Examining the Choices We Make (cont'd)

And God help to those who are willing to confess their mistakes. This their shortcomings in the kingdom of God doesn't have to be final. Hello and welcome to this Friday addition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard wherever you are part of you may be listening.

Thanks for making this part of your day coming up next pastor Paul takes us once again to the Garden of Eden and do a series of choices were made by Cain and his brother Abel.

Along the way to share some practical advice about the power of confession and the amazing grace of the God we serve.

Today's message is straight ahead so stay with us but remember you can always subscribe to the podcast and listen on demand by to see your favorite podcast platform including Apple podcast is modified right now must join Pastor Paul for today's Destin for victory message examining the choices we make a made a poor choice, but he didn't give them the proper way. That's why God did respected it had nothing to do. Sometimes theologians say all well you know Ables was livestock and that foreshadowed the system of sacrifice and that's why God accepted it. I respectfully disagree with every pastor and theologian who believes that I know you believe that God bless you. But you had a right to be wrong.

That was not why it was rejected. It was rejected because of the language in the text. It was the style in which came to even look at how God said to him you do well yours will be accepted and it didn't mean he was a man who tilled the ground needed to go over and figure out how to give an animal sacrifice that is not what God said it all, and not the writer to the New Testament also confirmed what I just said but anyway we can argue some of the time that the matter is when you make a poor choice. You should own that fact. Cain is angry. But the question is angry with the one who gave you the one who had the opportunity to give in a worshipful manner, just like your younger brother David you chose to give in an irreverent and in a casual manner, and God did respected and so we need to understand this, as we consider our choices when you make a poor choice. Now wait, how many of you all okay see you but just for your own benefit. Just acknowledging anyway you want to chat. However, yes, I have made at least one poor choice at some point in my life and I know somebody.

All are willing to say yeah I'm at least two or three poor choices in my life. Somebody always say I'm a dozen so we all would say I made hundreds somebody always say I do I stop A long time ago how many decisions and poor choices are made, and if you want to perpetrate a fraud, you go right on.

But you know in your heart that you may some poor choices some I need you to understand alarm on the second point about poor choices that you need to acknowledge God's kingdom. There is hope and help for those willing to confess their mistakes sends and shortcomings in God's kingdom. There is hope in the help of the elbow to those who are willing to confess their mistakes their sins their shortcomings in the kingdom of God. Failure doesn't have to be final. You need to understand that because all of us not only have made some poor choices in the past some steel making some poor choices right now say man whenever you can. And the fact of the matter is, God is not a God who throws people away because they made poor choices.

The Lord were through with people made poor choices.

You know how many people would be at the destiny service today and if there was some debris here. It wouldn't matter that one being the pastor took place to factor the matter is not what it is, as people to make poor choices and God didn't throw us away. Talk about grace. Talk about amazing Grace. That's the God we serve is so you need to know there's hope and help for those willing to confess their mistakes their sins their shortcomings in the kingdom. Failure doesn't have to be final to give you some scriptural references in Proverbs 28, 13, one of my favorite scriptures.

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

You, Robin. You won't prosper these all my sin I messed up. Everybody has sinned and come short of the glory of God. But look at what the writer. Solomon says he says if you convert your sins.

That's the problem soon. Doesn't have to be fatal, but real refusal to acknowledge when confess and forsake it that's where your problem is seen, is always wrong. Sin is always bad. Sin always has its consequences. But Sam don't have to be fatal. That's why Jesus came and got understand that the problem is the sin as much as it is the secret secrets and would kill because it would stay secret is covered in Proverbs that you won't prosper that way. But if you open it up to confess and you open it up to forsake then you can experience the mercy of God and the apostle John put it this way in first John one and nine, he said. And you know this very well. If we confess our sins, he is what: Jost to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So what's wrong with all as long as you're willing against said God will give you see met people who have never admitted they were wrong. You haven't known anybody any time in your life who you've never heard say I was wrong. I'm sorry I messed up I blew it.

Whatever it they never said anything like that.

That's the problem because there are willing to acknowledge to confess and when you unwilling to confess. You cannot receive mercy. That's why the Bible says pride comes before fall people who are too proud to admit they made a mistake. Something is so wrong with you. As you know you messed up all kinds of ways that you only one who acted like you've never made a mistake. You only one who's acting like you never did anything for which you worse already. You got the spirit of Cain on you and you need to go before the Lord and beg for mercy and asked for God to give you unclean are that you may serve him so I need you to understand when you make poor choices. You should acknowledge the same because failure doesn't have to be final. All right, let me help you understand other people who drive past their problem instead of stopping and acknowledging it.

They'll never arrive at the solution you know why because they won't even acknowledge there's a problem.

Just picture your life as a vehicle and we all have problems that we encounter in our lives.

We all have problems as a result of our poor choices are wrong decisions are failures.

Think of the stuff you've done that was sold wrong somewhere in your life, attitudes, actions, bridges should've done that you didn't do whatever. Just think back will allow some of the stupidest things. Some of the greatest ever is the greatest sins.

The greatest misstates the greatest misdeeds. Think about those just one moment I'm not trying to drag you down into condemnation. I just want you to think about them to make a simple point, since they exist. What should happen when you make poor choices. What should happen well what should happen is what Cain does, which is the get angry and be downcast and not even acknowledge what the problem truly is. Your life is like a vehicle problems right there everybody who's in the vehicle. Consider the problem you created. It you drive right past if you drive right past the problem. You know where you will never land where you will never arrive at the solution.

Why is he leaving now as it was a problem that had to be solved, and so I need you to understand as you move the rest of your life. Your choices are more important than you think they are the decisions you make have consequences. And when you make poor ones. When you make wrong ones. That's not fatal on MLS you ignore them.

You pretend they don't exist or you play them down or you deflect that's what Cain is doing he is affecting anger. Usually anger is an sin in the habits of the Bible says. In fact posted to the church at Ephesus angry but don't send, don't let the sun go down while you're angry and give no place to the devil.

So anger isn't necessarily sin, but here's the problem. Some people have misguided anger. They are angry at something or someone that has nothing to do with you need to identify if you are watching me right now and you're in the service and you are angry. I need to ask you a question. Let's find out what you're angry at versus which is supposed to be a will be right back with more of today's destined for Victor message from Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California listen to the broadcast on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul… There you find a host of great resources in our online store pastor forward jointly from a studio in California after today's message to stay with us the first let's join him for the second half of today's message examining the choices we make. If you want me angry manner, which itself why did I say that why did not do what I should've. The widening, I acknowledge that that was true, why did I pretend if you want to be a beggar with yourself. You can be disappointed. Anger often is better place when the anger is about an outside issue because anger is often when we realize that we have not gotten the right thing to happen for us and the fact of the matter is if you're angry by something outside the Bible says be angry but don't send. And don't let the sun go deal with it. In other words, deal with it properly. If you personally did you wrong date. They misspoke they mistreated you. Whatever goal and show the Bible says go and do it you can just deal with it properly, but if you are the wrong doer. You can be angry with yourself, but what you need to do is find a solution. Now look at what Cain did Cain didn't acknowledge that the problem was of his own making.

And that leads me to the third point number three manual wall. God wants to help you get right. I need to know that we serve a God who is solution oriented. He is not mad and angry. If God were still mad and angry with you.

You wouldn't be here because your sins will wipe you out a long time ago will serve an angry God will serve a mad God.

He took out all his wrath on Calvary.

Jesus took the blow. If I were sin, he who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

So you need to understand this third point when you're wrong. God wants to help you get right.

God is not mad at you if someone is telling you all. God is through with you got it sick he knew God was not enough to do with you.

That's the enemy speaking to you.

Look at verse six of this passage in Genesis 4 so the Lord said to Cain, why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen over seven if you do well, will you not be accepted and if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. Its desire is for you. You should rule over it. Do you see the heart of God. God didn't clobber him because of his bad offering. God said why are you angry why you downcast, do you see the fatherly nature of God. He explains to him you got in the batter made in different showings. I wanted to make a different choice.

I wanted to put yourself in this position I love it when God asked questions in Scripture is you angry look when God asked the question in the anywhere in the Bible. He's never asking because he did not answer when God asked the question he asked questions because he wants us to know the right answer to get in touch with the right as I listen to the questions in Scripture. Even before this when you talk about Adam and Eve first question in your Bible was this Adam where are you getting asked that because Gaza Lord. When the garden is Adam can find them anywhere you know we got asked where are you looking he wants Adam to ask Adam where are you what have you done was met with you.

Do God is a God who confronts us to redeem us, but first we must be confronted with the truth about ourselves.

I love similar questions in Scripture.

Remember in a later in Genesis, Hagar guidelines Hagar which is run away from Abraham and Sarah's house and he defines her and he said Hagar where have you come from and where are you going. I love that gossip will you come from going again is not good. You know, was in her mind and heart. He wants to confront herself. PS Moses that in your hand.

Moses was like oh my Lord, where we can get through this. Gino's was in his and he was not know that staff and you can is a lot of deliverance if you will speak my word over the circumstance. God said to Elijah one day when he wanted from a girl named Jezebel. He said what are you doing here is on mountain the mount of God. They called in that day.

He on the mountain and he said Elijah we note here why and I just needed to confront himself.

What you come here I everywhere she went. Beginning from first King 17th everyone else's ecological Lord cinnamon a head set into the group. Seven. Is there that now you somewhere gotten similar to where you what you don't hear just one more of the many questions got asked that I love in Scripture Jonah. Jonah was man because God didn't get the folks in Nineveh and he said Jonah is right for you to be angry is a good idea since you to proclaim that I'm coming for the people if they don't get back together. They got back together and you meant they got back was a I love how God confronts us not only does God ask Cain in this case to examine the real problem. He also was a short resume. It's not too late to make a better choice. He said you can do well meaning. Okay, so I didn't respect this offering, but if you stop and repent.

Right now and save God, you're right. I'm so sorry.

Please forgive me.

Please allow me let me go get a much better offering.

Had he done that. Do you know God would've respected the second offering God is saying you can do well. It's not too late. I came to tell you it's not too late. You may some serious M you have done some stuff that you had no business doing what God is saying is not too late if you do well. I can still bless you, things are different because of some choices you made.

I can still bless you.

At the end of the day you want to be blessed more than be 100% right all the time.

It be great to be hundred percent all the time. I did happen to not knowing if any folks who fit that bill down here one on right me. Let me know pastime on the one that you talk about who never never did anything wrong right me this week. Let me know so I can know to pray for you factor the matter is, all of us have been in the position that came to light. Now we move some way to Gaza, but you can still do right.

You can change what you did what you do from here can be accepted and I want to know that God is in the reconciliation, the restoration the redemption business God is a rebuilder God is a restore now. The sad thing is, this passage ends on such a sad note, but it's written here for learning instead of repenting, look at what Cain does.

Instead of listening to God, who said okay you didn't do right. That's why good except offering but you still have the opportunity to get right now. When God says that you get right what is came to look at the next verse, verse eight, Cain talked with Abel his brother and it came to pass, when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed. Do you see why God had said to him, just a few sentences before Sarah's line at your door.

It's up to you to now make sure sender that have its way.

God said that some in your heart right now that you better take control of you will take control of it.

It's going to lead you much farther down the wrong road, then you are right.

Thanks so much for joining us for today's message examining the choices we make. Always glad to have you with us that was promised, here's Pastor Paul Sheppard joining me from his studio in California pesters a song much older than me. Of course you're in the Army now. I don't know if anyone list remembers that song, but we have resources entitled, you're in God's Army now a special resource will send your listeners for generous gift this month tells about the book and what will learn from it. Will you know as I was ministering the word of God. I came across the fact that we are going to have to help people understand talk about. We miss we are not just the family were not just the flock when not just a group of people who happen to get together. But the Bible itself calls us and Army.

Paul said we are soldiers and that we've got to be strong in the Army of the Lord. I am a guy who's never been in the Armed Forces. I just never was led in that direction and and I wasn't born in war time where I would've been drafted, so I've not been in the Armed Forces, but I've had the privilege of pastoring a lot of men and women over the years who are servicemen and women either past or present service and I've talked to them about their experience and not a one of them was grabbed from civilian quarters and thrust into the front line of some battle.

They all had to go through some form of what I heard them describe as boot camp and so what I did was took some time and made sure that this little booklet just reminds people where soldiers were going to go through some processes that God uses to help us get ready to deal with spiritual warfare. The Bible is real clear, we're not wrestling against flesh and blood. We are wrestling against principalities and powers against rulers of darkness, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So, since we are soldiers we might as well learn how to battle well and enjoy the victory that we have in Christ. I know we said all the time of the broadcast. In Christ, you are destined for victory. But along the way there will be battles to fight. That's why perseverance is one of the keys to being a good Christian soldier with a great resource to help us cauldron God's Army. Now it's our gift to you this month by requesting return for your generous gift to destined for victory again that you are in God's Army now about the from Pastor Paul in our gift to you this month. When you make a donation, call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 and will give that once again the addresses destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 well, if you've gone through some tough times in the past. Challenges that cause you to stay away from church or even stay away from God. You want to join us Monday. Pastor Paul shares his message choose to reengage until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory