We're Stronger Together

Take your New Testament, although one another passage is all each other passages all the passages that you will unless somebody else's in your space and your in there you are not to be what we do to be in too many cases, which is is just me and Jesus.

Proverbs 27 verse 17 says this about the power of partnership iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another hello and welcome to this Thursday edition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Modern technology may give us the illusion of togetherness.

But if were not careful can lead to a less personal and more isolated existence today pastor Paul reminds us of the Christian life is meant to be lived intent with God and with other like-minded believers in Christ. Stay with us now or stop by Pastor Paul.net any time you're today's message or any recent Destin for Victor message that's pastor Paul and you can subscribe or download the podcasting Google podcast work wherever you enjoy less joint. Pastor Paul now as he shares today's Destin for Victor message were stronger together. Romans eight verse 28 and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Now before you leave. Verse 28. I want you if you highlight or underline in your Bible. I want you to highlight or underline the word we and we know highlight we that all things work together for those who love the Lord to those who are called according to his purpose.

Be sure to highlight that word weakens with him to come back to that verse 31 what then shall we underscore or highlight the word, we there. What then shall we say to these things. If God is for us highlight our_the word us. If God is for us who can be against us highlight our_that word been noted. Verse 37 yet in all these things we highlight_their are more than conquerors through him who loved us highlight in underscore that word as well. Notice the apostle Paul says that were called, according to God's purpose, but I want you to focus on those reading this in those three verses and this is just a very small sampling of the greater truth that we mass runs like a thread throughout the Scriptures. Romans eight is just one example I could take your New Testament and point out all one another passages. All each other passages all the passages that you can't fulfill unless somebody else's in your space and your in there as you read your Bible in the coming days notice every time it says we are all one another. You'll be shocked that you are supposed to be involved in the life of others — are supposed to be involved in your life. You are not called to be what we do to be in too many cases, which is is just me and we sing songs like that. Sure, the authors met well but now I'm saying no slow the amassed you. You have a whole world, but give me Jesus. I get it just needs to be another reason it does give me Jesus and the people Jesus is bringing into my life because Jesus said I'm going to build a shot before I leave the earth, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against that church. Now, what discharge me.

The Greek word is ecclesia or recklessly or some people pronounce it and it means called out sought out separated for something, but separated into something else we called out of darkness into light were also called out of a solitary life into the life of the church called out group of people who are to walk together worship together, fellowship together, learn together grow together, cried together, rejoice together, help each other accomplish God's purpose. So here's the way I want to drive this home you can do the will of God.

But you cannot do it alone and I need you to understand that because we in America we celebrate independence to our detriment, even when we have Independence Day. What was supposed to be celebrating as God made us independence from British rule. Look at our history.

That's what Independence Day was about. We are free from British rule where no longer colonies that were established by the English, we are all people we have our own country.

We established our own Constitution.

All of that is what you're supposed to be celebrated on the fourth the independence that happened historically independent from everything and everybody and I came to share with you. You are not supposed to live an independent life and think a little accomplish God's purpose for your life. We were called, but we are called together. We are called to be connected with people who are going where were going who have the same spiritual life in them and to gather we go to see the will of God accomplish in our lives. You can do the will of God.

But you cannot do with hello you are not supposed to be a Lone Ranger, even the Lone Ranger, when the loan, will think about now.

I just said that young folk might not know about. I just gave major way again. Yes, I remember the Lone Ranger when that was one of the main Saturday TV shows for kids. All we be sitting in front of the television with high water pajamas own noted to have high water pajamas don't know what I'm told by pajamas all looking at shows like the Ranger will believe about myself Lone Ranger. He was right up and down those hills and they called him the Lone Ranger.

Hello if you ever saw it, you will know we had a brother. We consult was his name, I found out later that the derogatory term. You know I found out, and in days of political correctness and some of my Hispanic friends and know you need to know that I was at the rocket to return okay thank you. For me, but a little kid sitting in front of TV we didn't know it was derogatory. We were thanking God that he had somebody went down the field by himself.

He had somebody with him. So when he got in trouble. He could send time so down and down and get some help and you cannot be a Lone Ranger, especially when you realize even the Lone Ranger knew better than the below, you need to have some folk which you not just some folk with you. You need the right people.

You're supposed to develop relationships with people, and your job is to let them in and for you to be in their lives and let them help you get where God is taking you. I want you to know God's taking you somewhere and you were supposed to get there with the help with the assistance with the prayers with the support with the ministry companionship of other people and so you can do the will of God. But you cannot do it alone.

Even the Lone Ranger was not alone. We gotta build the right relationships with the right people. Now all of us have an inner circle what your inner circle.

The people who you are close this to closer to them then to the average person in your broader circle of acquaintances, all of us have a an inner circle whether you've actually identified it and you could rattle off their names right away bow or if you haven't really established them. But when you think about it.

There are some people you're closer to than others. That's great. But now I want to challenge you. If you go to get where God is taking you. You've got to take a look at who's in that circle and find out. Are they playing the role God has called them to play in your life and are you playing the role in some people's lives. That is very import and very necessary in order for them to get where God's taking them this time to begin to evaluate stay with us the second half of Pastor Paul Shepard's message is coming right up. We want to thank all of you who support destined for victory with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help Esther Paul share the hope of the gospel message with the growing audience destined for victory is supported entirely by friends like you, and this summer when donations to the ministry often decline your support is very much-needed so please prayerfully consider making a generous gift to Destin for victory today. Give online safely and securely from our website. Pastor Paul.net or give us a call at 855-339-5500 again. Her phone number 855-339-5500 if you want to be all you can be in Christ need a few good friends to help you along the way, what is a good friend look like the answer comes your way.

Next, and the rest of today's message for stronger together once again here's Pastor Paul I want you to do is begin to unpack this. I want you to identify biblically when the Bible says friend when the Bible talks about fellowship when the Bible talks about our covenant relationship talking about is not everybody on your social media platform. Trust me that not all friends, you know like you judging people know the Bible says friend loves at all times. Now true friend according to the Bible is all you do is say these people may not only at my best me at my worst you in many cases somebody will have a personal Facebook page. I have a page and I have that started it and preaching on the radio. Just think, and when he can't. Pastor you have thousands of followers on Facebook and I need to turn this over to you and I said I got what who will head over to my son Aaron and when you see Pastor Paul's page on Facebook. Some of the stuff comes from me, but that's my son connecting with friends or the fans on Facebook.

I don't know when I first heard about Facebook.

I remember thinking I don't want to have to decide who my friends are because the general public wouldn't like it. I want to be your friend in their way to send your request cannot be your friend because that would have to be now know you, but you get the point. You get the point of going to the Bible is somebody who loves at all who you have been calling friend are not real friends because they're only fair weather friend. They love you when you some really good wonderful in your life when you got money they can spend on this.

I'm positive you can do for them.

They call you Fred a friend is somebody who is built your trouble friend loves at all times and it goes on to say, a brother is born for adversity now is somebody is born for your adversity.

That means when you're in place in your life. Those are the people when they find out where you are. They say let's get this dealt with. They don't run.

A real friend is not gonna run when you are in trouble on preaching already waiting for me to preach and I'm preaching.

There are people born for your adversity.

When my dad was alive. He talked about the worst season of his life.

He said I was up one night thinking the worst thoughts. I was in the worst shape of my life. We were kids we been in the bed, sleep, and now he was tossing and turning, so that he said my mom said honey want to go to the back room because he was disturbing her. She couldn't sleep when he was just wrestling in his heart, so he's hi baby, and he went to the back room of the house and he said in there I cried, I wailed and I said Lord I really cannot make it say something to me to come in this room and do something supernatural.

He said that, I think it was like to something in the morning my phone rang. I dried my tears picked it up, said hello, and one of his closest colleagues, Bishop Benjamin Reedy when the bishop back in those days as a past 3D passive in Detroit in those years before he went to LA he said payment was going on and pops would you be happy said look, the Lord woke me up out of a dead sleep and told me to call you.

I like my sleep now. What's going on and he said I told him where I wasn't begin to weep some more and he ministered to me over the phone and pray for me and talk to me and rebuked me for some things and encourage me in some other ways and he said God my prayer across goals but here is why, because they had connectedness, mostly all print out a lot. I need somebody you haven't nurtured anything some stranger I guess God could speak to, but that's not God's MO. The reason he baptized us by one Spirit into the body is so we would develop the relationships that he could just send the Holy Spirit into and the work gets done and my dad about suicide or whatever you think about that night because he had somebody connected to them. Who said I need to know what's really going on with me woke me up.

I want to hold now here's what I need you to understand. He ministered to them read ministered to him. They talk and prayed and cried together.

And what have you, but by the time Bob got off that phone. He was with him.

He knew God was going to get them through this no that yes this is a bad season, but day is coming weep and my door for a night but is common in the morning and some time to get your night season.

You gotta be connected with the right people. But here's what I need to understand that that's a wonderful story, but is because they had already built the relationship so you would see nobody ever called me well build a relationship with whom wouldn't know it's their job to help you get where God is taking you, and if the Lord nudges them they'll respond to him and if you talk to them they'll respond to you. You see what I'm saying if you don't build a relationship. Don't get mad, you don't have it just somebody was a Facebook friend or acquaintance all times. A brother born for adversity and that takes establishing, you know I'm not going to be spooky and make you get all your information from God, somebody some real super spiritual wealth.

The Lord would just put me on somebody's heart and put you on somebody's part. You gotta put Joe South on the right people start to say when you hear me having a wonderful time, rejoice with me, but when you hear me having a horrible time. I need you to take that as your personal job crisis because the right people for your trouble. The right people are born to help you at your worst. The right people will not judge you at your worst, but they will like you at your worst, and sometimes it will have to hurt your feeling all you'll see safe you will ride with Tom by the phone ringing in the middle of night and leaving fall ride men because when you build the right relationship you get those people not only the opportunity but the obligation when you hear me trip and speak to somebody all a trip in and you won't let anybody tell you you tripping because you surrounded yourself with fans.

Your fans can help you live life. Your fans are wonderful for the number on your social media profile will 5000. Trust me, only about 100 could handle anything about you that's not wonderful and then if you want to go deeper and about people who cannot and help you and they will spend their resources, time, money and energy whatever to help you out of your emotional number keeps going down and you got about three full what you developed your people. These people who show up at good time. They will do little stores we grow up as kids we read the little red story.

I'm source online. Read about them already in hand. It'll bless your life, because she was going to bake something was a cake like that Brad Siegel makes a nice wonderful and she went on Facebook as she tried to get folk on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter can bring me some folk to help me prepare all the social media was not interested in income got other things to do.

Nobody would help her in the various stages of preparing that meal but all that was nice and hot right out. You know, we don't know how don't we bring somebody don't do that anymore.

God bless you your healthier then then we still eat bread. God bless and keep you straighten you I'm not hating on you.

You are wonderful you pray for us bread. Pray for now, listen when she wouldn't show up to help prepare now here they come with a plate you got that in your life you got leaders did not friends their leaders will help drain you love your reason. I will show I will do stuff help you only helps me.

I came to tell you those people are not friends. Thanks for being here with us for today's message were stronger together. You know the destined for Victor ministry has been made stronger through the years, thanks in large part to friends like you, it's because of our friends and partners. The destined for victory can be heard in more than 400 radio stations, and over all the world through our website.

Pastor Paul.net should you choose to partner with us today you be joining a special group of people who help share the gospel of Jesus Christ by pledging a monthly donation of $20 or more to destined for victory and is our way of saying thanks for your partnership will send you a few thank you gifts including one of Pastor Paul's most popular CDs. The best of let my people smile, please call us at 855-339-5500 to find out more about how to become a destined for victory partner for as little as $20 a month you can make your pledge over the phone or mail your gift letting us know you wish to become a partner.

Our address is destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also partner with us from our website. Pastor Paul.net know if you can't become a destined for victory partner but can make a generous donation of $25 or more today would like to send you Pastor Paul Shepard's book, finding strength in tough times. That's finding strength in tough times all the soldiers of Israel saw Goliath with their own eyes, but only one of them had vision God wants to send people in your life to help you with your positive areas to maximize your gifts your potential, but also people you gotta know their job is to tell you the truth you need some of those kind of friend I think I see you foreman you got some that's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepard's message were stronger together.

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