How To Prepare For Your Purpose - Herbert Cooper
Transcript
00:00last week we began a brand new series called stay in your lane preparing for your purpose and we
00:10studied the life of david we're going to be studying david throughout this series and
00:14we learned last week how david had a deep conviction that he was created by god and
00:22that god had a plan and purpose for his life and we learned that david focused on living out god's
00:29purpose for his life and he did not focus on a position or prominence or a promotion david
00:36deeply trusted god's plan for his life he believed that what god had for him was for him as long as
00:46he followed god he knew that no one could stop god's plan for his life and just like david god
00:53created you with a plan and a purpose for your life god has ordained opportunities jobs promotions
01:04and people for your life and if you're going to trust god with your life and not just with your
01:11eternity you have to have a deep conviction that what god has for you is for you and that god has
01:18a plan and a purpose for your life but here's the problem most people trust themselves more than they
01:28trust god they don't follow god's plan they follow their plan their life is focused on the wrong
01:38things they focus on trying to get a position instead of on god's purpose they focus on a
01:44promotion or power or prominence or prestige instead of on god's purpose and when you focus
01:52on the wrong things it will keep you from living out god's purpose for your life when i was a kid
02:00growing up in wewoka oklahoma at eight nine ten years old i used to sit in my mom's pontiac
02:09oldsmobile in the driveway or in the garage and i would dream about driving i'd grab that steering
02:18wheel anybody else do that as a kid and i just worked at steering wheel wasn't going nowhere but
02:22boy i was just dreaming and pretending that i would be able to drive that car i could not wait to drive
02:31and we had farmland out in the country and we had cows on the farmland and every once in a while dad
02:37would let me drive the farm truck on the farmland i would be driving wild at 11 years old 12 years
02:45i'd be working that farm truck dad my dad would say slow down son bouncing up in that farm truck
02:53but as a kid my dad never let me drive on the highway
02:58i said come on dad i'm working this farmland good make my dream come true but my dad never let me
03:05drive on the highway at 10 years old or 11 or 12 or or 13 years old oh no he kept me right on the
03:11farmland because he knew i wasn't ready for the highway i was barely ready for the farmland come
03:19on somebody he knew i wasn't ready for that highway my dad knew i wasn't prepared for the
03:25dream that was in my heart have you ever had a dream in your heart that you thought you were
03:30prepared for and then it happened and you realized you weren't as prepared as you thought you were
03:37maybe you were dating someone and you thought you were ready for marriage
03:41so you rushed and got married and then you realized you weren't as prepared as you thought
03:48you were for marriage can i get a witness or or maybe you knew you had a big test to take
03:57at school or a big test at your job but you didn't do a whole lot of studying because you
04:02thought you were already prepared for the test but after the test was over you thought i should
04:08have studied more i wasn't as prepared as i thought i was and the question of this series
04:16is are you prepared for what god has prepared for you to be prepared you can't focus on position
04:25power prominence promotion or prestige you have to focus on preparation come on everybody shout
04:33preparation you have to get prepared for what god has prepared for you when i was prepared
04:43i finally got to drive on the highway but i didn't get to skip taking the driver's test
04:49i didn't get to skip taking the physical driving test i had to take the driving test with the
04:54instructor and i had to also take the written test i had to get prepared and pass both tests
05:01so that i could legally drive and just like i had to be prepared before my dad allowed me to drive
05:08on the highway you have to be prepared for the purpose god has for you you can't skip the
05:17preparation process there's no shortcut to getting prepared for what god has prepared for you
05:25here's the problem so many people underestimate the preparation process they get tired of the process
05:39they got this dream it's not happening and they get frustrated
05:43with the process so instead of focusing on preparation they turn their focus to a position
05:50a promotion to trying to get power instead of focusing on preparing for god's purpose
05:58when god is ready to give you the keys to the car will you be ready to drive it
06:04will you be prepared for what god has prepared for you benjamin franklin said by failing to prepare
06:15you are preparing to fail stephen curry for the golden state warriors who has made the most three
06:22pointers in nba history was asked this question how did you accomplish such a feat he responded
06:31with one word preparation he takes anywhere from 300 to 500 shots a day to prepare george
06:40washington carver said there is no shortcut to achievement life requires thorough preparation
06:50and exam and alexander graham bell said before anything else the key to success
06:58is preparation robert schuler said spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular
07:07preparation you see david became king at the proper time because he was prepared for it
07:15here's the key you have to prepare now for what god has next prepare now for the new business
07:23prepare now for the marriage prepare now for the marriage that you desire you're you're married but
07:28you're not happy with where you are prepare prepare now for the career prepare now for
07:33the position prepare now for the promotion prepare now for what you're dreaming about
07:37prepare now for the new godly friendship that you need prepare now for the financial freedom that
07:42you want prepare now for the ministry that god has for you prepare now for the new opportunities
07:47that God wants to bring your way. Preparation is not just a part of life. Preparation is life.
07:56As long as you and I are breathing, we should always be preparing for what God has next for
08:02our life. There's always a next with God. And today we're going to dive back in and study
08:10the life of David. And let's, I want us to study this, and here's what I want us to glean.
08:15I want us to discover the power of the preparation process. The power of the preparation process.
08:23For all of my note takers, get ready. I'm going to jump into some points here to help us
08:27understand the power of the preparation process. Number one is this, the preparation process
08:31develops your calling. It develops your calling. When God spoke to the prophet Samuel about David
08:40becoming the next king of Israel, David did not have a clue. He was simply preparing by being
08:48faithful right where he was. In first Samuel chapter 16 verse 11, it says that while he was
08:55being faithful to take care of his father's sheep, God spoke to him about his next season.
09:02Here's the big lesson we all have to learn about the preparation process. Don't be consumed
09:08on what God has next. Be consumed on what God has now. God will show you what's next if you will be
09:16faithful with what's now. God has always shown me what is next for my life while I was being faithful
09:25with what he had now for my life. I think back to my freshman year of college. I was attending
09:34Arkansas Tech University. I was majoring in communications to be a sports broadcaster.
09:40My dream was to be on ESPN as a broadcaster. Can you hear this voice that I got church? Come on,
09:45hear this voice. This voice was a broadcasting voice and then God said you're going to broadcast
09:50it with the gospel, but I was going to be a broadcaster. I was majoring in communications
09:57and I was being faithful at Arkansas. I was being faithful to go to class, being faithful to do my
10:01schoolwork, being faithful to go to football practice. I was on a full-ride football scholarship
10:07in college. I was faithful to go to church. I loved God then. I was faithful to pray and faithful to
10:12tithe and faithful to read my Bible. I was faithful to live for God and God spoke to me about what he
10:18had next. He was calling me into full-time vocational ministry. I left my full-ride football
10:26scholarship. I went to Oral Roberts University for a semester, then I went to Evangel University
10:32to prepare for ministry. And while I was being faithful at Evangel, God opened up so many doors.
10:39For some reason, the president took a liking to me. He asked me to speak at the school chapel
10:46and I did. And then students started telling their pastors about me and I started to get
10:52speaking opportunities and engagements all around the nation. At Evangel, just being faithful, I met
10:59Tiffany, the love of my life, at Evangel. I got my degree. After I graduated from college, I was
11:06still traveling, had a lot of opportunity, but I was wondering what God had next. I thought maybe
11:12we might need to become youth pastors and we even interviewed, but what God had next for us
11:17was to continue to travel and I became just a full-time evangelist. And as we were being faithful
11:24as evangelists, God spoke to us. We were living in Missouri. God spoke to us about starting People's
11:30Church. We weren't seeking after it. We weren't looking for anything else to do. We were just
11:36being faithful with what God had now and then God showed us what he had next. You see, the seasons
11:44of life will change. They've changed over and over for Tiffany and I and the key to discovering what's
11:51next, somebody needs to hear this, the key to discovering what's next is not to focus on what's
11:56next, it's to be faithful with what's now. If you will be faithful with the now, God will be faithful
12:03to show you what's next and you will also be prepared for what's next. Some of you guys not
12:10showing you what's next because you're not ready to drive the car.
12:15Number two, number two, number two, number two, the preparation process develops your anointing.
12:20Develops your anointing. He said, pastor, what is anointing? You just went and got churchy on me
12:24right there. Anointing is simply how God gives you his power to accomplish his purpose. A part of
12:34David's preparing for what God had for him was David had to be anointed on three different
12:40occasions. He was anointed for all my note takers jot this down. He was anointed in first Samuel
12:45chapter 16 verse 13. We're going to read that in just a moment. He was also anointed a second time
12:49in second Samuel chapter 2 verse 4 and then David is anointed a third time in second Samuel chapter
12:555 and verse 7. Let's read about this first time David was anointed in first Samuel chapter 16
13:01verse 13 it says so Samuel took the horn of oil when he was over at Jesse's house and took the
13:06horn of oil and he anointed him in the presence of all of his brothers and from that day on the
13:10spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. David was anointed and the spirit of the Lord
13:18came powerfully upon David and then not only was he anointed once but he was anointed two more times
13:26and I want you to see what the Bible says after David was anointed the third time. It's powerful
13:33powerful one of the keys to his life and his success second Samuel chapter 5 and verse 10
13:38and it says and he became more and more powerful. Why? Because the Lord God Almighty
13:48was with him. David wasn't a great king because of his own power and strength. He was a great king
13:55because he had God's power on his life. Church we need the anointing and the power
14:04of the Holy Spirit on our life. Church don't try to accomplish God's purpose
14:11without God's power. You will fail miserably. You and I need the anointing of the Holy Spirit
14:18on our life. Sometimes we think the anointing is for preaching. No no no you need the anointing
14:22for what God has for your life, for your career, for your success, for your parenting, for your
14:29grandparenting, for to raise your children. You need the anointing of the Holy Spirit like David.
14:34Let the anointing grow on your life. Let God keep filling you and just anointing you with his power
14:41so you can be prepared for your purpose. You need to rely on God's power more than you rely on your
14:48own strength. And one of the important things you need to understand about the anointing. I'm
14:53gonna help somebody today. Here's something you have to understand about the anointing.
14:56God sometimes will anoint you years before he appoints you.
15:04Why does God do this? Number three. Write this down. The preparation process develops your character.
15:11Develops your character. One big reason why God will anoint you but not appoint you
15:20is to develop your character. And David was anointed to be king but around 15 years went
15:28by before he actually became the king. He was anointed but not yet appointed. He was anointed
15:35and then he went right back to taking care of his father's sheep. And then he went to the king's
15:40palace to serve the king and play the harp. Then he took the bread and cheese down to his brothers
15:46who were in the valley of Elah. Elah fighting against the Philistines. Then he fought Goliath.
15:52God used all of these experiences after he was anointed to develop his character. Church!
16:00God is more concerned about your character being developed than your calling being delivered.
16:07What God wants to do in you is more important than what God wants to do through you.
16:13God is committed to preparing your character to be strong enough to support the purpose he has
16:19for you. And David did not rush the process. Young people don't rush the process.
16:28David surrendered to it and God developed his character. I love how the psalmist describes this
16:36in Psalm chapter 78 and verse 72 and it says, and David shepherded them with integrity
16:44of heart. If you have a paper Bible just circle integrity of heart. My prayer today for all of us
16:51is that our character will be developed to support the calling God has for us. Here's what I want God
16:59to say about us. They shepherded their family with integrity of heart. They shepherded their
17:06business with integrity of heart, they shepherded their employees, their co-workers, their boss with
17:13integrity, of heart, they shepherded their friends, their classmates, their dream team role at church
17:20with integrity of heart, they shepherded their calling, their God-given purpose,
17:25their ministry at the church. They they shepherded it with integrity of heart. God, prepare us
17:32for what you have prepared for us. Number four is this. Number four is this. The preparation process
17:39develops your skills. The preparation process develops your skills. God has given you gifts.
17:47God's job was to give you your gifts and your job is to develop and to steward the
17:54gifts that God has given you. David was ready for what God has had next for him because he developed
18:02the gifts and talents God had given him. Let's look back at that verse I just read to you in
18:07Psalm chapter 78 and verse 72 and it says and David has shepherded the people with integrity
18:11of heart. Notice the end of that verse it says with skillful with skillful hands he led them.
18:20David skillfully led God's people. Why? Because he developed his skills. He developed his skills
18:30skills taking care of his father's sheep. He was developing skills by learning how to play the
18:36the harp skillfully practicing that harp but by becoming a skillful warrior. I want you to
18:43understand something. It's one of the secret to David's success. He practiced and practiced
18:49and became skillful. He didn't rush the preparation process. He was anointed but not appointed. He was
18:55he was developing his gifts. Just like David we have to develop the gifts and talents God
19:01has given us. Just because you're anointed doesn't mean you're ready to be appointed.
19:08You need to discover the gifts that God has given you. That's one of the reasons we have growth
19:14track. Get the growth track. Why? So that you can discover your gifts and then get on the dream team
19:20and develop your gifts. So many people never develop their gifts because they're too busy
19:29coveting someone else's gifts. Some of you need to stop focusing on what other people have.
19:38Stay in your lane. Run your race. Develop the gifts that God has given you. Focus on becoming the best
19:48version of you. You can't be the best version of anybody else. Be the best version of you.
19:55Develop you. Read some books. I don't like books. Thank God for audiobooks. Audiobook that bad boy.
20:03Come on. Listen to some podcasts. Develop yourself. Get your degree. Practice. Get better. Study.
20:14Grow. Develop. Practice some more. Quit being arrogant. Be humble. What I've been doing for
20:2120 years. That don't mean anything. Grow. That's your problem. You're capped.
20:27Develop. Become the best you can be. Purpose happens when your preparation and God's opportunity
20:39collide. Will your gifts be developed when God is ready to bring the next opportunity your way?
20:47Prepare now for what God has next. Number five is this. The preparation process develops your
20:58relationships. During the preparation process, God brings people into your life to help you prepare
21:06for your purpose. The right people will help you grow. Their wisdom will protect you, develop you,
21:14and help propel you to what God has next for your life. Here let me read this to you about David.
21:21This is so key. It's so easy to look at David's life and he was anointed and then the fast forward
21:2715 years when he becomes king and he's appointed but we missed the preparation process. Here's what
21:33it says in first Samuel chapter 19 verse 1 and 2. It says Saul told his son Jonathan and all the
21:38attendants to kill David but Jonathan wanted to help David out because he had taken a great liking
21:47to David. I think that's so important that you maybe if you have a paper Bible circle that you
21:51take to the great liking to David and he warned him. He warned David. My father Saul is looking
21:58for an opportunity to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning going to hiding and Saul wanted
22:05to kill David. He wanted to stop his purpose but Jonathan was a friend that protected David.
22:15He spoke the truth to David. You need some people who will take a great liking to you and want to
22:22help you fulfill your purpose. Some of you have the wrong people in your life. You have Saul in
22:27your life instead of Jonathan. The wrong people will tell you what you want to hear instead of
22:34what you need to hear but to fulfill your purpose you need some people who will speak the truth to
22:40you even when it's not easy. It wasn't easy for David to hear Jonathan tell him hey my father's
22:45about to kill you man. Hey man can you bring me some lemonade and some potato chips? What you
22:49talking about? No no let me speak some truth to you. This is hard truth. Let me speak this to you.
22:56David I see some things you can't see. David there are some things that I want you to understand
23:02that aren't as good as you think they are. My father wants to kill you. David you need to make
23:06some changes in your life right now and go a different direction. Those are some tough
23:11words to hear but a part of the preparation process is your willingness to be humble.
23:19Humble enough to surround yourself and to listen to the right people that God brings into your
23:27life. You need some people who will tell you where you need to make some changes.
23:33Who will point out some bad habits that are hindering your life. Come on you gotta have
23:38some people who will tell you areas where you need to grow. Why? So you can fulfill your God-given
23:44purpose. God's preparation process always includes distancing yourself from the wrong people
23:53and learning to listen to the right people. Are you listening to Saul
24:00or Jonathan? Number six is this. The preparation process develops your confidence. Develops your
24:07confidence. God's waiting room. You're anointed but not appointed. Why? Because it develops your
24:15confidence. It developed David's confidence. Everything David went through gave him confidence
24:22for what God had next. Let me give you one example. David was taking care of his father's sheep. Just
24:31being faithful to take care of the sheep and the scripture says a lion came one day and one day a
24:38bear came and attacked the sheep and David killed both the lion and the bear. I wish I could have
24:45been there to video record that. Come on somebody, huh? Because I'm afraid my preparation process,
24:52I might have failed them. Sheep might have been dead. Come on somebody. But David prepared
24:58and then I want you to listen to what the scripture says. This is so important. He developed
25:02his confidence. He was getting ready to go fight Goliath. They didn't think David could do it.
25:09King Saul didn't think he could do it. His brothers didn't think he could do it
25:13and in first Samuel 17 verse 36 David said your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.
25:20This uncircumcised Philistine Goliath would be like one of them. I got some confidence
25:26because God has, because he has defied the armies of the living God and the Lord, the Lord who
25:32rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this
25:38Philistine. Saul told David go on with your bad self. That's not how it says. He said go and the
25:45Lord will be with you. Can I tell you David had a confidence in the Lord and in the gifts that
25:54God had given him. Why? Because of the preparation process. The preparation process will develop your
26:00confidence in God and in yourself. Not a false confidence. You ever seen anybody with false
26:06confidence? They ain't done anything. I got it. No, you better practice.
26:16But a confidence in the Lord that you're ready for what's next because you've been faithful
26:23with the now. You're not focused on a position, on power. You're not focused on prominence or
26:31promotion or prestige. You're focused on getting prepared for what God has prepared for you
26:39because no one can stop God's purpose for your life.
26:43If you're prepared to drive the car, God will give you the keys.
26:52God will promote you for what he has next in your life. If you will be faithful
27:00with what he has now for your life. Father, thanks for this word today. Thank you for speaking God.
27:08I'm helping to download Lord some of the values that you've spoke to me years ago that have been
27:14so foundational for my life and that's not focused on power or position or prominence or prestige
27:21but to be focused on the purpose of God. To be focused on preparation and Father I thank you
27:27right now that you're speaking to hearts at all of our locations and people right now are doing
27:32soul work. They're looking at their life. They're saying how can I better get prepared for what God
27:38has next by focusing on what God has now. God I thank you right now that you have more for our
27:44lives. You have a purpose for our life. You have a plan for our life and God help us get prepared
27:50for what's next. Every single person has a next and may we be prepared for what you want to do
27:57next in our lives. In Jesus name I pray. As eyes are still closed and heads are still bowed today
28:04I'm going to ask at every single location I'm talking to some people that you're now that what
28:09you need to do now is surrender your life to Jesus Christ. What you need to do now is to say yes to
28:15Jesus. You have dreams. You have things that are in your heart you want to
28:20see come to pass and I tell you you need the Lord's help. You need to surrender your life
28:25to Christ. I even believe that you can be not even serving God, not a Christian, not living your life
28:31for Jesus and God starts putting dreams in your heart. He starts showing you what he wants to do
28:36in your life, what he wants to do in your relationships, what he wants to do in your family
28:40but it happens. He brings those dreams to pass when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. What
28:45somebody needs to do now is to go all in. You got to quit playing games with God, having one foot in
28:50the church and one foot in the world, kind of living one way on Saturday night, come to church
28:55on Sunday morning. I'm glad you're here. God's glad you're here but you got to get some things
28:58cleaned up. You got to recommit your life to the Lord. You got to rededicate your life to the Lord.
29:02You got to say yes to his plan and his purposes. You got to quit trusting your way and start trusting
29:06God's way and I'm telling you if you will do that God has a next for you but you got to surrender
29:11your life now to him. If that's you as I count to three at every single location somebody know God
29:16has more. Somebody knows you're not sold out to Jesus Christ today. Somebody knows you're playing
29:20games with God and with church and you're not sold out to God and today you need to give your life
29:24to Jesus Christ. You need to say yes to him. You need to say God I'm going all in. I'm recommitting
29:28my life to you if that's you. As I count to three shoot your hand high in the air and I'm going to
29:32lead you in a prayer to say yes to Jesus. One, two, three. Just lift it now. Just lift it now. See your hand
29:38there. See your hand there. Others today see your hand there. See your hand there. Others today see
29:42your hand there. Others today see your hand there. Come on Midwest City just lift it high. Northwest
29:47Edmond, Mabel Bassett, Indianapolis. Online click the raise your hand button now. Click that
29:52raise your hand button now or write the word yes in the chat line. I'm saying yes to Jesus right now.
29:56If there's somebody else you'll lift your hand high and say pastor I want to surrender my life to
29:59Christ. I see your hand there. I'm going all in today. I'm going to ask every hand that's raised
30:04to pray this prayer with me. To confess it with your mouth. Believe it in your heart and God's
30:07going to wash away your sins right now. Pray with me now. Heavenly Father I turn away from my sin
30:14and I turn my life over to Jesus. No more church games. No more my way. Today I say yes to you,
30:25your way and your will. Heavenly Father I confess Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior.
30:33I will live for him the rest of my life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.