing what God is blessing. That was the wisdom of David. He said: who am I? What is my father's house? I know you are doing all of this for the sake of what you want to do for your people Israel. You are blessing me for the sake of God's house, God's purpose. Therefore, do as you have said.

2 Samuel 7 — that is the most powerful way to pray, the most powerful way to position yourself: to just look for what God is doing and stay there.

The real geniuses in the Bible were people who knew how to pick what God was doing and follow it. Not many times are you told that Lot had a direct encounter with God, but he knew how to follow somebody who had an encounter. And by proximity to purpose, Lot became prosperous.

This Is How to Live Life

When I began to care less about earthly things and began to say in my heart: oh God, what is your plan on the earth? I just anticipate your coming. And in anticipation of that coming, whatever can help more people know about you and be preparing as I am preparing, count me in. That when Solomon said I just want wisdom to rule your people, God said: well, you didn't ask for it, but I'm going to give you wealth like no one before or after you has ever seen.

It affects every aspect of your life. It affects your financial priorities. Jesus said: lay not up treasures on earth where moth can devour and where thieves can break in and steal. Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven. This doesn't mean you shouldn't have savings. Let everything you do be geared towards the fulfillment of God's purpose on the earth. We save but we don't save pointlessly. We don't just accumulate wealth so that we can say we are among the 500 most rich.

The paradox is this: the people who get to a point where they say, God you have blessed me, I want to solve problems, I want to help the people around me — those people end up even richer, because when you solve problems, money will pursue you even if you don't want it.

Hebrews 11:32-38 — who through faith subdued kingdoms, walked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weaknesses were made strong, became valiant in battle. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they may obtain a better resurrection. The point is this: even those who succeeded on the earth had better. And those who went through a tough time on the earth — there was great compensation. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.

So it is a win-win. If you are rich on earth, well done. If you are going through a life of difficulty, the compensation on the other side will far outweigh whatever tear you ever shed on the earth.

Of whom the world was not worthy. There are some people on the earth — they are worth more as an individual than the entire world because of their priorities. They mean more to God.

It is purpose that will make your life count on the other side. If I have a purpose on earth, there must be one who purposed. And if there is one who purposed, it means after my time of purpose, I will give account. Purpose cannot be purpose except if there is another realm that pre-existed and necessitated the realm of my purpose.

Father, we thank you for making us a people of purpose indeed, for sanctifying our priorities. When you look in our generation and you say whom shall I send, you will not search for who to send where we are. And you will not have to look over our heads to look for someone else. Make us active participants in your work on the earth. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen.