Passing the Purpose Test

Dream to Destiny Week 10 Passing the Purpose Test Robert Morris God gave Joseph a dream when he was 17 (4 points thisweek) • But he had to go through tests to build his character • So he could fulfill his destiny. And so do we! What is our God’s purpose for our lives? • We are backing up a little chronologically from last week (59) • He is 39 and this is when he is reunited with his brothers! Genesis 45:3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. Genesis 45:4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Genesis 45:5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45:6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45:8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made mea father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” Let’s talk about how you can know and fulfil your purpose 1. Believe you have a purpose.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven Everyone has a purpose. God doesn’t create anything without a purpose. • Every animal has a purpose and every plant has a purpose. • I don’t know what the purpose for a spider is We have a side by side (Ice CreamTruck) • Debbie hates grasshoppers! Grasshoppers are perverts! God has a specific purpose for everything and everyone. • God has a goal in mind for your life! This plunger has one purpose. • A ring toss game • A birdbath for hummingbirds • A really large cookie cutter • A hat for bald men that won’t blow off You can look at it and see that the designer had a specific purpose in mind • The designer had a specific purpose in mind when He made you! • This is what you look like in the spirit if you’re called to deliverance! 2. Understand that God is in control. Genesis 45:5 “But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:7 “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 45:8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God …” 3 times, he said, “God sent me”! Joseph had a great perspective! • What his brothers did was wrong. But God is in control! • He believed that God was in control of his destiny and not people! No one can stop you from fulfilling your purpose butyou!

• There are times God allows and there are times when God causes. • And there are times when God turns circumstances for our good! 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. You and I may fall and make mistakes and bad things may happen • But God is able to work everything for our good and His purpose! Isaiah 55:10 (NIV) “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, Isaiah 55:11 (NIV) so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” God has spoken a word over your life and it will not return void! • And that word is higher than your mistakes • And other people’s wrong attitudes and actions! God can even use your mistakes to get you to your destiny! • When you believe this, you’re an optimist, not a pessimist! • The parachutist was a pessimist! (Trucks are going to be late too) 3. Discover your gift and your direction. The Lord showed me the key to discovering our purpose. • It is in discovering our gifts. • Why would He give us gifts that don’t relate to our purpose? Each of us has a primary gift God gave us to accomplish our purpose. • We may be strong in 2 or 3 gifts and all of them relate to our purpose! Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

Romans 12:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; Romans 12:7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; Romans 12:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. What is the major or motivating gift that God has given you? • What energizes you? What jazzes you? What floats your boat? • What churns your butter? What fills your ipod? (Diakonia) 1. Motivator – Desires to motivate people to serve God 2. Servant – Desires to meet needs of people on a practical basis 3. Teacher – Desires to study and present truths to people 4. Encourager – Desires to admonish and encourage people 5. Giver – Desires to meet needs of people on a financial basis 6. Leader – Desires to lead people through organization 7. Empathizer – Desires to identify and empathize with people All of these have to do with people! • Our purpose is to help people. We serve God by helping people! • It’s like a committee and a person who lost his job ismentioned The leader is leading the meeting The prophet says we need to see if he has sin in his life The teacher says he needs to do the steps in 1 Timothy 3 The encourager is already texting The giver says let’s give him some money The servant has already left the meeting to go clean his house The mercy person is over in the corner crying! Joseph’s gift was leadership and he didn’t wait until his destiny came • He led as an enslaved person and a prisoner! • He didn’t wait until he got a position to use his gift!

22 – Failed in Business 23 – Defeated for Legislature 24 – Failed in Business Again 26 – His Wife Died 27 – Had a Nervous Breakdown 29 – Defeated for Speaker 31 – Defeated for Elector 34 – Defeated for Congress 39 – Defeated for Congress Again 46 – Defeated for Senate 47 – Defeated for Vice President 49 – Defeated for Senate Again 51 – Elected President of the United States That's the record of Abraham Lincoln. • He led our country through the only civil war • And ended the greatest sin of our nation! 4. Determine your direction and be faithful. Are there specifics related to your purpose? Yes! • Can you know those specifics? Yes! • When can I know the specifics? After you dothem! Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It doesn’t say Your word is a bright spotlight that I can see the future • It’s a lamp to my feet and light to my path • It shows me the next step and I take that step by faith! Joseph didn’t know the specifics of his purpose and destiny. • He only had a dream. • The dream was a direction, but not all the details! God’s purpose for us is specific, but we just know the direction! • We get disappointed when we try to determine the specifics. Or something happens that we weren’t expecting and • Satan tells us we’ve missed ourpurpose. All we are to do is to continue to walk in the right direction! • Satan could have told Joseph: • You were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

You’ve missed your purpose.

• You’re being sold as a slave. You’re going to prison!

• You’re never going to be a leader!

Being faithful is the main key!

• What if Joseph had given up? “Joseph noticed...”

• What if that day when he saw that the butler and the baker were sad, he’d said, “I’ve got my own problems!”

What were the keys to Joseph fulfilling his purpose?

• Humility, faithfulness, stewardship, moral purity, and integrity are all traits that he needed.

The Lord determines thedirection.

• We determine how far we go!

Many people sit around waiting for God open doors,

• But Joseph worked hard where he was and succeeded!

Joseph didn’t know the specifics of his purpose.

• But as we serve God and are faithful, the specifics come!

Will we be faithful and let God determine the specifics?

• Will we believe and fulfill the purpose that God has for us?

From the diary of John Wesley. . .

Sunday morning, May 5 – Preached in St. Anne’s. Was asked not to come back anymore.

Sunday night, May 5 – Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said, “Get out and stay out.”

Sunday morning, May 12 – Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there either.

Sunday morning, May 19 – Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.

Sunday night, May 19 – Preached on street. Kicked off street.

Sunday morning, May 26 – Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow because bull was turned loose during service.

Sunday morning, June 2 – Preached at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.

Sunday night, June 2 – Preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came to hear me.