Pushed into Purpose, Part 1 (cont'd)

Are you going through any crises?

If you are, don't say, oh this is all the devil and we need to rebuke it. Sometimes God will use the challenges. Sometimes God will use the crises to actually push you into your purpose. Sometimes God may ask us to do the ridiculous so that He can do the redemptive.

You're listening to Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd, always glad to have you with us. When the pagan king of Persia went looking for a new wife, he didn't have to look for long. God brought one right to the doorstep of the castle.

She was a Jewish woman living in Persia and the Bible says she was beautiful inside and out. Why would God join together such an unlikely couple? We'll find out next in today's Destined for Victory message from Pastor Paul Shepherd. Stay with us here or download the podcast on demand at pastorpaul.net, at Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Now with this message pushed into purpose, here's Pastor Paul.

God can use anything about you to accomplish His purpose. And so you know the story if you've read the book of Esther, you know how the king first of all banished his original wife Vashti from the kingdom because she insulted him by not coming to a party that he told her to come and make an appearance while he's trying to impress all his raggedy friends. And she said, I'm not going. And the men around him said, you can't let the queen talk to you like that because if you let that happen, all of us will be in trouble.

All our wives will be ignoring what we say. And so the king banished her. All of that was part of God's plan. And so now that he's got no queen, he said, I got to get another queen. And he sought throughout the provinces, 127 provinces in Persia at that time.

And he ruled over all of them. And they sought for the pretty, the beautiful virgins and asked them to come. Said, find the best of them, bring them to Susa, and I'm going to select my wife from among them. Well, long story short, Esther was one of those people selected. And you know the story if you've read it, that God ended up using her so that she became the queen. Why would God want a beautiful woman who is a Jewish woman? She is one of the people of God. Why would God want her to marry a pagan king? Because God is always up to something.

You don't always understand what he's doing, but he knows exactly what he is doing. And so this young woman is now in a place where, if you don't know the story, I can't walk you all the way through it, but let me tell you, a hater was there. One of the officials was a hater and an ego-driven hater named Haman. Haman wanted everybody to worship him, and the king allowed people to give him honor. In fact, said, he's one of my officials, whenever you see Haman coming, I want you to give him deference, whether it's bowing or whatever, make him feel important. Well, everybody else was doing that, except Esther, he was really her father type.

He was like her adopted father after her parents were dead. And Mordecai would not give Haman honor. And he said, this man ain't worth nothing. And when he saw Haman coming, everybody else was bowing, and Mordecai just stood right there.

And Haman hated that. And he plotted, he said, I'm going to get rid of this man. He said, tell you what, I don't want to just get rid of him, I want to get rid of all these Jews. So he told the king a lie. Read it when you get a chance. Told the king a lie, said, you got these people in your provinces, they're Jews, and they don't heed your commands.

That's not true. The Jews lived according to the law of that land, except when it cut across anything God wanted them to do. And so he told a flat out lie on God's people.

But here's what you need to know. Haman was given permission to have them killed. He had the king sign a decree, and the decree was that on a certain day, all the Jews in all of the provinces would be killed.

When he set up a day of genocide, he wanted to wipe out the entire Jewish nation. You got to know something. When you're called according to God's purpose, it doesn't mean everything's going to go well. Some of y'all got to get out of this candy store theology. Y'all listening to some of these folk who tell you if you're in the will of God, you're always going to be happy, you're always going to be healthy, you're always going to be sexy, you're always going to be everything going well, wealthy, all that stuff. Listen, that's not according to Scripture. The Scripture says sometimes the proof that you're in the will of God is all hell is breaking out in your life.

I need somebody to know that. The proof that you're in the will of God is not circumstantial. In fact, sometimes circumstances are going to make sure that you look like your life is going in the wrong direction, but you got to know that God began a good work in you. He is going to bring it all the way to completion. So here's what I want you to know. God knew that Haman and his ego were going to try to kill his people, and he wanted to make a universal statement. These are my people, and I will not let them be manhandled, and I will not let them be killed and wiped off of the face of the earth for all eternity. I'm going to have a remnant of my people until I come again and receive all of my people to myself.

And so even in the Old Testament era, God is very active, very much at work to willing to do of his good pleasure. So you know the story. What happened is he sets up this day of genocide. Mordecai hears about it.

He begins to weep and wail, and he begins to say, Oh my God, they're trying to wipe out God's people. And his adopted daughter is now the queen. She's in the palace.

So Mordecai's outside. He can't go in, but he gets one of the servants and says, Would you go tell her that we're in trouble? So the servant tells Esther what Haman has set up and that the Jews are to be killed. Now the king doesn't know that his wife is a Jew. He fell in love with her, made her his queen, did not even know her ethnicity. And so he doesn't know that the decree he signed means he signed his own wife's death warrant.

But don't worry about it. Just because people don't know certain things, God knows everything. And God knew what was being set up. So Mordecai sends word, says, Esther, we are in trouble.

You got to do something. And that's why we arrive at this passage. And this passage says, while he sends this word to her, and she sends back and says, I haven't been invited into the king's presence. Just because I'm the queen doesn't mean I can hang out with him whenever I want. I have to be invited into his presence.

And she said, it's been a full month since I was in his presence. And so that word goes back to Mordecai. And the text we read is what he said. He said, don't think just because you're the queen that you're going to be spared because this thing that your husband signed, the king's sign, is going to wipe you out too.

All of us are destined for death, sentenced to death as a result of this decree unless you do something. And I love the faith of Mordecai. When you read it, you'll notice Mordecai said, now deliverance is going to come. I know we're God's people. I know God's not going to let us be wiped off the face of the earth because he raised us up for his own people.

He's not going to let his people be totally exterminated. He said, deliverance is coming from somewhere. I need to tell somebody that's a word for you right now. Your deliverance is coming from somewhere. Your help is coming from somewhere. God is not going to leave you in the state you're in.

Your help is on its way. He said, but who knows but that the reason you're sitting in that palace right now is because God wants to use you to bring about our deliverance. We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message from Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor at Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Listen to the broadcast on demand at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net and there you'll find a host of great resources in our online store. Well, she was beautiful inside and out.

A Jewish woman led by God to marry the pagan king of Persia. Her story continues next and the rest of today's message pushed into purpose. Once again, here's Pastor Paul. Now that brings me then to the first of three directives I want to give to those of us who are being pushed into purpose. I want to give three directives.

I only have time to give you one now. That's why I'm going to continue this message the next time I preach and share with you the other two directives. But here is the first thing I need you to know. I need you to look at your possibilities, not just your problems. You are called according to God's purpose. God is up to something in your life, so you've got to look at the possibilities, not just the problems. Look at verse 14 of Esther chapter 4 and here is what you see Mordecai sending word to her to say, and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.

Who knows but that you have come to royal position. The reason why Mordecai is saying, girl, don't you see what God did? He took your beauty. He took the fact that you are lovely inside and out and he used that to have the king, a pagan king, get sprung on you. I'm bringing it up to modern time.

You all got to come with me. And he was sprung when he met Esther. He's like, oh, this is, in the words of that theologian, Freddie Jackson, you are my lady. Everything, I'm sorry, let me get back in the anointing.

All right, so he said, who knows? The reason why God set all of that up was you have come to royal position for such a time as this. Told you God can use anything about you.

And so you got to know that God is up to something in your life. Don't just look at circumstances. Don't just look even at crises. Look beyond circumstances. Look beyond crises. Look beyond your haters. Look beyond the folk who are trying to destroy you. God is up to something and he may be using them to accomplish his purpose.

So you got to look at your possibilities, not just your problem. You all got to understand, God is the God of it all. He's not just the God of some things.

What is her problem? Her problem is that her people have now been slated for genocide, to be wiped off the face of the region that he oversees, this king oversees, the country of Persia. They are slated to be wiped out of all of Persia, but you got to understand something. God is the one in control. No pagan leader, I don't care who they are, is in control. Our God is the one in control. And so even though she is among the people slated for execution, that's the problem. She's not supposed to look only at the problem.

Mordecai said, let's look beyond the problem, let's look at the possibility. He said, maybe this is why you became the queen of a pagan nation. Maybe this is what God was up to. God knew that he wanted to deliver his people from the clutches of their enemy and he would use you to do it.

I need somebody who is dealing with problems, with crises, with challenges in your life, I need you to stop sweating those things and now shift your attention to the possibilities. Because the answer, the miracle, the provision is not in anything but a possibility that God has presented to you. What do you mean by that? The possibility is she is the queen. And as the queen, she has the ability to get the ear of the guy who signed the decree that the Jews would be killed. Mordecai said, who knows, but that God puts you in this position and you are there to accomplish this very task of getting this enemy taken care of and getting this decree torn up. Now normally, if you read the story, you know that the only way such a decree in that society could go away is that it was first executed in its entirety. In other words, there was no provision in Persian law for the king to say, oops, I changed my mind. He was to fulfill everything he said unless something so dramatic, so drastic happened that he would legally be able to rescind a decree that he had made.

The decree was law and that law was set to be executed. But Mordecai said, but who knows, God might have you where you are for such a time as this. After all, girl, you are the queen. So listen, fact of the matter is some of y'all need to look at your possibilities. You've been spending your time looking at your problems, your economic problems. Oh, I'm running out of money.

Oh, I don't have any. Oh, this is about to be shut off. Oh, this is about to, you're looking at your problem.

Oh, this person getting on my nerves. They're trying to get me fired. They're trying to ruin me.

They're trying to drive me to bankruptcy. Whatever it is, you've got to stop looking only at your problem. Now the Bible doesn't say you can't look at your problem. Don't practice fanatical faith. Don't act like your problems don't exist. They do exist. Sometimes people believe in confession to the point where it's right.

It doesn't even make sense. Oh, don't confess that, that, or that. No, if it's true, you can say, I am this, but I'm believing God for that. Yes, we are under the sentence of execution here in Esther, but God gets the last word.

And some of you need to stop putting all of your attention on the left side of the sentence. Put the comma and say, but God, and talk about the possibilities that God has in mind. Don't just look at your problems, saints of God, look at the possibilities. What is it that God has given you that he might very well plan to turn into a miracle? What is it among your possibilities that God might make a new career out of? What is it that among your possibilities God is going to work a supernatural work in your life? You've got to look beyond your problems. Let me tell you, Isaac in Genesis 26, not long ago I preached from this passage.

Let me revisit it just for a moment. In Genesis 26, you remember the Bible tells you that God sent Isaac to a land that was in famine. Why would God have you in a land that is in famine? Because God can be pushy, and sometimes he uses circumstances, challenges, and crises to push you into your purpose. God had a plan for Isaac. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He's the God that's going to use that line to bring Jesus to the world to save all of us. So Isaac isn't going to die in a famine, so he's got a problem. He's in a famine, but he starts looking at the possibilities.

What's the possibility? The Bible says in Genesis 26, 12 that he was in a land, but he sowed in that famine. He sowed in that famine. That means he planted crops in that famine. In other words, God gave him seed.

Problem is, there's a famine. Seed is the possibility. What seeds has God put into your life? What is it that God might want to use, you already have?

See, we've got to stop saying what we don't have and start saying what we do have. And he said, I don't have much, but I do have seed, so he sowed that seed in the famine. He planted that seed. And then the Bible tells you what God plans to do miraculously. If you will do your part, God will do his part. And as a result of Isaac sowing in that land, the Bible says that year, that same year of famine, he reaped a 100-fold crop, an amazing bumper crop God gave him because he sowed what he had. Somebody needs to realize that is the God. We serve the God of the harvest, and you have to reap what you sow.

So if you don't sow, you are not going to reap. Moses was in a crisis. Remember when he led the people out of Egypt? After all those plagues, Pharaoh said, all right, y'all, just get out of here. And when they left, God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he changed his mind, said, I can't let all that free labor go. Two million people left there, headed toward the Red Sea, and Pharaoh, God gave Pharaoh a change of heart. He hardened his heart.

He said, no, no, I can't let that happen. And so they came after the children of Israel. All two million of them are now being pursued by the Egyptian armies. And in front of them is the Red Sea. I think that qualifies for a problem.

You got the army behind you. You got a sea in front of you. You're hemmed in by the mountains on either side, so there is seemingly no escape. There's a problem. There's a big problem.

Anybody ever been hemmed in, look like you're surrounded on every side? Oh, I don't know how this is going to work out. Well, you got to remember Moses. Moses looked to God. God said, what's in your hand? He said, my staff. You've used this before.

He said, I'm going to use it again. Stretch it out over the water. And when Moses stretched out his hand, the raft over the water, you know the story. When he stretched out that stick over the water, as a result of his obedience, God parted the water. The Red Sea was parted.

The water was up on two sides. And God allowed his people to escape, and they walked through the middle of a sea on dry land. Some people, some skeptics say, I don't believe that. See, that's impossible. Well, we serve the God of the impossible. In fact, impossible is not in God's dictionary.

That's only in your dictionary. The God we serve is a God who can do exceeding, abundantly, above all that we ask or even imagine. God is a God who can do anything but fail. Bottom line, my brother, my sister, is God is going to bless you.

But first, you've got to look at your possibilities and not just your problem. God has a long history of turning problems into providence, of pushing you into purpose. He did it for Esther, and he can do it for you.

But don't be surprised if his methods aren't quite what you would have expected. Pastor Paul Shepherd joins me now from his studio in California. Pastor, we have a great offer that goes along with this message you shared today. Tell us about the booklet, Your Purpose is Calling, and why it could help everyone listening today. I'm really excited about this booklet because it's based on this concept of being pushed into purpose. The fact of the matter is, sometimes God brings us into our God-given purpose through people just inspiring us, like Paul was with Timothy or Barnabas was with John Mark. But at other times, God pushes us into purpose through trouble and trials and crises. That's what happened with Esther, and it happens in a lot of our lives. So this booklet is going to help people understand all of us who are saved are called according to God's purpose.

We know that from the Bible, but people need to take it seriously. If you don't get to just skate through this life being aimless and carefree, you're going to have some things to do, some lives to touch, and some work to be done. And don't plan on leaving this earth until you get it done. So this booklet is going to help inspire you and help you understand that even your troubles are pushing you toward what God has for your life. Well, that reminds me of something you're fond of saying, Pastor Paul.

If you've got a pulse, you've got a purpose. And as you mentioned just now, sometimes God may have to get us there the hard way, but that is better than not getting there at all. So as our way of saying thanks for your generous donation this month, we'd love to send you the booklet Pastor Paul was just talking about, Your Purpose is Calling. As we begin to recover from what has been a tumultuous time in our country and in our world, the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ remains a source of hope for all who embrace it.

And now more than ever, many are searching for that hope. This is why your prayers and financial support of Destined for Victory is so critical. Request your copy of Your Purpose is Calling when you give a generous gift to Destined for Victory today. Call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538.

Again, our address, Destined for Victory, Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Some of us are feeling a hand in our back, and it's really nothing more than God pushing you out of a comfort zone, pushing you out of what you've been used to, pushing you out of the known, and He's pushing you toward His purpose, which is going to take you into the unknown. That's next time in Pastor Paul Shepherd's message, Pushed into Purpose. Until then remember, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.