A car fulfills its destiny when it's riding. An instrument fulfills its destiny when it's playing because it is being what it was created to be. Dr. Tony Evans says the same is true of you. God has a design for you.
He has a destiny for you. And it is unique to you. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Too often, even those who believe we were created by God don't realize that we were created by God for a reason.
Today, Dr. Evans brings a message designed to help you discover and live out your destiny. Let's join him as he gets started in Acts chapter 13. I want to give you an overview of destiny today taken from One of the great men of the Bible. An imperfect man, but still recognized.
As a great man. That's good news because it means that even with your imperfection, you can wind up with greatness in your destiny. First of all, what in the world do we mean by it? Let's get our definition straight. It says, David, after he had served the purpose of God.
So let me define destiny. Destiny refers to Your customized life calling. for which you have been created and ordained. In order to bring God the greatest glory. and maximize his kingdom impact.
Your destiny. is your customized life calling. It's unique for you. You're not off the rack. That's why you have a unique fingerprint.
Because you are not supposed to be like everybody else. You have been custom made. It's your custom-made, customized life calling for which you have been created. And for which you have been ordained. In order to bring God the greatest glory.
and expand his kingdom impact. It says, and David served the purposes of God.
Now David was a king. David was a poet. David was a writer. David was a singer. David was multi-talented, but when we sum up his life, Here in the book of Acts.
It says, the thing we want you to know about David. Is that he served the purposes of God? In other words, He did what God put him here to do. Most people serve the wrong purpose. They serve the purposes of power, they serve the purposes of possession, they serve the purposes of position.
They serve the purposes of Popularity, and then they sprinkle a little piety on top to make it all seem good. But David served the purposes of God. In other words, he fulfilled what God had put him here to do. If you end your life, And do not fulfill the purpose for which you were created and redeemed, you will have wasted your life. Because your destiny, within its own uniqueness, is designed to serve the purpose of God.
Now what most people want is for God to serve their purpose. And so there's this constant call on God to do something for me.
Now that's not wrong in and of itself. As long as what you want him to do for you serves the purpose he has for you. But once His purpose gets lost in your purpose. You wind up without purpose. Because David served the purposes of God.
We all have appliances in our homes. A refrigerator, a stove, a toaster, an electric. can opener and other appliances. They have been customized in their purpose. The refrigerator won't cook for you.
And the stove won't freeze for you. The can opener won't toast bread for you. And the toaster won't open cans for you. That's because they weren't designed to do that. They were custom-made to fulfill a specific purpose.
Purpose.
Now even though Every appliance is distinct and unique. and difference Guess what they all have in common serving you? The stove is to serve you. by heating up or cooking the foods. Your canopy is to serve you.
By opening up the kid, they see they're all different. But they all serve the purpose. of the homeowner. Everybody in here has a unique fingerprint, but we're all supposed to be serving the same person. David served the purpose.
Of God. God has a design for you. He has a destiny for you and it is unique to you. And he wants you to discover that. Because God is a God of purpose.
A car fulfills its destiny when it's riding. An instrument fulfills its destiny when it's playing, because it is being what it was created to be. God has created you, me, and us. For a specific design that will bring him the greatest glory and maximize our impact for his kingdom.
Now, let me clarify. Your destiny is not necessarily your job. Your destiny is not necessarily your career. Many people get those confused. They think because they climb the corporate ladder, they equalize that to their destiny.
Now, don't get me wrong. Your destiny and your career may line up. They could be the same thing. Or they could be different. The Apostle Paul...
His career was a tent maker. The way he made his money to take care of his livelihood was primarily by making tents for people. But if you would ask him his destiny, he wouldn't say technique. All Tempmating did was provide him the resources for which he used to fulfill his destiny. And that's why whether you are a Chief executive office of a corporation.
or whether you're a garbage collector. Both can have destinies. Because both can serve the purposes of God.
Now, the closer you can align your career to your destiny, wonderful. But don't make them the same, because there are plenty of folk. who want God to bless them on the job and the job has nothing to do with God being glorified or God's kingdom being impacted. Right. Remember, your destiny serves the purpose of God.
and expands his kingdom purpose. in history. He says David Serve. the purposes of God. It does not say he got God to serve his purpose.
You cannot reach your destiny if you are the sun of your own solar system. You cannot reach your destiny. If God must circle you. rather than you circle God. That is the problem we're having today with this emphasis on blessing.
Nothing wrong with blessing. God blesses his people. But God doesn't want to bless you, so you can leave him. Or keep him out. How many of you, by raising of the hand, have a television in your kitchen?
Anybody have a television in the kitchen?
Okay, a few of you have a television in your kitchen. If you have a television in your kitchen, it's probably a small screen TV. Probably not a big TV in your kitchen. If you want to watch big TV, that's probably in the den. The big TV is in the den.
Cause the TV in the kitchen. Is usually what you look at while you do other things. Cook, wash the dishes, eat. You know, you look up at the television while you're doing that. You listen to the television while you're doing that.
If you really want to watch and focus, you go to the den. Because typically the TV is much, much, much, much, much, much, much, much bigger. You got the couch. You got the recliner. That's not in the kitchen.
I send the den. The kitchen is for you to glance at. While you do other things, then the TV gets the center of attention, it gets your focus. And Everything is pointed to it. Most People, even Christians, have God in the kitchen of their lives.
They want him in there in the vicinity while they do other things. And on Sunday, they'll take a peek at him. Maybe on Wednesday they'll take a peek at him. And what they do is trade a relationship. for religion.
They keep him in the neighborhood. God wants to be in the den. The centerpiece of focus. With the planets of your activities revolving around the sun of his centrality. David served the purposes.
of God. And unless God is the centerpiece, not with words, everybody says, God is first in my life, God is first in my life. That sounds nice. But unless he is the point of reference. For all of your life, you could miss your destiny.
Because your destiny is tied to his centrality. David served the purposes of God.
So, the first thing you need to know is that God, not by your words, but He must be your point of reference. The center of the point of reference for all of life. if you're going to realize your destiny. in life. Dr.
Evans will have more on the overview of destiny when he returns in just a moment to continue this opening message from his current series, Destiny, Let God Use You Like He Made You. This powerful collection of messages explores the unique ways God shaped and crafted you into exactly the person He wants you to be, fully equipped to do exactly the things He wants you to do. There's nothing like being connected to your calling. And to help you on that journey, we'd like you to have this entire Six Message Collection along with a special bonus, Tony's brand new Fighting the Good Fight Devotional for Men. Its 100 daily devotionals are designed to equip and encourage men in the daily battles of life.
helping them pursue strength, courage, and faithfulness through God's Word. And it can be a meaningful gift for a husband, father, son, or friend. Both of these powerful resources are yours as our thank-you gift when you make a donation to help support the ongoing work of Tony's ministry. We are completely listener-supported, so your faithfulness is the only way we can keep bringing you this broadcast each day. You can make all the arrangements at tonyevans.org.
Or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat that contact information for you after the second part of today's message. Here's Dr. Evans.
So The first thing is if you're going to experience destiny. is God must be the centerpiece. You serving him. Secondly. It says he served the purposes of God in his own generation.
That means he impacted people. In his sphere of influence. Your destiny will always involve you impacting folk outside of you. If the only three people that matter to you are me, myself, and I. You will not experience Destiny.
Because David served God and his generation was affected by it. That's people, his generation. God not only calls you to be blessed, He calls you to be a blessing. That's why the Bible says it's more blessed to give than to receive. That's not just money, it's more blessed to be a conduit rather than a call-the-sack.
Because when God sees He can flow through you, and you're not just asking Him to flow to you, He doesn't mind flowing to you because He knows it won't stop with you, because it's going to go through you from somebody to benefit from you.
So let's review. The first thing you need to know is that God must be the center, not with words and not with religion. but he must be centered as the sun in the solar system where the planets of your realities revolve around him and you're not asking him to revolve around you. Then you must not be so self-centered that you're not seeing how what he does to you, for you, through you, and in you can benefit others outside of you. And then finally, You must live life with the right perspective.
There's a perspective related to your destiny. We see. David, having served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep. This life ended.
Now stick with me here. You are not. In the world. of the living on your way to the world of the dying.
Okay, let's get that straight. If you're a Christian, you are not in the world of the living on your way to the world of the dying. You are in the world of the dying on your way to the world of the living.
Okay, let's get it straight. Mm-hmm. Right now. As a Christian, you're on temporary assignment. From the time you were born, you began the march to the grave.
Now, it may take you 60, 70, or 80 years to arrive at the grave or where it says about David. He fell asleep, but that was the trajectory that you were on. I am on. We are all on. That's because on the other side of the grave is your life.
See, your life is there. You are in the world of the dying on your way to the world of the living.
Unless You have that perspective. You'll make this life everything. You'll throw all your marbles into this basket. You'll be concerned merely about this world order and how you progress in it. Because practically, no matter what you say with your words or what I say with my words, we think this is all there is.
And of course, if this is all there is. then this is all I expect and this is all I'm going to live for. But David served the purposes of God. Even though he was going to fall asleep. Because there was the clear understanding, there is something on the other side of this.
If you live for the other side. You'll get to really live on this side. If you don't live for the other side, Not only do you lose in the other side, but you live without a destiny on this side. If you live with that side in mind, you get the most on this side. You skip that side, you mess up this side.
You can't have a destiny in this life if you don't have the perspective, the binoculars of the life to come. God has put you here for a destiny. He has dressed you, equipped you, and made you for a destiny. But the worst thing. is to not reach the destiny.
is to not get to the place. Where he's designed for you to go. That's why I love the book of Acts chapter 20, verse 24. Paul the Apostle says, But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself.
So that I may finish my course and the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus. He says, I don't make this life my life. And I make this life my goal. In terms of finishing my destiny under the rule of Jesus Christ, when you don't make this life the life, Now you're ready to live life. But the moment you make this life the life, then you will miss life because you won't finish your course.
And nothing will make you more ready to die than to know you're finished when it comes time to die.
So now I'm going to give you the key. The key is in verse 22 of Acts 13. After he removed him, he raised up David.
So we're back to David. to be their king. concerning whom he also testified and said, I have found David the son of Jesse a man after my heart. who will do all my will.
Okay. For many people, Our heart and God's heart do not beat as one. God's heart is boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Our heart is boom boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. The hearts are not in sync.
David was a man after my heart. His heart and my heart beat together. In other words, we were on the same page. Me and David's heart went ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom.
Well, how did David God get his heart? To be your heart. He loved to do my will. In other words, David would raise the question, God, this is what I want to do. But is this what you want me to do?
Because I will choose if you put it, if you put me in a situation where I've got to choose my will versus your will. I will choose your will, even if it means saying no to my will. And God said, and then our heart started to beat together. Ba-boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Me and David were on the same page.
And if God and you ever get on the same page, Then now he can take your heart to your destiny. See, a lot of folk are on a different page with God and wonder why they're not hearing from God because the hearts are beating differently. He says, but when David loved to do my will, even if it meant he had to forsake his own will, the best way to experience life is to have a heart that beats alongside of God's. When Martin Luther King stood up, On the March on Washington, April 28, 1963. And he stood up there.
And he said, Longevity has its place. I want to live a long time. Longevity has its place. But I'm not fearing anything. And he says, and I'm not fearing any man.
But what caught me was the reason. Because my eyes have seen. The glory. Of the coming of the Lord.
Now, you know what he said? He said, I see something on that side. which has changed my perspective on this side. Because of what I see over there. I'm able to stand here with confidence over here.
And no. that I can fulfill my destiny because I saw the coming. And so I'm now confident in my standing. I can fulfill what I was designed to do because I've seen something in the hand and heart of God. The challenge today is to not be satisfied.
with being alive. And not living. By linking your heart with God's heart. That's not religion, that's cultivating a relationship and making it the most important thing in your life because you don't want to be alive, you want to live. Reggie Jackson was asked, why are you so good in October in the postseason?
He said, because I begin the preseason with the postseason in mind. I'm in the preseason, but I'm thinking about the postseason. You may be in the preseason now, but think about the postseason later. And when you think about the postseason later, you're going to hit home runs in the preseason now. Dr.
Tony Evans, helping us focus on God's purpose and plans for our lives. And he'll come back with a closing illustration in just a moment, so don't go away. Right now, though, I want to remind you about the book I mentioned earlier in the program. Fighting the good fight devotional for men. This brand new resource from Dr.
Evans is designed to equip and encourage men in the daily battles of life, offering strength, wisdom, and practical guidance from God's Word. It's yours as our gift when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Along with it, you'll receive all six full-length messages from Tony's current series, Destiny, Let God Use You Like He Made You. Instantly available as digital downloads, as well as on your choice of either C D or USB flash drive. But this special double offer won't last long.
So make the arrangements today at tonyevans.org. where you can connect with all of our resources and sign up for Tony's weekly email devotional. That's tonyevans.org. or call 1-800-800-3222, where a member of our resource team is ready to help you. That number again, 1-800-800-3222.
Well, tomorrow Dr. Evans will tell us about how the Lord uses our past experiences, good and bad, to direct us toward our destiny. I hope you'll join us. Right now though, he's back with this final thought for today. In closing.
You may have a question. You may say But what if I've wasted so many years? What if I've made so many mistakes and I'm so far from my destiny? Creating my own detours, messing up over and over again. What am I gonna do?
If you in a race And you falling behind. Because you tripped, you fell, you lost your way, you fallen away. You can't go back to the starting block. and probably most of the folk in here wish if i could have done it again I would run this race differently. But you can't.
That's the bad news. But here's what you can do. you can pick up the pace where you are. You can't go back there. But you can run faster here.
And if you run faster here, you can make up for lost time there. You can't go back. But you can pick up speed.
So no matter where you are, pick up the pace. and run toward Acts 13, 36. And let's see, God crossed all of us to the finish line. saying a man and a woman. after my own heart.
