1. Introduction
Heb.12:1 “..Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Jesus …”
- Our life is pictured as a marathon race with a prize to be won at the end.
- Every person born into the world has a unique God given destiny and a race to fulfil it.
- Hurdle = a barrier in a race that each contestant must leap over in order to complete the race.
- Today we want to identify some of the “Destiny Hurdles” to recognise and leap over.
2. Your Desires and Destiny are deeply connected
(a) God has created a unique destiny for each of us
Eph. 2:10 “You are His workmanship – created in Christ unto good works which God prepared beforehand that you should walk in them”.
We are uniquely designed by God to represent Him and advance His Kingdom.
God planned out a unique work for each of us before we were born.
“Walk” = we have a responsibility to co-operate, co-labourers with God.
Our future is open – no all predetermined – we have the power of choice.
(b) God wants to co-labour with us not control us
E.g.Gen2:19 Adam
Adam was invited by God to create and place names on all the animals.
Naming = given responsibility to have dominion over.
“See” = to gaze on with enjoyment, to discover, to have an enjoyable experience.
E.g. Mk.16:20 apostles – “God working with them”
The apostles took initiative – Faith always takes initiative – never passive.
Balance of taking initiative and being yielded to the Holy Spirit e.g. paul Acts 16:6.
(c) Your Desires help position you to fulfil your Destiny
Act.7:23 “…Now when he was 40 years old – it came into his heart to visit his brethren…”
A desire arose in Moses heart .. that desire was connected to his destiny.
Your desires, passions, gifts, are all part of who you are and what you are called to do.
Ps 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”
Delight = 6026 OT = to be soft, liable, easily shaped.
Without a connection with God our desires and dreams are self oriented.
Connected to God our desires have a totally new perspective. Phil.2:13
(d) God raises our Vision to Align with His Plan
Is.55:3-9 “As the heaven is higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts”.
E.g.
Moses desired to deliver man – God desired to deliver a nation.
Hannah desired a son for herself – God desired a prophet for the nation.
Abraham wanted a son for an heir – God wanted to raise a nation to inherit.
Peter desired to catch fish – God desired to catch multitudes of men.
David desired to shepherd sheep – God desired a shepherd for a nation.
All these men had desires and dreams that were connected to destiny.
3. Leaping over Destiny Hurdles
There is never one cause of success – or one cause of failure.
God is able to make every aspect of our life work for good when we exercise faith.
Here are some Destiny Hurdles:
(i) Take Full Personal Responsibility for your life (Rom. 14:12)
· Must discover and own desires, passions, thoughts, actions, mistakes, feelings.
· Victim Mentality – someone else is responsible, someone else is to blame.
(ii) Plan and set goals
· Ecc.5:3 A dream comes through much activity.
· Prov. 16:9 Amos heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps.
· Without focus of goals we become distracted and sidetracked.
(iii) Work hard – apply yourself
· Prov. 13:4 “The soul of the lazy man desires but has nothing …”
· Prov. 21:25 “The desire of the lazy man kills him for he refuses to labour”.
(iv) Persevere – Don’t Quit!
· Heb. 10:35-36 You have need of endurance.
· Persevere when there is pressure, pain – keep focussed on dream.
(v) Resolve Personal issues from your Past
· Heb. 11:15
· Unresolved hurts, grief’s, bitterness hinder destiny.
· E.g. Michel – David’s wife was bitter – failed to enter destiny as Queen.
(vi) Develop Your Core Beliefs
· Prov.4:23 “Out of heart flow the issues of life”
· Prov.27:3 How/what you believe determines how you interact with life.
(vii) Develop Your Skills and Talents
· Invest in yourself – in training and personal development.
· Mt. 13:24 Kingdom of heaven like man who sowed.
· Everything starts small – must be nurtured.
(viii) Develop Supportive Relationships
· Prov. 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”.
· Need relationships – connections to fulfil destiny.
(ix) Develop Devotion and Delight in the Lord
· Ps. 37:4 Delight self in the Lord
· As we take delight in Him and meditate in the Word of God – blessing and favour.
(x) Develop a Kingdom World View
· Mt. 11:12 Kingdom of heaven suffers violence – violent possess by force.
· Rapture/Revival mentality = people waiting for God to move.
· Kingdom is here now – we must advance it in our area of influence.