I give my permission for this sermon to be used in its fullest for the glory of God. May all who read it and hear be blessed.
GOD’S DESTINATION
For the past several weeks we have looked at what it means to run the great race of eternity and to finish strong by keeping the faith. Today, and next Sunday, I want us to look at two final points of why our race for eternity is so important.
Today’s message is about destinations. We talk about our personal destinations of things we wish to do and places we wish to go. Some of us have a bucket list of destinations we want to visit. For example, my bucket list of destinations includes Alaska, Australia, and Yellowstone.
But, have you ever thought about the destinations God has for you? Have you ever thought about where it is that He desires for you to be? Of all the roads we travel in life, the greatest and most important of all places to reach, is the destination that God has planned for you.
How terrible it would be to run your race through life, only to discover that you were running in the wrong direction and arrived at the wrong destination. God has a destination for your life, and today I want to show you the destinations God desires for you.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. NIV
God great destination for you is to prosper you, to give you hope and a great eternal future.
GOD’S DESTINATION
The Bible has a lot to say about God’s destination for your life. God destination for your life leads to eternal life and great eternal rewards. All of us have a destination of places we want to see, or things we want to accomplish. But God’s destination is for you to reach the place of being the person He created you to be. No matter what your life looks like at this moment, God’s destination for you is far greater than what you think. Many think that God’s destination is only about eternal life, but that’s just one part of it.
In running the great race of eternity, it is vital that you are running in the right direction, toward the right destination. As your pastor, it is my responsibility to point you in the right direction toward your God given destination…
THE RIGHT DESTINATION
Many are beginning to notice that things are not right in the world. All the mayhem we see in the world; the earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, the evil and violence, the senseless killings, and the tragic wars… All of these things are telling us the world is headed toward a destination of judgment and tribulation. The news media does not understand spiritual things and is unable to tell you this truth. But the Bible tells us what’s coming. The Bible warns us that the world is headed the destination of Armageddon, but… glory to God… for those who are in Jesus Christ, our destination is an eternal destination in God’s eternal kingdom that will never end. My point is, that in all of this worldly chaos, the destination that the world desperately needs most at this moment, is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is the gospel of Jesus Christ? The gospel says that Jesus Christ is… the way, the truth and life and that no one comes to God the Father except through Him. That statement offends those who believe there are many ways to heaven, but God said this, and I chose to believe God.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is that if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, then you will never enter heaven, but will be condemned to hell forever. Those who reject Jesus Christ will never reach God’s destination of eternal life. That’s why the gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely important. To know the
gospel of Jesus Christ, is God’s destination for every person on planet earth.
I know all of you here, and I feel confident about your relationship with Christ. But… the truth is, in reality, I don’t know your heart. Only God knows that. You can easily fool me, but you can’t fool God. My point is, the number one most important truth is that your destination of eternal life is totally dependent upon what you believe about Jesus Christ.
So, at this moment, I want us to pray together what I call the prayer of salvation. As I lead us in prayer, I want you to pray these words out loud and mean it in your heart…
Heavenly Father… In Jesus Name… I confess… that I am a sinner and need Jesus Christ… I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. I choose to place my trust in Him and in what He did for me at the cross. I believe by faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and beginning today, I choose to follow Jesus Christ all the days of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer and believe it with all of your heart, then by God’s grace you are headed toward the destination of eternal life in God’s eternal kingdom.
THE WORKING OF GOD’S DESTINATION
One of the things about following Jesus Christ and pursuing His destination is that you will make mistakes. Satan and the forces of hell will ridicule you because of your mistakes… but one of the great destinations that God desires for you to reach is for you to overcome your mistakes and failures, and to be transformed by them… which means you learn from them…
Your failures should not prevent you from fulfilling your God given mission. That’s not God’s plan for you. All of us have made mistakes, but… nowhere in God’s word does God see you as a mistake… You may have failed, but God does not see you as a failure. You may be down, but staying down is not God’s final destination for you. In God’s eyes your mistakes are not final… Listen to this powerful scripture…
Romans 8:28 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. NKJV
God wants you to reach the destination of knowing that for those who love God, He will make everything to work in your favor, and that includes your mistakes and failures. That’s why when you are knocked down, get up, and keep the faith and finish your race.
Hear this very clearly… God will never, never define you by your worst mistakes. He looks beyond our faults and forgives us with His eternal forgiveness that has no limits. God’s mercy toward us is higher than the heavens and is far greater than all our sins.
We remember the story of Simon Peter and how at a pivotal time he made the worst mistake of his life, and yet, the Lord forgave him, restored him, and loved him with a love beyond measure. The reality is, the Lord had every right to condemn Peter to hell, but He didn’t. After His resurrection, He said, “Go tell my disciples, and Peter…” (Mark 16:7) He specifically named Peter.
Peter who cut off a man’s ear, who lied about knowing Jesus, and when he was confronted about Jesus, he totally denied that he knew Him. If Jesus can forgive Peter for his failure, He can forgive you. If Jesus can restore Peter to an eternal destiny of greatness, He can also restore you with an eternal destination that is greater than your mistakes and failures.
Satan wants you to believe that God defines you by your failures and mistakes; and that your hopes
and dreams to fulfill your God given purpose is over. But that is NOT what God says…
God says… And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God…
Stop living by your past failures, and seek out God’s destination for your life, because God’s final destination for you is far greater than your mistakes and failures.
FORGIVENESS
Another great destination that God wants us to reach is to know that we are truly forgiven.
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NKJV
God wants you to reach the destination of knowing without any doubt that you are forgiven of all your past, present and future sins, because all of your sins have been nailed to the cross. He wants you to reach the destination of knowing that you are truly forgiven. To know that you are truly forgiven is to know that God forgives all of your sins, your mistakes and failures and that you are now an overcomer who follows Jesus Christ. This is one of the great destinations that God desires for you.
A HEART THAT SEEKS GOD
A special destination that God desires for us to reach, is to have a heart that seeks Him.
Jesus expressed the importance of this destination in His Sermon on the Mount when He said…
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. NKJV
He also said… Matthew 6:33 seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… NKJV
To keep the faith and to finish strong, you must have a heart that seeks God, and to reach that destination, you must have a heart that thirsts and hungers for God. Ask yourself, “Do I have a heart that is hungry for God, and for His word?” God greatly desires for us to arrive at a destination where our heart hungers and thirsts for Him and His righteousness.
AN ETERNAL DESTINATION OF RULING WITH CHRIST
Ephesians 2 reveals another great destination that God has designed for us.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have
been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus. NKJV
There are two things here that reveal the glory of God’s destination for your future in eternity.
First, God’s final destination for you is more than just than just eternal life. His destination is for you to sit with Him on heavenly thrones in heavenly places…
Compare that with what Jesus said in Revelation 3:21…
Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. NKJV
That’s the ultimate destination God desires for your future. He wants you to arrive at the destination of where you are seated with Jesus Christ to rule and reign with Him for all eternity. This is why we must keep the faith so that we can finish strong to reign with Christ.
Second, notice in verse 7 that it says… that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
For all eternity, God will put on full display the magnificent glory of the marvelous work that He did in you through the grace of Jesus Christ. God wants you to arrive at the destination where for all eternity you are the object of His love and grace and glory. For all eternity, He wants to show the great and mighty work He did in you. This amazing scripture is just a small glimpse of the amazing wonder that God has in store for us in His Kingdom, which is why you must keep the faith and finish your eternal race to reach your God appointed destination.
TO KEEP THE FAITH AND FINISH THE RACE
One of the great and final destinations that God deeply desires for you to reach, is for you to keep the faith and to finish strong in your race for eternity. As Paul has said…
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. NKJV
To finish the race and reach your God appointed destination, you must overcome the world by believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way of salvation for eternal life.
The greatest and highest point you will ever reach is to reach God’s destination for your life. You need to see the glory of God’s destination for your life, and then run that race with all your heart. For example… I know without any doubt that…
God’s destination is for you to know His will, live in His will and do His will.
God’s destination is for you to live holy and godly lives in an ungodly world.
God’s destination is for you to reap the great rewards of heaven.
God’s destination is for you to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
This is what He has in store for those who keep the faith and finish the race and reach their God given destination.
NOT A BELIEVER
In closing, if you are not a believer, God’s destination is for you to have eternal life in Jesus Christ. However, if you are a believer, but you’re not a follower, God’s destination is for you to be a follower of Jesus Christ who lives by His word.
God wants you to reach the destination He has set for you by keeping the faith and finishing strong in your eternal race. Now is the time to get up, and run with all of your heart toward the
great destination God has set for your life.
