Developing a Lifestyle of Faith, Part 3 (cont'd)

Develop a lifestyle of faith means the problems through the lens of God's promise. When you walk by faith and develop a lifestyle you learn to see problems through the lens of God's promises, no matter how bad things may get here's God's promise to you today. Things will start looking up when you start looking hello and thanks for stopping by for this Monday. Addition of destined for victory was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. This was God's perfect will for his son. At that point in time when we find ourselves in the valley of the shadow of death, not only is God with us is often the one who led us there today. Pastor Paul Shepard reminds us of the promises of God always prevail over the problems of man stay with us here or visit Pastor Paul.net to listen anytime on demand.

That's Pastor Paul.net or access the podcasting Apple podcast or wherever you get yours now is Pastor Paul. Today's destined for victory message developing a lifestyle of some of you have experiences yet in your walk with God you have it is coming. God will give you surprisingly little information I made you just a little word you know how we we want it GPS down ahead of time when the going now know about this disco you'll know when you get there all well, thank you so much because you need a five year plan. You need God to bind it up in a low binder and just give you here's what's going happen from this season that you don't do this, then you got to get up and go in April. That's wise in the Hall of Fame.

He got up and went got up and went and just did what the Lord told the Duke was very little information.

We also told that when he got there he would know what additional information on how God was going to fulfill the rest of the promise document only send you into the unknown piggy legionnaire while my first cousin twice only when these people.

I mean all the people and give all to go because they might want to receive Christ. Just let us know would be glad in those early years, but I gave it anyway didn't know what they were not always able to call them you know when you receive Christ nobodies respond to place out of dialogue dialogue and there were many times when we went from like 50 to 250. In those years we were growing by the twos infused and unsafe people sometimes a few folks got saved along the way but the most part I give all to go respecting by to get disillusioned thousands, by respond to dialogue course not, who wanted to save Mr. County will be in my drive home and you know something doesn't the press I'm driving only think we missed it. We did tell us to come here. He says some else I just missed it and see below beautiful wife, you know, we heard from God's people and she just try to keep me going to fast the first thing got to get up and go. Lord told me go West young man go West. So here I am six year thousands preaching good messages 7800 2000 and where God said to go like Abram. He stayed there for two years before we heard anything else from God. He's in Canaan which is where God was sending them the place they were to inherit.

We later came to call it the promise land. He's there. I didn't know what that's like. There preaching for years, leading and serving and can't say enough going to fast, make docs become a drink number one, McGonigal have to say something somewhere but they going to fast, go somewhere for days. Neither neither drinking anything but water or eating just say something to me, force God's hand, and all I do is lose a few pounds. He said nothing ones are what pick me up. I was on the retreat to pick up see all excited and somewhat go and eat to the case.I know that I will get whatever all but if you're faithful and just wait on just wait, only that's all you gotta do when you just wait on and in this case 10 years in Canaan. Then the Lord speaks, Lord speaks up and here's what I want to take you to another lesson from Hebrews 11.

Look at verses 11 and 12 by faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise, and so from this one man watch this and he is good as David came to send as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore using the power that God took the man that the budget like he was a good day and God gave them descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore.

What lesson do we learn from that.

Here's the next lesson. Develop a lifestyle of faith means see problems through the lens of God's promises when you walk by faith and develop it as a lifestyle you learn to see your problems through the lens of God's promises. That was the problem. Promise. God has promised him that he is going to become the father of many and when God first spoke to them about picking up and leaving going to please. He was showing he was 75. He gets there and lived there 10 more years before God says anything else when he's 85 and his wife is 75 now God says all right let's get this on here that I promised and that's where they went wrong about the Bible. The Bible is full of folk who did everything right. What I love is that that way I can get some out of it and so can you read the book of folk who did everything right was the point of reading this I can relate to him but you can relate to this book. If you never been in your word you need to get in that box just like you and they get this one so wrong Abram and samurai have a little business meeting a little family meeting to figure out what's up with this word about having the key maybe five. She 75, we've never been parents and now here, God is talking about. Okay stuff you don't have a baby so they had a little meat always pictured is one legal marriage technique systematically to tell you how to do it when you sit face-to-face and need in the and also want to say holding the ghost writer for the group you hold hands and you look each other in the face so that you can have real intimacy. You talk about what the problem is in your marriage is I just imagine Abram and Sarah sitting there need in the and and hold each other's hands and looking at each other's eyes and an Abram says maybe you know guys that we still have his baby and so I said well he may have said that. But did he call my name. Specifically, save me not babies that you but you you don't want to marry to and she said what.

And maybe that's where we need to take some action.

I can give you my handmaiden.

My maidservant Hagar who's a young Egyptian woman. She's in childbearing, is this woman now that he's talking to is 75 years old. She had some good years. She could have the baby to her 20s and 30s and 40s, but after a while she had that menopause and she got on the other side of childbearing years and she said well we must not be told about me so why don't I give you Hagar. Now we always snickered that but let's take a moment and applaud her.

This woman is so anxious to see the will of God done she is willing to place a younger Egyptian woman in Abram's arms for the purpose of fulfilling God's promise you that almost all marriage is help me make this point, you know, most of been like. I don't know how God don't do it, but I can tell you how he's not gonna do it. Don't even think about listening to destined for victory with pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor of destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California, will be right back with the second half of today's message but first important reminder if you haven't already, be sure to download our free mobile app so that you can listen to destined for victory right in the palm of your hand.

The app is easy to navigate. You can even take notes on Pastor Paul's messages so the be there the next time you turn in search destined for victory in the App Store and download today absolutely free. God has given you a free will, but be careful how you use Abraham and Sarah learned that lesson the hard way is pastor Paul with the rest of today's destined for victory message developing a lifestyle of faith.

She was so anxious she said let's try. Maybe that's God's way.

You know it was like I you sure that's what you want to do this, back on the long story short, she gave him. Hagar is a Second Life and when Abram was 86 years old, Hagar had a baby by him but it wasn't the child of promise. You can mangle some things on the bus or injured ingenious people you can make some happen, but that didn't mean it was God.

I said I don't mean it was God done something when you look back on it that was just you blaming God and tell me to do it even strengthen me to do it straight without God was a pretty impressive system and he came through children. I can tell you the whole story. You know what I'm saying in my man to it wasn't the child. God promised. Be careful how much of your will you exert just because you make something happen. Doesn't mean mean it's God, and certainly the mistakes you make no blame on God ever recovered from a mistake. It was only after we said Lord is with me, only to be rationalizing only to me, blame somebody else circumstance of what had happened was you right once you admit you been some you need to look at your issue males and say God didn't do that. It was me and some of his better not because you have more than one Ishmael in your life, what one thing you did. You forced it to happen so we don't have this mail is Mela. This Malika, I came up one Ishmael. What God got it all.

So God said nothing see God lives outside of time, he's not pressed for time, and when they made this mistake. He let him live with it.

I've come to realize the reason you don't want to have Ishmael's when God's promised you and Isaac is not because he will bless you with the Isaac is just that you have to raise the Ishmael and so you taken time and energy from your own life. When you do things the wrong way. God's got a good salt when Ishmael was born Abram's 86 says nothing else to them for 13 years. Nothing just raise the boy in the Hagar and Sarah went to little trouble which started immediately as soon as Hagar knew she was she would limit soon as she knew she pregnant. She got new Sarah. Sarah writes her paycheck as he still got new winter walking around the house on the fact that she pregnant and Sarah's never know what it felt like she wanted to just turn it I got one up on my boss and I'm having a baby by his just a little. Some uses to know you looking holy. But you know exactly look as a whole like I can relate to spirit like that you know exactly where Hagar was like a baby sure is kicking but when Sarah came back on her. Consider winter winter has been as you did this back when they would have little need in a meeting that's exactly what is to come back on. It was so Sarah went to Abram is that you caused this in Abram been married long enough to know what to do.

So you young rookie has been shown on the will to do in a moment like that one defender the house I told you dumb we married, long time. When we know we tried our best to make this thing, the way it was supposed to be to make sure to see it signed off on his idea was she come back and say you did this, what you do what baby would you want to go to like you will look like you want Hagar's. I'm trying to help you and your comeback will also now as you would take me. Bottom line is God said, not for 13 years. Then when he speaks up Abram's now 99 years old. Sarah's now 89 years old what they could've done in the 80s and 70s now because of disobedience. God made him wait 13 more years. Now you gotta believe for the same miracle. And if you thought it was going be a miracle. At 86 and 76 just what is going look like. So now you still gotta live by faith.

That's why I'm here to tell you on this point, you're going to have to learn to trust God with your problems, but you do it by standing on his promises. Not a promise is I will give your child got to have a baby get your faith lined next when God would do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or even match one's godmother was Hagar data mass and energy. This one is God. He and Sarah and the Bible says about him and 99.

He though as good as the old man wishing for younger days.

But God got in the picture. You gotta learn that when God gets in the picture all the problems have to subject themselves to his promise.

There's nothing that can withstand the promise of God. When God says that he's going to pass the enemy can do what I saw it happen in my ministry. In those years.

After all those times of more people suddenly begin to answer. I don't know why he chose that time I had done the same work when he saw the growth of the ministry next season. You go from 250 to 2508 1/2 years in a little 14,000 square-foot warehouse where you read for those people I sent you just follow God and go where it's going. The 300 seat sanctuary filled up with so we better have a second service so we did two services and then eventually both of them were full. Then one Sunday I wanted us as a semi-came in and said something about the people in the back.

Is that what people in the back. They said all who come every Sunday they don't get here early enough to get in the one of the 300 seats but they sit in the back and try to listen through the wall when God is moving stops and just sit there, we would know we can.

So we do overflow screen and brings in here, we credit overflow.

I didn't get that from a church growth conference. I got a call back next thing I know couple more years later, the first service has overflow and the second service has overflow. Now we gotta have 1/3 surface and we started first service I remember seven 3930, 1130, and then all three services had overflow and by this time, folks are getting saved every week. After years of given altar call. I course, a bite, what I'm doing now given altar call and every week somebody's didn't see now three services are full. We gotta go to 1/4 service we end up in those days we did before we went to Molson so we do for service Sunday at 530. It was a God thing you must been preaching different.

What was a little 14,000 square-foot but it was a God season where we have sown in tears and waited on him and obeyed him in the little things and now he's ready to show himself strong and now people getting saved all the time with locking people out of two of the services we Another person in the building and security with God and Satan were so sorry, but there's just no way we can add anybody in here for the 936 but if you stand here you be the first in 411 30 and people just and you walk right by the church in those days people stand outside waiting for the next service look like the premier of Batman returns the God was ready to move. I've seen him this things and he's going to like tied to full he couldn't do it and I believe in God. God has done amazing things in the life of Pastor Paul Sheppard and who do amazing things in your life to focus on God's promises instead of your problems, which are complete faith and trust in him alone, and you begin to see him move in your life like never before. As you may know Pastor Paul has devoted his life to the advancement of the gospel, helping lead people to faith in Christ and then helping them grow and that faith because you know so many of you share that desire. He like to invite you to help by sending a special gift today Dustin for victory is a listener supported ministry. So as God leads.

Please consider making a generous donation today and when you do, please be sure to request this month. Special offer Pastor Paul's booklet lessons from the cocoon butterflies don't enter this world with wings.

They don't even enter the world as butterflies, their transformation takes place over time will that's how the life of a believer in Christ works in lessons from the cocoon, Pastor Paul help you understand that God is doing good things and you even when your life seems somewhat stagnant and unremarkable and he remind you that eventually you will have wings because you were born to fly. That's lessons from the cocoon our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory. Call 855-339-5500 to give over the phone or mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also make a safe and secure donation on our website. Pastor Paul.net thanks in advance for helping keep Destin for victory on the air experienced syndrome – something I believe that God had for me now it seems like I am no longer eligible for God's promise to come to pass in my life.

If you have a been there. This message is for you. That's tomorrow. Would Pastor Paul Sheppard reminds us that it's never too late for God to be right on time.

Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory