That's What Friends Are For (cont'd)

Consider this from Ecclesiastes 4 verses nine and 10 two are better than one. When one falls down the others there to pick him up coming your way next Pastor Paul Sheppard shares today's destined for victory message. That's what friends are for. But before we get to that today we want to talk for just a moment about how much we appreciate your partnership with us, you know, every day on destined for victory. We ask people to stand with us financially. That's because we are a listener supported ministry. Let me underscore that for just a moment. This means the only way we exist is through the prayers and financial support of people just like you and in 2021. Our prayers that you might consider if you haven't done so already becoming a destined for victory. Partner partners are a special group of people that give a monthly gift of at least $20 if you can make that commitment. Today we have some special gifts. I'll tell you about in just a few moments, but Pastor Paul joins me right now and pastor take a moment and tell us why partners are so important to this ministry. I'm glad you brought that up when partners are really the lifeline of this ministry without those people committed to giving regularly.

We literally could not continue doing what were doing. I guess people hear that a lot, but it is really true without partners. We simply can't get the gospel out to the world. The gospel is free but the plumbing cost an awful lot of money and we want to continue preaching. As I've said in times past we've got generations to reach that have never heard the gospel and they misunderstand when they hear people talk about things like serving the Lord and we need to make it plain to them. The only way I can do it is with my partners, helping us reach them through their generous gifts. I'm so grateful for every single partner and I'm praying in 2021.

That God will give us thousands more. There are many more outlets and many more opportunities we could take advantage of in our ministry but the only thing that holds us back is lack of income. So I'm praying that God's going to touch the heart of many more people to realize that with just your gift of $20 or more. You can help us remain strong on the stations and outlets were all in and reach many more with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Right. Thank you. That's what it's all about reaching more people with the gospel today. When you make that commitment by pledging $20 or more per month to help us do that will send you with our thanks a couple of great gifts including one of Pastor Paul's most popular CDs. The best of let my people smile. It's a compilation of some of pastor's most humorous illustrations and stories, something that will be sure to make you laugh and learn at the same time, call 855-339-5500 to mail your gift letting us know you wish to become a partner. The address is destine for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 but of course you can also sign up by clicking become a partner right at the top of her homepage@pastorpaul.net and if you're already a partner Pastor Paul and I want to say heartfelt thank you and challenge you to consider becoming a legacy partner. These are special ministry friends are able to support us with gifts of $2500 or more each year. The details are available at the website. Pastor Paul.net or by calling 855-339-5500 know if you can't become a partner, but would like to make a generous donation to destine for victory will be glad to send you a booklet from Pastor Paul based on his message junk removal for the soul is our gift to you by request for your gift to destine for victory.

You got a friend when they can encourage you, even if it cost them that they get excited about your job and when they lost their humble somebody excited about your house, even though they have got foreclosed therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you were doing the listing to destine for victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California and today pastor share some of the key traits of godly friendship, one which is a commitment to encouragement with this message.

That's what friends are for his pastor. Paul I told you years ago my friend Bishop Thompson from Boston.

He ran to the Boston Marathon twice, once in 1987. Once in 1992 he failed to finish in 1987, whereas he completed it in 1992 when I was talking to him. Back in those days and I said out what was the difference between the failed attempt and the successful one. And as we talked.

He told me much boiled down to was a full conversation would boil down to three points.

One was that he failed to keep the proper pace. The first time because he sold his little thin woman and she came by him. She's experienced marathon, people don't even have five regular five couple just make you sick. This set up and so she came back. He said hi. This is first marathon and so he tried to chat with her little bit and I told is my first and all that and they have a quick chat and she's okay. Must be a great day. Enjoy the rice and she go and he said it hurt my feelings. I am a grown man past of a great church doing great things for Tom this little thin shop will run past me like I'm not even here anymore and he says so I started trying to keep up with her and a change my pace. Second thing you did wrong, as he did meet the right things. They told him what to eat before Teresa 1987 and he thought I train well slightly. What I want so you can eat when they told him to eat.

He ate what he felt like eating. He said, but at mile 11. He felt the call of nature that could not be ignored. And so your principal message on just one right and so what he did was it was a member of his church's house was right down the street from the race course and so he just went down the street to this is that house and knocked on her door to the right to use your bathroom. She's also on it and he went and use the bathroom, he said, but when I got up. Yes, he had to get up.

I we got the revelation about God literally had to get up when I got up and watch my and left the bathroom. My legs began to talk to me and he said they said to me if you think we're still in this race you got another thought coming my legs down and I was done and then the third thing that he did write that he didn't know to do the first thing the first time the second time. The thing he did write. Besides correcting those two mistakes is he had somebody to help him to increase his effectiveness that he didn't even know about this Lisa, how was going to play out.

He said, but he had an experienced marathoner in his church, a woman who ran it and she was experience, and when she heard he was going to do it again five years later, he told the church I'm going again. Pray for me.

He said she came up to me as a pastime so proud of you glad you don't do it again and she said listen I run every other year these days I'll run it every year like it used to. She said, and this is not my year to run it.

But if you don't mind I want to help you cross the finish line. This time, and he saw all means let you help me. She said well know that you will hit the wall at least twice during the race so if you don't mind, I'm going to station somebody at key places where I think you will hit the wall and he said when they see you there. Call out to you to do is run by and they don't hand you something that I will give them the hand you that will help you is all right and when he was running the race and he did his preparation right and he didn't even write the got past that 11 mile point with no call. He said I was feeling good example.

When I got the mile 14 I hit the wall marathon 26.2 miles when I got the mile 14 I hit the wall which means I felt like my energies completely gone. I can't go any farther you suggest.

Then I heard some I think I looked over he said she had station.

One of the members of the church and they had 1/2 peeled banana and a couple water and I went by I grabbed him a cigar. I have passed and I drink the water and tossed the cup pace. I started eating that banana he's a man was in God within them and then CCed that the banana would have a property that would help him just as the potassium or something and so she noted that would help him remove his strength and he broke through that wall that threshold.

He said I hit mile 15 mile 16 mile 70 is it when I got I felt the drainage again.

Oh man, I made it farther than the first time, but I still have to drop at mile 18. He suggested that either he said.

I looked over and she had just stationed another person from the church with another couple water and a banana.

He said it was the sister herself. He said when I ran over to her instead of her just handing me the stuff and saying go on like the first person he says she jumped out on the road. He said then I sold that she had her own number and as we began to run.

She told me pastor you know this is my year to run but I was so anxious to make sure you were effective.

This time I decided let me go on and get a number and I'll just meet you at mile 18 and I'll run the last 8.2 miles with you to make sure you cross the finish line. If you got a friend or somebody you will just say God sometimes a friend will have to get in the race which you are preaching better than you say amen and the right switch to come alongside you. Find out what you mean. He said what I drink right away and tossed the cup.

Please let me see just talk to when I was when I try to get me to do what I could do we so proud of you. Wait till we get to church and we going national victory to go (this is that we have a great day shape 8.2 mile because she needed to keep my teeth out and live somebody you you cross the line make you better than you, people who when they're gone, your life quality of life is hurting because they spent good time and energy and effort, making you better increase the effectiveness of all quickly. The E stands for Encouraging Word's first chapter 23 tells us the story of David at one of the worst times in his life.

David is on the run from his friend Jonathan's daddy who is King Saul. You know the biblical context.

Baby did nothing wrong.

He only tried to serve the king but the king had a spirit of jealousy that was crazy because the king of been rejected by God for his own not only disobedience but refusal to repent and so God told Saul, I rejected you and Saul knew that God's hand was on David to be his successor, and he didn't want a successor.

He wanted to remain King and even though God rejected him.

He took it out on David so David was a fugitive. In fact, when you look at the history of it. David ran. He was a fugitive for 10 years. Imagine 10 years of your life. You spent running from somebody all you did was help all you did was serve them well all you did was take care they need. All you did was promote them all you did was make them better but yet something that was in him would not stop pursuing David and Ann Davis, a fugitive and he's somewhere hiding, but his friend finds him.

You know a friend calls a friend will find you no matter where you are, God will make sure Frank and catch up with you when you need them the most and look at what happens when Jonathan goes to David at Horace and helps him he helps them by helping them find strength in God King James that he strengthened his hands in the Lord. He helped them find strength in God. You need friends who will help you find strength in God and then look at the next verse he said. Jonathan says to David, don't be afraid.

My father Saul will not lay a hand on you, you will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this and understand. Now Jonathan is the king's son.

By all rights Jonathan would expect to be his daddy successor.

He would expect to be the next king but he is such a friend that he encourages David and reminds him. God has promised the throne that you God has promised to you what rightly should be my but I'm not going to be like my daddy.

My daddy has heard from God and rejected it. I have heard from God and going to be excited for you even know what I heard from God demotes me know miss that. See, I can tell I got a friend because when God blesses me happy somebody you thought was a plan, but the acid test was God started blessing you and all of the back of a head and they started putting little plenty Facebook things on a little little innuendo based on different and then finally and all that you think you Q you think I'm cute the way you reacted ugly trying to describe how I'm cute somebody else in the 15: the phase 1B drawn up enough to face up out what you got mad. I said, and I'm the one encouraging words.

He said although your blessing is going to demote me. I'm excited for you. You know you got a friend when they can encourage you, even if it costs them that they get excited about your job even when they lost their criminal somebody they decide about your house, even though they have got foreclosed on closely when you got a friend and they got a house you got a crash pad if you really push comes to get mad at your house in my car you would at least give me your basement of some short-term, some you would do something really friend get mad get money.

That means no real friends will go a little bit young man my best friend just before he died he died tragically had a heart condition. But just before that he had signed a contract to play for the Atlanta Hawks money will be all and he died unexpectedly.

I eulogize my best friend in my 20s and it was one of the most painful times in my life because we going to be so close I helped him ashore and develop his renewal of his commitment to Christ in the last days of his life the day before he died. We spent 10 hours together and we spent a lot of time talking about the Lord. The most unusual thing but God had it set up because he was backslidden he got his girlfriend pregnant and he was really wondering about his life.

He didn't even tell me about the pregnancy. She told me later he was so ashamed that he was trying to figure how to tell you stuff, but I spent that day not knowing God was using me to make sure he understood God's love didn't run out just because he had messed up and before I left them that night. He had a smile on his face that he was he was basking in the reality that God love them and that God received him fully and made of us knew that 12 hours later he be laying in the hospital morgue. Listen, you need a friend who can bless you and help you and encourage you no matter what it cost, and thank God Jonathan was able to make David feel good about his success even though it demoted his friend a look at the in the end stands for notable notable sacrifices.

What I mean by that.

Where an example of that is in second Samuel chapter 23 second Samuel chapter 23. You'll find me. Just give it to you real quick.

David now is in a place he's got his some mighty warriors around him. Some men who are flanking him and there were in a war scenario and David is extremely thirsty and David says I wish I could get some water to quench my thirst and three of his mighty men that and look at what they did.

They broke through the Philistine lines draw water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David over a simple request that we don't even know how serious he was about, you know, sometimes you just express your exhaustion your frustration. Wish I had. He didn't ask anybody to do it. He just said I wish, and these three men risk their lives to grant him his. It was so impactful to David that he refused to drink it when they came back with the water.

Instead, he poured it out before the Lord because it was so precious. He knew it was so press is not only them but God that they were committed to him at that level that he turned it into a spiritual sacrifice for your kernel so the first thought you were my life… Were I was alive I drink that water. You will get it they got there blessing because God's all their heart, and he blessed them to overcome in the war in large part because he saw the heart of people like those three mighty warrior and God gave him the dread the day got them to get a victory. Not only is David will die.so you get a straight so it was no slap in the face. It was nothing short of David realizing God, you have blessed me in so many ways and one of the ways you blessed me is the put people like this in my life and he blessed God for that. You have to have people who are willing to sacrifice CI can use a friend who gives me the hours personally. You might be able to work with that.

The way my life goals. You can be my friend SA now call me up to 930 could you not go to bed early last time, but if a friend and I need you to the morning you lose some sleep only on that I can't walk with. I can't wait till the morning is on call him by the morning. Need some help to you in the morning and try to talk to me. I just woke you up and you will try to stay comfortable under the covers and try to understand what you that you all snuggled in that no light so no sleep in this moment. I need somebody who's willing but the notables thanks for being here for today's message.

That's what friends are for. If you'd like more information about the destined for Victor ministry or this month special thank you gift for your generous donation.

Be sure to stop by her website. Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net, there are some things that are stored up in you, but it is up to you to bring them out of you. God put it in. Now you bring it out. God gives the vision you make it a reality. You cannot say well the same God who gave me a vision is to make it happen. That's next time it Pastor Paul Shepard's message finding the right partners. Until then, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory