We Are a Family, Part 1 (cont'd)

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 of exhortation that when it all is said and done is 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 by the end not by personal choice to go hello and welcome to this Wednesday. Addition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor of destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California for the family of God is bound together by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

It's a blessing to be in that family. But it also comes with certain duties. God wants us to be a functional healthy family that builds one another up and draws other people in today's message of straightahead stay with us here, or download the podcast on demand and pastor Paul.net it's bona fide or wherever you enjoyed now with this message. We are family is pastor Paul Sheppard you are living in a fall all the time. That's not God's will for you. You need to get the ball get into the clear pastor are you being unrealistic. Life does have trouble trouble but keep reading. I walk through to the valley of the shadow of death.

That's where you all and time you turn around you in the valley is not God's will lead you through it. That's life mounds on the mountaintop and she don't jump all well anyway mountaintop. Sometimes you gotta lead them through some dangerous things that it but I walk through the valley of the shadow of the sea will know he will why because I got a shepherd with me. Life can be scary like can be dangerous but she has a shepherd going for. And if I learn to stick close. Do you know that's the key to getting through your stuff is how closely tied to the shepherd you are. People love that Scripture in Isaiah where it talks about those that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings like eagles run and not be weary while nothing but the key is they that wait upon the Lord now English is one of those unfortunate translations closings gives us wait upon the Lord.

Look in the Hebrew.

The Hebrew says, not waiting like Payson wait on the Lord on the way you stand. Hey, I was to come help me. That's not what Isaiah 43 means use the Hebrew word for weaving, weaving those whose lives are woven to the Lord shall renew their strength why their drawing strength through the weave. I'm drawn from his strength is like a tree. It's getting strength from outside of itself to the nutrients coming up into the tree through the roots we've absent.

If you hear something just to get offended by that that get over when a woman has a good weave. You don't know where she stopped and what she bought starts is connected so I'm just trying to natural hair look in the mirror.

Joan would see the size and legal help they got help for her down at the shop I just tell people when you need help. Make sure you get the proper help at the proper time. Some folk go out and buy a pack of help they really don't need to get me off.

Those whose lives are what the Lord shall bear's 20 so so through the valley. Thank God because I'm following the shepherd would not go camp out in the valley.

It's a season, keep moving because the shepherd doesn't make me lie down in the valley. The shepherd will let me lie down till I get the green pastures so I gotta keep walking more get me through this is the valley season but got I believe you to bring me your my shepherd, I'm going to follow your will stay woven to you you knuckle shake me any kind away stay in with you the whole way and I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear evil because he's with me.

His rod and staff for their comfort me so I doubt the predators because the predators gotta go through the shepherd to get to the sheep and he says will not make you one of mine. I will make sure the enemy can't get to you. The way he wants to get to. It's my job.

Your job sheep is to stay with me about get that and then as you let him lead the valley what you find is when he brings about the valley. He takes you to a place that's prepared. He takes you to a table that's prepared in the plant since depression is looking. I tried to take him out now to get my sanity and set the table is in the presence they don't have reservations at your table. Then we don't have a reservation at your table. If the Lord makes one enemy's announcement on the Bible says things like that he'll make your your enemies your footstool season you see your enemies become your footstool. That's really not the joy of it. The joy is that this table is mine. It was reserved for me. If my enemy gets to be around there just to help me in some way. If you sits at the table is just because I gotta pass you the roles so don't sweat the enemy enemy preoccupied. Your problem isn't your enemy.

Your problem is your lack of connectedness to the shepherd stay with the shepherd looking for opportunity. Now that brings me to the last thing I want to make sure to drive home which is you can forward to be a sheep who wanders sheep only get in trouble when they wander see what I'm saying shepherd to protect a wandering sheep and sometimes a sheep is so clueless so graze it over here, not realizing shepherd still over there, not praying, not reading the word not going to church shepherd over there I need a word. I just so dissatisfied in my life I guess is trouble in my life and some I need to well how come you not a church.

How come you not in touch with God. How can you not in touch with the rest of the sheet. I could see him going through a whole. Yeah, that's what you need to be in touch when you're going through. The devil says stay home you like church for like audit today what they can do for you get there and find out if there it was like pray for me. Pray for me. I don't know how to praise. Also, you might not appraise your let the spirit give Unisys and let the spirit help you. You have a prayer language.

Use it. Amen. I know not all the body of Christ is into the charismatic gifts. I get that in some folks I do not identify you not tell folks tell you what if you don't believe in speaking in tongues. The unspeakable problem solved with those that have a prayer language real preowned with anybody… Colleagues on the rates of the stations I'm old and just before I am preaching against is then that you find this is theology that where he is God blessed I think offer the goodies that Michael be silent because somebody done believe in. Sometimes if you don't not appraise your spirit of pickup in intercession and help you get through. Sometimes your mind is unfruitful. That's what Paul said 14 sometimes your minds unfruitful, but your spirit is disconnected will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul shepherd listen to the broadcast on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net will find a host of great resources that are online store family dysfunction has been around almost from the beginning began in Genesis chapter 4 and hasn't stopped since this Pastor Paul with the rest of today's destined for victory message. We are a family and so you got God is going to get you through but you can't be a wanderer you can't be a wonder the enemy is the one trying to get you to stay away from people who know how to pray from people who know how to encourage from a pastor who has a loving shepherd's heart for people who want to lay hands on you, give you a hug give you a word of encouragement don't stay away from help because sheep can wander. I grew up at him, singing church. I'm so glad I grew up in the hymn singing church. I'm so glad that I grew up around folks. In fact, when I was getting saved when we would get saved as young people you know I was back in the you know like early 70s, and we would get saved we were so excited because by then there was not only Edwin Hawkins to give us music we could relate to Andre Crouch the days when Andre would have a bus tour to go around the country. He and Andre cotton. The disciples in a on the blessed tornado come through Philly all man.

We knew we were in the sun. They come in and we hear Andre mincing in a contemporary salt but the back in 70, 71, the only way to St. let us go to those meetings if we had to learn hold hands and sing with them in church there was a young that it may not go to this UNDER This contemporary service and is the traditional service, y'all got it made back in our days, that contemporary and a traditional would go live together. My father said before y'all start that rocking can only start offers you quietly wanted no lack what we say is if we don't start all that I want joy prayer meeting. I want joy in his sing, and they made us lead some of the hymns make sure they got a memo's real good one him was called come, thou fount of every blessing to my heart to sing thy grace streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet, you had to learn words saves build your vocabulary by making you sing out the hymnbook teach us some melodious sonnet, we look at what sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above appraised amount I'm fixed upon it, mount of thy redeeming love second bursa here. I raise my Ebenezer Hitler to have the Lord brought us there by God thy great help. I've come and I hope by thy good pleasure, safely, to arrive at home. Jesus taught me want to stranger wandering from the fold of God he to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

If you don't feel anything.

That's because you were raised to appreciate that I could have major church with the hymnbook of the saints made us do that I will need all the contemporary subs.

I love the contemporary and all that.

He also blessed me at all that but I can take a hymnbook and wear you out in his numbers and try to get to old to grace how great a debt tour daily. I'm constrained to be led by goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to the hymn writer said, Lord, let your goodness keep me bound to you. Why do you need that because the next word say prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.

So here's my heart will take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. Did you get that the writer said I see that wandering tendency so Lord, take your goodness and by better time what your goodness bind my wandering hard to be close. What I see him prone to wander, sometimes all quit acting like you're not there and sometimes you know why I just don't feel like going to church what charge you what you been hurt. I get that sent you over him to greener pastures. Some you listen to this radio ministry.

That's why the Lord sent you. Pastor Paul B.

Want to radio pastors need to be somewhere where you will be fed well you will be encouraged because charge card Israel but you don't have to stay in that mindset. They did hurt me. They did me wrong.

Now I'm better just decide not to get better. You don't get better because you can't change what you been through.

You can scramble an egg. It is what it is but I tell you what you think of scrambled egg immediate so you got decide that you are not going to let your past hinder your progress that's passed ahead of me as progress. That's history ahead of me is destiny.

My destiny doesn't have to be dictated to by my history, but God will use stuff in my history as he moved me into my destiny.

God is the ultimate recycler will redeem junk summary all been abused messed over betray all the horrible things happen you gotta take that and recycle it and use it so that he'll put his victory in it and then he'll send you alongside some wandering. She and you said not all I've been there is in the window to go wandering off. That's where you will get picked on by the devil. Memo come with me baby we going to church.

We will go pray.

Amen.

Because you're prone to wander, some but the hymn writer said, take my heart take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above let you know God is for you. He's got plans to prosper you. He wants to give you hope and a future. Your past is real. Your pains been real the disappointments to betrayals all that's been real.

Some of you been wounded by attacks of the predators, but now you got a shepherd in Jesus, you got a pastor who loves you. You got people. She pulled you need to stay with then not all fun always be with. Let's just be honest when looking for the perfect church. If you find that you joined their goals pastor so cold I don't know if I want. That's fine go fine list: pastor will tell you the same truth, don't look for the perfect church. You mess it up. Fact is, there is no perfect church. All of us are in progress. All of us are under construction. All of us are coming out of some stuff all of us are going through some stuff all of us are heading to some stuff stay on the journey, stay on the journey. Thank God for what brought me through. Thank God for what he's helping me go through now and most of all, I praise him for what he's taken me to tell folks in your life. Take a good look now could you not go see me here. I'm moving all the upward way new heights are gaining everyday see that some my feet on higher ground lift me up and let me stand by on heaven's tableland. That's a high place or place, and I have found more plant feet on higher ground. I'm sick of Lynn's Lord long enough long enough long enough now to get me somewhere warm in the presence of mine enemies. He's in my head with oil in my thanks so much for being here for today's destined for victory message.

We are a family were so glad you stop by before you get on with your busy Wednesday though. Stay with us knows pastor Paul joins me from a studio in California. Best right now are sharing this series the power of we and by the will of that title tell us about all these messages and speak to the fact that God never intended for us to live life alone living for Christ really is not an independent exercise. We are called from day one to be interdependent with of course our Savior but also with the body of Christ. In fact, the Bible says that by one Spirit we have been baptized into the body of Christ.

What that tells me is the moment you got saved. Whether you knew it or not you were in a family and God put you in that family because just as a child doesn't grow well if there left to their own. Neither does a child of God unless he or she gets involved, committed and connected with other believers were going to walk with them as they walk with the Lord.

So it's my determination to help the body of Christ through this series understand that we are a family and we've got to live together.

We've got to serve together were also an Army I talked about the fact that we are a flock and I talk about the fact that we are a body all four of those analogies talk about weakness, so I think it's going to be a great blessing to the listeners. I can't wait for everyone to experience the entire series and I trust that God will speak to us and remind us that we've got a stay connected, one with another. If were going to be all that God has called us to be and this is why the church is so important.

This is God's vehicle for that togetherness is absolutely we are not supposed to be lone rangers and I've said it for decades. I won't stop saying it because it's always true. Even the Lone Ranger wasn't alone. He had the good sense to have tonsil with him and when he got in trouble. There was somebody who could ride to town and get some help or whatever was needed and we got too many Christians out here right around with no Tonto and their lives are the worst forward.

So we've got to get back to biblical Christianity which does not come in a do-it-yourself kit.

It is meant to be lived with other people involved will of God is never been achieved by individuals operating alone. It's always been a product of partnership. Thanks for the great reminder pastor Paul speaking of working together destined for victory depends on the prayers and financial support of friends like you, especially during the busy summer months when donations tend to decrease for your generous donation to Destin for victory will be glad to send you by request. Pastor Paul's booklet finding strength in tough times. This is a great companion guide to the messages you heard earlier this month, ones that explore the life of David.

During one of the greatest challenges in his life that's finding strength in tough times booklet from Pastor Paul in our gift to you by request for your gift to Destin for victory. 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. Again, the addresses Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 saw her hope that 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 nothing to do with your upbringing, your ethnicity body has that's next time and pastor Paul Shepard's message. We are a family. Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory