Facing Your Three Worst Enemies (cont'd)

You can condemn sex outside of the will of God.

But you can't condemn the person who practices sex outside of the will of God love them like Jesus love just got through practicing adultery you can give people a hug without embracing their behavior hello and thanks for being here for this Wednesday. Addition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard wherever you are, however, you may be listening. Thanks for making this part of your day. I'm sure you've heard the expression, hate the sin but love the sinner, hate the world but love the people who live here. These are subtle yet crucial distinction sent today to help us make them faster. Paul takes us to the book of James chapter 4. Stay with us here or visit pastor Paul.net to listen to this or any recent message on to me is pastor Paul.

Today's Destin for victory message facing your three worst means to me in this passage is friendship with the world. It is the world again. The system by which godless people operate and that's what is opposed to God's plan for our life.

So don't be a Christian who lives like a worldly person.

Don't be a Christian whose values are based on worldly principles, but rather you have to live in this world without being of this world. That means Jesus often went to places where worldly people were but he was never worldly with them. He was there to be salt and be light and he didn't go to condemn, he just went to let the light shine. That's all that's all he let Elisha you could be somewhere if you're strong enough to be you could be somewhere where there practicing drug use. You can be there and not have to be well. God must have me hid it to to condemn all this now that Coke up meth alone is not your role, your role is to be salt and light.

Your role as a show I don't need that in order to live my best life. In fact, I can't use that in my best life and I'm here because God has good plans for me. The best plans for me and that's not part of his will.

That's part of what's forbidden.

And so I gladly walk away from that but the people who are hung up on it. Need your example they don't need your condemnation. They need your example. They need you to know how to show them out, of a life that often they feel the bondage of and they just need to know is there a better way.

So were called to deal with the flesh were called to deal with any allegiance to the world and he says if you are friend of the world is going to make you an enemy of God.

So we have to learn to make sure we are friend of God, even if that makes us an enemy of the worldly system. But again, if you live like Jesus calls you to live, you will be one of, Christians that sinners hate to see coming. That's a pretty good test. If most people don't know Jesus like you something wrong with your witness that are Pacific daylight because what I stand for now down like you because you nasty and self-righteous standing for truth will be offensive to some people but it should be because you added arrogance and and judgmental attitude to it because they're not ready cleanup and adjusts so they don't want you around them, making them feel self-conscious about what they're into, but I promise you if you just live your life up constantly with the will of God spend more time getting close to him and becoming like him to spend more time with that you won't have a lot of time to be going around.

Judging from personally I'm too busy lining up every area of my life with his will to worry about you and so that's the way we ought to be.

We ought to be light and salt influencing without condemning that's what Jesus did so, he says deal with your association with the systems of this world and bring that into line with the will of God and then the last thing the last enemy verse seven of James for is the devil.

The devil he says about that. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Who is the devil Satan is one of the other common names in the Bible, Satan, Lucifer is the devil.

What is that the devil is a being who is opposed to the will of God, whose goal he was created. Like all other beings to submit to the will of God, he rebelled against the will of God. He was cast down, and he now is an enemy of God.

Go watch this not an equal of God. Please keep your theology straight.

The devil is not equal to God, just on the dark side of the force that Star Wars in the Bible that the light side right side of the force in the dark side of the force. I loved it when it came out way back in the 70s because it was good entertaining movie making Wally just went into all kinds of ways.

I didn't personally get into. Personally I've never been into any episode other than the first three is how old I am. Star Wars, the Empire strikes back. Return of the Jedi Goldmine. After that I checked out because I enjoyed the lid only start, we doing stuff I did when into it when even open to it.

I just thought the first three God's Star Wars movies so I don't know any of this new stuff. I like the old Obi-Wan Kenobi and autos fold and then later on they came up with Yoda and what the third one to return to jet. I think this wish Yoda ugly do, but he have power but a lordly man. He had power on the right side of the force over on the other side had Darth Vader and no one else was over there yet. The Emperor and document all the talk and that was fun, but don't make that theology because in those movies you got this epic war between the two sides of the force. Not all in the Bible God is the only all-powerful, all knowing, being the only one that's omnipotent, all-powerful mission, all knowing. He is the only one who's omnipresent everywhere at the same time, Satan is not that that's why Satan operates in the world according to Scripture, and many of you are found not to be true in your everyday life operates in the world through demonic beings, beings who are under his authority and I know you intellectual folks choose to not believe that all I just don't believe that you think everything that's real have to be in the ring of the five senses. I feel sorry for you because what you're resting against is not flesh and blood.

The Bible says when not wrestling against flesh and blood against principalities and powers of darkness spiritual weakness in high places, cast out demons out of people. I know that real when you get to intellectualizing about it.

I can assure you there are more demons working people and things around us, and you can shake a stick at what the good news, if you walk with the Lord you have his authority.

You have his authority and so so we don't have to fear Satan or his army because in Christ. Greater is he that is in me than he that's in the world and so were told to resist the devil, never fear anything satanic.

Never fear anything demonic because in Christ you have authority you have authority in you. You can take that authority and use that authority in the name of Jesus, and it's very, very real.

So we have to resist actively resist anything that a demonic forces trying to entice you to do more to engage in. You have to resist and declare victory over in Jesus name will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard who is senior pastor destiny Christian Fellowship located in Fremont, California listen to the program any time by subscribing to our podcast.

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We can also be heard on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net will find a host of great resources at our online store and stay with us after today's message when Pastor Paul joins me from a studio California first the book of James as we join him for the second half of today's teaching facing your three worst enemies you want to experience God's best for your life. James is three things face and defeat the battle of the flesh face and defeat the battle of the world and face and defeat the battle of satanic forces and the good news is in Christ, we can do all three. You have nothing to fear. You have nothing to worry about. You can live your best life now about people use that terminology living your best life. Your best life is in the will of God.

Most folk who talk about the best life are talking about. That's your best life. It is what God's will calls forth in your life you can prosper in the will of God you can be joyful in the will of God. God isn't out for you to be miserable when you see church people and they are trying to demonstrate their spirituality by how miserable and mean they are missing the boat when your testimony for Jesus is of constant frown, you're missing the whole point when centers run from you, you're missing the whole point when all you know about holiness is what you don't do missing the whole point of Christian faith specialize in the don'ts there born in the wrong dispensation been born under the law, they would love that thou shalt not, we live in grace which doesn't give us permission to be out of God's will, but does give us permission to enjoy the many blessings and promises that are in his will, and God tells you to avoid something you don't know it, but that too was a blessed when God tells Elisa Maloney's blessing right now. You don't know what you'd like something taken from you, but he is actually blessing your life, there is not been in the will of God than the one God calls for you to leave alone.

That would be good for you.

Absolutely nothing when God tells you how to do your relationships and how you do your priorities and everything else he's giving you a blessing. And so James wants us to understand that now when he ends the passage and talks about come near to God, he will come near to you washed your hands you centers purify your heart, you double minded. Three. Born in well let your laughter turn the morning your joy to gloom is simply saying some of you until you get this straight. You need to grapple and wrestle with what is going to take to bring your life in line with God's will and he said that's not a time for having fun. Some of us have to squish Paul's on having fun until we examine our lives and make sure that everything is lining up with God's will.

So he says don't spend your time being happy when you really need to be crying and wrestling through some things that are wrong in your life. Make the tough decisions. First, do the hard work first so that when you return to laughter when you return to joy when you return to the area where you will walk him in purity. He said then you can go back to having fun, but right now, some people need to put final on pause because you got some work to do. You got some relationships to deal with.

You have some decisions to make and then once you make them the rest of your life will be joyful.

I don't know about you but I can tell you that the peace you get from being in the will of God is worth everything you have to surrender the joy of knowing God is pleased with you and your perfect just means God is satisfied with your surrender and your yielding to him and he sees that your heart is pliable and he can shape things and mold think he can tell you pull something out of your life and your point about your life and you'll surrender it because you know once I do that there some blessings ahead of me having fun when the Lord told him to take Isaac up on the mountain and sacrifice, in which, of course, God didn't want to do what he was testing his faith.

But when he passed that test by being one to sacrifice his son, God promised to write down responsive because you didn't even withhold the most precious thing from me which is your son because you didn't withhold him ongoing blessed with all kinds of things and I'm here to tell you if you morning do the work of surrender deal with the flesh there with the world deal with the devil in your life you got some good things ahead of you got some promises and provisions ahead of you haven't seen your house in her heart what God has prepared for you I told you another message when you love God. He makes promises the people who love you make anybody else. I want those lovely holy promises. I want the only give the people who love them. Romans 828 working in my like the rest of my life all things work together for good body, but those that love him. I want that promise where he said I hadn't seen nor has it in your heart. What I'm going to not everybody but those who love God get to that place where your fully surrendered because you love God and he has some things lined up for you reserved all people who love him. I want to be in God's VIP section somewhere without VIP section. You can go in sometime's glass as you see them all in their you look the food they got.

But you're not on the list is a big old to make sure nobody not on the list can get in there. All that is wonderful when you on some lists is so wonderful. I told have been the concerts.

I knew the heart of so-called ahead, and I got put on the list years ago.

Decades ago my wife and I got on the list to meet Donna Summer called up.

I was bold enough, I found out she was say yet still sitting in her all her hits and stuff in her concert and she was coming near when we were bold enough. Back then I was an associate pastor in Philly back in the 80s bold enough to call if the hotel and I put on a preacher sounding voice said in the city yes I like speak to Donna, please visit Rev. Sheppard and I did. The Jedi mind trick on the reception because he was let me bring into Donna's room sounded like you know who I am a reverent Shepherd and it did. The Jedi mind trick on. She said you who is a reverent Shepherd put on the phone was ringing. Somebody answered the phone and I introduced myself to them and explain. I just so summer video notes he witnessed during her concert have always been a fan of her music, and I heard you overcoming over here was in Atlantic City and I lived in Philly, which is just our way and I said and I just wonder if it be possible for me to just spend a few moments I love to just give her a quick interview and find out more about how she came to combine her singing and all with her Christian testimony and the lady said oh yes, reverent her assistant gave me her name suggest we both say we both love the Lord. She's in bed because we had a late concert last night when she wakes up. I will tell her about the call and I will see what we can do it. We just love to come and come to the concert and afterwards we had just a moment or two would hope that would be so wonderful she somehow let you know later that afternoon she called to sit down and got up.

I told about your cold. She soon we have had a reverent come put them on the backstage list and how how give them a few moments he and his wife a few moments and she sorry so you commit yeah yeah got tickets for 8 o'clock and I will be all right. Your names will be on the list.

I was happy before I got there because I knew my name was on the list and we said to the concert.

Enjoy the concert she stopped in her gave her were to witness and all that and then she went on saying the rest of his hits and I got more excited as he came to anything new on names were written down and after the concert.

Bunch of people went to the door for the backstage and they just stand around hoping to catch a glimpse of somebody and what have you.

We didn't have to rush over there.

We just took our time greeted for what have you walked around and finally we strolled over to the thing and big dude standing over him to list and username: Meredith Sheppard yes can come right on and he opened the curtain and other people trying to peak. We strolled through the curtain like turn around Adam and this but I did not know Mona grabbed out a one month when on back then. What have you.

And finally she came out and greeted a few folks, you know that she is not aware of the Rev. and his wife went looking around for us to talk about ID monogram at the service and she came up to us complement my life pretty lady how are you what have you and Mary start grinning. It's wonderful when you and if you will deal with your three worst enemies get all God's VIP list got all things. Thanks so much for being here for today's destined for victory message pleased to welcome Pastor Paul who joins me know from a studio in California pastor this message facing a three worst enemies has been a great reminder that we need to humble ourselves and it is the key to dealing with the flesh the world and the devil. But you know this if were honest humbling ourselves is easier said than done. Is it take just a moment and offer some suggestions you might have for us to daily humble ourselves before the Lord. Absolutely I think the key to learning the truth that James shares with us that if we humble ourselves or he says submit to God, then we will experience what God has for us because he promised if you submit to me I will lift you up. Now here's the issue submission is no one's favorite subject. At least nobody I know submission isn't just something we want to do. Humbling ourselves as an something the flesh certainly wants to do the flesh wants to rear its ugly head every chance it wants to fight it wants to impose its will on whatever situation were facing the wood dealing with a person.

We don't want that person's will to prevail. We would rather have ours prevail. So this is such an important principle in Scripture.

Humble yourself. I'm a preacher's son.

My dad one of the things he used to say is the Bible calls us to humble ourselves and he would say to the church.

Listen things. Humble yourself. Don't make God have to hello. He said if God has to humble you, he'll probably have to put you in a casket and I remember as a boy same man had been sound like too much fun and so we've got a learn to humble ourselves just go low before God. Say your way is right. My way is wrong.

I'm going to do this your way and wait to see what God will do as a result. Well, that reminds me of first Peter five or six humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time accident Encouraging Word pastor. What we have a great resource to share with you today a video message from Pastor Paul call to get your hopes up the word hope in English often conveys doubt.

I hope my team wins or I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow but biblical hope has its foundation in God, in whom there is never any doubt even when life throws a few challenges our way. You can learn more about biblical hope in the special DVD message from Pastor Paul that's get your hopes up our gift to you this month 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. 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. Slander is one of the ways that speaking evil of someone can manifest itself, but I want to make sure you understand that you can speak evil not only by lying on them. You can speak evil by telling the truth. Just because what you said about somebody is true doesn't mean you didn't say and when you talked about this tomorrow and Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message who made you the judge. Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory