I. What is Your Destiny? Where Are You Going?
A. Do You Know Your Destination? Or Are You A Statistic?
1. Most people are not happy with their life simply going to work everyday doing the same old thing day in and day out!
(a) Work – that four-letter word.
(b) One man told his friend: I lost my job because of illness and fatigue.
Second man: Really, how awful!
First man: Yeah, my boss got sick and tired of me. 2. George Barna’s Research Group has conducted several nationwide surveys on this subject . This survey information, taken from telephone interviews with a nationwide random sample of 1002 adults, was conducted in February 2000.
(a) For instance, 9 out of 10 adults describe themselves as being ‘self-sufficient.’ (92%)
(b) And, most people (2 out of 3) admit that they ‘like to be in control of their own lives.’ (66%)
3. Now, while that may sound good, the problem is that if we are ‘self-sufficient’ and ‘in control,’ then it means we are not ‘God-sufficient’ and letting Him be in control…of everything!
4. However, for at least half of our nation, life satisfaction would be enhanced if they could transcend their packed schedules to figure out the meaning and purpose of their life. For surely, our purpose is not to spend an entire life working, working, working, working and then dying!!! Right?
(a) Well, that’s exactly the way it will be for you as long as you are ‘self-sufficient’ and ‘in control’ of your life!!!
5. Half of the people surveyed admit to being too busy – especially those under the age of 50 and those with children at home.
6. Less than 4 out of every 10 surveyed say their life is well-described by the term ‘in debt.’ How depressing!
7. One out of every ten surveyed say they are dealing with some sort of addiction in their life. Why? Because they are trying to be ‘self-supporting!’
8. 35% of women say that they feel ‘stressed out’ with life, compared to 23% of the men.
9. Over half of all adults surveyed state that they are still trying to find a few good friends that they can rely on.
10. Americans seem to possess a great degree of self-confidence and self-reliance.
11. Six out of ten people admit to being ‘skeptical.’
12. Not so amazingly, half of all Americans said they are ‘searching for the meaning and purpose in life.’
13. However, the amazing fact is that, of the born again Christians surveyed, George Barna discovered that half of them were puzzled as their purposes in life!
14. Summary. The following terms were used in the survey by those being surveyed who confessed to be born again Christians, in describing themselves:
(a) Stressed Out: 31%
(b) Too Busy: 49%
(c) Needing New Friends: 50%
(d) In Debt: 40%
(e) Dealing with Addiction: 11%
(f) Self-Sufficient: 90%
(g) Searching for purpose: 48%
(h) Skeptical: 55%
(i) Likes to ‘be in control’: 62%
B. Where Do You Fit In?
C. The fact is that most people, and according to our survey, almost half of everyone in this room right now, have no idea what their purpose is in life.
D. While we want to live the good life, be prosperous, be happy and enjoy our lives, many of us don’t know how to!
E. That’s because our society has taught us how to become ‘self-sufficient’ and ‘self-reliant.’
F. Sad to say, but in some areas of life, we’ve left God out of the equation!
II. The Road Map to Your Destiny
A. Life is like a road trip.
B. There are many routes that can get you where you are to where you want to be.
C. Of course, for us as Christians, heaven is the ultimate destination, and there are decisions we make here on earth that will determine whether or not we’ll make it there!
D. And, whether you’ve realized it or not, God has mapped out a plan for your life!
E. Your journey toward your God-given destiny began the day you were born.
F. The goal for you now, as a believer, is to find the will of God in your life, for every part of your life, so that you can stay on course to the very end!
G. Unfortunately, as the survey shows us, most people take alternate routes and get off track from the will of God and the routes that don’t go toward God’s will always go away from His will!!!
H. What is a detour except something that takes us off the path that God has for us!
(1) A detour is a diversion!
I. Perhaps you’ve wondered what your purpose is in life.
(1) You may have even asked yourself, and God, Where do I belong? Where do I fit in?
(2) Child of God, stop wondering! You were born with a great purpose!
(3) In fact, no one in the entire world can fulfill the destiny God has planned for your life! Think about it!
J. Some of you right now are not happy with your life! You are not fulfilled! You would rather be doing something else with your time and energy!
K. The question is, what is that thing that you should be doing? The answer is another question, what does God want you to be doing?
III. Beginning the Journey
A. How do I know what God wants?
B. And, am I not already doing what God wants?
C. Let’s answer the second question first: Am I not already doing what God wants?
1. The first thing I must say is if you have to ask, you’re not! Believe me, if you were doing the will of God in your life, you would know it!
2. The second thing I would say is, are you happy? Are you fulfilled in life? Or, are you restless? Are you always looking for ways to ‘get out of work’? Is work to you a four-letter word? Is your family in the will of God? Or are they dysfunctional and hard to get along with? Do you regret coming home from work each day worse than you regret going to work each day? Are you satisfied with your health? Are you satisfied with your finances? Are you financially comfortable or just-barely making it? If any of these questions, and other like them, sound familiar to you, you may not be in the perfect will of God in a certain area of your life!
D. But, how do I get there if I’m not? This is the next important question!
E. Your journey to a satisfied life begins with a renewed mind.
(1) When you map out a road trip, you first look at your starting point. Well, your starting point to fulfillment and happiness in the will of God is a renewed mind!
(2) Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 to “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
(3) Do you want to know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God in your life? Renew your mind to that of the mind of Christ.
(4) Do you still have the worldly mindset when it comes to your finances? Then you’re going to be unfulfilled in that area? Do you still have a world-like mind when it comes to your health? If so, then you are not going to be happily fulfilled in that area! Do you have a worldly mind when it comes to your marriage and your relationships in life? If so, then you are not going to be fulfilled in your relationships! It’s just that simple! Do you think like the world when it comes to your job? Do you look for a job the same way the world looks for a job? Do you look for employees the same way the world looks for employees? Do you view your daily employment the same as the world views employment and work? If so, then you will never be fulfilled until you renew your mind!
F. Renewing Your Mind begins by turning your thoughts toward the things of God!
G. When you begin to realize that your thoughts control your life, then you can begin to shape your God-given destiny!
H. Your thoughts, whether good or bad, always lead to corresponding actions.
I. This means that whatever you dwell on is what you will do!
J. Which brings me to the second stop in your journey. First, you begin with renewing your mind. This means to change your way of thinking. And, the only way to change your way of thinking is to align your thoughts with the Word of God!
K. Your mind is the devil’s battleground and you better get that thing under the control of your spirit, which, in turn, should be under the control of the Holy Spirit!
L. Paul commanded, in Philippians 4:8 to think on things that are “true…noble…just…pure…lovely…of a good report.”
M. There can be no permanent change in your life until you study the Scriptures and begin to pattern your thoughts and your life after it!
N. You must make a quality decision that – come hell or high water – you will change your way of thinking in order to believe, receive and walk in your divine destiny!
O. Joshua 1:8 even says, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it! For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
P. Did you hear that? Meditating on the Word of God will bring prosperity and good success!
Q. Wouldn’t you be a ‘happy-camper’ if you had prosperity and good success in every area of your life!!??
(1) The word ‘meditate’ means “to dwell on in thought; to ponder; to bring before the mind’s eye; to turn and roll over in the mind.”
(2) When you focus and meditate on His Word, you position yourself to receive clear instruction form Him concerning His will for your life!
(3) You can do this by reading, hearing and confessing the Word of God daily!
(4) By keeping it before your eyes, in your ears and on your tongue, you align your thoughts and actions to His thoughts and actions!
R. So, we must renew our mind, but we must renew our mind to that of the Word of God!
IV. Walking in Power
A. I can’t tell you what your specific destiny is – that comes from God.
B. But I can tell you that it will lead you to greater levels of fulfillment, joy, peace, prosperity and success! (I know this from experience!)
C. Let’s look together, again, at Paul’s writings. Turn to Ephesians 1:3-5 and let’s read together:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.”
D. He has ‘blessed us with every spiritual blessing.’ That word bless means “to empower to prosper.” And the word prosper means “to excel in every area of life!”
E. In other words, within God is the power to prosper.
F. And, according to this text, we have been blessed, before we were even born, we have been given the power to prosper and excel in every area of our lives – financially, emotionally, spiritually, relationally!
G. Or, as the Amplified version puts it, “…[God] has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual…blessing in the heavenly realm!” (verse 3).
H. So, let’s not forget, Christ isn’t Jesus’ last name, but rather a statement of Who He is!
I. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, which means “the Anointed One.”
1. According to Isaiah 10:27 and Luke 4:18, this anointing that is on the Anointed One is the ‘burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God!”
2. So, to be ‘blessed in Christ,” means that the power that is at work in Him, is also at work within us, causing us to prosper in everything we put our hands to!
America still has more marriages than divorces, proving that preachers still outtalk lawyers.
