SERIES: RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY: PART 3B: DIFFERENCE B/W PREDESTINATION (FATE) & FREE WILL – COST OF DESTINY
1. Genesis 12:1-20: 1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family and from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan. 6 Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth (oak) tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.
2. Galatians 3:7-9, 14: 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
INTRO: RECOVERING STOLEN IDENTITY & RECLAIMING MISPLACED DESTINY: THE DIFFERENCE B/W PREDESTINATION (FATE) & FREE WILL – THE COST OF DESTINY(B)
Series: Recovering Your Stolen Identity & Reclaiming Your Misplaced Destiny. 1) The Intro: Difference B/W Identity & Destiny. 2) Significance of Destiny Helpers. 3) How To Lose Your Identity (Don’t Sell Your Birthright) (A & B). 4) The Difference B/W Predestination (Fate) And Free Will – The Cost Of Destiny – The Abraham Story (A&B).
IDENTITY THEFT IN THE REAL WORLD.
1. Secular Identity Theft: Deceitful / unauthorized use of a person's private info for gains.
2. Spiritual Identity Theft: When Satan distorts the image of God in us that leads to destiny.
ABOUT STOLEN IDENTITY AND MISPLACED DESTINY AMONG GOD’S PEOPLE.
1. Identity: Answers The Question: ‘Who has God called you to be?’
2. Destiny: Answers The Question: ‘What has God called you to do?’
3. Conclusion: So Our Identity Leads To Our Destiny.
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT PREDESTINATION (FATE) AND FREE WILL
1. Fate – We Have No Choice (Predestination, Fatalism, Predeterminism): Fatalism - major premise of Islam & Hinduism. Something that unavoidably befalls a person or that which is inevitably predetermined - nothing you can do to stop it. "Whatever will be, will be." If God planned a good life for you, it will happen - you can’t change it. If God planned a bad end for you, you can’t change it. John Calvin and St. Augustine promoted Doctrine of Predestination – God predestinated some to salvation & others to destruction. Personally, this theology is flaw, unfair, bias, dishonors God, His love & respect for human dignity. It implies that God, who created us in His image, holds us responsible for what He has programmed us to do. If true, no need for prayer, trust in God, or going to church? Then why would Jesus even come to save us?
2. Free Will – We Have A Choice In God’s Destiny For Us: God has a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), but it requires my cooperation to make it happen. Man was created with the ability to make choices and he is responsible for those choices. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Adam’s fall was not a predetermined event in which he was powerless victim of a Programmer. On the contrary, Adam & Eve had the ability to choose obedience (with its blessings) or disobedience (with its consequences). They knew what the result of their decision would be, and they were held accountable. Accountability for choices is biblical: Pro. 22:8a He who sows wickedness reaps trouble. Rev. 20:13 Each person was judged according to what he had done. We sin because we choose to. James 1:13-14: When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me. For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Bible also teaches that we must choose to have faith. John 20:27 Be not faithless, but believing. As a Christian, I must choose to believe God. Summary: God is in charge, but He gives me freedom to choose.
PEOPLE THAT CHANGED THEIR SITUATIONS IN THE BIBLE THROUGH PRAYER.
Many Changed Their Story Through Prayer. Prayer changes things. No miracle is a product of laziness. Those that sought God for change in their lives include:
1. Jacob: Genesis 32:25-29 “Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks. But he said, I will not let You go unless You bless me! So He said to him, What is your name? He said, Jacob. And He said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed. Then Jacob asked, saying, Tell me Your name, I pray. And He said, Why is it that you ask about My name? And He blessed him there.”
2. Hannah: 1 Samuel 1:10-20 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief. Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him. She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
3. Jabez: Chronicles 4:9-10 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
SUMMARY FROM ABRAHAM: 4 (FOUR) THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR DESTINY
James 2:23 Refers To Abraham As “God’s Friend” - a title no one else had. All believers called the “children of Abraham”. We know much about Abraham’s life but not much about his early life. We meet him when he is 75 years old. His father, Terah, lived in Ur, an influential city on the Euphrates River halfway b/w the Persian Gulf and modern-day Baghdad. Family meant everything to a person in Abraham’s era. God called Abraham to leave his family, home, culture, nation, gods for a future that He had for him. He didn’t tell Abram what it was. Abram took a step of faith and trusted God. How many would leave certain for uncertain? 4 Things About Destiny:
1. Your Destiny Will Be Costly. Gen. 12:1: Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you." Abram had to leave everything he knew for the promise he could not see. God didn’t give him clear directions. He just told him to leave & start walking. As we start our walk with Christ, it’s important we realize it is a walk of faith. We don’t know all that the future holds for us but we know who holds the future.
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. A walk with Christ will cost you something. You might not be able to hang out with the same people you used to hang out with, or do the things you used to do. You might have to change some relationships as a result of this decision. You might go through rough terrains. But I promise you, it’s worth it.
Destiny Is Very Costly
a) Jesus: Matthew 4:1-2 1 Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit as he left the Jordan River. The Spirit led him into the desert, 2 where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. During those days Jesus ate nothing, so when they were over, he was hungry. 13 After the devil had finished tempting Jesus in every possible way, the devil left him until another time. 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Ghost, and the news about him spread throughout the surrounding country. When We Start Off As Christians - sins forgiven, receiving the Holy Spirit, we feel invincible. But then we go through struggles, periods of dryness - in marriage, relationships, careers, health, finances - but don’t understand why God allows them. In the wilderness, Jesus learned to rely on God and to focus on where he was headed. We want to get to God’s destiny for us, but we don’t like how He’s taking us there. 2 Corinthians 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
b) Israel: Exodus 13:17-18 17 When Pharaoh drove the people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, “If they have to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.” 18 So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. We Always Look For The Shortest Cut. Yet God knows the shortest way is never the best way, especially when it comes to fulfilling His purpose for our lives! The Israelites thought they were ready to fight and ready to take the Promised Land, but God knew they weren’t ready to fight because they still had a very superficial relationship with Him. Just because we feel we’re ready doesn’t mean we have the character & maturity yet.
c) Israel: Exodus 16:2-3, 6-8 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Our Destiny Takes Shape In The Desert, But Too Often We Avoid, resent and isolate ourselves in the desert. Deut. 8:2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. If you’ve found yourself more resentful, grumbling more, complaining more, envying others more, blaming more, then that only exposes how unready you are.
Destiny Is Continuously Very Costly. In Genesis 22, Abraham’s faith would later be tested regarding, Isaac. God commands him to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah. We don’t know how Abraham reacted internally, but we see him faithfully obeying God. We know the story ends with God holding back Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, but imagine how Abraham felt. He’d been waiting decades for this son, and God who promised the child was about to take him away. The Point? Abraham’s faith in God was greater than his love for his son, and he trusted that even if he sacrificed Isaac, God was able to bring him back from the dead.
2. God Will Fulfill Your Destiny. Gen. 12:2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you & make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. We see God making it clear to Abram that HE (GOD) would accomplish His part - “I will” make you a great nation & “I will” bless you.
The World Says:
? Creation: Gen. 1: Impossible to create “something from nothing,” God produced cosmos.
? Sarah Conceives: Gen. 17: Impossible for 80-90 year-old woman to give birth (Sara did).
? Animal Speaks: Num. 22: Impossible for animals to speak – Balaam’s donkey spoke.
? Red Sea Jordan River Walls: Exo. 14, Jos. 14: Seas & rivers do not make walls – God did.
? Sun Stops: Jos. 10: Making sun, moon & stars stand still – God did.
? Not To Mention: Making ax head float; Raising Children From Death; Healing the blind, lame, deaf, demon possessed; Calling fire from heaven, etc. God did.
? Ecc. 10:7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. God reverses.
There Are Daily Disciplines we need to do in our lives. We can rest assured God is faithful to complete the work He began in us. Eph. 3:20: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
3. Your Destiny Is Not For You Alone. Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Once we give our lives to Christ, everything changes. Not only do we change, but our focus changes.
God Blesses People To Be A Blessing To Others:
? Joseph: Blessed To Deliver Israel.
? Moses: Saved From The Nile To Deliver Israel from Egypt.
? Elijah: Blessed From A Nondescript Background To Heal & Save Lives.
? Elisha: Given Double Portion To Prevent Disasters (Shunemite Woman).
? Jesus: Came To Save And Then Was Elevated – No reputation for himself (Philip. 2:7-9).
? The 4 Lepers: Syrian - Samaria: Discovered Food To Reach A Starving Nation.
? Paul: Saved To Reach The Gospel To Others - Gentiles.
? Called People Often Do Not Care About Their Own Lives – Martin Luther King, Indira Ghandhi, Jesus, Paul, etc. Philip. 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
Abraham Was Blessed That We Might Be Blessed: Galatians 3: 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
When Abram Said Yes To God, God realigned his destiny and the rest of his generations to come. Even Ishmael who was not the Son of Promise was blessed by God because he came out of Abraham. Through you, many must be blessed to know Christ - your family, those you work with, your neighbors or people you know on social media. Exodus 12:38: Many people followed the Jews when they saw God’s favor on them. They also wanted to be Jews.
4. Your Destiny Depends On Choices You Make. Genesis 12:4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him... At the end of the day, it was Abraham’s choice to say “Yes” or “No”. If he had said “No”, he would have missed out on all that God had for him.
Lot: Making The Wrong Choice - Lot's Choice Led To:
? War - Genesis 14:11 2.
? Being Kidnapping - Genesis 14:12
? Oppression & Torment By The Citizens Of Sodom – 2 Peter 2:7-8; Genesis 19:1-11
? Loss Of All His Material Wealth - Genesis 19:15-16, 24-25
? Death Of His Wife - Genesis 19:17, 26
? Shame Of Incest With His Daughters - Genesis 19:30-36
? These Happened Though Lot Was A Righteous Person – 2 Peter 2:7-8
What Choices Do We Make That Greatly Affect Our Lives?
? The Choice To Follow Jesus – The Most Important.
? Choosing Your Career
? Choosing Your Mate
? Choosing Your Friends.
? Choosing Where You Live.
How Can We More Likely Make The Right Choice?
? Ask God For Wisdom - James 1:5-8
? Seek Advice From Others - Proverbs 11:14; 12:15
? Consult The Wisdom Found In The Bible (Especially In Proverbs).
? How Will This Add Or Subtract To God’s Purpose For Me?
? Will This Choice Make God Rejoice In Me?
SOME THINGS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO KILL YOUR DESTINY
1. Failing To Understand Your Purpose: Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship (Masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. To discover how God wants to use your life, first know why you were created.
2. Failing To Understand The Rules Of War: God desires to kill our old man. 2 Cor. 4:11-12 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. Satan desires to kill our destiny. 1 Pet. 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We’re in spiritual battle. Use authority to overcome.
3. Sin Within You Becomes The Open Door For The Enemy: Jesus had no sin so Satan tried. John 14:29-31 “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” Open door is where we allow Satan to make us bitter, unforgiving, etc.
4. Unbiblical View Of Work & Ministry: Col. 3:23-24: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”. Your work is worship.
5. Living By Programs & Principles Alone. Programmed living can be beneficial because it gives people focus. But living by the power of the Holy Spirit shows a heart that fears God. Give and yield your life to Jesus Christ and let the Holy Spirit lead you instead of programs & principles.
6. Failure To Understand & Withstand Satan’s Three Pillars Of Entrapment: Passion. Possessions. Position. Satan has no new strategies to stop us but the old. 1 John 2:16-17 For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. Make sure you are accountable to someone.
7. Confusing Busyness With Purpose. While it’s noble to be busy working for God, make sure that what you do is tangible to God’s calling on your life and meaningful.
LESSONS WE CAN LEARN FROM ABRAHAM (GENESIS 12 & 22)
1. The Greater The Destiny, The Greater The Sacrifice. Gen. 22:3 - Abraham had all night & morning to be terrified about the coming events and to talk himself out of it. He never did.
2. Sacrifice Doesn’t Always Come With Answers. Gen. 22:3 - “Early the next morning…” There was no delay. No procrastination. Pure unwavering obedience. No explanation, folks.
3. Godly Obedience Should Be Swift. Gen. 22:5: Abraham tells his servants: “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham believed he would come back with the boy. Faith is displayed when Isaac asks his dad where the lamb was: Gen. 22:8 “Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’
4. Obedience Both Relies On God For Strength & Expects God To Deliver. The altar got built but still no lamb. Now if it’s me, I’m facing a crisis of belief. Not Abraham. He continues in obedience: Gen. 22:9-14 “He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.” He raised the knife to kill the most important thing to him. God came through just as Abraham had expected & rewarded his obedience – he would have “descendants numerous as the stars & as the sand on the seashore.”
5. What God Requires, He Provides. Gym - people reluctant to make sacrifices to reach their goals: junk food, less exercise, TV, alcohol, comfort zones, etc. Until we give up the menial for the significant, we will always come up short. Every precious thing must die for God. We Should Leave Our “Comfort Zone” In Order To Follow God. Do things that are challenging.
6. God Isn’t A Vengeful God, Standing At The Ready To Destroy Us The Minute We Make A Mistake. Even when Abraham failed, God looked out for him and kept His Promise to him.
7. We Need To Give To God & Be Hospitable To Others. A principle in Abraham’s life and in the Bible. After this event God told him, “I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Also use time, possessions, skills, money to help others.
8. We Should Never Doubt God But Seek His Kingdom First. It would have been easy for Abraham to doubt when God told him to sacrifice Isaac. But he trusted in His Sovereignty. Place your relationship with God at the center of your life. Revolve everyone & everything around it
9. See Yourself As God Sees You. God created you a masterpiece - rare, special, valuable, etc.
10. Develop A Lifestyle Of Worship. When you approach every situation in your life with an attitude of worship, you will start to recognize God at work in your life and position yourself.
INTERCESSORY PRAYERS
1. Prayer For Spirit Of Total Obedience & Trust.
2. Pray For The Spirit Of Giving.
3. Pray For The Spirit Of Sacrifice.
4. Pray For The Spirit Of Perseverance.
5. Pray For The Spirit Of Discernment – Of God Or The Devil.
6. Pray For The Spirit Of Leaving Your Comfort Zone.
