Keeping in Step with the Spirit, Part 1 (cont'd)

Don't wait to feel something to love God, love God because he is God reference God because he is God reference him because one day he will judge the living and the dead want to be found.

Having responded by loving him in return. The attorney tried to tempt Jesus by asking what is the greatest commandment in the law Lord's answer found in Matthew chapter 22 is as relevant today as it was then hello and welcome to Destin for victory with pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. The answer, Jesus gave us this, thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And then he gave the second greatest commandment for good measure, thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself today. Pastor Paul reminds us that our most important calling is to love God and then to love others and believe it or not is not as difficult as you might think. Stay with us now. But remember, you can always swing by Pastor Paul.net hearing recent Destin for victory message on demand.

That's Pastor Paul.net here is Pastor Paul. Today's message keeping in step with the Spirit, you don't have to rush in and slam it behind you, go let the person you're laying on that little to fasten and now that John went all the way over in the left lane and try to get all the right and 1 mile and make it your mission is getting you a seat at that time desperately to get over you when you see all your sometimes you was there with the cashier and what have you been around and and they don't understand they need another dollar $0.20 and then looking for anything put some and you got God blessed you got some money in your pocket and what have you know you can't go back to cover God bless you, that God happily marching band show some love sometime this let brotherly love continue. That's a form of love and relationships.

That's right, it's great to be friends with the befriend we just friends person what have you learned now.

The Bible called to be friends without benefits of the only difference you got to learn that the world has come up with this term and you can understand I've not according to Scripture, friends with benefits equals marriage so get it straight get the theology straight my boyfriend you know we just friends. And when we got to know just share with one another and we have great conversations and all that. That's a great feature in a relationship that God would ordain, but it's a poor foundation close friendship. Sometimes friends go through changes seen friends breakout you have any friends. People used to be tight with some conflict went down like the way it handled what you got treated or what have you, and they are no longer in your inner circle. So friendship is a nice feature poor foundation so the Bible talks about the kind of love that would emulate the love God has a talks about agape love that goes beyond feeling that goes beyond friendship. Based on the heart of God for an individual.

It is when you begin to see Parsons three lands of God's love for them and you treat them accordingly that acts in the best interest of its object and it does not take into account what the object has gone to our God.

When we were all when we were his enemies, Christ died for us and so it is a love that is not just because it is a love that is in spite sometime and that's what we're called to do and it's commandment bounced shalt love the Lord love God that we love God first.

John says we because he first loved the only way I get to express the love of God's eyes printed from him first he love me and now I am the beneficiary of the love of God. He now commands me to love him in return. And so it's a command you still get comfortable. God commands us to love him you say man that's called no he commandment because he first loved you and his plan for your life is based on your responding to him by loving him in return. In other words, you can love you you love him there some things he cannot do in your life. That's why there certain scriptures that talk about the loving God. When we call Romans 828 we often don't think what it really means is that we know that all things work together for good and not everyone will say to those who love the Lord God of your life. You can't claim. Romans 828 and a lot of people send a catchphrase in the world.

They just have the sort of philosophy on the what I got it from something they don't know what he got from people who don't know the Lord well you know everything works good no market him and him and action upon him. The Bible says he responds by making sure everything works together for good, because you love them and are called according to his purpose. His purpose and so the Bible commands us to love God you say one practical terms, what does that mean and how I pulled it off.

Well it's not as difficult as you think first of all, it is a response to his love for you when some I love you as well as God has loved us so much that he canceled all of our sin he could've condemned us eternally.

What he has canceled our sin as we put our trust in Christ somebody who loves you that well and were commanded to do so in practical terms are not used to being commanded. I never let anybody walk up to me as I command you to love me okay but you gotta understand the concept.

So think of it this way many of us who like sports. We have teams at our favorite teams. Why is that your team because one day you set your affection on that you chose to love them, you chose the site asked my team to be based on your hometown. It could be based on your where you presently live and the college team sports team in your area to be based on anything you choose some people there favorite teams are in cities. I've never been to.

But one day they decided they would love that team maybe was people played on it years ago and they said their affection those years and they never took away the rapid old people retire. Whatever it is I grew up in Philadelphia so I grew up in terms of professional football being an equal say and now I pastor in Northern California and 49ers country. I have 49ers who come to this church so I had to become a 49ers fan so when I got out here. I was both illegal 49ers family when they played against each other.

I didn't know what to do.

You set your section on team and of course you know my philosophy on several teams each season at the start of each season. You are so loyal to say man I'm praying for you may not understand something big. Excited about every week of the save so teams are doing well At all hope and trust which all but when y'all all still be excited about.

And so I picked several teams and when they drop one by one.

I always try to make it as far as I can and then ultimately I just want to eavesdrop all before you get to the Super Bowl. Then I just pick one of those teams I can be excited those years where I don't kill messed up super bowl day when you don't care who we love to be the people paying you to set your affection college teams your alma mater or will you set up teams that are not going to get good will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard to listen to any of Pastor Paul's recent broadcast sure to stop by Pastor Paul.net any time to listen on demand. Again, that's Pastor Paul.net. You can contact us for prayer make a safe and secure donation to the ministry there online. Pastor Paul joins me in a studio after today's message but first let's join him for the rest of this message, keeping in step with the Spirit love that teams that, as a matter of principle, we some of us we set in some places we do terminate something on the radio around the country and I do these missile appreciation events in the various cities to meet the listeners and and what have you made a mistake. I went to one city where there is a team I hate first time I did a radial service in that I wasn't thinking clearly and I got up the first I've not been back sometime they love me and for some it was all good but the first time I had about maybe 1200 people and it was so excited. All we do on the radio and we meet and so on.

So glad to be a thank you all for tonight. We don't have a wonderful time. Love you all and I love this city and love everything about the city except your football team know it was stupid.

I know I just wanted thinking clearly. In that moment I got to excited and it was nothing said but it would've been want to get away was just went lives and I by its football team and so one man.

How about we love you, but that could change and I got I went on conducted my service. We had a good time up in this and what have you. And so I said, Lord, help me to do that again and we just set our affection where we wanted to be. You can stand by been a full team to people by season tickets they know. Don't be like that by minute, when it is broadband the grill. Most of edible know and then they go in there and they just for anything good first you set your affection what the Bible says, set your affection on things above normal things I love God because he first loved me and I choose to respond to his love by setting my affection on him. He gives me the and I respond by saying, Lord, I love you no way to feel something to love God, love God because he is God reference God because he is God reference him because one day he will judge the living and the dead, and I want to be found. Having responded by loving him in return. And so we set our affection on him.

That's the great commandment love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and says and love your neighbor like you love yourself is where we need some help in prayer because as a brand of Christianity that wants to love God and hate people.

In fact the matter is you can't do that. The great commandment goes on and says love your neighbor as you love yourself and what you said what was my neighbor. What Jesus answered that question one day when he gave us the story of the good Samaritan your neighbor is whoever need your love your neighbor is anyone who needs who deserves to be loved because there loved by God. If God loves you how bear I hate you is what you got understand if God loves them and remember God loves us when were out of his will is his love that compels us to this is love that draws us to Calvary won me over come to understand people's life is out of sync with God's plan is no condemnation would be God suffering. The reason why Christ has not yet returned. The Bible states it clearly is long-suffering not being willing for the Lord is giving us opportunities and people who are right now outside of God's will ever going to get in his will.

The going to have to know his love for them and his plan of redemption while they go to know his love to get in or through us so we have to learn to love better people of God. As believers we have to learn a lot better with the learn to love one another better Christians have to quit fighting Christians Army fight itself and makes no sense to God's chart believers have debates with family debates and what have you but all must be unity. Jesus in John chapter 17 Lord make them one just like we are one. We have unity with believers train your attention on your real problem with wrestling against one another will lesson against principalities and powers, spiritual darkness, we've got to get it straight. So we must learn to love one another better when I let you down when they disappoint you, the multitude of bolts, and you got to give him a break up against the wall that they do so you don't like to be confrontational about everything. You pick your battles decide to let that go and when you let go, really let it go. Don't let that go in and had little pay, write it down so the next time I do that same thing you went out on this is not what I want to do that the people 13, Paul said love doesn't keep a record of wrongs. Are you Dragon how long you been by people in your life. You're not walking in love. Don't get on the false condemnation.

There are times you have to create injuries because there are people who will mistreat you repeatedly by what you put yourself deliberately in harm's way, which means a person has mistreated you and disrespected you repeatedly and unemotional physical. What do you love them by continuing to insert yourself in that same position where they can do that to you over and over again. You can have reasonable boundaries. You can let people know this is not acceptable, but you can speak the truth in love, and you have the boundary. When a person shows you who they are believable if they show you they can handle friendship and trust they can keep a secret. Don't well I love you so I bet you the worst things about me.

You better not what a person with this trust because it will be in the newspaper in the morning they just can't keep it. Three preachers met together in a low group fellowship decided we passed in the same city.

We don't get together and build a relationship and they did that so one day they were feeling comes one-off when one knows.

Let's pray for each other and and wanted to share something really that that you need to print out one preacher said what I trust you guys and I will let you know that I need to pray because I'm I'm stealing the money from the church and I just signed.

I know it's wrong, but I just you know and often comes in and what have you. I get to it before they counted put in and I take what I need to pray for me and the second I said well you'll need to pray for me. I can't take these pretty women in my church and I tell you how I you know I have a relationship with with several of them and I just really really have a struggle that I need to pray for me and asked the third guy. What's your deepest promise. My problem is I can't keep any secrets (Pastor Paul Sheppard was to encourage you today. Set your feelings aside, set your fears aside and in faith determine for yourself that you will love God. Thanks so much for being here for today's destined for victory message keeping in step with the Spirit is promise.

Pastor Paul has joined me from his studio in California pastor 2020 is certainly been a challenging time. I don't think any of us really thought back in March that we would still be dealing with the covert 19 issues but here we are.

I know you really believe that every challenge provides greater opportunity to trust the Lord would you say to those who are still dealing with feelings of fear and uncertainty.

We've just got to relax and trust God not just go along for a ride like windsurfing, you don't know where you're going to go trusting God. We don't know where he's taken notes. But you know where he's taken us and how is going to get us through it and the thing I always say about the challenges we face in life. I remember back after 9/11 happened and I preached at my church the following Sunday. I said this wasn't God's will per se, as though God sent Mr. cursus but it was God's opportunity to speak to us in the midst of trouble, and this pandemic is serving the same purpose God's using it to teach us the things we have to learn about trusting him and I believe that if will lesson God will speak to us in a fresh way during these times. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.

Great words from King Solomon in Proverbs 3, five and six well at a time when there's so much pain and uncertainty in the world. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ remains a source of hope for all who embrace it and now more than ever.

Many are searching for that hope so. This is why your prayers and financial support of destined for victory is so critical as our way of saying thanks for your generous donation would like to send you a booklet called little is much when God is written by Pastor Paul. This is a great reminder that God can use you to impact those around you and he can do it. Despite what you lack. That's little is much when God is in it is our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory call us at 855-339-5500 to give over the phone or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online and you can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 be justified before God. As a result of all the only thing that counts is expressing itself through love. We gotta learn to keep in step with the Spirit. That's next time and pastor Paul Sheppard's message keeping in step with the Spirit until they remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory