The Destiny Principle

Ephesians 1:9-11

“And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment  .  .  . In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”

Have you ever asked God, “What is your will for my life?”

I remember the story of the guy who was on a diet. As he was passing by the donut shop, he told himself, “If it’s the Lord’s will for me to stop and have a donut, then there will be a parking space free right in the front.” Sure enough, after 12 trips around the block, there was an open parking space in the front of the shop. That was not God’s will and it definitely was not God’s ways.

“There are two great days in a person’s life -- the day we are born and the day we discover why.”  - William Barclay

1) Decision, the pursuit of God.  “For he chose us in him.” (v. 4)

2) Direction, the plan for His will –  “in accordance with his pleasure and will” (v. 5)   “according to the plan of him” (v. 11)

A photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene hampered him and he asked his home office to hire a plane. Arrangements were made and he was told to go at once to a nearby airport, where the plane would be waiting. When he arrived at the airport, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let’s go! Let’s go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and they soon were in the air. "Fly over the north side of the fire," yelled the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes." "Why?" asked the pilot. "Because I’m going to take pictures," cried the photographer. "I’m a photographer and photographers take pictures!" After a pause the pilot said, "You mean you’re not the instructor?"

Is Jesus your co-pilot for life? Well, if He is then it’s time to move over, because it’s time He takes over completely.

3) Dream, the passion for the vision, “He made known to us the mystery of his will.” (v. 9)

4) Dedication, the patience for His timing, “when the times will have reached their fulfillment” (v. 10)

5) Discipline, the principles for His promises,  “with all wisdom and understanding” (v. 8)  “having been predestined according to the plan of him.” (v. 11)

6) Determination, the perseverance for the journey, “who works out everything” (v. 11)

7) Destiny, the purpose for your life, “in conformity with the purpose of his will” (v. 11)

      I’ll never forget the look in his eyes. The tears were flowing. His countenance was shimmering. His heart was pounding. His life was changed. I just had the opportunity of leading Johnny to the Lord, and the angels in heaven were rejoicing. Praise God! He was getting ready to get married, and now he wanted to be the spiritual leader God called him to be. Over the next couple of years, I took some time to disciple him and try my best to be an example to him. Then, his job took him out of state, and I was going to lose contact with him. I wondered if I my efforts paid off. Not too long after that, I received a message from him that he was now serving as a youth pastor at his local church. Wow! Now, he is making an impact on so many lives. My heart leaped for joy! That’s when it hit me. Life is not about success, it’s about significance. As a believer in Christ Jesus, I become so much more fulfilled when I see others take off and be used of God in a powerful way.

     Well, that was a number of years ago; and since then, I have continued to do my best in focusing beyond success and into significance. I believe that is a vital part of God’s will for my life. Over the years, I’ve asked God to send my many more “Johnnys” so that I can pour life into them, and see them soar like an eagle.

     Destiny. It’s great to make heaven your destination. But wouldn’t it be a whole lot greater if you could bring a host of others along with you?  In baseball, it is called RBI’s – Runs Batted In. And this is one of the most important statistics in the game. It’s great when you make it home, but victory is so much more reachable when you bring others home with you.

     In life, you need to know where you are going. It’s not too often that you get in your car, start the engine, put it in gear, but not know where you are going. You generally have a destination in mind. Right?  So it is with this journey called life. During “40 Days of Purpose” last fall, I challenged you to write out your purpose statement. Why are you here on this earth? If you have written one, then pull it out and examine it. If you haven’t written one, then this is your homework for today. The Fortress Church mission statement is:

      I believe that individuals need to have a purpose statement, also. What can you include in your personal purpose statement? Your relationship with Christ. Family. Ministry. Future? Spiritual Gifts? Priorities? Heart?

     When I wrote out my purpose statement, I targeted three areas. Section 1 is my relationship with the Lord. Section 2 deals with family - my role as a dad. Section 3 deals with my calling to ministry.  Here is an example of my purpose statement.

     So, what is your purpose in life? Do you know where you are going? And how to get there?

      I believe that writing out a purpose statement helps us get our priorities in the right place. It makes us realize what is really important to us in life. Today, I ask you the question, “How important is it to you to pursue God’s will?” Are you willing to go for it, no matter what the cost?  

     The other day, I took the challenge. As I prepared to begin a one hour journey on the Precor EFX546 elliptical machine, I set a goal to burn 900 calories. The previous 3 or 4 times, I had burned anywhere from 840 to 860 calories during a one hour time period. But, I believed that I could reach 900 this time. I was thinking that I could reach my goal if I didn’t slack off at certain periods.

     Being the analytical man that I am, I figured that I would have to keep a pace of 15 calories per minute to make it to 900. Right? OK, I took off. The first thing I noticed is that to keep the pace of 15 calories per minute took some extra effort out of me, but I was willing to do it. 20 minutes later, the calorie counter read: 299. Just slightly under the pace. At the 30 minute mark, it read: 451.5.  Yes!!! But then at the 40 minute mark, it read: 598.7. Although it wasn’t much, I had slacked off a little. At the 50 minute mark, it read: 750.3. Back on pace. It was at that point that – for some reason – I got a second wind, and picked up the pace a tad. When the time read 60 minutes, the calorie counter read: 903.5. I had reached my destiny.

     Was it easy? No way. The extra 50 calories burned took a lot more effort, but it was worth it. Was I sweaty? You better believe it. When I got back home, my kids didn’t want to come near me.

     Life is journey that lasts more than 60 minutes. It’s a lifetime. Our destination is set. We desire to spend eternity in glory. And while some people believe that accepting Christ as Savior is the culmination of life, I believe that it is the beginning. Philippians 2:12b says, “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Serving God is a journey – with a great destination.

     The key that helped me reach my goal of burning 900 calories was the markers along the way. The 20 minute marker. The 30 minute marker. The 40 minute marker. And the 50 minute marker. These markers told me if I was on pace to reach my destiny, or if I was slacking off. Without them, I may not have known where I was at on my journey and perhaps even given up. But with a little extra effort, I went to the next level.

     I believe we need spiritual markers on the journey of life to let us know if we are keeping the pace. That is what the next 37 days is all about. I’m going to take you through seven spiritual markers that will help you gage if you are on pace with God’s will. Decision. Direction. Dream. Dedication. Discipline. Determination. And Destiny. At each marker, we will evaluate where we’ve been, where we are going and if we are on pace. Physical fitness is great. But spiritual fitness is much more important. Now, if I could only stay away from those Krispy Kremes.