Part I: Finding the Purpose within You

In Pursuit of Destiny

Synopsis of Bible study 09/27/17

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III, DMin.

       I.            Intro

1. What is your purpose tied to? The answer is destination. It is about the way things turn out.
2. God calls himself the author and finisher of your faith.
3. Jeremiah talks about the expected end.
4. Purpose is the vehicle that pushes us into destiny. Without purpose, I never reach
5. When I am clear about my assignment, my life becomes Fullness is not just for me, it is something I deposit into the earth. I live full, but I die empty meaning I leave everything here that God wanted me to leave here.
6. Destiny is not fulfilled It is a marathon not a Sprint. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) 12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
7. Why is this important? Because God is the example of what it is to fulfill destiny. Sometimes we allow our own shortcomings to prevent us from walking into our destiny.
8. God has given us all, purpose. Purpose is in the mind of the creator. Exodus 9:16 (NKJV) says 16 But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.- There was a purpose that God had in mind for Moses and just like this, he has purpose inside of you. God will reveal it to you, but you got to be in position to receive it.

   II.            Look within yourself

A.     Assess your life

• You have to conduct a proper assessment of your life.
• Evaluate your core values – Write down 3 things that make up your core values.

1. Don’t confuse being busy with living in purpose. – We have busy schedules, but this is simply being in pursuit of a schedule. Doing a lot does not prove productivity.
2. Productivity is fulfilling that thing of God within your life
3. The key to being productive, is maximizing all the time in your life. Don’t waste time on things that are not tied to your purpose.
   1. Ex – Bishop explains that he is a very busy man, but though he is busy, everything he does is tied to purpose. For example, he serves on many boards, but he wouldn’t volunteer to serve on the Board of Directors for a coffee manufacture for instance. This is probably a useful board, but it has nothing to do with his purpose. We have to be careful, not to take on any and everything that comes our way.
   2. Lots of people are busy with stuff that has nothing to do with their purpose. Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV) says 38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’[a] feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus[b] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”- You can’t get caught up in acting like your serving, when you’re really not. You can be busy acting like a servant and fail to spend time really serving.

2. Be clear on the purpose you are destined to fulfill – Isaiah 46:10 (NKJV) 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ – God reveals purpose to you and he wants you to have clarity on it.
3. You are born with a passion. This is often something that as a child, you want to be when you grow up. This is a broad idea of what you want to do. As you mature, it moves from a broad definition and becomes more focused. Once it is focused, you develop a passion for it that burns so much, you are on your job unable to concentrate on your job. Your passion begins to overshadow your concentration.
4. How does God give it to us? By prayer, scripture, listening to messages, and etc… For example, your Pastor initiates a theological voluntary diet plan for the people that he or she is called to pastor. This diet is designed to produce something. Everything is designed to take you on journey towards your destiny.
5. God is speaking to you, as he speaks to your Pastor.

3. Know that God is sovereign – Job 42:2 (NKJV) 2 “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. – God chooses to tell us what he wants our life to be. For example, if it had been up to Bishop, he would have been a lawyer, but God called him to do something else.
4. You got to be willing to exchange your will for His will.

4. You must be fully committed to God. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.- Basically, do what is right by God’s standards and all things will be added to you.
5. Purpose can’t be achieved apart from God.

5. Development of your natural talents and spiritual gifts is necessary.
6. You have to develop your natural talents. Write down 3 things that you thinl are your natural talents.

1. This is an example of Bishop asking questions of himself, to demonstrate talents and gifts:
   1. Interviewer: Are you anointed to preach?

Bishop: I am anointed to hear from God.

Interviewer: So then, you are anointed to preach?

Bishop: I am anointed to hear from God, but I have a natural talent for adoration. There’s a lot of people that are anointed to hear from God that can’t preach.

Bishop: Early in my career, I developed my natural gift and worked on my communication, so that my handicaps would not hinder my delivery. The anointing is in my ability to hear from God, but I had to develop my public speaking.

Interviewer: So there are people that have an anointing to hear from God, but must develop their gift of deliver, so people can understand what God is saying?

Bishop: My mother would say, “When Joseph was young, he ran off the stage when it was time to do his Easter speech. He was terrified of speaking in front of people until he developed the gift to know how to command an audience”. No matter how anointed you are, if you can’t deliver, people don’t want to hear what you have to say.

If you have a deficiency and you don’t develop it, you will question your natural gifts. Don’t sleep on your natural gifts. Develop it, build on it, and do what you can do.

1. God wires you toward your purpose. Your likes and your passion is all geared in some way towards your purpose.
2. You must learn to view yourself the way God views you. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.- God wired you this way. He gave you the personality and the skills and everything you have. When Bishop was young, he could not sit still. He had to be doing something all the time. They didn’t know it then, but God had given Bishop the energy for all that he does now, when he very young.
3. God preprogrammed you for what you about to do.

B. Believe that God has called you to greatness.

1. When you properly align everything, and realize what is inside you, it will blow your mind. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”[a]- Bishop often gets the question, “Did you imagine Mt Zion would be where it is today? The answer is no and God didn’t reveal it either, because the guy that started Mt Zion couldn’t have handled a vision that big at that time.
2. Think about your biggest dream and biggest vision and that is a map to God. We have no idea what God wants to do in our lives. What we call big, God is just a start for God.
   1. For some people, if you could see yourself in your future.

III.            Listen with intentionality

A.     Be attentive to the voice of God

1. Just the other day, Javonte (Bishop’s daughter) comes to the kitchen table, stands up, and says, “God talks to me”. Bishop and First Lady ask, “What did God say”? Javonte replies, “God just talks to me”. She said, “God doesn’t talk when its loud, He talks when it’s quiet. She said he tells me what to do”.
2. We have a Hollywood image of what God sounds like, but it is not always like that for everyone.
3. 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NKJV) 11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. – God is in that still small voice. You heard it so many times, but you thought you were tripping. God don’t stutter. Think about some of the decisions you’ve made that went against what that still small voice told you to do.

B. Learn to follow God’s instructions

1. Psalm 25:4-5 (NKJV) 4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.- David understood this in a powerful way.
2. 1 Chronicles 15:12-15 (NKJV) says 12 He said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites; sanctify yourselves, you and your brethren, that you may bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel to the place I have prepared for it. 13 For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.” 14 So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel. 15 And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders, by its poles, as Moses had commanded according to the word of the Lord.- People s lives are at stake. Their lives depend on if you hear God or not.
   1. God instructs Bishop. From the Virtual Church to the Saturday Services, this was all part of God’s instructions. When God speaks to you, walk in it. People’s lives depend on it.

IV.            Leverage your lived experience

A. God has a greater purpose in saving you.

1. 2 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV) 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,- God saved you for a great purpose.
2. Don’t allow circumstances to mess sup your purpose. You will have trials and tribulation but remember what John 16:33 says. John 16:33 (NKJV) sys 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will[a] have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”- You will have stuff formed against you, but know that you can overcome it.

B.     Purpose is powered by your past

1. God will use all of it. Romans 8:28 (NKJV) 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. – God takes the good bad and the ugly and uses it all for you benefit.
2. Stop letting your past put you into prison.
3. Don’t let your sorrow keep you from soaring.

V. Conclusion

1. Don’t be ashamed of your story. God took it all and made a gumbo of it. Don’t say anything about purpose if you haven’t been through some things.
2. Everything you do, must align itself. The core values you wrote down are who you you’re Your Natural talents are what you do. Your Spiritual gifts is why you do what you do. Your be, your do, and your why have to line up.
3. Every ministry you belong to should line up with your destiny. Don’t make a career move unless it lines up in your destiny.
4. Your relationships should line up with your destiny too. Stop these pit stop relationships and go for the people that are in it for the long haul.
   1. Amos 3:3 (NKJV) says 3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
5. God is going to complete what he has started. Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) says 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
6. Don’t be uprooted- 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV) says 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. – Stay where God tells you to stay. Don’t be uprooted. Your purpose is tied to that place. We have too many potted plant Christians willing to move as soon as trouble comes their way.
7. Romans 8:18-21 (NKJV) says 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.- The world is waiting on you to get into your purpose!