A Lesson Taught by a Pot of Uncooked Rice

Man on Purpose
(Vineyard of God Sunday Service, Preaching by Pastor John Mariano, March 29, 2020)


Romans 8:28-30
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose

For all whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son that He may become the first born among many brothers.

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom He called, them He also justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified.


         My Pastor shared us a good humor about the journey of the life of a person. It is said that our life is from Point B (Birth) to Point D (Death). But in between B and D, there is C (Christ), for without C, there would be no E (Eternity).

The interesting part is this, eternity is either (1) eternal life or (2) eternal death.

Now, everything that is happening, God has a plan and purpose. We are first called by God to be conformed to Jesus Christ, but after that, He upgrades our calling to have a great impact on many people that God has given us.

What is Purpose?

We are not talking about living with vision, goals or meaning here, but what we are talking about is "Man on Purpose" or "Man By Design." Meaning, we are not talking about our individual objectives in life but God's design.

It is important to know God's intentional design for Man's Existence first before we can make our goals and objectives because apart from God's Plan, our plans will fail.

Purpose, then:
(1) Is the reason for which something is done or created, or for which something exist.
(2) It is intentional and being desired by someone.

Since we are talking about God's design, the purpose here is God's intention and design for us.


What is Man's Purpose for Existence?

Genesis 1:26-30
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”


29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.



Genesis 1:26-30 shows us three things:

1. God's clear intention for mankind: His design, His reasons and His objectives.
Genesis chapter one narrates that we originated from dust. However, verse 26 later on explains that we are also being intentionally created by God according to His image (His framework)  and according to His likeness (His well-being), and He breathe us His breathe of life and we became a living soul or a living being.

In parallel to the New Testament, John Chapter 1 verses one, twelve and fourteen says that this same image and likeness is also the same with the Word who became Flesh, and that is Jesus Christ.

This proves our goal of living for God and going back to the original design is to live in conformance to the life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29).

2. God explicitly explains why He designed Man

In verse 26 of Genesis Chapter 1, when God said let them rule or have dominion, it only means to have sovereignty or control over creation, but it is not during this life. The life here is just our training and practice ground. The next life (the new heaven and new earth), will be the creation that we will rule over with the Lord.


What God wants us to do is to live according to His design. Whether you are an accountant that accounts, or an engineer that builds, or an architect that designs, or a teacher that teaches, when God called us, we are already a part of the body of Christ, to which Christ is the head. What is that design then? To be conformed to the image and likeness of His Son, and be the salt and light of this world.

3. God made it clear the objective for man's way of life, his goals, function, his missions, and works that he need to accomplish.

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

This means that our extended goal is to multiply people like us who is faithful in the Lord and is walking according to His will and His ways.



If we only follow God's design, we will find ourselves in absolute freedom and peace in life as well as all the goodness and essentials in life that we need that is part of that package.

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.


Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

    but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things;

    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Jeremiah 32:19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.

Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Colossians 1:15-20
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.




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