Bill Johnson - Finding God's Purpose for Your Life
Throughout history, people have created stories that attempt to answer the cry of the heart for fulfillment regarding why we’re alive. Acute children’s stories, fables, and all these things—I am fine with all of them as stories. However, they are all attempts to reveal what it means to be in right relationship with the Father, because you were born to demonstrate unity between a son or daughter and the Father, fulfilling what you were born for. Verse 37 states, «For with God, nothing will be impossible.» Say that with me: «With God, nothing will be impossible.» Say it again: «For with God, nothing will be impossible.»
We’ve looked at this countless times through the years, and I realize for many of you this will be a repeat, but I love repeating it: «With God, nothing will be impossible.» That phrase, «nothing will be impossible,» has an interesting makeup, and it was Jack Taylor who helped me understand this many years ago. I actually heard him teach on this passage before I ever met him; he has since become a personal friend and a friend of our house, writing to me regularly just to encourage me. He is such an amazing father in the faith. He took this verse, «Nothing is impossible with God,» and broke it down.
The word «nothing» is actually two different words—it is «no» followed by «Rhema.» Rhema is one of the terms used in Greek to describe God’s word. «Logos» would be more used for the written word, while Rhema refers to that which is freshly spoken. Though not absolute, those are predominantly the ways it is used in Scripture. So just think through this with me: «Rhema no» means «no freshly spoken word of God will be impossible.» The word «impossible» actually means «without ability,» so this verse can be translated this way: «No freshly spoken word of God will ever come to you that does not contain its own ability to perform itself.» Wow! No freshly spoken word of God will ever come to you that does not contain its own ability to perform itself.
In James 1, it says, «In humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your soul.» The power is not in my ability to receive; the power is in the word I receive. In the same way the acorn produces the oak tree, the power is in the acorn. The surroundings, the soil, are my «Amen» to what God is saying. It is my surrender, my yieldedness to that which God has spoken. I have a role, but I don’t make anything grow; I create the atmosphere of absolute surrender so that His purposes can actually be fully displayed in me to any measure He intends. No freshly spoken word of God will ever come to any one of us that does not in itself contain its ability to ensure that what was spoken actually happens. That’s why the next verse is so significant.
Verse 38: «Mary said, 'Behold, the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.'» We used to sing a song years ago, «Be it unto me according to your word,» and it was a wonderful song. Dick Joyce, in fact, taught us; he has since gone home to the Lord, but he was a wonderful prophetic friend who made a huge difference in our lives in Weaverville and here at Bethel. He taught us this song, and I’ll never forget it: «Be it unto me according to your word.» We would sing this song, using Scripture to declare this place of absolute surrender: «God, we want You to perform in and through us all that You intend.»
Now, catch this thought: Jesus walked on water—Jesus or air, either one, air or water, the same thing. The predominant feature of the Gospel of John is that Jesus came to reveal the Father. Yes, ten of you agree. Has anyone ever read the Gospel of John? Jesus came to reveal the Father. You know, if I keep at it, by the end of the day we should have everyone on board. Okay, Jesus came to reveal the Father.
Here’s the deal: the Father is only revealed through His children. In other words, He can be revealed as Almighty God, He can be revealed as the great judge, He can be revealed as the Creator, and He can be revealed as a thousand different things; but if He’s revealed as the Father, it is in connection to the revelation of who His kids are. The point I want to make is that you and I have this incredible privilege to reveal the Father by being what He has designed us to be. In other words, if I claim to be a good father, then it has to be measurable by how my children are treated. Yes, your relationship with God as your Father actually illustrates the quality of His fathering, and Jesus illustrated that very thing perfectly by doing what He only said He heard His Father say. He only did what He saw His Father do.
You go to a place in Rome, throw a coin into the fountain, and make a wish. Your birthday cake is brought to you, you blow out the candles, and you make a wish. In a children’s story, you rub a lantern, and a genie comes out, and you make a wish. All through history, people have created stories that attempt to answer the cry of the heart for fulfillment of why we’re alive. Acute children’s stories and fables—I’m fine with all of them as stories, but they are all attempts to reveal what it is to be in right relationship with the Father; you were born to demonstrate unity between a son or daughter and the Father, fulfilling what you were born for. And so she says, «Be it unto me according to your word.» That’s the «Amen.» I can’t make that impossibility happen. How many of you are aware that you cannot make what God wants out of your life? You can’t make it happen, but what you can do is say «Yes.» What you can do is invite Him to do what only He can do. So say this with me: «Be it unto me according to your word.»