Steven Furtick - You Have A Purpose
This is an excerpt from: The God Of Also
He created you before he called you. It stands to reason that he would have created you to be exactly what he needed you to be for what he would call you to do. So, all of the arguments you give yourself about how you're not what you need to be are wrong, because you are called by a God who created you. He would not have created you to be less than or different than what he would call you to be in another season of your life.
Come up, Abbey. I'm calling Abbey to the stage right now. I am calling Abbey, my daughter, to the stage for a purpose. I wanted to call her to the stage because I wanted to use her for a purpose. She is wearing a shirt that, if you zoom in on the camera, says, "I'm calling on the God of Jacob, Moses, Mary (your verse), and David". All of that is on her shirt. What a coincidence. Nope. That must be God. She was at the right place on the front row. Look at how great that worked out. It's almost like I told her to wear it. It's almost like I had a purpose for preaching. So, when I told her, "I need you to wear that purple shirt that says, 'I'm calling on the God of Jacob and Moses and Mary and David,'" it's almost like I predestined her for this purpose for this moment. Of all of the people in this room, there are only three I had a part in creating, a small part, the fun part.
So, let's follow the sequence. Created…called. Predestined…purpose. So, what is God calling you into right now? Wouldn't it make sense for you to stop being so doubtful and stop second-guessing his sovereignty and stop telling him excuses and just come on up and do and be what you were created to be, believing that "If he called me, then he created me and positioned me for the purpose he predestined me for"? All I'm trying to say is the God who called you also created you. So, if you don't have it, take it up with him. He must not want it from you. That's why he created other people. That's why comparison is a thief and a liar and a drug we take to talk ourselves down from our high calling. I didn't call Graham for this illustration. I didn't call Elijah for this illustration. They are bigger in stature, but she was better for this purpose because I put her in what she needed for this moment.
Now I'm going to preach and prophesy to somebody. God knew what he would need you to do before you ever got to this people planet. "Why are you screaming, Preacher"? Because God gave me breath for this message for somebody to know that there's breath in your lungs for this assignment. The God of Jacob, that deceiver. The God of Moses, that murderer. The God of Mary. A virgin to have the baby Jesus? A peasant to give birth to the preeminent Word of God? The God of David, the eighth son? Ooh, God just gave me this. Listen to this. When the prophet came to anoint the next king, Jesse lined up seven sons who he thought were the right choice. Samuel said, "None of these are the right ones. Don't you have any more"? Jesse said, "Well, there is also…" So, yeah, he's the God of Jacob; yeah, he's the God of Moses; yeah, he's the God of Mary; yeah, he's the God of David, but he's also the God of Abbey. High-five somebody and say, "He's my God too. He's my King too. He's my Savior too. He's my Shepherd too".
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He's the God of the mountain, but he's also the God of the valley. So, I don't care where you find yourself lately. He is also! What if everything you've gone through…? What if everything God has allowed your life to be up until this point is preparation for what you are predestined for? What if your name belongs on that shirt too? What if we put your name on that shirt too, believing what Romans 8:28 says, that all things…good things, bad things, everything in between… "All things work together. All things work together. Good things, bad things, everything in between…" All right. We'll work on it later. We're going to try it out. What if the things in your life that are happening are not random? Do you ever wonder? So, when they say, "You're sending your kid to college? Isn't college a waste of money"? I'm like, "Nah, not really".
You can go to college and God can use you. You can also not go to college and God can use you. He's the God of also. Open doors, closed doors, PhDs, and post hole diggers. (PHD…post hole digger.) I'm going to ask you something, and I'm really wanting to know what you think about it, because I've been thinking about it a lot. Let's say you made a mistake and went down a wrong path. Can God not be down the wrong path also? If the answer to that is "No," then what was he doing looking for Peter after his resurrection when Peter went back fishing after denying him? He was right there. He appeared to the disciples who waited for him, but he also appeared to Thomas who didn't believe. I think we shouldn't box God in to think he's only as big as our good decisions. Who did that just set free?
When I went to college, I was paralyzed by the idea "What if I'm at the wrong college? What if I'm at the wrong college? What if I'm at the wrong college"? Well, I did my four years. I got my degree. Let me tell you what else I got in college. Have you ever heard of Holly? I got her in college. Which one do you think I enjoy more…the degree, the thing I came to achieve and accomplish, or what I got also? That's why I'm saying, "Watch for God in the also". You know when your kids come, and they're being really nice to you? "How was your day? Can I do anything for you, Dad? I'm praying for you as you approach this sermon. I just know the Lord is going to move in power, like he does. That's what he does. He's a way maker God".
I'm just like, "Get to it. I'm not saying you didn't come to tell me these things, but what did you also come into this room to ask me about"? "Yeah, I just wanted to know… Can I have your old phone"? "Ah! That's it. That's what you came in here for". He came in so excited about the wrestling yesterday. I said, "Tell me about it". "Oh, it was great. It was great". I said, "And what else"? He said, "Well, I was just wondering, that old phone that you…" Yeah, it's the also. God is kind of like that too. You have to watch him for the also. "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose".
But Romans 8:29 also says, "Those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…" What if the things you're going through are all so that you can be more like Jesus? We don't say it's good when you go through suffering, but what if you adopted a view of your life that said, "This is all so God can make me more like his Son, Jesus"? You would be undefeatable by the Devil. Because what is he going to bring against you if it's all so that you can be more like God who is for you? What can he do now? That's what I think Paul got to, because he goes down this chain. "…he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…"
So, he knew Moses would have this hesitation, but he chose Moses because he knows Moses. He knows what Moses is not. He knows what Moses was. He knows what Moses will be. He knows what I'm not. He knows what I was. He knows what I will be. Say all of that. "He knows what I'm not. He knows what I was. He knows what I will be". God is the only one who knows all three of those. Some of us don't even know what we're not yet. We are trying so hard to be something and somebody we were not created to be that it is killing us, but we could get content if we'd just go, "God, you know what I'm not. Show me what I'm not. You know what I was, so you see where I've been. You've marked out my steps, and you are the only one who knows what I will be".
So, those he predestined he also… What does it say? "…that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified…" That's talking about the cross. That means he made you right. So, you can't be the wrong one for it because he made you right for it. He would not call you to, he cannot call you to, something he did not create you for.