Jesus' Prayer for You, Part 3

These talking about the fact that we are called to be extraordinary were called to be different like the tribe all the way from heaven down just to forgive us. He came to save us and to create a people who are set apart and who are not like everyone else in the world.

Second Peter 39 tells us God wants all people to be say, but he also wants us to be sanctified hello and welcome to this Wednesday. Addition of Dustin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard. Sanctification can be a tricky subject. We may not always understand it, but it's a crucial part of the Christian experience.

In fact it was so important to Jesus that he pray specifically for his followers to be sanctified to be extraordinarily set apart for special service to God. But we remain alive on earth. I think about it this way. Salvation is for the hereafter.

Sanctification is for the here and now. Today's message is straight ahead so stay with us here. If you can or visit pastor Paul.net any time to listen to Destin for victory on demand. You can also download the podcasting Google podcast or wherever you get yours now.

Let's join Pastor Paul for today's Destin for victory message Jesus prayer for you, John chapter 17, beginning with verse 14 Jesus explained that he says I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one.

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it sanctified them by the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world. I have sent them into the world for them. I sanctified myself, that they too may be truly sanctified only continue to examine with you, Jesus prayer for us. We established the fact that Jesus has prayed for each of us. He made it clear in verse 20 of this text that I'm not just praying for these original disciples, but I'm praying for everyone and will believe, through their message, which means the succession of saints down through the years as the gospel has been preached and sold have been saved. Jesus prayed for every believer and today on the 21st century. If you have trusted Christ for salvation. You can be assured that the prayer of Jesus reached you that he prayed for you where we will establish the fact that he pray first of all, for our protection and in the interest of time I cannot do any major review but we talked about God's keeping power God's ability to not only save us but keep us and I talked about the grub during the saints. Thank God for his keeping power and I didn't understand as a child. What that meant all but I got it now and some of you due to that God is one thing to be saying this another thing to be kept another thing to be kept by the power of God and to see God's power assist staying you through all that you have to go through and Jesus prayed for our protection that we would be kept in perfect peace and that we would be kept from falling to begin to live a lifestyle characterized by spiritual stability.

He pray for our protection. Now currently were looking at this second area. In this prayer, which is that Jesus prayed not only for our protection, but number two for our sanctification for our sanctification and we identified the fact that sanctification is the will of God for every believer. Now that sounds like one of those theological words that you can just dismiss out of hand because you don't know what it means but I cannot afford to allow you to move on in your life without knowing what sanctification me because it is an important teaching in Scripture. And so, in the second part of the series we established the fact.

Toward the end of that second message that sanctification is the will of God and that you understand more than you think you do for most of us grew up in a home where our mothers had some sanctified dishes called China that gives you a picture right now does not know what signification means that leaves the general ballpark to their segmentation means and set apart the China was not in the cabinet when ordinary dishes were in some cases. Her mother had a china cabinet, dedicated to the China business for nothing but sanctified stuff right in here for eight and you understand that God said I'm not going to just say people in their sins. I'm going to say people from their sins. And I'm going to clean up their lives and I'm going to set them apart from the ordinary, so that my kids don't really like everybody else's. Now folks, this is where the rubber meets the road because one of the problems we have in American Christianity is that we do a whole lot of talking about grace and get into the blood and get my sins forgiven. We don't understand that grace has more dimensions than the saving of our souls. Grace also teaches us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. You understand that there used to be a time when many folks would make fun of sanctified folks. I want to let you know that sanctification isn't the property of some little band of churches. Sanctification is the teaching of Scripture that is to be applied in the life of every single believer. We are called to be sanctified that is cleansed by God and set apart from the ordinary, so that we are dedicated our lives are dedicated to his plan. His will and his purposes, so I need now to begin to begin having defined sanctification and help you see how that is to be applied to our lives. Go with me. First of first Peter chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2, I just want to walk with you through some important scriptures here as we establish God's will.

With regard to sign the petition.

First Peter chapter 2 and verse nine.

You will find the apostle Peter saying but you are a chosen people now before we move on.

He says, but which means he is contrasting what is about to say against what has been said in the verses leading up to that he's talked about the fact that Christ is the living stone. The chief cornerstone to those of us who believe he is the chief cornerstone, and we are built up into a spiritual house because of him. He says, but to those who don't believe he's a stumbling block and today people stumble over Christ. You get up on a talk show and say Jesus is the way and they stumble not seen actual reality is that I just stumbled.

The Bible says is not to be a stumbling block used to be a cornerstone for every one of our lives. He is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except by him now but will tell you that's narrow well I didn't write the book and read the book he was able to got here and the Bible is clear.

Jesus is in one of the ways he is the way and so Peter is established the fact that he is a stumbling block to some. What is the cornerstone in the lives of others, and so is compelling the same to the center and he says that they stumble and that they were in fact destined for that, according to verse eight and then, by contrast, he says, but you believe are a chosen people, a royal priesthood and holy old, a holy nation, a people belonging to God King James says about that last phrase, a peculiar people, not weird but peculiar if you wear don't blame it on God.

God to make you weird George is weird.

We are called not to be weird but were called to be peculiar that is unique, not ordinary. So the fact that the Bible teaches. We are chosen, where a royal priesthood. We are a holy nation and we are a people belonging to God and was the purpose for all of this that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

And then when you get happier the more you read. He says once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy sees talking about the fact that we are called to be extraordinary not ordinary. We are called to be different when you come to Christ know that he loves you like you are, but he's got plans to change you know that he's got plans want to get saved instead what they are and just celebrate the fact that there forgiven. No no no you got understand that God didn't just send this didn't make the trip all the way from heaven down just to forgive us. He came to save us and to create a people worse part and who are not like everyone else in the world Bible says were chosen where royal where holy we are here. That is, we belong to the Lord coming up next. The rest of today's message Jesus prayer for you with pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor at destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. If you've never stopped by our website pastor Paul.net. I encourage you to do it today to find all the pastor Paul's recent messages on demand plus a host of great resources that are online store, including books, MP3 downloads and DVD messages from Pastor Paul Shepherd pastor Paul.net is also a great place to learn more about the ministry and all the great things friends like you are doing through your prayers and financial support. And don't forget now you can watch selected video clips by subscribing to pastor Paul on YouTube for more details and links to all the social media sites. Be sure to visit pastor Paul.net every saint is a sinner. Every sinner can become a saint. Let's join Pastor Paul for the second half of today's destined for victory message Jesus prayer for you. First John chapter 2, verse six, first John, not the gospel but the first of the three epistles.

If you just did for me with the Bible all the way to the back and hang a left first.

John is toward the end of the book 1st John chapter 2 verse John chapter 2 in verse six, and you'll find the apostle John saying these words. Whoever claims to live in him that is in Christ must walk as Jesus did say do you see now that we if somebody told you that the only difference between a St. Anna center is at the same is forgiven and the sin is not. That's one of the differences but does not. The only difference we are not only forgiven but we are now called and empowered to walk as Jesus did. Now get cleared all get off and misunderstand Scripture is not suggesting you are going to become God, for Jesus was God and man.

You and I will never become God. You are not graduating from humanity. You will always be a human. But the point here is that you are called to be a sanctified human are set apart human, a person who yes lives in this world is not perfect in the sense that God is law is to model our Savior Jesus Christ and your life is called to conform to his image in his example. The reason why Jesus spent 30 some years on earth was so that he could handle holy living for us so that he could show you what living right really looks like. And we are called, the Bible says here and try to find another translation. It says we are called to walk as Jesus did in this kind of teaching is important because we live in a world now where people are teaching down to the level where folks live and I'm sorry but you run into a ministry that refuses to bring the truth down because we've got to aspire to go up to where God wants us to be and you go somewhere without water down to the place where anybody can limit what the Bible sets a holy and a high standard for us. Now the good news is we don't have to pull this off on our own power because if we were left to our own power window and try to live holy and the only resource you have is you well. We had done before we start because of us has the power I don't care find the most pious person you know no one has the power to walk as Jesus did unless he received help from on high, but I'm just showing you the standard and able to talk about how it is that God calls us to be able to live the way he's called us to live. So we are called to be sanctified.

That means to be cleansed and set apart, and it is a process. I know sometimes people talk about syndication as if it's an event that would deter discussing the final.

I beg to differ. I beg to differ. You may have gone to church and had an encounter with God where you settled some issue in your life when you surrender some area of sin in your life goals are very important and very real events where you hit the altar and you leave something there but don't think now you're going to get up and just live the sanctified, like the rest of your life without a sense, sanctification is not an event may begin at a certain time. There may be a defining moment when you surrender certain things to the Lord that he's been dealing with you about. But now, please understand, is going to be a process because there is much more than you even are aware of that God's going to be dealing with you about when you're a child of God. That's why the Holy Spirit is given to us as a personal comfort of one who walks with us because of the last of God's going to be dealing with over the years and so it will be a processing. The rotation is a process and it is a process by which we are cleaned and set apart one of the best examples I can give you would be the example of these days on TV.

They have a lot of these holding makeovers have you seen somebody's text in a calm extreme… Extremely close of everything. Now the people are getting extremely made over and you gonna show and they will put you know all kinds of changes into your honey plastic surgeons will just make people over and they break the nose and set it again and they and they know I'm doing this major stop and they really do create a different, and so our society is caught up in image and obtain a certain way and people safe. I will just look differently my life would be changed and they think there is promise and external change so they do that is a show where they change your car. What a change of car you drive a raggedy, reliable name.

The title is because I'm offended by the title I'm offended by the title because I want my car looking like what they say people to glorify me to be ashamed of themselves, but they will change your car to get to a place that specializes in making cars over and they report 20, $30,000 worth of changes into the car and it's a brand-new when they get through and now they have the shows with extreme home makeover is where they will take your house raggedy, though it be, and they will go there and completely remodel your home.

Let me help you understand something, sanctification is God's process whereby he changes us. Watch this from the inside out.

So, talk about a makeover.

When God sanctifies us.

When Jesus prays here farsighted rotation. He said I'm not going to start when cosmetics I'm not going to start with changing the appearance I'm going to start on the inside and change who you are, change your values change your make sure and then I will also be working to make corresponding changes on the outside because God doesn't want us living in a house that looks great, but in fact has a poor foundation has rusty pipes has walls at about the fall cable under an earthquake was the point of looking sharp when it's about to fall apart.

In Matthew seven Jesus said if you heed my word, you will be like a person who builds his house on a rock resemble those who don't heed my word. I like people who built a house on the sand that you can build a very impressive looking house on the sand can in fact look better than some people's houses on the test will come when the storm hits because when the storm hits the house on the sand. Jesus said, will follow parties that it will crash and great will be the crash of it because it had no foundation.

So do you just going cosmetics. He goes in and deals with our foundation, and then he begins to got our lives changed things a house of your life is going to be change when you come to Christ.

You will not stay the same, will not, you cannot stay the same because it is his will that he doesn't extreme makeover of our lives. He's making us like Jesus Christ. Now what are the agents then what's going to pull this off. What Jesus gave us one in the text. John 17 there are two agents responsible for this extreme makeover in your life.

One is the word and the other is the Holy Spirit, the Lord in the spirit on the sanctifying agents we know that because in John 17 in the prayer we just read Jesus said, sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. See. So the first agent is the word of God. If you want to clean up your life, you gotta get in this book. If you don't know your Bible, then you don't know the promises of God about your life seek the word of God teaches us that we don't have to stay the way we are and so if you are biblically illiterate and all you know is John 316 and two verses of Psalm 23 then you only access the power of God and see your life transform because you are the sanctifying agent. One of the sanctified age of Jesus and to the father and he said sanctify them through your truth is that what you don't know can hurt you. What you don't know can destroy you. What you don't know can elect your life, what you don't know what you don't know can wreck your career what you don't know can wreck your finances what you don't know can get you in an accident.

What you don't know can bring trouble in your life as it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual. If you don't know that Jesus has power to set you free. Then you will always stay bound. If you don't know that Jesus provided you abundant life you'll only settle for eternal life.

They want to live this raggedy life and hope to have know you getting this book and you find out he didn't just come to give you eternal life became to give you abundant life that is life to the full life that reflects his glory right here and right now you know God loves you and he has a specific plan for your life. A plan meet before the very foundation of the world. If you're struggling today to know what his plan for you is if you're having trouble hearing and discerning the will of God for your life but destined for victory ministry team would like to pray for you to send a short prayer request please visit Pastor Paul.net click contact us and share what's on your heart today. The team here destined for victory considers it a privilege to join you in prayer. So reach out to us today and when you send your request be sure to ask for pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement. Yours, at no cost or obligation in here something else. A booklet from Pastor Paul called lessons from the cocoon you butterflies don't start out as butterflies, their caterpillars grounded earthbound but later on a transformation takes place in a take flight your life in Christ works the same way in lessons from the cocoon, Pastor Paul remind you that God is at work in you, even when no one else can see it, including you, and in his perfect timing, like the butterfly you will take flight because you were born to fly. That's lessons from the cocoon our gift to you by request for your generous gift to destined for victory. So, call 855-339-5500 to give over the phone or mail your gift to destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also make a safe and secure donation from our website. Pastor Paul.net thanks in advance for helping keep destined for victory on the air. You may already believe in God's power to save you but do you believe in his power to change you is Pastor Paul and please understand that this is going to be a journey where you will find God giving you power you because everything you've ever done prior to coming to Christ was on your own strength but wanting to fail. That's next time in Pastor Paul Shepard's message Jesus prayer for you.

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