John K. Jenkins Sr - Awaken Your Purpose (01/24/2026)
Starting the Purpose Series
I want to talk to you today—I’m starting a series today called the Purpose Series. Purpose. Today is going to be part one. Somebody say, «Purpose.» I want to talk to you about purpose. We have a lot of people who don’t know what their purpose is. A lot of people don’t realize and recognize they have a purpose. They have an assignment, a destiny, a call from God. And the devil wants you to remain confused, hidden, doubting, questioning your destiny.
But look at your neighbor, say, «You may not look like much, but you got a destiny.» I think y’all told them more than what I said. Tell them. I want you to open your Bibles to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8—and this is a familiar passage of Scripture. Thank Reverend Robinson for reading it this morning already—Dr. Robinson. But Romans 8, and I want to begin reading in verse 28.
Romans 8:28–30
Verse 28 says, «And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.»
I want to talk about purpose. This is a series on purpose, 'cause many people are searching for their purpose: why are they here? Why were you created? What are you supposed to be doing? God did create you for a reason. You have a purpose on this planet. You are more than just the result of an encounter between your mama and your daddy.
You Have a Purpose
You have a purpose; you have an assignment. And ultimately, you need to know and walk in your purpose. It is the key to being fulfilled. Some of you are not fulfilled 'cause you’re not walking in your purpose. You can be successful in life and still be unhappy because you’re not walking in your purpose.
Myles Munroe defined purpose as this: the original intent for the creation of a thing, the original reason for the existence of something, the cause for the creation of a thing. I tell people all the time in this building who I see sitting in their seat in a way that the seat was not designed to be sat in. Sometimes people sit on the arms of these chairs, and I go over and tell them the arm was not made for your behind.
Using Things as Designed
Sometimes the seat is flipped up, and I tell them if you push your seat down and sit in it like that, that’s the way it was designed to be sat in. If you use something in a way other than as it is designed or was designed, that’s abuse. Many of you are abusing yourselves and your lives 'cause you’re living in a way other than how God has designed you to live. Some of you are treating other people abusively.
So I wanted to spend just a few moments and talk to you about purpose. I know about purpose. The word «purpose"—Romans 8:28 says that those who are the called according to His purpose. Everybody has a purpose. The word «purpose» finds its root in an Old Testament word called «showbread.»
The Meaning of Showbread
Showbread—if you look in the Old Testament, you see the word «showbread.» What is showbread? It’s bread. Go ahead, Pastor—I’m deep. Ain’t that deep. Showbread—it’s bread to be shown. So what does it have to do with… When they would go to the temple in the Old Testament, the priests would take 12 loaves of showbread and put them and stack them up on top of each other in rows of six. And every Sabbath, they would go in—before the Sabbath actually—and take the showbread out and put the fresh bread in.
It represented something; it meant something; it was a significant thing. It was this showbread that was designed to be in the holy place in the temple, close to where they believed God hung out, where God dwelled. And it would lay in the temple, in the sanctuary, for seven days following the worship.
Purpose Means to Be on Display
And the purpose of the showbread—here’s what it means—it means to be put on display. That’s what showbread means. And it is this word «showbread"—the bread that is put on display—that is a symbol of what the word «purpose» means. Now, Pastor, what are you saying? Here’s what I’m saying: God has given us a purpose. What does that mean? It means He has called you to be put on display.
Y’all missed it—that went over your head. I know it escapes some of you; some of you don’t get it; you don’t understand it. But my job is to try to help you to understand and to comprehend that God wants to take your life—as jacked up as it might be, as messed up as it might be—and do something in your life where it must be put on display.
God Wants to Put You on Display
He wants to turn your situation around, turn your circumstances around, turn your life around, make a change in your life that when people look at you, they can’t believe what has happened in your life. They can’t believe where God has brought you from, where God has taken you to. They can’t believe the change that has taken place.
In other words, God wants to put you on blast. My kids say when they see something that’s really, really good, they say, «Oh, that’s lit.» God wants to put your life on lit. It don’t sound right, but that’s the way they say it. It ain’t good English, but it’s good preaching.
Y’all ain’t hearing what I’m saying. Some of y’all don’t recognize that you might be in the middle of hell right now, but God’s about to put you on lit. God’s about to blow you up. He’s about to put you on blast. He’s about to take you and blow you up. He’s about to cause people to look at your life and be amazed at where you were and where you are today.
Somebody high-five your neighbor, say, «I’m about to be put on blast. I’m about to be lit. God about to blow me up.»
God Has Already Lit You Up
Who am I preaching to today? Who is it in here that can look back and see God has already lit you up? He’s already opened some doors; He’s already worked some miracles; He’s already put you in a place that you know you don’t deserve to be in. He’s already blown you up.
Yeah. So in this series, I want to talk to you about your purpose. I want to talk to you about how to discover your purpose. How do you know what your purpose is? How do you know what are the ways that you know that God’s going to do something fantastic in your life? What are the signals and the signs?
I want to be able to talk about the perpetrators who are trying to keep you from reaching your purpose. How many of y’all know that there’s always somebody lurking around trying to keep you from reaching your destiny? And the problem is, some of you don’t know the difference—to know that everybody sent into your life didn’t come from God.
Y’all ain’t hearing what I’m saying. Look at your neighbor, say, «Everybody that come into your sphere, into your space, did not come from God.»
Point 1: Called to His Purpose
So I got four points, and then I’ll be finished. Four points—it’s 12:16. If I do 30 minutes on each one of these points, I’ll be done in two hours. Y’all see there—y’all go perpetrating again. Y’all don’t mean that.
Here’s my first point: it says in verse 28, «And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.» I want you to see point one: that we are called to His purpose. Somebody say, «Called.»
Called—God has issued an invitation. That’s what the word «call» means. He has—He’s calling you; He’s beckoning you to your purpose. He has decreed and called you to a divine appointment that you have. You have an appointment.
I know you don’t feel like your life means much; it looks like you may feel like you’re not going anywhere, but God has called you. There’s a call; there’s an invitation. God is calling you to something. You’re not just an accident. You have an assignment from God.
Called to His Purpose, Not Yours
And by the way, often your assignment is greater than your job. Some of y’all are praying for a job—you need to be praying about your calling. You need to be praying about your purpose and your destiny, why God called you.
We are called—He has issued us a decree, an invitation, and He wants you to respond to that call. He’s calling you. And what is He calling you to? He’s calling you to His purpose. He’s calling you to do what it is He wants you to do—not what you want to do, not what your desires are, not what your agenda is. He’s called you to His purpose.
Somebody say, «His purpose.» Say it again: «His purpose.» Not your wants, not your wishes, not your desires—He has called you to His purpose. Every person in here who has accepted Jesus, He has called you to His purposes. He has got an assignment for you to do, to carry out His will.
Point 2: Predestined
Now that’s number one. You got to know that—you got to walk in here with the knowledge and understanding that you have a purpose, and God has called you to that purpose. That’s number one. That’s point one.
Number two—let me give you point two. It says in verse 29, «For whom He foreknew, He also predestined.» Stick a pin there. Let me talk about—I want to talk about predestined. My second point is that we are predestined.
But before I talk about predestined, I got to talk about foreknew, 'cause it says in verse 29, «For whom He foreknew, He also predestined.» That word «foreknew» means He knew ahead of time. Go ahead, Pastor—you so deep. What are you saying, Pastor?
What I’m saying is nothing catches God by surprise. He already knew ahead of time how much of a jacked-up joker you were going to be. He knew already that you were going to struggle with some things in your life. He already knew you were going to be a thief and a robber. He already knew you were going to be a drug addict and a whoremonger.
God Foreknew Everything
He already knew that you were going to have abortions. He already knew you were going to live a twisted, distorted life. He foreknew. I hear people praying sometimes—it kind of bothers me—that people pray to God like God don’t know stuff, like they’re telling Him, like, «Lord, you know Sister Robinson is in the hospital,» as if God is saying, «What? When did she get there? How long she been there? What’s wrong with her?»
God—nothing catches God by surprise. He already knows. He foreknew. And here’s what I love about it: He already foreknew ahead of time where you were going to live, who your parents were going to be, what kind of family you would live in, what your circumstances were going to be like. He already knew. He foreknew.
Predestined to Be Conformed
«For whom He foreknew, He also predestined.» What does that mean? I’m glad you asked the question. Predestined means that God made the determination and predetermined—predestined—ahead of time, destined what you were going to be.
Y’all ain’t hearing what I’m saying. He knew how jacked up you were going to be, but He chose you anyway. Y’all ain’t hearing what I’m saying. He predestined—He foreknew, but He predetermined what needed to be done in the order of your life so that you could be everything He’s called you to be.
I’m shouting today because He’s predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son. What does that mean? It means that God knew what it was going to take in order for me—in the midst of where I came from and what my environment was and who my siblings were and who my parents were and the community that I lived in—He predetermined what needed to happen in order for me to get to where He wanted me to be.
Everything Works for Your Good
Y’all ain’t hearing what I’m saying today. What am I saying? It doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, how low you have fallen, how ugly your sin, what your problems have been—everything you have gone through, God has already predetermined what needed to happen in order for you to get to where He’s taking you.
Woo—I feel a shout down in my sanctified soul. God knows. I wish I could get you to understand and hear that everything about your life, everything about your circumstances, everything about your history, everything about your journey—every… I know some stuff you didn’t like. I know there’s some stuff you didn’t choose. I know there’s some stuff you didn’t want to go through.
If you had to choose it all over again, you would rewrite the story, and you would make yourself go someplace else. But God said, «I know she wouldn’t choose that, but I need her to go through that so that when I take her where I’m going, she can handle the situation where I’m taking her.»
Thank God for Your Past
Somebody better say, «God, I didn’t like it while I was going through it, but I know You used it to make me be who I am today.» Who am I preaching to today? Who am I talking to today? Who understands what I’m trying to tell you?
What I’m trying to tell you is stop crying about your past and thank God that He used it to prepare you for your future. Woo—somebody high-five your neighbor and say, «I thank God for my past. I thank God that He predestined me. I thank God He pre-arranged it; He pre-ordered it; He called the shots; He moved things to get in place so that by the time I got there, I would get what I needed to get so I can be what He wanted me to be.»
Do y’all hear what I’m saying to you? Do you understand? You don’t understand, 'cause if you understood, you’d be jumping and shouting; you’d be running around the building. If you fully understand—okay, I forgot. You know what? I forgot to tell you a part. That’s why y’all not shouting. I left something out.
Once I add this to it, then you’ll start—y’all going to be running around the building. Get ready, 'cause somebody going to shout and jump. Get ready, 'cause you know this day—I forgot something. He’s predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. Woo!
Conformed to Jesus' Image
Whatever it takes for me to look like Jesus, whatever it takes for me to walk like Jesus and act like Jesus and think like Jesus and be like Jesus—He predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son. Woo!
Do you understand? You didn’t know why you had to go through what you went through. You didn’t know why your daddy had to be a jacked-up joker. You didn’t know why your mama had to be on drugs. You didn’t know why your sisters and brothers had to act the way they acted. You didn’t understand.
But God had to make you go through that so that by the time you got to where He’s taking you, you would look like Jesus. Woo—I feel a shout down in my soul. When I look back over my life and look at where God brought me from, I can thank Him and praise Him and give Him glory for where He has brought me from.
Hey—somebody ought to go ahead and thank God for what you went through. Thank God—you wouldn’t have chose it; you didn’t like it—but thank God that He allowed you to go through it so you can be who He wants you to be.
Point 3: Demonstrate His Power
Somebody go ahead and give Him a praise—give Him a shout. Hallelujah! Glory to the King of Kings! Glory to the Prince of Peace! Glory to the God that we serve!
I didn’t know why I had to go through it, but it makes sense now. I don’t know why I had to be treated so bad, but I know now that God was shaping me and molding me. He’s already predetermined and predestined—hey, Hallelujah!
I didn’t understand it then, but I understand it now. I didn’t know why I had to go through it then, but I know now. Somebody—somebody need to go ahead and listen: think about those things you’ve been crying about, angry about, frustrated about, and say, «You know what, God? I now know You have predestined me. It didn’t catch God by surprise. He already knew about it, but He allowed it to come into your life so you could be conformed to be like His Son.»
So you was crying—now all of a sudden, let’s stop and say, «God, I thank You. Woo—God, I praise You. God, I give You the glory. God, I give You thanks.» He’s a sovereign God; He’s a God we can trust; He’s a God we can believe in; He’s a God who we can have confidence in. He is a God we can trust.
Wait—okay, that’s two. That’s two points. I got two more to go. Let me tell you number three. So not only did God call us to His purpose for His assignment, not only did He predestine us according to His purpose, but we are created to demonstrate His power.
God Shows Power Through You
Let me read Romans 9:17. Let me just read it to you—jot this down if you’re taking notes. Listen to the Scripture: «For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.'»
Now follow me for just a second. This is what He said to Pharaoh back in the Old Testament in Exodus, when the Israelites were slaves and Moses went to tell him to let the people go, but he wouldn’t let the people go, right? So God spoke to Pharaoh and said—right—this is what He said right here: «The purpose I have raised you up is that I may show My power in you and that My name might be declared in all the earth.»
But you have changed your heart; you have become hard-hearted, and you haven’t allowed My power to flow through you. Now here’s my deal—I want y’all to hear this: if God could show His power through hard-hearted Pharaoh, what might He do through you who love Him?
Woo—I feel a shout in my soul that if God can use him, He surely can use you. And whether you realize it or not, He’s putting you through what you’re going through so that when other people see what you’re going through, they might see the power of God step into your situation and turn your situation around and cause your life to give glory and honor to God.
Do y’all understand what I’m saying? He simply wants to show His power through you. Tell two or three people, «God’s trying to show His power through you.»
Point 4: Called According to Grace
I think I got some people here that done been through some hell, but God showed His power through them. I think there’s some people here that was sick, and God healed. I believe there’s some people here that the doctor said you wouldn’t survive, but you’re still here. I believe there’s some people—they fired you on your job, but God gave you a better job.
God’s people are watching you, and God is showing His power through you. Woo—y’all excuse me, I feel like shouting and running around this building. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for me, my soul cries out, «Hallelujah! Thank God for saving me. Thank God for delivering me. Thank God for healing me. Thank God for bringing me out of my bad situation.»
Somebody help me give God the praise. Hey—Glory! Glory! Glory!
He wants to use you to show His power. Who will let His power flow through them? Who’s in the building? Who am I talking to? Who am I preaching to? Who’s ready for the power of God to show strong in your life?
Okay—one more thing. I’m finished. One last verse: 2 Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy—y’all be like, «I thought they were going to shout on that last point.» They didn’t shout—somebody going to shout on this one. Y’all ready? What key y’all in? G—go ahead. Yeah, G—that’s G. Yeah, there you go.
Y’all ready? Let me read this to you—verse 8: «Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling—not according to our works…»
Y’all don’t get it—y’all missed a great spot to shout. «Not according to our works.» Okay, okay—I got to break it down. I got to talk hood to y’all; I got to talk street to y’all. You know what that means? «Not according to your works"—it means that in spite of your failure.
Grace in Spite of Failure
Oh—hold, wait a minute. Let me—I got to read the rest of the verse. Let me go: «…but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.»
Woo—before I was born, before my name was anywhere on the planet, God already saw I would miss the mark; I would mess up; I would fail; I would sin. But He still reserved grace for me. Somebody ought to give God a shout of praise right there.
In spite of your failures, in spite of your lies, in spite of your deceitfulness, in spite of your whoring, sleeping around with everything under the sun, in spite of your homosexuality, in spite of your lesbianism, in spite of your drug addictions—He gave you grace. He knew you would be a prostitute; He knew you would sleep around; He knew you would be a drug addict—but He still gave you grace.
Hey—hey—y’all excuse me—maybe y’all don’t want to shout, but I’m shouting. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and that He still chose me in spite of my nasty self—God, I thank You!
Worship and Altar Call
Hey—I got to get it out. Help me say now—I got to praise. Clap your hands—come on, everybody clap now. To God be the glory! To God be the glory! For everything He’s done—for everything He’s done—for everything He’s done—for everything He’s done—to God be the glory!
To God be the glory—for everything He’s done—for everything—for everything He’s done—for everything—for everything He’s done—He’s done—for everything—for everything He’s done—for everything—for everything—for everything—for everything—even the stuff I don’t like—even the stuff I don’t like—He still deserves it.
For everything—for everything—for everything—for everything—every tear—every tear—every tear—every sleepless night—for everything—for everything—thank You, Jesus! Thank You—to God be the glory! To God—for everything He’s done—He’s done—for everything—for everything He’s done—He’s done—for everything—for everything He’s done—He’s done—for everything—for everything—for everything—for everything—for everything—for everything—thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Lord!
For everything—for everything—for everything—everything—everything—to God be the glory! To God be the glory—for the—for the—yes, Lord—thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Oh—hallelujah!
Here I am because Your mercies never fail me. All my days, I’ve been held in Your hands. From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head—oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.
I love Your voice because You have led me through the fire. In darkest nights, You’ve been close like no other. I’ve known You as a Father, and I’ve known You as my friend. And I’m glad to say that I have lived in the goodness of my God.
All my life You have been faithful, and all my life You have been so, so good. So with every breath that I am able, oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.
Altar Call and Response
Every breath that I am able, I sing of the goodness… This young man Junior came down to give his heart to God—so proud of you, bro. So proud of you.
Are there some others that want to give their heart to Jesus? You need to know He has a purpose for you. He will forgive you of your sins; He will wipe your slate clean. Humble yourself and make your way down here right now—right this instant. Unsaved, backslid, unsure—the presence of God is here; the glory of God is here.
All my life You have been… Come—come right now—right now. Oh my life… With every breath—every breath that I am able—oh, I will sing—oh, I will sing of the goodness—the goodness of God.
Yeah—yes—oh my… You have been… Oh my life—all my life You have been so… With every breath—with every breath that I am able—oh, I will sing—oh, I will sing… Yeah.
Say Your goodness—Your goodness is running—it’s running—it’s running after me. Yes—see, Your goodness is… With my life laid down—down—I surrender—I give You… Your goodness is… Fall after—yes, it is—yes, it is.
Your goodness running after—it’s running after—yeah. Is Your goodness—Your goodness—it’s running—it’s running after—it’s running after me. With my life—with my life laid down—surrender down—I give You everything.
Say Your goodness… Thank You, Jesus—it’s been running after me. Yes—say Your goodness—goodness is running after—it’s running… Your goodness—Your goodness is running—it’s running… With my life laid down—lay down—surrender—I give You—give You everything.
I can feel Your goodness. Thank You, Jesus. Just one more time—Your goodness—goodness is coming—yes, it is—coming… Your goodness is running after… Thank You, Jesus. With my life down—surrender—give You everything. Your goodness is running after… Goodness is running—amen.
So proud of you—amen. Give the Lord a shout for these souls here. So proud of you. God bless you—go all the way down there.
My second time being here… I ain’t been here in 5 years… You ain’t been here in 5 years? Well, you made the right choice. Glad to have you.
All right—the person behind you is a counselor; they’re going to take you to a room and minister to you. Your life is never going to be the same again. Amen—I’m so proud of you. Amen—you heard the voice of God. So proud.
We’ve been praying for you—we’ve been praying for you for this day, and we’re so happy that you came. I’m going to pray for you, then they’re going to take you back.
Father, thank You for those who’ve come today. So grateful—and I want to pray that You plant them in Your vineyard. Let their faith be extended to You; let them have a heart of repentance. In Jesus' name, amen.