Wednesday, July 8, 2015
11:59 AM

http://www.tscpulpitseries.org/english/1990s/ts960708.html

In the Old Testament, Every Person
Had His Own Individual Destiny!

There were as many destinies in the Old Testament as there were kings, priest, prophets and even ordinary saints. Even the lowliest people -- those called to be servants, worshipers, shepherds, tentmakers -- had his or her own destiny. And as we look at their lives, we are to be convicted by them. We are to learn from the failures of these past saints who either missed or fulfilled their destinies.

But we cannot compare our destiny to that of any person in the Old Testament! You see, in the New Testament, God has done an entirely new thing. He no longer measures our destiny as He did those under the Old Covenant. Their lives have nothing to do with our destiny, since the Cross of Jesus Christ.

At the Cross, God gathered up all the individual destinies of humankind into one grand purpose -- and He placed them all in His Son: "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him" (Ephesians 1:10)..

God gathered up all our destinies in Jesus -- so that His Son would have preeminence!

Today, there are no more individual destinies, but one destiny for all believers. Yes, you do have a destiny -- and it is the same as mine. It doesn't matter whether you're a waitress or the captain of an ocean liner. We have all the same fixed, predetermined destiny, given to us before the world was formed.

What is this single, grand and glorious destiny given to all last-day saints? The apostle Paul reveals it to us in the book of Ephesians: "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (verses 4-6).

God says, in essense: "In the last days, in the fullness of time, I have one divine purpose. And that is for every follower of Mine to come into adoption by Jesus Christ -- and to live blameless, as a praise and glory to My name!"

"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory" (verses 11-12).

Our destiny is to be an adopted child of God! We have been adopted by the heavenly Father -- and the devil no longer has any claim on us. Now we are to live for our Lord, blameless and holy, by the power of God's Spirit. Our single purpose on this earth is to live our lives as a praise and glory to Him!

Do you get what Paul is saying here? No person's destiny is measured by his great works, his achievements and exploits, his special accomplishments. No one's destiny ultimately is to build successful ministries, institutions or churches.

You might say, "Wait a minute, Brother Dave. Do you mean it wasn't your destiny to raise up Teen Challenge, the worldwide ministry to drug addicts and alcoholics? Do you mean it wasn't your destiny to come to New York and start Times Square Church?"

I thank God He allowed me to be the father of these works. Today there are some 300 Teen Challenge rehab centers worldwide. And now there is also a center of praise for Jesus on Broadway, at the crossroads of the world. But neither of these things was my destiny!

My destiny has little to do with the things God has allowed me to do. My destiny has always been to reach lost souls and bring them into the fullness of Jesus, to the praise and glory of God. My destiny also was to walk as an adopted son of God -- living before the world blameless, all to His praise and glory.

When I came to New York, nothing changed. My destiny had remained to build up the body of Christ -- and to walk before the Lord as his adopted son! Some day, not a single building that our ministry has built will be standing -- not the incorporated institutions, not the Bible schools, not the rehab houses. They all will decay and vanish. And when I stand on Judgment Day, I won't be able to take any of those things with me.

These ministries are simply "burdens of the Lord" that God has allowed us to share and undertake, while walking in our destiny of doing His perfect will. And I believe He has blessed these ministries because we have lived in our destiny.

Dear saint, God is not requiring some great accomplishment from you. The Bible makes this very clear: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God..." (Micah 6:8).

Paul was very certain about what his destiny was:"...that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily" (Colossians 1:28-29).

This is my destiny as well, as a minister of the Lord. It is that I become conformed more and more to the image of Jesus -- and that I also see you become more like Him!

I feel sorry for many of the young ministers who call, write and visit me from all over the country. Most are striving to live up to a destiny that is an invention of their own flesh. Some of them pastor small churches, pouring our their hearts in ministry to their congregations. But then another pastor may come to town and suddenly build a church of 1,000.

These young men compare themselves to the newcomer, thinking, "Surely I'm destined to do great things, as he is doing. What's wrong with me? Why am I not blessed with greater results? He's attracting huge numbers of people -- and I have only a handful each Sunday." They don't realize -- that is not their destiny! Their destiny is to get to know Christ better -- to have God's hand on them -- to walk blameless before Him in their city. The man with true power is the one who has a personal knowledge of Christ!

I see many Christian musicians striving to find a little acclaim, hoping their destiny is to write that one hit song that will put them over the top. Likewise, many Christian writers want to produce that one, great book. And many Christian businesspeople look for the big break that will distinguish them in their field.

But, beloved, if you're going to walk in your destiny, the only thing that will set you apart is your desire to surpass all others in the knowledge of Jesus. No one will spend more time alone with Him than you; no one will accept his wonderful adoption more eagerly than you. That is greatness!