You're in Training, Part 5

Boot camp is designed to make a soldier out all you soldiers are not born they are made it such change of life. It's a change of lifestyle and there are things you have to learn when you enlist or are drafted the Christian life is a war you may not face real bullets but your under heavy fire would welcome this Friday edition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard this month. Esther Paul compared her treating this Christian store academic training and to an apprenticeship in which we learn a trade from someone who's already mastered today will be reminded that as believers in Christ were in the Army battle is not against flesh and blood enemy forces. Make no mistake, it is a battle. Be sure to visit Pastor Paul.net to listen any pastor Paul's recent messages on demand.

That's Pastor Paul.you can also subscribe to the Destin for victory podcast. It's modifying at Apple podcast or wherever you right now with today's Destin for victory message you're in training Hebrews chapter 12 beginning with verse seven, endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father. If you're not disciplined and everyone undergoes discipline then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the father of our spirits and live our father's disciplined us for a little while as they thought best. But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness, no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it we been looking at paradigms that provide insight into the spiritual discipline the spiritual training that God has us undergoing as his children earlier in the series we covered two paradigms, one about school at least old-fashioned school and most recently about apprenticeship and I talked in the last message about how God is the ultimate master who teaches us as his apprentice is the trades and the disciplines necessary to become masters ourselves and we preached the gospel according to the karate kid. For all practical purposes and learn some vital lessons. There from a biblical perspective. I now want us to look at 1/3 and final paradigm as I wrap up our focus on this business of God developing us in in terms of spiritual training that third paradigm is to look at basic training military basic training, otherwise known as Boot Camp. I have never been, but I have friends who have been relatives who have been and I know that Boot Camp is designed to make a soldier out of you soldiers are not born they are made it such change of life. It's a change of lifestyle and there are things you have to learn when you enlist or are drafted now.

First thing I want you to understand about being in development is a spiritual soldiers that you did not enlist. You were drafted. I don't know about that. It was one day when I realize I need the Lord in my life and I got on my knees and I asked Jesus to come into my life and make me a child of God and I signed up to be his soldier. No you don't understand.

Yes, you ask responded to an altar golf responded to inner conviction. Yes, you invited the Lord in your life that I want to let you know. Jesus said, you have not chosen me, I have chosen you. What that means is you wouldn't have invited anybody anywhere the Lord not decided in eternity past that you were to be his child and you were to be part of his kingdom and part of his army. God chose us. We respond because God gave us the wherewithal to be able to respond and so don't use that language just to be technical. Don't ever tell anybody.

I found the Lord in 1983 I know what you mean but change the language you didn't find the only one lost. You lost in 1983 and he found you and Kaman do you live by his grace saved you from your sins made you a child of God gave you authority to be a son, a daughter of God and now you are developing and becoming the person he wants you to be in part of that requires discipline like under that which you would go through, and military basic training or boot camp because I want to wrap it up in this message. I don't want to be too exhausted, but I want to give you five tips for successfully completing Boot Camp as I was studying in preparing this series I just went online and said let me find what information I can that they used to help prepare Littlejohn recruits who think they want to be in the Army and so I came up I sold several resources and I boiled all that I read and studied about down to five tips for successfully completing Boot Camp. Here's number one.

Set your priorities set your priorities. I learned that if you're going to be in boot camp. They tell young recruits. They tell them now. You are not going to be able to do this hit and miss up and down and out little bit of commitment they tell you know that's not the way this works. Let me quote one of the training manuals I read and Boot Camp. Your life is going to be broken down into two piles things you want to do and things you have to do, God speaking to somebody already things you want to do things like sleep is what they put in the manual you want to do like sleep, read right talk with your buddies. They say in boot camp will be in the want to do category they say the other things that you will have to do are things that maybe you're not accustomed to doing, but will be necessary as a young recruit, such as shine your shoes, roll your laundry both floors scrub toilets etc. they say, the temptation will be strong to slack off and procrastinate. Then the next word is don't take care what you have to do first as well detailing young recruits. Take care what you're going to learn is not doubt that have to do first and see how many want to do you get to enjoy.

Don't slouch. All you have to do they say is don't be trouble if you come short on the have to do second Timothy two verse four says no one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs.

He wants to please his commanding officer have to learn that Disciples of Christ have got to take on the mindset that your job the reason you are walking the earth is to please our commanding officer to do your thing you to get the most gusto. I like you can want to do have to do is I have to do what the Lord wants for me have to serve him have to please them have to do everything that will get him to say well done soldier.

That's my have to and we learn that that means setting priorities. Now some of us are good at setting priorities where living you did get up and do what you feel like doing not all God has you in spiritual development and spiritual development means you can no longer live the life you been saying for 15, 20, 25 years but you're just now getting down to the discipline of taking your life in the direction God wanted to go and I will let you know.

It is no seniority in the kingdom. Just because you been in the chart alone time that mean you a pass Boot Camp so you'll never even got in the Boot Camp you, but God now has you in boot camp has you under the influence of a ministry that's designed to help you get where God is actually taken you in your lifetime and it means you don't have to set some priorities and decide what is first and foremost in your life anything you love anything you decide you want to do with excellence have to be prioritized set priorities.

You got to decide this is important enough to change this important enough to turn off the TV. This is important not to get rid of friends. This is important not to say this is important enough to make some decisions about my life. You can ties with your mouth is whipped, decisions and actions.

Everybody talks a good game in the locker room for teams that may have been pumped up. I've been a chaplain a lot of different times I pray would change and what have you seen how the update. Get before the game. You know you are before the day. What matters is how well you trained weeks before that moment when you get to that critical moment. Your emotions have nothing to do with collapsing the mold to jump around Megan, but no go and get come back in time down. 36.

The same why is not about emotions. It's about decisions and discipline. You gotta pay the price. If you want to master anything and Jesus said about kingdom living. He said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness first got me number one in your life up next. The rest of today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul Sheppard. We want to thank all of you whose prayers and financial support help pastor Paul share the gospel all over the world for donations do make a difference. So as God leads prayerfully consider making a generous gift from when asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. He should be your first love is pastor Paul with the rest of today's message you're injuring God set number one no questions asked. I say you do know? I'm first I get the first time I get the first worship I get the first of your affection. Set your affection on things about suggestions there all come from a commanding officer, people wonder what is the modern church so much less powerful than the early church called the modern church thinks is up to us how much commitment we make to the things of God and the church do that better be prepared to die for him without these big fancy buildings we bill their families were saying Jesus we will cut you off and have nothing else to do with you to sell properties. Paul resources the apostle could be met meant and we sit around, decide whether we want to go to church at praise and worship just waiting to slip in there long enough to hear the guy preach County noticing and just go he him. You gotta realize this is God's church. This is God's agenda for your life church on TV while I go sit in my home in my pajamas on and go to church does not church this television we will have live streaming at some point, but it will be to substitute for showing up.

It'll be for the sick and shut in and people traveling and Physically can't get there you can tune in and I'm still connecting with my pastor my church at least work it will be something I will will just stay home this afternoon and evening watching me double is alive, call you out that Ms. go because the committee said forsaking the assembling of yourself. You can talk to him what you can pray for what I can pray for you when you have a bad week. Megan preached a sermon so you gotta set your priorities go to church is what I do.

I don't go to the mall before I go to church. I seek first the kingdom first of my time. Don't tell me that you that I'm a priority and I get the worst of your time. Worst of your energy.

Worst of your money until not a priority you're a liar. If somebody claims you are there priority and you are down the list somewhere time energy resources. Don't believe it.

You single sisters, he set your priority left over time left over energy left over money. Don't believe it. Just don't come back no more, no more no more ready because it is not a matter of wrap all girl you know you my girl you know you mumble you my number one goal.

If you really serious about me number one only suggest you got some others down the hall. I just did some brothers get mad at me with a no commitment is clear that you been generous and don't give me some magnifying just like his actions and the commitment and set your priorities spiritually. Such a party decide if you say Lord I want to be close to bonds is drawn near to him and he will draw near to you want and how can God not close with you because you have drawn near get some prayers answered that I really want to draw near got into the holy of holies you have gotten that intimate space with him where God hold you loving on him so good. He'll do just about anything for you and you have to learn to go take in your commitment to the Lord such parties. Number two.

Adjust your attitude. The purpose of boot camp is to make you And designed to destroy people is designed to make soldiers, but the process they all start with making you gotta stop breaking because we show up as civilians we show up as independent Americans. My own person.

I do what I want to do.

Nobody tells me what to do.

You ain't none of my daddy that most of us have perfected to this point in our lives as we we would say that in a heartbeat.

Anybody any friend, any person try to talk to you as authoritatively as you something when you get into God's boot camp you will have to be broken your self well before you can move in the spirit and military boot camp is designed to break you so that they can make you that's was always instantly when these hardheaded kids get mad at the rules at home that's going all okay. I've seen it happen several times past, it is anyone going to, you know, so that's a good decision to get on the bus or get into the first lot to commanding officer time no hear the soul music will be a whole pastor friend of mine is a stepparent to a couple of children. He said one of them said to me I'm going into the military so I told him all right wish you well. When in the military as rebellious when he left the house as he could be. He said several weeks later, our phone rang, his mother picked it up and he talked to her for a while and then he said, can I speak to Dan.

She said he will speak to you honey that I got on the phone and I said hey son how are you he said here's what he said sir, I'm doing fine sir he's I want is yet. He said I asked how his basic training going so is going very well sir, you know light is what he said he heard another loan you. Glad you made the decision to enlist sir was the best decision I've ever made in my life sir day. Why, because when they got through with him.

He knew either have to break I will bring some of the stuff and I'm here to tell you that you will have to rely solely open, save for years and you haven't really started your discipleship journey yet because your will is still in the know God is the only commanding officer who never makes a mistake his orders are perfect and true and always design for your ultimate good. Learn to say, sir yes sir and you'll be destined for ultimate victory the matter what battles come your way. Now, if you need prayer today. If you are in a battle for which there seems to be no escape. The destined for Victor ministry team would like to join you in prayer from the homepage of Pastor Paul.net use the contact feature to let us know how we can pray for you and while you're there we should ask for pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement. Yours, at no cost or obligation. Remember destined for victory exists only through the faithful prayers and financial support of friends like you and today in appreciation of your generous gift. Pastor Paul would like to send you his booklet creating a relational legacy earlier this month. He and his wife Meredith spent a few days here on the program talking about the ways we can improve and strengthen our personal relationships.

In this booklet highlights the major themes and that message gets called creating a relational legacy.

It's our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift 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 once again addresses destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 may have given you to call you want house, you want the job you want to come to an God says this season of your life is designed to get you to sir yes sir that's next, I would Pastor Paul Shepard's message you're in training until then, though, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory