Pushed into Purpose, Part 2 (cont'd)

Hello and welcome to this Wednesday edition of Destin for victory with basketball Shepherd, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California today. Pastor Paul talks about the power of human partnership in his message pushed into purpose be encouraged, as you see how God can use others to review his plans to you. That message is straightahead.

But first he joins me now from a studio in California past we've all been so concerned and I know your heart is been heavy as you watch the church divide were political, and racial and social issues as followers of Jesus Christ.

How should we respond in front of the watching world away and I'm eager to see the church sees this moment and maximize it for the kingdom of God when I say that what I mean is I think we've got to get back to what Jesus called us to do and to be.

He said that we are the light of the world and that tells me that when the church sees darkness rather than decrying it. We need to make sure we're turning on the light and I think we're spending a little too much time decrying the evils and the things in the culture that we don't like. I get it. We don't like living in a sinful environment. We don't like ungodly decision-making and all of that sort of thing. I get it. We not called to decry the darkness we are called to turn on the light. So I think we've really got a get down to the business of saying, Lord, help me to let my light shine during the pandemic. I preached a series and I landed with the thought of get your shine on. That's just a colloquial way to say that you member that yes yes sir and I think we gotta get our shine on because that's what were called to do so yeah it is like Charles Dickens classic book this is the best of times. It's the worst of times, but we can seize this moment and make sure that the light of Jesus Christ and the light of the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world pastor that reminds me of something you said in a recent letter.

It's easy to look out at the world and curse the darkness. We've got to get better at turning on the light. Thanks so much for those words of encouragement. Today's Destin for victory message is straightahead, but first let me remind you that for your generous donation this month.

We love to send you pastor Paul's booklet. Your purpose is calling again that's your purpose is calling a booklet that goes hand-in-hand with the message you here today and the message you prayed for the past few days is our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory, simply call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Once again, the address Destin for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 something to get yourself a lot of love gifted and we are independent and I don't need anybody region domain people in your life for certain things to accomplish.

Pastor Paul knows from experience how crucial partnerships can be our friends and listeners have some prayer and financial support into the Destin for victory ministry and it's allowed Pastor Paul to do things for the kingdom of God.

He could've never done alone. Today he wants to remind you that God will very often use the people in your life to help you see God's plan for your own life a little more clearly. Here's Pastor Paul Sheppard I want you to know that there are benefits to the kinds of partnerships.

God wants to bring into your life. Let me just share several with you from various passages of Scripture one because the Scriptures in Ecclesiastes chapter 4 we find some of these benefits.

Let me give you seven of them. I think it is the first two are better than one.

Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 4 because they have a good return for their work benefit of you being partnered with the right people in this season is what I want to call greater productivity, greater productivity, you need to know the people God is bringing into your life right now. He's bringing them so you can be more important in doing his will in this season of your life to know something you can do by yourself. A lot of us love gifted and we are independent and I don't need anybody region domain people in your life for certain things to be accomplished. This advice is practical to move that podium in front of you. I can pick this podium up because it is lightweight and I can move anywhere in the building but if you say pastor would you grab Dorgan over Nanda Hammond B3 over there and would you take that over to the Fellowship Hall. I can't live because I cannot be that productive. By myself I need some other folk to come grab a part of and knew of his grants of others and collectively we can do the same thing in your life.

Some areas of productivity. You got to have people involved with you. Then Solomon goes on to say one man falls his friend can help them up, but the one who falls and has no one to help them out. The second benefit of your key partnerships goggles to bring into your life is what I call restoration restoration. There are some ways you need to be restored when you're discouraged, you need to be restored. You need to be to lift it up. You need to be encouraged and so restoration is what you need sometime when you fall, somebody's got to help. You can just jump up on you know somebody's got to help you up some of your fallen into discouragement. Some of your fallen into depression. Some of your fallen into despondency some of your fallen into disillusionment right now in your life you said, I don't get it. I been serving you been doing your will again serve.

I do all the things I know and I'll have my life and I am just this reason. I am just down in the dumps will God wants your partners to help lift you up there. People God bring into your life right now and you gotta stop sending them. Gotta stop refusing them because God is sending them to bless you when you're down. Somebody needs a grab your hand and lift you up. That's a benefit of partnership then Solomon goes on to lie down together, they can keep warm. But how can one keep warm. Hello, comfort is the third benefit, comfort and encouragement. Somebody's got to keep you encourage keep you comforting when you go through grief when you go through tough times church folk have to be okay with not being okay you got to make sure somebody knows it not okay when the last 200 doing and God is bringing them in the Allied say I'm fine when you know you're not saying I'm blessed and highly favored when you need to say some milk. Yes, we are blessed yes we are highly favored but on the confession of faith. I'm asking you for your facts right now was going on in your life and when I asked don't give me some dismissive answer, tell me what's going on so that we can get up on the bed burden and also courage and also comfort to you. Another benefit is protection. Solomon goes on to say that one may be empowered to give themselves a court of three strands is not quickly overpowered. He said no one can be empowered to can defend themselves and grow back. I grew up in neighborhoods with gang wars and stuff like that. You are given the wrong part of the city by yourself that when the good thing you could get jump if you got somebody which is Solomon simply saying you got somebody who can look out all we need to go to.

You got somebody to help yourself as it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual and unique spiritual protection you need the protection that's why tell folk you need to be in a chart know just need to watch church you need to be committed and connected to a church that we will have to establish a membership there are people who have moved away from our area. I'm still there pastor and exposing when they haven't found the kind of church that they can really plug into space and just do my best. I'm in this part of the country and we will figure out some way to do we membership to help you until you in a place where you can be in a physical location and get the direct benefits of that.

But the fact of the matter is we all need protection will be out here.

The devil is seeking whom he may devour. And we have to be prepared with our spiritual armor and with our connectedness with others to fend off every attack of the enemy.

So those are some benefits from the book of Ecclesiastes, there are some also in the book of Proverbs Proverbs 1717 a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Here's another benefit of partnership unconditional love. Unconditional love. Now let me help you understand something God wants to give you people who love you, despite you now. Now I know you and I just hurt your feelings.

So what you say about me saying yes your wonderful as you have great things about you. All you got some really good positive features of your life.

I applaud them. You also got jacked up fitness you got jacked up fitness.

Yes, you, you don't look at me and I told the boys you have some jacked up to this and guess what God wants to bring you friends I love you at all times, not just when you act the right look and right behaving right got the right attitude all that he wants to bless you with people who can handle you when your attitude stinks. He wants to bring people who can handle you when you got all the wrong confession you got all the wrong anger you got all the wrong issues popping out. God wants to bless you with friends who can love you at all times and who are born for adversity. Anybody can have friends when the sunshine and everything is going well, but who's going be in your life when you're going through hell and God wants to bring you those kinds of partnerships. All right, let me hasten all look at Proverbs 27 success wounds from a friend can be trusted. An enemy multiplies kisses. Here's another benefit of these partnerships trustworthy input trust worthy input what you mean by that I mean you gotta have people who even when they will you even when they hurt your feelings or blessing you if you receive the blessing and not hurt your feelings because I just want to come for you that hurt your feelings because you need to be confronted with some things and you need to change so that your friends always be in your fan club. A friend enough annotated with things fans love the best of you fans love you when you're performing at your best fans love you because of the product they get from you but off friend who loves you enough to tell you the unpleasant truth.

The inconvenient truth. You know their times in your life when someone is true but is very inconvenient based on the way you're feeling not turn the face that you're not feeling that and you really mad at the folk who brought it to you back to the matter is I can love you and tell you everything you want to hear.

Gotta love you enough to tell you some stuff you don't want to hear about it.

Need some people in your circle who will give you trustworthy input. Even when you don't like it. I said a lot of time before he said again you need to have some people say to you, things I can see you for minute you some can I see you for minute. That means it will walk away because as a foreground I want to be overheard on the try to embarrass you this goal. I got to you off some tenacity for minute friends Lisa Fukuda first thing the same as you know I love you right that's anesthesia for the delay to cut you and so you need to know partnerships like that are part of God's plan for your life. Limitation on one more thing at Proverbs 2717 as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. I call that maximized effectiveness maximized ineffective as these are the benefits of partnership. If you have people serving these purposes in your life you need to open your heart open, your life already that you just need to open up to them and say look really been counted to myself and I'm so sorry. I realize that God is pushing me into some things and I'm going to need key partnerships in order to do it will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard listen to the broadcast on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net. There you find a host of great resources in our online store is a time for healthy boundaries and there's a time to open your front door and let some people in who want to help Pastor Paul with the rest of today's destined for victory message pushed into purpose. My brother, my sister, please know God is trying to bless you. He is not cursing you he is saying you with partnerships but you have gotta be very intentional about law allowing those people into your inner space only leverage your partnerships. That is taking maximum advantage of the fact that God has brought people into your life. Leverage your partnerships and for some of you. You need to allow yourself to build meaningful relationships in small groups is the way we do it when people already have connectedness with others in the family of God. When asking every member of our church. Let us help you get into a small group, y'all don't have to know each other outside of church just for the purposes of walking together in the things of God.

We want to bring you into a small group of 3 to 11. People want to get the 12 I wanted to split selected you can constantly add more people, but we need to have a church full of life groups of small groups of people who do life together.

You're not supposed to do life by yourself. You're supposed to do life with others. All right, let me share one more thing and then I'll be done.

Here's the third directive directive, for you are being placed in the purpose is to let faith, not fear. Lead the way.

Let faith, not fear.

Lead the way you need to make sure that you are going to be a person of faith. Why, because you can't be called by God and have everything go slowly when God calls you. He never calls you into nice neat areas. When God gives you a promised land. Is there when God called you to start a business and don't be a reason naturally why you should when God calls you to start a ministry for me every reason possible thing is a really bad idea. I came to California in 1989 chasing a dream of visiting God to give me very clearly what I was assistant pastor, my home church in Philly.

The Lord will send you out to bless your ministry to reach thousands of people, but you got a goal last year Mandel West and I came to California chasing Ms. King of 34 people, reach thousands with only 34 people and very little money. The whole church's budget, for she was $60,000.

The whole budget $60,000. How we don't win thousands God and asked me to figure that out.

He just said go and we grew slowly but eventually God began showing me how you do it and bringing people and all that that pastor was 20 years. At the end of that 20 years. We have thousands of people just like God and said destiny is a new season in my life and we now 10 years into our journey as destiny Christian fellowship and God only knows what is going to the next 10 years.

I believe in God to do more than is done to this point. He's done great things, but I believe in for greater because our God has the ability to do exceeding lead, but all we can ask or imagine. So you gotta let not fear lead the way will I get that from the story look at the last part of what Esther says here in this passage she said go get the partners have him fast with me. We all gotta pray and fast together because one can chase 1002 contains 10,000. So given the pray for me and look at what she says after we fast and pray I'm going to decay and all. It is against the law. All if Bob Parrish) I could be killed for going on invited into the king's presence. But I gotta believe that God brought me to this seat was such a time as this.

He's not going let the story in and Esther was stabbed to death.

What happened, but had to lead the way. So what did she do. She said I'm going and I don't care what happens. I love I love that result will I love the fact that she said whatever happens, happens. I'm putting this in the Lord's hands. And that's what you gotta do. Let faith, not fear. Lead the way. If there's things out front. You'll never experience what God has for you to start their business.

You'll never start that quality organization. You'll never do that life-changing thing that is in your heart so you gotta let faith lead the way. I'll never forget.

In 1989 we moved out here. My kids were five and three we came to California, and in those early years spent in the summertime we love going down the Santa Cruz and one of the things I loved about Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk was the roller coaster called the giant dipper old-fashioned wooden roller coaster. The items that something I love roller coasters all my life, love, ride roller coasters that the wooden the old-fashioned classic wooden roller coasters. I love them, the taller the better. I love that first really steep drop always loved one will go down like these metal when so much since and now this doesn't going on.

Told him sometimes but when roller coasters could you kind of rattle light you up and down and rounded well. I would go down to degrees in the summer as those early years and my son Aaron. He loved that his daddy love him because he wants me to be down there with my wife because she had in knowing the whole stuff and watch it as that was her roller coaster knowing she stay down there and hold stuff and watch you going up and down around my sons all the thrill I was having an roller coasters got in his heart and he started really becoming fastening the roller coasters he would start building them at home and and he found different ways to really express his excitement different software and stuff like that and so he was. Theoretically he was enthusiastic but again he one social and so he watched me, but one year. I don't remember what year was was one year those early years.

My son said that I think I want to go home and of good, pushing past you know his company if he didn't want to go.

I will make it go but one year. He said I'm going go. I thought you wanted let me go. I went to the ticket bank and got tickets enough for me and him both ride the giant dipper.

I'll never forget that they win that line going around and find you get to the cars and you getting get strapped in and that thing come that bar come down over your lap. My son was sitting there nervous, but he sample.

I'm so excited.

We started up that first hill and at first, would it tick tick tick tick tick tick tick tick yourself one away from the ground and him, his mom and his sister down then they get smaller and smaller and we going or what had to be terrified, but he had the time he was going.

We went up and down around had a wonderful, wonderful time. I was having a wonderful time and then when we got off you get all be run down that ramp and go back out to another Bogart ran me to his mother and his sister before I got down there he said that his mom she's a disease that was again want to go again got in the liver is real. Coasters ever since the right one will go to the rise, the scariest biggest last year's vacation from his job. He got on a plane and flew somewhere to ride some new scary coaster.

That's what he loves why because he let faith a he said coasters conceptually but that's not going to get me where I need to go so my brother went and especially since in 2007, 2007 I had a motorcycle accident and when I was recovered when the doctors said to me you will never forget your body will never let you forget this accident and I know what he meant. But the first time I tried to ride a roller coaster after recovering from that accident old is what he was talking because my body was it.

I messed with my skeletal frame. In that accident and it felt so painful and uncomfortable and is much as I enjoy writing all those years passed. I no longer can write him, but outside my sunrise for me to go all around the country.

I just@write it for me would want to be on that which you but you you got to go in my name and listen let me tell you something that some things ahead of you. Your faith is gotta lead the way. Because your fear will keep you from experiencing so you gotta make it happen because God is up to something in your life, and he who began the good work in you.

My brother, my sister is going to bring it to completion. You gotta let faith lead the way. Thanks so much for joining us for today's message pushed into purpose. If you'd like more information about the destiny for Victor ministry or this most special offer. A booklet from Pastor Paul called your purpose is calling. Be sure to stop by our website Pastor Paul.net once again that's Pastor Paul.net you can make the choice to rejoice rejoicing and going to happen by you wake up one morning and you just are full of giddiness and full of fun. If that happens, great is good. Happiness is great, but I can be a choice. Happiness exists because of circumstances. Joy can exist in spite of them. Join us next time. When Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message, make the choice to rejoice. Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory