We Are a Family, Part 1

We the people of God. Our family, God brought us together when we got saved he brought us into a family and all I want to do is make sure you understand the implications of God, referring to us in his word as a household or a family of people hello and welcome to Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard wherever you are in Harvey may be listening.

Thanks for spending part of your day with us will the church of Jesus Christ is not kind of like a family. It's not sort of a family is a family and today I'm destined for victory pastor Paul is a great reminder for us about with this family of ours is supposed to look like.

So stay with us now or visit pastor Paul.net to listen on demand. That's pastor Paul.net listen and subscribe to the podcast.

It's modifying at The podcast or wherever you get your point now. Let's join Pastor Paul for today's destined for victory message. We are a family now, so far, looking at the fact that we our flock. We noted the fact that a flock of sheep need a shepherd and therefore God has arranged the body of Christ and called some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, but then he called some of us to be pastors as well as teachers because pastoring is shepherding that's what the word pastor comes from the Greek concept and meet even in the Old Testament, the Hebrew concept is low shepherd, one who died of AIDS, and one who guards one who is kind of a caretaker of God's flock. So we who are called of God to be shepherds, not every body was a pastor was called to God. Some people were sent and others just went no and so I'm well aware that not everybody wins the title has the actual calling but those of us who have the calling. God gives us the heart of being a spiritual parent if you will love of gardening and guiding God's children. So we are under shepherds. He is the great shepherd he will always be the great Shepherd. We will always work for him. That's why we have to give an account. We only God's people will get to just get through the gates of paradise.

One day we have to give an account. According to the word of God and the Lord is going to call us into account. As I talked about the fact that were called together God's people were called to watch for their souls and were called to lead and feed the flock. I also want us to see that not only are we are flocking that we need a number shepherd who serves our needs. We need to learn the dynamics of taking care of one another in the flock as well and what I want to do is talk to you about the fact that God has made us sheep because we are play. If we're not careful, she are not predators.

When you look in the animal kingdom. There are animals and their very nature, is the prey on other other animals that's in their DNA.

Sheep are not among predators that nobody owners know being on earth as it will she become an old man. Let me get out the way there is nobody is worried that she put coming because they don't have predator. That's why when you find predator sites something is wrong because it is not in the nature of the sheep.

So not everybody that has sheep close all is actually a seat, get away from that. I just threw that in she in our nature are a not predators. That's why we need the covering of a number shepherd.

We need the devotion of the great Shepherd.

That's why the Bible says the Lord is my shepherd, David said in Psalm 23, I shall not want. Not because of who I am but because of who I am doing this kind of talk you through the fact that victory being successful as we live our lives is married to our dependency upon the Lord, and upon each other. I need you understand God has made us eat because we need we need the under shepherds. He puts us and we need one another. She are better off much better. All the flock demonstration around why because it's all about SL is walking on minding their business predator can come along. You have to be hungry but you see a sheep. So I'm a little slack because sheep are a that's why you can't be wandering around spiritually and wondering what's wrong with you like by yourself to be connected, you're supposed to be under and under shepherd under the great Shepherd you're supposed to be connected with others sheep. So I just need to make sure you understand that you have no business being alone in the family of God. We are called to be connected so let me just walk you through Psalm 23 all learned that we would some schoolchildren learned as kids. Even if you're new to faith. This is one of the Psalms that you need to memorize and you never went to church growing up all the passages I want you to memorize Psalm 23 is one of them is my shepherd is the first thing I want to understand that he wants to be your personal shepherd when you got saved you got saved, so that he could be the one who leads you and guide you through the rest of your life. That's why you need to say for two reasons one is because you will die.

You need the Lord in judgment. Second reason you need to get saved is because you gotta live in this world. I told you not going make it well on your own. You will only make it well when you have a shepherd guiding you. That's why Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life. And if you want to know how to live your life solemnly goes on the way I'll show you how to live your life. The Lord is my shepherd, and the benefit of having him.

David said is I won't want. I won't have needs that are gone unaddressed. Why, because God has promised to supply every need in my life at the end of the day. We need to be taken care of we need to be kept men and women Boys and Girls Club how my Dolby kept them to be kept by my shepherd, I need to be kept by him.

Don't ever try to outgrow God when you know I've heard people say what you knows this week. People who need religion.

First of all, decision about religion. Unfortunately, Christianity gets lumped in with all the so-called world religions.

I beg to differ. Jesus didn't come to establish a religion. He came to bring life so he didn't come to give me a religion he can give me a relationship with him as the shepherd, but some folks it well you know so won't we people that need that you know that some of her coaxing what Christianity is just a crutch.

Well, a crutch is what crippled people need and in case you haven't thought about it, you have some areas where you are seriously crippled had Nandu at your education has not to do with your upbringing, your ethnicity, not every body has limp hair body limited all the folks that think they have it all together.

They got wonderful cars in the driveway, a beautiful house they live in.

Great job and they have a profit sharing and all of that and all they got wonderful purpose in their life.

Just watch them at the well you see the live so tell me love you that's just what we people and has limp so you need a crutch. And Jesus said I will be exactly what you mean every need in your life. I'll take care of the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Says he makes me lie down in green pastures.

One of the problems with sheep is they need to be guided sometimes because the shepherd needs to take you somewhere and make you lay down stop all of the busyness that is improving fullness. Sometimes you busy yourself because you're distracting yourself from what's wrong which you sometimes we are busy at ourselves because we need to lie down in green pastures in a stealthy place. We need to chill out and lie down and stop stressing God want you to be blast nonstress still ahead.

The second half of today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul shepherd, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California no friends and partners like you are the lifeblood of this ministry. Your prayers and your gifts help pastor Paul share the gospel with a worldwide audience destined for victory is and always has been a listener supported ministry and right now during the busy summer months when donations tend to decline. Your help is very much needed and so as God leads.

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You have been born into a new life and a new family is pastor Paul and the rest of today's message. We are a family. Sometimes there are seasons where you go for little time on your job or whatever and there's one over time, they just killing us on a season, and even in the midst of that if you will still your soul, you will recover much better if you don't have somebody and somewhere to lie down. If you don't have the shepherdess I just chill out. Cast your cares on me. I care for you, I will lead you where you need to be lie down in green pastures and lead them. The shepherd does beside still waters. Still waters that you can drink when you're thirsty, there's no rushing water. Nothing scary, nothing that's going to raise a negative issue in your life. The shepherd wants to make sure our lives get balanced and properly nurtured and God will help you do that bus ends, especially in today's world we are so out of sync, out of touch with the way God wants you to live your life to be getting older and getting worse. These people when they know dumb stuff. There is no regrettable stuff that we set you be getting better at this thing called life. You let the shepherd guide you now have the problem.

A lot of us are just birthdays, but would not learning how to follow better if you will him better. He'll take you to some green pastors take you to some still waters. He will lead you in a way that will give you a higher quality of life for the older I get, the more I'm concerned about life quality see when you're young you think and quality you want a lot of stuff, you want bigger and better and you got all these pipedreams, and in one of these days it is not had as much money that that's okay young folks dreams and not all young folks are stuck on those which means you are better off one of the things the millennial's, will teach you is that is not about stuff I'm watching these millennial live their life and I'm seeing that they they get that they got that revelation.

I don't know how they got it but thank God they have it. That is not about the race. Us older folk I'm in the baby boomers generation. We were taught us about that rat race. You gotta get out there and that carried you gotta do this do that do the other folks spent their lives trying to make a living and never did stop to make a life.

Now, you ought to be a place where you see I need a life I would love. Or more money, but that's not a need. That's agreed if God blesses you with more stuff using but for God sake don't make a living and forget to make a life by a nice house and by the time your relationship to know by living that which order a full day living that you wish to go somewhere. Or better yet they wish and you would go somewhere. Why because you haven't taken time to look at what's important and so the shepherd keeps the sheep centered get scary. I'm in Boston all right. He'll take him somewhere nice wonderful pastor just grazed when when you're hungry just reached out to graze a little and then laid out when you thirsting over there by the still waters and just drink and chill out. I need to call you, as an under shepherd in the body of Christ to just chill out and look at your neighbor and say chill out. It's not all that important to stop and what about is not all parking. You said I shall not want. Now here's what I need now I need you to take care of this for me and so the Lord help you shell out Jesus. What Jesus said about the fact that he said come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden enemies is way down. Well, stuff just waits on your knees and why am I so happy. Sometimes you gotta let the shepherd take you somewhere when you let out and then get that stuff off your why you lay it down. I've told you before, using a different analogy I told you a lot of us have a bunch of stuff.

Our lives are like a tractor-trailer and we got a big old 18 wheeler and our trailer is full of stuff, much of which we have no is Ms. Halling and Lila Jo sometime pray for me. So time and see flashes on and by he was too tied exams regarding sales and you got the pullover and called me the pullover gold to back open up the trailer is a busy mind. This is not mine.

This is not my summary only because of people stuff because I've been all around. Some of you people put stuff in your trailer and make you feel responsible for you all need to live your life with a regular standard form that everybody in your life. Sometimes I will not be responsible for your stuff. You are now grandparents and all that. Tell your kids. I had my kids you want.

You got your own. I will be happy to have them in my home. Sometimes I will be happy to be a grandma, grandpa, sometimes I will be really happy because I love very energy and all that but don't make the mistake of thinking. I am an extension of you when it comes to raising your children.

Somebody call me out on the radio wrote to ministries and so passed the post desktop by raggedy kids there really offended that I called like I called their name on the radio, something I just took it to heart just playing around, you know that some folk got raggedy, so forgive me let the shepherd help you manage your life he'll take care of your needs, but he'll make you lie down, he'll make you drink beside still waters so that you can restore your soul with sheet we need our souls restored on a regular basis to some of your weight for crises and then you got we got that help you and put you through an Fastenal get you through your crisis. Listen, some of us don't need the go crisis to crisis with will let the shepherd lead us in the green pastors beside still waters will find that in the management of our living. He's helping us restore our soul and he said leading us in paths of righteousness. He wants to lead you select your life is getting better, more righteous, more pleasing to God. You're doing things you're figuring out what's important and in those important areas are pleasing God, we gotta get your job on earth just to please him because one of these days you will stand before him. The only thing that will matter is not how much money you have or how much success according to the words that you have is how happy did you make me by the way you let me lead you in paths of righteousness, righteous living just makes sense. It does make sense when you figure out living right means God wants you to have a life that makes sense when you outside God's will. We've all been outside of God's will. You're doing things that appeal to a fleshly appetite.

But the those things are the ways of death. The ways of death. So you have to learn to let them lead you in paths of righteousness for his namesake is your creator. He knows what's best for you. Quit chasing some… Have you want to be in a relationship you want to be in a relationship that pleases God and lets you be a blessing to somebody in them to be a blessing to you. You don't need a relationship that's killing you spiritually and emotionally and ways and some you all a craven you need to run as fast away from as you possibly can then use Gail Craven wanted like the lady at the well.

Jesus said that you tired yet you what I gotta stop just to show how to get to the shepherd's tax know that make them bounce you, you will help you will be listening to destined for victory with pastor Paul shepherd today's message. We are a family as well as any recent broadcasts can be found online on demand@pastorpaul.net that's pastor Paul.net, stop by anytime to find out more about the destined for victory, ministry, or to shop for resources that are online store or even make a safe and secure donation will sometimes God is preparing a blessing for you, but more often than not he's preparing you for the blessing. If you find yourself going through a season of waiting today that time period between God's promise to you and the fulfillment of that promise is a resource that can help pastor Paul Shepard's booklet finding strength in tough times as you follow along.

You discover three lessons from David's years as a fugitive that will help you handle your season of waiting in a way that prepares you for the promise God has ready for you that's finding strength in tough times of booklet from Pastor Paul in our gift to you by request for your generous donation to destined for victory. Call 855-339-5500 or visit pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online and you can also mail your gift to destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Again, our address is destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 if you need prayer today.

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Yours, at no cost or obligation. We have to learn then to be a functional spiritual family were born and we get into the new birth. Now we have to learn to be functional. The New Testament is all of exhortation that when it all is said and done, it's just telling you, for God's sake, learn to get along. As the family of God learn to be functional as the family of God, since you got in the loop and not by personal choice.

Learn to get along. That's tomorrow would pastor Paul shepherd shares his message.

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