Get Your Shine On…Living a Kingdom-First Lifestyle (cont'd)

Gotta get in your wallet has got a get in the way you spend money it's gotta be and what you see money as having purpose for which God gave you resources will show where your heart is your priority has gotta be advancing the eternal kingdom of God. It's okay for you to have money just a little money have you hello and thanks for tuning into Destin for victory. Pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California is like to have you with us in Matthew chapter 6 Jesus tells us to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven and on earth because it is where treasury is that our hearts will also be today on Destin for victory. Pastor Paul encourages us to make the kingdom of heaven. Our top priority, not only in our financial lives. But in her vocational lives as well stay with us now to visit Pastor Paul.net to listen on to me, that's Pastor Paul done must join Pastor Paul for today's Destin for victory message get your shine on living the kingdom first lifestyle with $2 million windfall of $2 million lady. I know what I would do with that and I want you to think about it and say Lord me to develop a positive man to what you said to me in verse 33. Lord I want to see first the kingdom and that means the first thing I want to do with the $10 million is I want to advance the kingdom of God with a significant portion of it.

How much is between you and the Lord, but it needs to be significant when people fight against tithing.

I don't have the Bible doesn't mandate tithing for New Testament followers. Okay, okay, technically it's not mandated in the New Testament. The New Testament calls us to generous giving but don't tell me four-minute you can be generous and less than 10%.

Don't even bother telling me that you know what generosity is.

Generosity is what you give your landlord or your mortgage company in case you haven't figured it out is more than 10%.

So the fact of the matter is we need to we need to know I want to I want to be generous in saying thank you Lord for putting this in my hand and I want to advance the kingdom because the kingdom is the most important work in all the earth, because when I would just earthly things. We are good with everything will also dealing with eternal things at the very same time and so what would you do it to mill what would hundred million yen. The answer should be the same that you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and so that means you say okay Lord, how much of this can I keep and how much of this can advance the kingdom with and how do you want me to advance the kingdom with it and play about that I'll never get years ago in the early years in California I moved to California 1989 somewhere in the early 90s I met a millionaire Christian and he took me out to lunch and what have you heard that this young man that back in those days they did call me young man, just so y'all know I was a young man when I first got California and hear about this young man that came with his big vision and what have you just want to meet me and so we met went to lunch and what have you. And he said really glad to hear what what you're here to do and I I've certainly be praying for you and I hope to be able to help out from time to time with some of the things you you do so I would just want you to be familiar with with who I am and he shared his testimony and he told me the story of becoming a venture capital S here in the Silicon Valley in the early days of the Valley in Entech and all of that and that was when he entered the realm of venture capitalism and and he said he said I'll never forget this was no that many years ago in the early 90s and one of the senses. He said to me, is he said before I knew it I was making more money than I knew what to do with.

I had never in my life met anybody who could say such a thing. He said I was making more money than I knew what to do with peace that I was making so much money that I had a certain point I went to my pastor and said to my pastor, you know I've been a tither for years and older and and he said, but I just feel like I really need to share this money be on my local church is it okay you know that I've been blessed everybody around me knows I been blessed. He said what is it okay if I don't do over and above the time here. I will be given over and above the time and other places but I just feel like I can point into one ministry alone. I gotta spread this out and is pastor's old bowel means, you know, just do whatever the Lord is put on your heart and I said wow that I started saying okay Lord, if you could do that for him then raise up some more folks who would make that kind of money and put them in my church that dentures got him dearly wanted to love that will come to me say I got more and so pastor, please be okay with me only given a tide here and let me give some more money. Other places, and I will say as long as Destin for victory is one of you go head-on and do that. Fact of the matter is that the matter is, God can bless us in tremendous ways.

Once we get our priorities right and I just want to invite you to get your priorities in Bible order because the wonderful assignment is just a horrible master money is great. I don't like to hear Christians beat up on money. I don't like people that all you know you really good. The Bible says that you need to deny yourself and all that you have there principles like that but you got a rightly divided say that there's anything wrong with being without me even though I know that's true because when Paul wrote his son Timothy first Timothy chapter 6, he told Timothy those who are rich and many gave him specific instructions tell them not to trust in their riches, tell them not to put their hope in their riches, tell him to be willing to share with people in me. Tell them that. Be generous in the use of them. In other words he was giving them kingdom priorities for their riches. God is not against you have the money God's against money having you and you need to know that in no uncertain terms.

God is a wonderful and blessing people and advancing his will through people and I believe you can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much. I know that that's what Jesus told us in Luke 16.

If you can be trusted with little then God my soup much, so let's look at what you doing with the little because Jesus said you need to develop a kingdom first lifestyle and so are you giving generously to what you have right now. I've met people he is all.

When my ship comes to pass, really bless the church I never get a brother he came he came to the church building. He wanted to meet me personally. I didn't know him. I don't think it ever been to one of our services maybe had been one out and and I never met him but he wanted to come because he will. He was expecting to get a significant windfall. This was just a couple years ago we we been hearing in this location when his brother showed up and and he came want to meet with me and he told me about what he was doing and how he expected millions to come in the not-too-distant future, and that he just wanted me to know that he was going to bless the church when it when this happened and I sold men.

Praise God, though, so glad to jettison mine and shook his hand and what have you and… Haven't seen him on the millions since fact of the matter is fact of the matter is, God will take the generosity that we have right now and and he will multiply it for his purposes. We are all doing what he were called to do. We what we have right now don't have pipe dreams only I told you at 10 million 100 million and billion just to get to salivating just to get you thinking. But I just wanted you to know that I already know the answers to what you will do. You will do with that what you're doing what you have right now. Jesus said if you to be trusted with little because of the blood implication is it Eddie went on to save your dishonest little newbie desires were much and let me do that. Another were not just dishonest if you stand with little you be stingy with much so we need to make our lifestyle speak right now I'm advancing the kingdom with what I have right here right now. Now that's a that's a financial manifestation of what Jesus said here in Matthew six is talk about a vocational manifestation of it.

Would you be willing to do vocationally to advance the kingdom of God with the job with the present all the opposition you work and how are you making sure you not just doing work that matters on earth, how are you advancing the kingdom on your job, no I can't. I can let people know that I'm a follower of Christ on my job aid specifically disallow that well they can't disallow me sharing my faith and lunch that Does allow me to share my faith in some appropriate setting where I'm not taken away from the company I represent Jesus, everywhere I go I can drop Jesus all at the door.

When I walked into my job to take Jesus into my job. I seek first his kingdom. So where Jesus still had the second half of today's Destin for victory message with pastor Paul Sheppard but we want to take a moment to thank all of you who sustained Destin for victory with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help pastor Paul share the gospel with the growing audience. This program is a listener supported ministry today.

Your help is especially critical in our current climate with all the uncertainty. People are more willing to hear and respond to the gospel than they've ever been before.

So as God leads. Please prayerfully consider making a gift to Destin for victory today when you give with the gift of her own to share with you you all about it. After today's message. Colossians 323 says, whatever you do work heartily as for the Lord, not for men. Special Paul with the rest of today's message shine on living a kingdom first lifestyle call save as a representative of the kingdom you get your paycheck from an earthly company but you get your alternate pay from heaven, and if you don't do and if you don't believe that I told you before if you think this job is loyal to you. All you gotta do is have the wrong thing happen in that room and they will drop you off fact of the matter is we've got to advance the kingdom and we gotta do the will of God at all costs and your church is your job is not as loyal to you as you think it is and so you need to know when I go to work on representing Jesus, I gotta be wise and so I can't be out front and blatant with all being a follower of Christ when I'm representing the job, but I can find ways that I can do it even a Pharisee in Jesus day the Pharisees were staunch enemies of Jesus, but one of them.

A man named Nicodemus said well I can't really talk to Jesus or about Jesus during the day and keep my status as a Pharisee, he said, but they could tell me what to do at night and Nicodemus went and met with Jesus at night.

Have you ever read that in John's Gospel chapter 3, Nicodemus came to Jesus in the evening time their body is in their home ready for the next day Jesus negatively showed up as Jesus placed at night is called Nick at night and he went to Jesus and asked what must I do to inherit eternal life, and in fact the matter is St. what must I do is a question everybody needs to ask Bill only asked her if we are salt and light in the world and we let them know who Jesus is and so when you go to work you take your followership of Christ with you to work in your relationships.

How is Jesus and his Lordship vested in your relationships, your every earthly relationship you have needs to be impacted by the fact that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. If you are a husband or wife you need to be a husband or wife cares about what God thinks about you in that role.

Toward the end of the day is not just do I do what my spouse wants me to do all requires me to do or how we would put it alternately, the question is what does God want me to do in this area of my life. If you are a parent you can just handle those kids and Neil got away because at the end of the day. They don't belong to you, they belong to the Lord. The Bible says children are a heritage of the Lord at the end of the day. They belong to him. They have been lent to you for a period of bringing them up and trust me, you only have your kids all alone for a period of time because one of these days they are supposed to grow up and get out on their own. That's what they's bowls to do fact of the matter is, though, while you have them under your sphere of influence.

You are to raise them in the training and instruction of the Lord give them his word and you are the whole being all sold out follower of Christ to them because at the end of the day they can hear what you say for watch what you do so don't tell, don't tell me you are all sold out kingdom first follow Christ and your kids don't see you worshiping him and loving him and's and surrendering every area of your life to him. So we got that we got understand every relationship is impacted by my relationship to Jesus Christ.

Submit sin to his Lordship and so you got a look at all of your areas of relationship your friendships ought to reflect God's glory in your life the way you do you have a little life even if you're not married got little girlfriend or boyfriend. No significant other.

That's supposed to be according to the will of God according to the will of God. That is why you gospel to be a Christian, shacking up gospel be following Christ shacking up. Now if you're doing that and his work conviction. Then you gotta say okay we are making some changes. I have over these years of destiny is not shared with people missing. We need to get our lives straight.

I know what it is a bit out of God's will.

I know what is the real line my life when God's will, and we cannot call people to do that regularly.

And you gotta do it no matter what the cost.

And so I have done and you know you were part of the destiny family.

We've done lots of weddings right in the middle of a Sunday service and even these days when we are was a bit virtually, if y'all need to get married I will mail you virtually will now you will zoom and put it in the service on zoom.

They just got married. Lord told them to change their lifestyle and get married and they want to marry for the church. I'll put it right on zoom.

Why because we got to be serious about being kingdom. First, people God calls us to advance his kingdom. By all means necessary and so I will let you know that the will of God is for you and I to develop this kingdom first lifestyle, and the first thing you need to do is to make sure that folks understand that your prioritizing things of the heavenly value because brothers and sister Saints and friends and some of us who grew up in church, you heard it growing up only what you do for Christ will last.

A lot of good things you can do in this world and they make a good difference in this world, but what you do for Christ is what's going to go past this world and take and follow you into eternity. I don't know about you, but the older I get, the more I'm concerned about eternity, the older I get closer to it I become. That's that is my highest name I want to lay up treasures in heaven. I want to make sure that I'm not doing well on on earth and doing poor in my heavenly bank account. I want to advance the kingdom here and now through the way I use money the way I use time from the look for the way I have my relationships in every area of my life.

I want the kingdom to be advanced because the day is coming Saints. We don't talk about it a lot, but the day is coming. The Lord is going to return the Lord is coming back. According to the Scriptures. He's coming back soon. When you look at the signs of the times, look at the way life is today. I believe the Lord's return is very soon. I'm not a predictor. I know Harold camping. I'm not trying to tell you when Jesus going to come but I can tell you he is coming soon and we need to not only be ready.

We need to help other people get ready because one of these days the Lord is going to come get all of us and the Bible says it's appointed wants to every man even even you're going to be here when he comes, what's, what's even more likely. For some you will you will read us into eternity because you want to check out of this world safe. I hope you know that you got you got an appointment with Beth coming nobles want talk about it much.

Not trying to leave here soon, but you need to live ready to go live your life. Only now enjoy delightfully now advance the kingdom. Now I'm not interested will even write this this year by not guarantees. So are you ready when the Lord comes to get you is the question. And we need to help the people in our sphere of influence. Know that same thing and help them get ready. One of the best ways you can help them get ready is you model kingdom first living right in front of do not live your life as if you're going to heaven instead. Live it as if you're already there. Thanks so much for joining us for pastor Paul Shepard's message get your shine on living a kingdom first lifestyle listen to any of his recent messages on demand.

Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net or subscribe to the podcast of Apple podcasts were ever you get yours well as we navigate our way through some tough challenges in America and all over the world were see the destined for victory audience continue to grow adversity over it often brings with it a degree of spiritual awareness and friends like you make it possible for Pastor Paul to minister to a growing audience. Thanks so much for lifting us up in prayer and making donations when you can today would like to lift you up in prayer or homepage of Pastor Paul.net click contact us and tell us how we can pray for you while you're there, be sure to ask for pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement.

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This will be a great resource for you, one that will give you three directives to help you discover his unique plans for you that your purpose is calling our gift to you by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory.

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There are seven named generations that are alive in America.

Seven distinctive generations alive in America that has never happened in the history of our nation.

So right now and 2020 we are experiencing the most unique time in American history seven generations in God is something to say to all of them coming tomorrow pastor Paul Sheppard turns to attention to the younger generations in his message a word to the generations following until then, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion.

In Christ, you are destined for victory