Pushed into Purpose, Part 1

If you're wondering what your purpose is, Pastor Paul wants to help you find it on this Friday edition of Destined for Victory. Hello and thanks for tuning in. In just a few moments, Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message, Pushed into Purpose.

But first, he joins me from his studio in California. Pastor, we have a great offer to go along with today's message. Tell us about this booklet, Your Purpose is Calling. 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, if you've got a pulse, you've got a purpose. And as you mentioned, Pastor, just now, sometimes God may have to get us there the hard way, but that's better than not getting us there at all. Friends, we'd love to send you the booklet Pastor Paul was just talking about, Your Purpose is Calling. It's our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift to Destin for Victory. Call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to us at Destin for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538.

I'll give it again as you write it down, the address, Destin for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Don't believe for a moment that God has been thrown and don't believe for a moment that the purpose of God has changed. The reality is your purpose is more important now that we're going through all this craziness than it ever was before. So don't say, well, even God, you know, must really be kind of panicky.

Not at all. God is up to something even now, and you are to be a vital part of that. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. That's Ephesians 2 10, a welcome reminder that God planned our purpose before the foundation of the world. But how can you find your purpose?

What are some of the signs to help you know when you see it? Pastor Paul answers those and other questions coming up right now in his message. Your purpose is calling. Fact of the matter is some of us are having some pushes. We're experiencing some pushes right now, and I've come with a word to let you know not all of your pushes are coming from the world, the flesh, the devil, your enemies, all of that. Some of the pushes are coming from God himself, and I hope to make that plain to you as we illustrate it through not only this particular passage, but as I mentioned, several others along the way. And I came to talk to some of you who are being pushed, and the push is coming from heaven. God himself is pushing you.

Why do I say that? Well, let me establish a principle for you. One thing that the New Testament makes crystal clear about those of us who know the Lord is this. Every follower of Christ has a calling on his or her life.

Jot that down if you're taking notes. Every follower of Christ has a calling on his or her life. Every follower of Christ has a calling on his or her life. You already know that if you read your Bible. You know passages like 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.

Now think about that passage. All things, Paul said, work together for good. Doesn't mean all things are good. He says all things work together for good, not to everyone on the planet, but specifically he says that's true of those who love God and those who are called. I told you you were called, and called not just with a general calling, you're called according to the purpose that God has ordained for your life. You're also familiar with Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 as one of the theme passages of our church, being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

God started something in you, and he said it's a good work, and I'm going to complete it, and it is going to be ever present as you walk with the Lord that he is fulfilling his purpose in you, for you, and through you. Now that's good news. You are not an accident. I don't care if your parents told you, well, we really didn't plan to have you.

I don't care what your parents said. From the mind of God, you are not an accident. Why do I know that? Because he saved you. You're saved because you're called according to his purpose. He saved you by his grace, and now that you're saved, you have a calling on your life. You are not the exception. No, they can't be talking about me. Yes, I'm talking about you. If you're saved, you're called according to God's purpose.

Let me put it this way. If you have a pulse, you have a purpose. If you're saved, if you're saved, if you have a pulse, if your heart is beating, if you feel a pulse when you feel your wrist, you are a person of purpose. If you're saved and have a pulse, you have a purpose. During this season of transition, this season of change, this season of trials and challenges and all the rest of it, don't believe for a moment that God has been thrown and don't believe for a moment that the purpose of God has changed. The reality is your purpose is more important now that we're going through all this craziness than it ever was before. So don't say, well, even God must really be kind of panicking.

Not at all. God is up to something even now, and you are to be a vital part of that. Now, some of you are already in pursuit of your purpose because that's the kind of person you are. Some of y'all are just natural go-getters, just sort of automatically visionary. Some people are visionary and go-getters by temperament. Anybody who knew you, your family growing up, they could see very early on as a child you were motivated and you were purpose-driven and you were decisive and a strong natural leader and all that.

So a lot of you are already in pursuit of your purpose because that's just kind of the way you're wired. You are go-getters. You are people who make things happen. Some people make things happen.

Some people watch things happen. Some people ask, what happened? And you are one of those first category folks. You make things happen. And so some of you are already in pursuit of that, but here's what I want to say to you. Just because you are in pursuit of your purpose doesn't mean that you have automatically landed where you are right now on your purpose. It could be that God's going to have you change some course, change some focus, change some relationships. I'm not talking to married folk.

Don't worry about that. There are biblical reasons for changing that other than the biblical reasons you're supposed to stay with who you promise to stay with forever. Just throw that in because I felt somebody saying, that's my word. I'm leaving my husband tomorrow.

No, no. You got to stick with the word. But the fact is, just because you are motivated and driven doesn't mean you've already landed in your purpose. So you need to watch the pushes because sometimes God's going to be pushing you away from what you're comfortable doing, what you're used to doing, what you always assumed you were going to keep doing.

And so you, who are motivated, need to hear this message. And you need to make sure, even if you are in pursuit of purpose, that you're constantly giving it to God. Never forget what Solomon said in Proverbs chapter 3, verses 5 and 6. Trust in the Lord with what? With all your heart.

And then what else did he say? And lean not to your own understanding. Now that's where some of us really, really have to get focused. Some of the problem with motivated, visionary people is you're so smart, you're kind of too smart for your own good.

You're so active, you're too active for your own good. You're so motivated from within, that can be to your detriment. So Solomon said, no, no, put your trust firmly in the Lord and don't lean to your own understanding. Then he went on to say, but in all of your ways acknowledge Him and here's the promise and He will direct your path. So you need to stick with this message even if you say, oh no, I'm already in my purpose.

No, stay with me because I got some stuff that I'm going to help you understand as we move along. But first let me speak to the people who aren't wired like those I just spoke of. There are some of you who really aren't necessarily visionary, aren't naturally go-getters. Some of y'all, your anointing is to chill.

You just live your life and you're just chilling out. You love God, you love being a child of God, but you're really not all that into making things happen. I got a word for you, just because it's not your natural temperament doesn't mean it's not your spiritual calling. If you don't believe me, just think about the Bible. There are people in the Bible who were not go-getters, who were not naturally gifted, who were not those people that make things happen.

But God, you see throughout the pages of Scripture, and I'll point some things out along the way, you'll see God putting His hand on them and saying, no, no, I got a plan for you too. Think about Gideon just as one of many, many examples. Gideon was minding his business and he was scared of the enemies of Israel and so much so that his job was to thresh wheat, but he was threshing wheat in a wine press. Now you don't have to know much about that culture to know that if you are going to thresh wheat, meaning throw it to the wind and divide the wheat from the chaff, if you're going to do that, you're not supposed to do that in a wine press.

You're supposed to do that out in the open air where the wind can work with you to help you thresh the wheat. But he was so wimpy, he was hiding from the enemy in a wine press trying to thresh wheat. But the matter is God found him there and He sent the angel and the angel said, hey, almighty warrior. And I know Gideon said, who are you talking about?

No, you're not talking about me. But yes, in the plan of God, He was a mighty warrior, even though naturally, He looked much more like a wimp. I came to tell you, no matter what your temperament, whether you're a go getter or you are a person who is very chilled out, laid back, God has a plan for you. You are called according to His purpose. 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 also find a host of great resources in our online store. We serve a God of revelation, a God of clarity, not confusion. Find out more about God's purpose for you and how He'll reveal it in the rest of today's message, Your Purpose is Calling. Once again, here's Pastor Paul.

So you're going to need this word that I'm sharing. God's going to bring clarity. God's going to bring confirmation to every one of us.

Now, let me let me say this. Sometimes we are pushed into purpose. Sometimes we are pushed into purpose.

What do I mean by that? I mean, sometimes you're not going to naturally come up on your purpose. But God says, don't worry about that. Look, the fact of the matter is God can be quite pushy sometimes.

Now, let's just let's just be honest. God can be quite pushy. God, because He is God, He can do whatever He wants. I love the fact that our God is sovereign.

What does that mean? He doesn't answer to anybody. He's not taking a vote. He doesn't care what you think. He doesn't care how you feel.

Well, see, if I was God, well, that's why you're not God. So He knows how to get us from where we are to where we're destined to be. And He can be quite pushy. Some of you all are being pushed right now.

Let me just say one thing. Some of you all think is the enemy that's pushing you. Some of you think it's your human enemies that are pushing you.

The people getting on your nerves, your family, your boss, people in your neighborhood, whatever it is. Oh, they're messing with me. Sometimes God will use them to accomplish His purpose. God doesn't just use folk who are yielded to Him. God can use a flat-out enemy to push you into your purpose.

And I came to tell somebody that you're being pushed and it's coming from on high. Now let me just show you a little bit of how this works, even from a scriptural context. God can use people to push you into your purpose. That's the first thing I need you to understand as I unpack this. God can use people to push you into your purpose.

I need somebody to leave this series I'm going to share having rethought the people in your life. And doesn't mean that you have to think that they're wonderful when they're not. They can be enemies. They can be hateful. They can be trying to destroy you. That doesn't mean God's not using them. God can use people trying to destroy you and what He does is uses them to set you up to be supernaturally blessed. So I need you to know God uses people to push you into your purpose.

Some of those people love you and have your best interests at heart. Let me give you a biblical example. You remember Timothy in the New Testament? There are two letters written from the apostle Paul to this young man. He was a spiritual son of Paul. He came to learn how to do ministry from his mentor Paul. And you know as well as I do that in the first letter he wrote to him, Paul said now God's hand is on you Timothy and I want you to understand I and other presbyters laid our hands on you and we know God's hands on you. When he writes the second letter he still has to say the same thing because Timothy is one of those people who is sort of naturally reluctant. He was kind of phlegmatic by temperament.

And he wasn't much of a people person. You get the feeling when you look at his personality in scripture. But God's hand was on him and God used Paul and other presbyters to push him into his purpose.

They laid hands on him. A prophetic word went forth that he was to be a leader in the body of Christ. And Paul writes in 2 Timothy and says Timothy you've got to stir up the gift that's in you. It is there. It's ready to go but it is unmixed.

It is unstirred and you've got to go. That was God using Paul and others to push Timothy into his purpose. Some of you need to pay attention to the folk who have been speaking God's will into your life. Now you have the Holy Spirit if you're a follower of Christ so never automatically take the word of an individual as a word of God. It could be that they're speaking for God but if God uses a person he'll always confirm it in a second way.

He'll always make sure you know. Never let somebody come give you a prophecy and you run with that prophecy and you don't know whether that's God or just them. Because prophets can miss it sometimes and so you need to be sure, you need to know that you know this is a word from the Lord. God used Paul in Timothy's life. Remember John Mark. God used Barnabas in John Mark's life. John Mark was a young man who was saved. His mama hosted one of the churches in Jerusalem so he's used to the saints singing and praying and eating around him and all that but when he went out on a missionary journey with the apostle Paul and it got rough out there and the enemies were threatening to kill him and all that, John Mark took off, went back home and Paul says that he deserted me. He left us and so when Paul and Barnabas went to do the second missionary journey and Barnabas said okay let me go get John Mark and we can get started. Paul said no, no he's not going. He left us the first time. I don't fool with people like him. I'm going to leave him and his mama to themselves. I'm taking folk who know how to rough it with me. Barnabas said no, you can't throw somebody away just because they didn't get it right.

You got to give them more time. Barnabas ended up helping John Mark get his feet under him spiritually speaking and maturity and emotional development and just a sense of toughness and knowing spiritual warfare and Barnabas, a son of encouragement, helped this young man John Mark and I know that John Mark ended up successful for two reasons. Number one, the Gospel of Mark was written by him. Number two, when Paul is about to die at the end of 2 Timothy and he's saying Timothy come see me before they cut off my head and I go to be with the Lord and he said and bring John Mark with you. Bring Mark with you and he says because he's been helpful to me in the Gospel. What does that tell you?

Paul was sick of him at the beginning of that second missionary journey but years later Paul came to realize that Barnabas pouring into that young man helped him grow, helped him mature and John Mark ended up being a great blessing to the apostle Paul. I need you to know you might have had some rough times heretofore. You might have missed it. You might have blown it in some ways. That doesn't mean purpose has been withdrawn from your life. When God calls you the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. What does that mean?

That means if God calls you something, he doesn't take it back. I don't care how you messed up. I don't care how you didn't get it right the first time. I don't care that you married somebody who had no business marrying.

I don't care that you went somewhere you had no business going. God knows how to get you from where you are to where he has destined you to be and I came to tell you my friend, my brother, my sister, you are called according to purpose and some of the pushes in your life are either people loving you in the name of God and pushing you towards your purpose or some of them are people who hate you but God will still use them to push you into your purpose. And as I move further in this message, you'll see that that's what happened in the life of a young girl named Esther and God uses her to turn around the fate of the children of Israel in the land of Persia.

And they're under a godless king and things don't look very spiritual at all but they're still God's people and God raises up Esther so that they can fulfill God's purpose in their life. If you are not aware of it, you're called according to purpose, God has a plan for you and that purpose is going to come to pass. God will use good hearted godly people to push you into your purpose but here's what I need you to understand that not only does God use people to push you into your purpose, some of those people don't have your best interest at heart at all. In fact, what they're trying to do is destroy you, is to tear you down, is to assassinate your character, whatever it is.

There are some people who are just straight haters in your life. I came to let you know, just because they're haters doesn't mean God won't use them. He uses anybody he wants to use and for some of you, your haters are on assignment to push you into your purpose. And so here's my second point, not only does God use people but God can use challenges or crises to push you into your purpose. So not only does he use people, whether people who are good hearted or haters, but he also will use challenges or crises to push you into your purpose. Challenges now, think about your life right now. Are you experiencing a whole lot of challenge?

Then you need to take a look at what's going on. Is there something God's up to? Thanks so much for joining us for today's message, Your Purpose is Calling. If you'd like more information about Destined for Victory, or if you need prayer, or are interested in our special offer for everyone who gives a generous gift this month, be sure to stop by our website, pastorpaul.net.

That's pastorpaul.net. 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. That's next time when Pastor Paul Shepherd takes us to a familiar Old Testament story in his message, Your Purpose is Calling. Until then remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory. . .