God’s Mission, Our Purpose
God’s Mission: Sermon Series by Han Chung - Guest Speaker from Forest Community Church
John 3:16-17
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Over the past three weeks, we’ve been wrestling with the most fundamental question any of us can face: “What is my purpose in life?” Far too often we look to the world, its trends, our family traditions, or our own ambitions, only to discover in hindsight that those paths lead to regret. Instead, Jesus invites us to orient ourselves not by worldly pressures or social expectations, but by looking upward in faith to the God who created the universe with a grand mission in mind (John 3:16–17), and then looking outward in sacrificial love, following His example.
In John 4 we see that outward call shown through Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. Stepping outside His usual routine, Jesus crossed cultural and social barriers to meet her at a well in a place most would have considered “God‑forsaken.” There He offered her “living water” that would truly satisfy, sparking a transformation so profound that she abandoned her old life to become a witness. Yet that same chapter warns us of a common danger: calling people to serve without first empowering them. Service without Spirit‑given power can lead to frustration and empty religious activity.
God’s mission is impossible but made possible through the Holy Spirit. In John 3:16–17 we can identify the trinity at work. From Genesis 1’s “Spirit hovering over the waters” to the descent of the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism, the pattern is clear: Father, Son, and Spirit working in concert. Nicodemus, the Pharisee and “teacher of Israel,” exemplifies our own limitations apart from the Spirit. Learned, devout, and sincere, he came to Jesus by night seeking answers, yet found himself challenged: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God.” No amount of human effort, religious practice, or intelligence can bridge the gap between fallen humanity and God’s holy kingdom. We must be “born of water and Spirit”—water symbolizing the cleansing forgiveness of God and Spirit indicating the new life and renewed heart the Spirit produces.
The story of the bronze serpent in Numbers 21 vividly foreshadows the cross. After Israel’s grumbling brought venomous judgment, God instructed Moses to lift a bronze serpent on a pole so that anyone bitten who looked at it would live. In that moment, the people recognized their sin as the true cause of their distress—and looked by faith to God’s remedy. Likewise, Jesus declares that He must be lifted up—lifted onto the cross—so that all who look in faith upon Him will receive eternal life. His body became the perfect substitute for our sin; He bore the full weight of God’s wrath so we might be forgiven.
At the cross, the “Son of Man” who alone descended from heaven took on our condemnation, becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that in Him we might be clothed with righteousness. After His resurrection, even Nicodemus would step out of the shadows to honor Christ’s body, demonstrating the transformative power of the Spirit.
A beautiful analogy for this new birth is the Japanese art of kintsugi, in which broken pottery is beautifully mended with gold‑infused seams. We, too, are broken vessels—wounded by pride, disobedience, and life’s hardships—but in Christ the Spirit cleanses our shards, binds them with divine grace, and transforms our scars into testimonies of God’s redemption.
Ultimately, to embrace our purpose we must first acknowledge our need: we are sinners without the ability to save ourselves. Then, in simple faith, we look to Jesus lifted up on the cross, receiving the forgiveness and new life the Spirit provides. As we yield to His Spirit, empowered living flows into sacrificial service. Individually, let us examine our hearts—have we truly been born again? Corporately, let us preach and practice the Spirit’s power, not mere morality. And missionally, let us follow the example of the Samaritan woman, carrying living water to a thirsty world. In this upward‑inward‑outward rhythm, we discover the purpose for which we were made.
Discussion Questions:
How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your life or in other’s lives?
Have you ever felt Spiritually empty while serving? Did this affect how you served?
What is one example of Kintsugi in your life? How were you broken and how did God mend you?
