Teaching - Purpose, destiny and vision

Emmanuel Worship Center In New Jersey Int'l


Site Menu: Home Media ^NEW Resources Events Update Missions Update Church Store About EWCNJ Article of Faith Vision and Mission Contact Us Gallery Links Resources: Character Development Series Christ-like Character The Journey of Character Development Three Stages of Life The Process Partaking in the Divine Nature Purpose, Destiny and Vision ... Sometimes, God uses the negative circumstance to take you out of your comfort-zone and helps you enter your destiny. Seasons & Times To everything there is a season Abba Father Solving the issue of Identity Crisis Raising The Bar This is the Heritage of the Servants of the LORD A Generation That Seeks God (Audio Album In Amharic - 6 CDs) You can order it today and listen to what you can learn from the life of Joseph.	In The Life Of Joseph ... Let's begin by defining three important words: Purpose, destiny and Vision. *Purpose* - a reason for an action (Read Ephesians 1:2-10), deliberate plan, a proposition, an intention, a design (Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.") *Destiny* - Intended for some special purpose, where we are heading for, journey. (2 Tim. 1:8-9, "Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; [9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,") *Vision* - to foresee and perceive what lies ahead, divine, insight, prophetic insight, how you go about in accomplishing the purpose. (Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.") The Life of Joseph Joseph was one of the twelve sons of Jacob who was the son of Isaac. Joseph and Benjamin were born of Rebecca who was so loved by Jacob. As a young man Joseph was so despised by his brothers because of the love that his father had for him. His Destiny: (Genesis 37:5-7, 9) "And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. [6] And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: [7] For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. ... And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me." His Vision: Genesis 50:20, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Psalm 105:17-21, "He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: [18] Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: [19] Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him. [20] The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. [21] He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:" God's Purpose: Genesis 49:8-12, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. [9] Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? [10] The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. [11] Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: [12] His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." It was to protect Judah whom God has chosen that it would be the tribe the Messiah would be born of. Psalm 78:67-72, "Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: [68] But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. [69] And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. [70] He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: [71] From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. [72] So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands." Four Seasons In The Life of Joseph 1. In his Father's house Joseph was a teenager in his father's house. He was so loved by his father that his brothers despised him. It was in this time that a vision from the Lord came to him in the form of a dream. Notice that it is always God's intention to unfold his purposes for our lives. He gave Joseph a dream which will help him as a point of reference in the journey he is going to take. When he shared the dream with his family, everyone was so enraged they hated him even more and envied him but his father kept the matter in mind. This hatred swelling up in his brothers life they were tempted to kill him but then they decided, according to Judah's advice, to sell him to the Ishmaelite businessmen. Even though Joseph had a dream, he was not in any position to fulfill it so God's plan had to start in his life. 1) It was not ready to abandon his father's warm love, 2) He was not matured enough to take any step. So, God used his brothers hatred to take him out of his father's house where he was so favored. Sometimes, God uses the negative circumstance to take you out of your comfort-zone and helps you enter your destiny. Therefore, the very negative circumstance that you are crying about may be the only thing that puts you into your destiny. It is time to leave your comfort-zone and enter your destiny. 2. In Potiphar's House His arrival in Egypt was not an event, since he was a slave, but he was sold to a man called Potiphar. This man was an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard which, obviously, shows that he is an important man in Pharaoh's kingdom. The Bible records in Gensis 39:1-5, 1) The Lord was with Joseph, 2) The Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand, 3) Joseph found favor in the sight of Potiphar, 4) He was made the overseer of the household, 5) He was given authority over all the household, 6) God blessed Potiphar's house and business because of Joseph. In this season of his life, Joseph became successful and he was a kind of man sought after by many. So often when we reach such a climax in life we think we are in the place we ought to be. But I say to you my friend, "Don't let your best keep you from excellence!" Many times, most of us park here and it will be so hard for us if God would say, *"Let go and let's go!"* It is a place where we need to choose between God's destiny for our life and the success he gave us. Here again, the enemy used seduction to keep Joseph out of his destiny through Potiphar's wife. This is the moment where many fall into the trap of the enemy. What you do at this point in life will determine your destiny. Remember, Don't get stuck in your God-given success and miss the God-given purpose. God's blessing without God is a curse. But Joseph kept his integrity and chose to pursue his destiny. The way up is the way down. *Get out of your success* for blessing is not our destination, but rather, we are blessed to finish the race. 3. In Prison His decision ended him up in jail. Surprisingly enough, he was put into the prison where the king's prisoners were confined. It was unlike Joseph to quit so easily so he continued to be productive in the jail that he soon found favor in the keeper of the prison. God divinely set up a situation where Joseph would interpret the meaning of two men's dream, the butler and the baker of the king. Both these were men who provides a personal service to the king every day. Can you see God bringing up the puzzles together? What a wonderful God! Amazingly the Bible records in Genesis 39:23, "The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper." You can be in prison and yet prosperous. You might wonder by now, "what is success?" It is not defined by how much you have; money, cars, houses, and so on. Success it to be in the center of God's will. It is finishing the race that God has set before you. Now, you may be at your lowest point in life but, I tell you today, you may be closer to your destination. 4. In the King's Palace Finally, the appointed time was at hand and Joseph was about to enter his final destiny. Now the chief butler remembered Joseph after two years when he found out the king had a dream and there was no one to interpret. Let me pause here and say that You might have been disappointed because people have overlooked you. You may feel like you are abandoned or worthless. Well, it but for a season. The dream, God gave you, will come to pass even though you have to believe that it is just a day dream. Once you are on the roller-coaster of life, don't forget that the only time you could have changed your mind was before boarding. But remember in the roller-coaster of pursuing God's purpose, you are in the Master's hand. You might go through several emotional up and downs and yet He who began a good work in you will give the chapter of your life a happy-ending. In conclusion, let me say that what matters in life is not what we go through, it is how we finish the race and fulfill God's purpose. So don't let anything stand on the way but live and die for the purpose that God has for your life. I encourage you to seek God's face fervently.
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