What’s your destiny in life?
Did you know what your destiny was when you graduated high school?
Did you know what you were going to do,
where you were going to work,
where you were going to live,
And you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt all the details down to just how many children you were going to have.
ILL.- There was a frog that absolutely knew his destiny was to turn in to a handsome young prince. But for confirmation, he decided to visit a fortune teller. The fortune teller brought the frog in and gazed into her crystal ball. She said, “Oh, I see something. You are going to meet a beautiful young woman.” The frog got very nervous, “Yes, I knew it. I’m going to become a prince.”
The fortune teller continued, “From the moment she sets eyes on you she will have an insatiable desire to know all about you. She will be compelled to get close to you and you’ll fascinate her." The frog was very excited. He asked, “Where am I? At a singles club?” The fortune teller answered, “No, Biology class.”
Sometimes in life we get handed a lemon.
And when we do--- What do you do?
Some people allow it to get them down.
Some people turn to God and try to overcome it through His grace and help.
When life goes wrong, (and I can guarantee you that at some point it will)
God is the only one who can make things right!
He can take those lemons and make lemonade!
And sometimes, just sometimes we’re the lemon He uses!
Jesse “The Body” Ventura Who was a pro wrestler
• Is now Minnesota’s former governor said
"God has a plan and a destiny for each one of us.
I wasn’t always a believer, but through my wife and a couple of close friends, in the last couple of years,
I have come to believe in God and that He has a plan and a destiny for my life.
I challenge you to find your destiny. It’s the most important thing for each of you to find."
Today we are going to look @ 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
Through today’s text, in a sense, we see the destiny of every Christian.
God’s basic will for us is revealed in this text.
And it consists of 3 points
1- The destiny of spreading the gospel
2- The destiny of encouraging others
3- The destiny of experiencing trials
I. THE DESTINY OF SPREADING THE GOSPEL
1Th 3:2 we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our co-worker for God and our brother in proclaiming the Good News of Christ.
God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ.
1Co 3:8 The one who plants and the one who waters work as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work.
1Co 3:9 We work together as partners who belong to God. You are God’s field, God’s building—not ours.
We are fellow workers in the Lord’s work.
We may not all preach
We may not all teach but we still labor together.
WE’RE IN THIS THING TOGETHER,
THIS CAUSE, THE CHURCH, AND THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE.
That is why we need to support one another’s work for Christ.
ILL.- We applaud one another for their work in the church: singing, playing instruments, preparing communion, serving communion, giving communion devotions, getting supplies, working in the nursery, teaching SS, working in children’s church and toddler’s church, working in VBS, etc.
WE APPLAUD PEOPLE WHO SERVE IN THESE VARIOUS WAYS!
But these things are done inside the church
We need to do some things OUTSIDE the church as well!
Mainly, advertise and evangelize!
Advertise the church and evangelize people for Christ!
If Tom Cruise can spread his junk about Scientology,
Then what about us when it comes to the truth of the gospel?
We know what the Word of God says,
We know how it reads.
Mt 28:18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth.
Mt 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Mt 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Ac 1:8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
ILL.- Once there was an old hermit who lived on the side of a mountain. There were three little boys who were always trying to outsmart the old hermit. One of the little boys said, "I’ll put a marble in my hand and we will go to the old man and ask him what it is I have in my hand. So the three boys went to visit the old man and the little boy said, "Old man, what have I in my hand?" The old hermit answered, "A marble".
The three boys left and came back with another similar senario and to the boy’s astonishment the old man in his wisdom was able to answer the question.
The next day the boys were pondering the situation trying to come up with something so ingenious that the old man would never guess the answer. Then one of the boy’s said, "I know, I’ll put this baby bird in my hand and I’ll ask the old man if the bird is alive or dead and if he says the bird is alive, I will crush it in my hand and outsmart the old man."
So with smiles on their faces they went back to the old hermit’s house and the little boy said, "Old man, what have I in my hand?" The old man answered, "A baby bird." Then the boy said, "Is this bird alive or dead?" The old man looked at the little boy and said, "It is as you wish my son, it is as you wish".
The fate of that little bird rested in the hands of that little boy just as the destiny of our souls rest in our own hands. And it may well be that the destiny of others is in our hands! We can allow them to live or we can crush them.
II. THE DESTINY OF ENCOURAGING OTHERS
We sent Timothy to visit you. He is our co-worker for God and our brother in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith,
How is your faith? Is it strong or is it lacking something?
ILL.- Recently I read an email from a man in his early 70’s said he had been a Christian all his life.
• But he wrote that at times he "Questioning God."
• There’s nothing wrong with questioning God about puzzling things in life.
• We’re all puzzled by things and it’s ok to ask God.
The point is: we all lack faith at times
• And it’s times like these that we to be strengthened and encouraged by one another.
Ro 15:2 We should please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in the Lord.
ILL.- It is said that Albert Scweitzer once stated, "I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."
Happiness is found by giving to others.
It’s found in serving
We see this through the example that Jesus set for us
Jesus didn’t come to be served,
Jesus came to serve.
We have to constantly ask ourselves
Are we strengthening anyone in their faith?
Are we giving out any encouragement?
Because the fact is everyone needs encouragement when they do good
• When did you last say "thank you" to someone for what they did?
• Or when did you last say something like, "Good job!"
ILL.- One morning a man opened his door to get the newspaper and was surprised to see a strange little dog with his paper in his mouth. Delighted with this unexpected "delivery service," He fed him some treats.
The following morning he was horrified to see the same dog sitting at his front door, wagging his tail, surrounded by eight newspapers.
The man then spent the rest of the morning returning the papers to their owners.
What’s the point?
• We need to Feed everyone doggie treats
• And when we do we’ll get more work out of them!
• Ok, maybe not doggie treats but how about feeding people some honest and sincere compliments?
• Our destiny is to encourage one another, to help one another, to bless one another.
ILL.- A wise man once said said,
• “Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
• Criticize me, and I may not like you.
• Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
• Encourage me, and I will not forget you."
III. THE DESTINY OF EXPERIENCING TRIALS
1Th 3:2 We sent Timothy to visit you. He is our co-worker for God and our brother in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith,
1Th 3:3 and to keep you from becoming disturbed by the troubles you were going through. But, of course, you know that such troubles are going to happen to us Christians.
1Th 3:4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know.
1Th 3:5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the Tempter had gotten the best of you and that all our work had been useless.
Troubles are going to happen to us Christians.
• I don’t particularly like the sound of this verse.
Sometimes we think things are going to go easily and then we get into trouble
• Rear Axle Seals
Guess what? If you’re going to do mechanic work you’re going to get dirty!!!
• And the same can be said about being a Christian
1Pe 4:12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
1Pe 4:13 Instead, be very glad—because these trials will make you partners with Christ in his suffering, and afterward you will have the wonderful joy of sharing his glory when it is displayed to all the world.
Trials are a part of every life.
• They are also a part of every Christian’s life.
• That’s our destiny in Christ.
CONCLUSION--------------------------
ILL.- When King Louis XIV of France was dethroned, someone kidnapped his son. They tried to spoil him and dethrone him. The people who captured him exposed him to vulgar language, excessive alcohol and women—anything to feed his passions and to try to keep him from fulfilling his destiny.
After 6 months he refused and refused and refused. Finally his captors said, “Why haven’t you given in to any of these passions? Why haven’t you indulged yourself in any of these things?”
The king’s son replied “I cannot indulge in any of those things because I was born to be a king!”
That’s what I want us to take away today
• We were born again to be God’s children.
• Children of the King.
• He chose us to live a higher and holier life.
• That’s the kind of life that honors Him most.
• And that’s our destiny!
