God knows who you were, who you are, and who you will become. In “You Have A Purpose,” Pastor Steven Furtick teaches us that God will not call us to do something that He did not specifically create us for. This is an excerpt from “The God Of Also.” To watch the full message from @elevationchurch, click here:    • The God Of Also | Pastor Steven Furti…   #faith #peace #hope #stevenfurtick #elevationchurch Chapters: 0:00 – Called For A Purpose 2:40 – Comparison Is A Thief 6:32 – God Works All Things Together 9:12 – Watch God For The Also 12:00 – God Knows What You Will Be Scripture References:

He created you before he called you.
It stands to reason that he would have

created you to be exactly what he needed
you to be for what he would call you to do.

So, all of the arguments you give yourself about
how you’re not what you need to be are wrong,

because you are called by a God who created you.

He would not have created you to be less than or
different than what he would call you to be in

another season of your life. Come up, Abbey.
I’m calling Abbey to the stage right now.

I am calling Abbey, my daughter,
to the stage for a purpose.

I wanted to call her to the stage because
I wanted to use her for a purpose.

She is wearing a shirt that, if you zoom in on the
camera, says, “I’m calling on the God of Jacob,

Moses, Mary (your verse), and David.” All of
that is on her shirt. What a coincidence. Nope.

That must be God. She was at
the right place on the front

row. Look at how great that worked out.
It’s almost like I told her to wear it.

It’s almost like I had a purpose
for preaching. So, when I told her,

“I need you to wear that purple shirt that
says, ‘I’m calling on the God of Jacob and

Moses and Mary and David,'” it’s almost like I
predestined her for this purpose for this moment.

Of all of the people in this room, there are only
three I had a part in creating, a small part,

the fun part. So, let’s follow the sequence.

Created…called. Predestined…purpose. So,
what is God calling you into right now?

Wouldn’t it make sense for you to stop being so
doubtful and stop second-guessing his sovereignty

and stop telling him excuses and just
come on up and do and be what you were

created to be, believing that “If
he called me, then he created me

and positioned me for the
purpose he predestined me for”?

All I’m trying to say is the God
who called you also created you.

So, if you don’t have it, take it up with
him. He must not want it from you. That’s

why he created other people. That’s why
comparison is a thief and a liar and a

drug we take to talk ourselves down from our
high calling. I didn’t call Graham for this

illustration. I didn’t call Elijah for this
illustration. They are bigger in stature,

but she was better for this purpose because
I put her in what she needed for this moment.

Now I’m going to preach and prophesy to somebody.
God knew what he would need you to do before you

ever got to this people planet. “Why are you
screaming, Preacher?” Because God gave me

breath for this message for somebody to know that
there’s breath in your lungs for this assignment.

The God of Jacob, that deceiver. The God of
Moses, that murderer. The God of Mary. A virgin

to have the baby Jesus? A peasant to give birth
to the preeminent Word of God? The God of David,

the eighth son?

Ooh, God just gave me this. Listen to this.
When the prophet came to anoint the next king,

Jesse lined up seven sons who he thought
were the right choice. Samuel said,

“None of these are the right ones. Don’t you have
any more?” Jesse said, “Well, there is also…”

So, yeah, he’s the God of Jacob; yeah, he’s the
God of Moses; yeah, he’s the God of Mary; yeah,

he’s the God of David, but he’s also the God
of Abbey. High-five somebody and say, “He’s my

God too. He’s my King too. He’s my
Savior too. He’s my Shepherd too.”

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not
want. He’s the God of the mountain,

but he’s also the God of the valley. So, I
don’t care where you find yourself lately.

He is also! What if everything
you’ve gone through…?

What if everything God has allowed
your life to be up until this point is

preparation for what you are predestined for?
What if your name belongs on that shirt too?

What if we put your name on that shirt
too, believing what Romans 8:28 says,

that all things…good things, bad things,
everything in between… “All things work together.

All things work together. Good things, bad things,

everything in between…” All right. We’ll
work on it later. We’re going to try it out.

What if the things in your life that
are happening are not random? Do

you ever wonder?

So, when they say, “You’re sending your kid
to college? Isn’t college a waste of money?”

I’m like, “Nah, not really.” You can
go to college and God can use you.

You can also not go to
college and God can use you.

He’s the God of also. Open doors, closed
doors, PhDs, and post hole diggers.

(PHD…post hole digger.)

I’m going to ask you something, and
I’m really wanting to know what you

think about it, because I’ve
been thinking about it a lot.

Let’s say you made a mistake and went down a wrong
path. Can God not be down the wrong path also?

If the answer to that is “No,” then what
was he doing looking for Peter after his

resurrection when Peter went back fishing after
denying him? He was right there. He appeared

to the disciples who waited for him, but he
also appeared to Thomas who didn’t believe.

I think we shouldn’t box God in to think
he’s only as big as our good decisions.

Who did that just set free?

When I went to college, I was paralyzed
by the idea “What if I’m at the wrong

college? What if I’m at the wrong college?
What if I’m at the wrong college?” Well,

I did my four years. I got my degree. Let
me tell you what else I got in college. Have

you ever heard of Holly? I got her in college.
Which one do you think I enjoy more…the degree,

the thing I came to achieve and
accomplish, or what I got also?

That’s why I’m saying, “Watch for God in
the also.” You know when your kids come,

and they’re being really nice to you? “How was
your day? Can I do anything for you, Dad? I’m

praying for you as you approach this sermon. I
just know the Lord is going to move in power,

like he does. That’s what he does. He’s a
way maker God.” I’m just like, “Get to it.

I’m not saying you didn’t
come to tell me these things,

but what did you also come into
this room to ask me about?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to know…
Can I have your old phone?”

“Ah! That’s it. That’s what you came in here for.”

He came in so excited about the wrestling
yesterday. I said, “Tell me about it.” “Oh,

it was great. It was great.” I said, “And what
else?” He said, “Well, I was just wondering,

that old phone that you…” Yeah, it’s
the also. God is kind of like that too.

You have to watch him for the also.
“For we know that in all things God

works for the good of those who love him
and are called according to his purpose.”

But Romans 8:29 also says, “Those he foreknew he
also predestined to be conformed to the image of

his Son…” What if the things you’re going through
are all so that you can be more like Jesus?

We don’t say it’s good when
you go through suffering,

but what if you adopted a view of
your life that said, “This is all so

God can make me more like his Son, Jesus”?

You would be undefeatable by the
Devil. Because what is he going

to bring against you if it’s all so that
you can be more like God who is for you?

What can he do now? That’s what I think Paul
got to, because he goes down this chain.

“…he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son…”

So, he knew Moses would have this hesitation,
but he chose Moses because he knows Moses. He

knows what Moses is not. He knows what Moses was.
He knows what Moses will be. He knows what I’m

not. He knows what I was. He knows what I will
be. Say all of that. “He knows what I’m not. He

knows what I was. He knows what I will be.” God
is the only one who knows all three of those.

Some of us don’t even know what we’re not yet.

We are trying so hard to be something and somebody
we were not created to be that it is killing us,

but we could get content if we’d just go,
“God, you know what I’m not. Show me what

I’m not. You know what I was, so you see where
I’ve been. You’ve marked out my steps, and you

are the only one who knows what I will be.” So,
those he predestined he also… What does it say?

“…that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers and sisters. And those he predestined,

he also called; those he called, he also
justified…” That’s talking about the cross.

That means he made you right. So, you can’t be the
wrong one for it because he made you right for it.

He would not call you to, he cannot call
you to, something he did not create you for.