The Best Gift Ever (cont'd)

People about what people say that you will want that your spouse, the convention is you know you desperately need what I have and you're willing to let me bless you, by grace.

Jesus came to save us, not because of our goodness. But in spite of our badness. That's the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When thanks for stopping by for today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul Sheppard Romans 623.

The apostle Paul says the wages of sin is the gift of God is eternal life. That's what salvation is a gift, one based on mercy, merit unwillingness, not well today pastor Paul delivers a special Christmas with message about the greatest gift the world has ever seen the salvation of Jesus Christ. It's a free gift of eternal gift is available to anyone who asks for stay with us now.

But remember, you can always visit pastor Paul.net to listen on to me that's pastor Paul.net or subscribe to the podcast. It's bona fide at Every you get your special Paul. Today's destined for victory message. The best gift ever. Romans five and seven says that the father gave his only son and the son.

Then in turn gave his life. Romans 832 tells us he did not spare his own son, but him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.

Jesus was willing to give his life and the father loves you and me so much that he was willing to give his son. Now why is it that Jesus can save us when no one else could. Glad you asked. It's because the Savior had to be sent and had to be willing to become sin in exchange for our sins.

You know what happened on the cross. You could call it the great exchange on the cross bus God man Jesus Christ. He knew no sin became sin for us so that we could become the righteousness of God in him.

If you ever read about Jesus on the cross. One of the things you notice that he says is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me never before had Jesus know what it is the be separated from God the father, but because he loved you so much. He said I tell you what I think all your sin upon myself, and I'll become the sin sacrifice and then in doing that. I'm going to put all of my righteousness on you marvelous that a perfect God came down to earth, lived a sinless life, and then on the cross. He took all of your sins and mine upon himself so that we would be free to serve him and have a real relationship with him.

One of my favorite movies of all time is a movie called 7 pounds and when that movie came out years ago. It started Will Smith. The movie was about this character played by Smith, who was created through his negligent driving and horrific accident. He's in the car with his girlfriend and he's their plan around. She said what you put the phone down and were going to some social event some special event but he still kind a work load had and so that laughingly talking about him driving and texting which is something you should never do that. Let me thought that in right now and so the fact of the matter is with his negligent driving.

He creates an accident that was so horrific that seven people died in this accident, one of which was his girlfriend's fiancé who was in the car with him and so she died six other people in that accident were killed because of Will Smith characters, poor decision-making and negligent driving and there he is alive and so you don't notice to you get all the way through the movie as well put together the beginning you see signs you see every noun in flashes of what happened, but you can't put the whole story together until you get through it what you see most of the movie is this man finding seven people that he wants to give an extraordinary gift to as the movie develops you find out that the gift requires him to sacrifice things about himself. He gives away parts of his body that he can give away and still be alive and then at the end of the movie as it moves toward a climax.

You see that he has been a setting things up so eventually he is going to literally give his life and in giving his life.

He is going to give the remaining gifts that he could live while staying alive, and goals are notably donations after his death, and he looks through the movies looking for seven people to bless.

Now here is why I love the movie because you find out at the end that he's a tortured soul.

He's lived the rest of his life just tortured with the guilt of having taken seven people's lives and he wants to atone for it and you find out at the end that he was looking for seven people to give seven very precious extraordinary gifts to but here's the problem he was looking for people that he thought were worthy of the gift. Now I understand it it's context. You see that this character is looking for people who he considers worthy.

Here's the problem. At a certain point, it dawned on me as I sat in the theater almost blurted it out. I didn't but I could've said all this is the process of the gospel. This is the exact opposite of the gospel. You know what I mean by that was a tortured man tortured by guilt, trying to find seven people to give an extraordinary gift to the gospel. Jesus then come people.

Jesus came looking for people you lead people to say that you just as you. You really need what you're willing to meet you Grace. Grace means you could try and God gave you the most expensive gift he could do in giving us his son. It was an essential gift. It was an expensive gift.

Number three.

He gave an eternal gift he gave an eternal gift. What does the Bible say here in the text, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have lasting life everlasting eternal.

I'm so glad he gave me a gift that does have a expiration date on your salvation indoor what I wanted these days. Glad to know that you're not going to well it was good for as long as it lasted, but it expired now, so I'm back to my sins. Not all by the grace of God. Grace will sustain me throughout eternity, you who are in Christ, can live with the absolute assurance that one of these days when we leave this and trust me when I tell you we all check it out here. The reason why you're doing the right thing. Listen to the word of God reason why you right got to go to church. The reason why you're right to invest in eternal things is called all of us all away into an eternity going into a Christ or you bought into what Christ lists eternity, but all of us are eternal beings. Your spirit will be a live a million years from now the question is how you will spend eternity.

What we are about it in Christ because he gave us a gap that is eternal and will for all eternity. So glad to know I'm saying now and a million years on the be saved in the presence of God and the reason will be the same because of the ability to carry me all the way.

Still ahead. The second half of today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont California. We want to thank all of you who sustained destined for victory with your prayer and financial support, gifts, and help pastor Paul share the gospel all over the world destined for victory is a listener supported ministry. So please prayerfully consider making a generous year-end gift today donate online@pastorpaul.net pastor Paul.net next pastor Paul Sheppard reminds us of the priceless gift. Jesus came to give us the list showing him now for the rest of today's message. Best gift ever be excited about the that when this is all you got a house not made with heaven\heaven will be up to Karen on the way Jesus that you got got here you just to crave that salvation, we'd all be set by grace through but that's why we will sing a song, a dangerous case thing. We cannot think of the gay thing about being redeemed created to glorify God is all they do is glorify God and do his bidding. But when we get there we will be the first there jacked up and then because of the week.leave from the Lord. We have his life going on inside of us. So it's an eternal gift that outlasts your sin in the bowels of the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.

I'm not going to die physically, we're going to die in these bodies, but be technical when I go diet all because of Jesus, the day that you hear pastor Paul Goll don't believe it. I'm not what I'm gone from this existence as would be talking about but I'm very much alive. That moment the body is the be present with the Lord. When this here is is craziness going on to the mall and folks shoot no place like they got no sense.

This is by sin, but God that when you die, you belong to the Lord and one day when you check out here will be crying over just what you will leave well enough to cry when you go you should be working on that now. Make sure you doing right by people and blessing people and helping people during the falcon at least some good insurance for your loved ones and all that you want to do some stuff that will make you cry when you go live. So today so go on your good enough for working hard so that you actually miss me is practically part of our new members or inpatient when the pastor goes useful to fallout. I will be around to see if I just I just wanted to know when things go ahead.

They just go stretch out I want.

I just want to but is all matter when I'm going out with all well know, I know the rest of that day you can you can get yourself together. You be said not that the restaurant crying anyway so you go eat you just don't believe past is gone and so I want you to fall out pass all the way out when they got put stuff on your nose again is my fantasy only me alone, but I'm glad to know some morning when this life is all I'm going to fly away from here. We will be more in my body. Then we are right now because in this body you start feeling that this one wasn't built to last for your boy in my generation. You all know we start to have stuff happen that you say or whether pain come from me, although I never felt that never felt that you can make some moves like you used to make something don't get no like me, you gotta make segments so many years. You just got the bed you all, but you say wait a minute hold loan to some twist inside of you somewhere you is your body telling you you're not in this wondrous day.

This house was made for eternity but then we got another one coming because of the goodness of our God is eternal gift one more thing I'm done. Number four. Not only is the central gift not only expensive, not only eternal but number four.

It's an exciting know what I mean by that Jesus said in John 1010 comes to to destroy.

I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. You have eternal life in Christ. But before we leave. Useful to have abundant life right now you life in Christ right now I don't get these sour saints sour say you must be somebody who can enjoy your life.

So that's why you wait heaven because you can't stand life here is not supposed to be useful to just look forward to the upgrade, but God will allow heaven to invade some of your life here in that's what we normally believe in God for healing believe in God to give us jobs and and get us through tough times asking God to send me a little heaven get me through this crunch I'm going through my life with the supernatural people don't believe in the supernatural. I believe that a supernatural God will bless me above and beyond that which is normal walk with him. He will in my experience with is true and so you enjoy your life.

He said just like to the full life abundantly. Some Christians when a creature you can tell they don't have any joy Jesus said he was leaving. Read John chapter 14, 15 and 16.

He says a lot of things is he preparing to depart. One of the things he says to his disciples, if he's gonna leave us peace, his peace and his joy.

Now the master question. Jesus left you and me his peace and his joy while we walk and decided not going to have any unclaimed blessing me peace and joy. He said I say these things to you that your joy may be full. I want full joy will be one of these Christians walk around the Lord. Praise the Lord sound mean to be excited to be happy peace that passes on the top times we all passes on this know how to get through this without losing my mind. So that God's care and bereavement season.

All know something with God, making it by the grace of God be by now. But now they know me, God, you will make you walk by yourself. You get will give you some to get you through what you gotta go through because what we got on that first Christmas was an exciting gift. I'm excited about Jesus. I'm excited about salvation. I will not be one of these these saints who was a secret agency body. Jesus you will change you forever to all these Jesus when the great paradox of the life of Christ is the dying was his reason for living every day of his life. He laid it down to serve us in the last day of his life. He laid it to save us. Blessed be his holy name. If you need prayer today. If your story is taken a wrong turn but destined for Victor ministry team would like to help, visit pastor Paul.net click contact us and share your prayer request so that we can join you in prayer and while you're there, be sure to sign up for pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement. Yours, at no cost or obligation with a great resource. We want to share with you today.

Pastor Paul's brand-new full-length book lessons from the vineyard. God is called all of us to go out into the world and bear fruit notes true. Each of us has different gifts, so we will bear fruit in different ways but all of us have been called and equipped to lead people to faith in Christ and to help them grow and that faith pastor Paul shows you how in his book lessons from the vineyard. It is our gift to you by request for your most generous donation of $25 or more to destined for victory.

So please 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, the addresses destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You gotta remember when Joyce saying something, you make a choice to do joy and happiness.

Happiness depends exclusively on what happens when happy things happen. You should be happy, but when happy things happen. You might not have much reasonably happy but you got a lot of reason to have joy that's tomorrow would pastor Paul Shepherd explains the difference between joy and happiness in his message the gift of grace.

Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for