Website: http://rickwarren.org
This is perhaps my favourite sermon. It has impacted my life the most thus far. I'm the person who likes to plan huge lofty goals, and hopes to one day to make it far in multiple industries. This sermon gives me a slight reality check, provides me with hope, and reminds me exactly what my life is all about.
The talk is a Ted Talk labelled as A Life of Purpose. Essentially, Warren is talking about the success of his book, A Purpose Driven Life. Surprisingly, this book, although very Christian in nature, averaged up to a million copies sold each month in 2006. Warren states that he thinks the reason for this is spiritual emptiness. Spiritual emptiness brings a life with no purpose. The issue of no purpose is not a religious problem, but a human problem.
A major part of this speech is Warren's testimony about his trials as a successful author. Warren states that he struggled to find the purpose behind the success of his book. Two things happened as a result of the book to Warren; a huge amount of money flooded into his household, and he garnered international attention. Now according to his worldview, which is what he describes is what he is betting his life on (that Jesus is who He claimed to be), this attention and money had to be put to a certain use.
So Rick Warren made decisions regarding the money, such as not using it for himself, giving it back to the church, and finally setting up charitable organizations. Warren concludes that the testament of a good life is not about feeling good, but rather being good, and doing good things.
Finally, Warren also had to deal with the attention, which he said was even more difficult then dealing with the money. Attention has everything to deal with influence Warren argues. The purpose of that influence is to speak for those who have no influence.
Perhaps the highlight of this speech, is Rick Warren's interpretation of the story of Moses, especially concerning the episode with the burning bush. Through this burning bush, God is talking to Moses. One of the questions God asks is, "What's in your hand?" As Warren explains, this may be the most important question you are ever asked. Moses replies a shepherd staff. God tells him to throw it down, and it turns into a snake. God then commands Moses to pick that snake up, and it returns to its original form as a staff. Key to this story is the shepherd staff in Moses' hand. It represented his identity as a shepherd, it was a symbol of his income, and finally it was a symbol of his influence. God asked him to lay that all down at His feet, and He made it come alive.
So what's in your hand? What has God given you to use? What can you do to make the world a better place? What is your life wired to be like?
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