Seizing the Opportunities Before You

When opportunity knocks you need courage to open the door and wisdom to walk through it.

Just a few moments, Pastor Paul Sheppard shares today's destined for victory message seizing the opportunities before you, but before he gets started. He joins us from a studio in California. Pastor has been one thing it is been certain over the past many months has been the uncertainty of our times. It's one of the reasons we want to encourage everyone to have this months offer a booklet you've titled trusting God in scary times. So tell us about this great resource and how what God did in Abraham's life can be an encouragement to us. It started with me thinking personally about what was it like to be Abraham having to send your wife Hagar and your's firstborn son Ishmael away from the family home.

You know that had to be awfully scary. I thought about what what would it be like to be Hagar and to be Ishmael and subtly you are put out of your home, and you're going God knows where to do. God knows what that had to be awfully scary. Frankly sometimes in our lives we hit scary moments they might not be what these people experienced. But if you've ever been through some tough times in my grandmamma would've said, if you haven't yet keep on living because it's gonna happen is going to happen). The result is you're going to wonder Lord, how in the world am I going to get through this. Whatever your this is so I will do some this part of the series and I wrote this booklet with the desire and the hope and prayer that God would help people understand that he is available to us, even in scary moments. His faithfulness is certain, and although it doesn't feel very good. The Lord has promised that he is going to finish the good work he began enough so I pray that those who receive this booklet, which they can have at their request this month as they donate. I pray that it will be a real blessing and it will help them through the scariest moments in their lives. You know the word of God tells us in second Timothy one verse seven that the Lord is not given us a spirit of fear but of love power and a sound mind.

Again, the booklet is called trusting God in scary times and it's our gift to you this month by request for your generous donation to Destin 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 Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Again, our address is destine for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. There are some things that are inevitable that are outside of all of our purview. All of our ability to change. There is another set of things, especially as it pertains to God's plan for your life that you have everything to do with how this pans out. I need you to come to understand that God sets opportunities before you what you will about the opportunity is quite up to you. Years ago an American theologian wrote what we now know as the serenity prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change the courage to change the things I can wisdom to know the different on today's destined for victory. Pastor Paul Sheppard talks about two key words from that prayer, courage and wisdom you need both to reach her destiny in Christ.

Here's Pastor Paul. Today's message seizing the opportunities before you. I want to continue talking about living fearlessly, but our focus is shifting now and I want you to go with me to Deuteronomy chapter 1 in here will see Moses speaking to the people that he was called to lead out of Egypt and now the challenge is to get them into the promised land because God's call on our life is not only out of some things, but it is into some other things and so Moses is trying to get the folks he's gotten them out of Egypt, but they are living in a wilderness, God never ordained to be their home and the call on them is to take God up on his promise.

He said I have promised you will place the land flowing with milk and honey, I promise.

Did way back to Abraham and I'm going to keep my promise, and he's trying to get them into the promised land and chapter 1, I want you to look at verse 21 will look at some of the verses along the way but start by looking at verse 21 is what Moses says look the Lord your God has set the land before you go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you. Do not fear or be discouraged. Now look carefully at that Moses is trying to get these people out of this wilderness, which was only meant to be a transit way between Egypt and the promised land they are stuck in the middle and he's trying to get them moving and so look at what he says again, look, the Lord your God has set the land before you go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you. Do not fear or be discouraged.

Here is one of two points I want to make in this part of our series. Here's the way I worded the first point God has set certain opportunities before you, but the outcome is determined by you alone, let me say that again God has set certain opportunities before you, but the outcome is determined by you alone. I need us to understand this whole thing.

Can we talk a lot about destiny and in fulfilling your destiny in today's world and it's a legitimate theme.

If you rightly understand it. Destiny is not the same as fatalism. Fatalism is the idea that stuff is going to happen and there's nothing you can do about it and a lot of people build fatalism into their theology.

That's unfortunate because the Bible doesn't teach fatalism.

The Bible doesn't teach well you know what's gonna happen is just gonna happen and you have absolutely nothing to do with that. There are some things that are inevitable that are outside of all of our purview. All of our ability to change. There is plenty in the world that you cannot impact by what you do but there's another set of things, especially as it pertains to God's plan for your life that you have everything to do with how this pans out. I need you to come to understand that so that as we teach you the principles of the word of God how to live out your faith and how to be a person of divine destiny. You will understand. God sets opportunities before you what you do about the opportunity is quite up to you. There are a lot of people who have other opportunities that they never take advantage of and I came to tell you if you want to live a life full of God's purpose.

If you want to know that your life is making a difference for both time and for eternity. He some things into you in terms of opportunity and potential but you have to act to bring that the past and that's what I want to do in this installment of the series. I want you to understand there are some things you have to live fearlessly about because if you remain fearful or discouraged.

You are going to miss many of the opportunities God has ordained for you to take advantage of and I don't want anybody under my spiritual watch to leave this earth with your work on Don my job as a leader as a teacher.

As a pastor in the body of Christ is to help you get your work done. I want all of us to be able to stand before the Lord one day and hear well done good and faithful servant. None of us to stand up in the Lord. Say what you do. We want to hear.

Well done and the way to do that is understand that God has set certain opportunities before you, but the outcome is determined by you alone is the richest place in the world is the cemetery because the cemetery who died with their dreams on build, who died with their business unestablished who died with the book that was supposed to write written there are people who died when a soul that was supposed to share with the world and they never wrote it or they didn't get it out there so that other people get be blessed by the cemetery is awfully rich place because people who were given a lifetime to get some things done.

Member did on what God wanted them to do. And I came to tell you that is something you must do and the way to do it is to make sure that you understand fatalism is not the same as destiny destiny has to do with what God has created you to do that. You then act on and allow him to use you, whereas this fatalistic ideas.

Well, you know brings additional happening and you just sit back and watch them. No, not at all when it comes the destiny you and I are active participants in what God has ordained for our lives.

None of us to go get the sit around to say I'll know next thing I know I was anointed and I was just changing the world is not the way it works out know it didn't happen. I had a worldwide business model is not the way it goes. You have to plan to be faithful in the kingdom of God and let me tell you something kingdom living is not about religion, the kingdom of God is not a religious thing. The kingdom of God has to do with where God reigns.

It's not a geographical location. The kingdom is within us. We live out the values of the kingdom and you and I are called to take the king and his kingdom everywhere we go. So when you you don't have to work for religious organization back. I hope you know because that's like being in a like convention. We need to get the light out into the darkness.

We all need more people working in vocational ministry.

We need people taking the ministry to Google taken administrative Facebook administrator Twitter taken a ministry to the company you work for the industries you are full. We need the kingdom in the business world.

We need the kingdom in the sports world when the kingdom in the entertainment world and I don't care what church is growing well it's still got more people to reach some of our churches are gathering some good numbers of people, but we all have a lot more work to do.

You don't believe me leave church and drive by tomorrow. I pastored a church that was just growing by leaps and bounds in one season. My pastoral ministry thousands coming all weekend long that we still got everything people because you leave again, I could park near the church will please the last time you say I'm sick of going to the football game because you can't park next to the stadium to go to the game expect them to park near the stadium going don't know is true you got the two men he always talk about money, no money over at the day you can get in without money you can eat snacks without money, will somebody everything you want to buy the T-shirt does money what they want to complain about the kingdom so that I will pay him any mind will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Sheppard broadcast on demand of Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net to find a host of great resources in our online store, including books and DVD messages from now the second half of today's destined for victory message from Dennis Pastor seizing the opportunities before you matter is we are kingdom people everywhere we go. And God wants to get some things done through you and you don't have to do one in church that you shouldn't a woman church.

You gotta let your light shine when the darkness is.

So if you're in the entertainment field you are supposed to be kingdom as you do that work. It is all about the kingdom of God as I want to understand God giving you certain opportunities. Some of that I'm not just talking about things you can do to help us in the church. Every church leads people to take up the work of getting the ministries done. But that's more like doing chores in a family when I grew up.

When you grow up in a family who had chores you didn't call you and the family. You are getting paid for somebody like me. We grab and on the refrigerator with a magnet was what every child was supposed to do and you get it done. This particularly when I grew up you just knew, and some that we want to go there was a special event on Saturday and my brother and hind and Jimmy Ricky we going out we going somewhere to the special sporting thing or whatever would I leave early Saturday morning.

We all excited my mother say what you know you got get your chores done first side I look on refrigerator and I got to do to live. So, Lord Jesus, because when they said back to doing the living room. It would just walk you and you know, straighten up a couple piles, mostly all old heads going to live every minute you had to start on your knees, clean those baseboards and all that. Get that floor altogether and then you work your way up Donald as blinds and everything done when it came to the furnishing like we had back in those days you had to Google stereo in your living room. See, I'm dating myself old big stereo big enough to be a casket look like about stereo had speakers on either side and what have you been in the middle you lift up the lien there was a turntable look at all turntable and that will you had to clean that you had to get the lemon play Kokomo somebody you had to clean that Caesar don't just wipe spray get that thing wipe our silly smudges when I come down there and that's how we did chores back in the day.

That is why I took my 40 5 PM with me when I had to do the living room. Michael Jackson and then they help me put your 4545 is 45 you drop it on hold and then you put that holder on top of it and you push the button and record with drop and drop down and start singing, stop the love you save may be your own. Take it slow be all alone know what to say go to five dad drop and then you put the temptations and they drop in their enabled all helping me. They all help me with my chores. We got to do chores, just because we in the kingdom. But don't think you got your work done. Now I gotta go out and get the work done wherever God sends me in this world. I've got to get it done. There are opportunities set before you, but the outcome is determined by you will some of you are supposed to establish a business whether it be your primary source of income are not supposed to establish a business and get that done and you can just show your faith in the midst of doing your business and so we've got to understand, we gotta broaden our sense of what our calling is a calling isn't just about the church calling is about what I do to share who Jesus is. Everywhere I go and I need to help you understand this, so I want you to notice that this verse, verse 21 of Deuteronomy 1. The Lord has set be his people on land the promised land, but God will pick up and drop you in the land. He said it before you and look at what it says you gotta go possess it. Also looking at a land that we haven't yet possessed, looking at opportunities we haven't taken advantage of and I've come with us from on high to tell you it's time for you to get some stuff done so. Notice the end of adverse not fear or be discouraged when the Bible tells you don't fear and don't be discouraged. You know why because what you're going to see this will cause you to have fear if you're not careful.

And what you're going to see and what you can experience can discourage you if you're not I came to let you know where in warfare so you can shrink back just because hope those people over there strong and mighty well that's why God said I promised it to you.

Now you go possess it. I'm not going to drop you into it. I'm making you the promise. I'm giving you the opportunity you will go possess it. I will flesh this concept. I will make sure you understand this is biblical. Go to Philippians chapter 2 in the New Testament, pulls into the church of Philippi.

Philippians chapter 2 and I want to look at verses 12 and 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure, notice, work out your own salvation was that what was that about, work out your salvation what you mean he's not saying work for your salvation you will work for your salvation. Jesus paid the price for your salvation we mean well, but sometimes we state things wrong either. People safe deposit, work out your soul salvation. You just read it, not in their you can save your soul. That's why Jesus came to work out your soul salvation you work out your own salvation you saved, and what does he mean when he says, work out your salvation. He's not saying work for Jesus already paid the price.

He's saying, work out the reasons God saved you, you gotta work out in your experience, why God saved you and put you on the planet. There's some things you're supposed to do. I just told Ephesians 210 God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, so you gotta work out those things as expressions of your salvation you will work for you to work out your soul salvation essay by Christ working out your own salvation.

Meaning I'm working out of me. Look at verse 13 what God worked into me. God has worked some stuff in the you not your job to work it out. And the reason why the cemetery is so rich it's got a lot of people had God work stuff into them that they never worked out businesses.

They never started books. They never read songs they never wrote performances.

They never gave opportunities they never took advantage of and don't die what you work on done. There is a verse in the book of Revelation chapter 14 that says Blessed are the dead, that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them when you die useful to have some works following you and I don't know about you but I'm going to too many funerals where they die and come in behind. They didn't do anything that mattered outside of their own life and you want to have some full crime when you die because of the impact you have on them because of the business as you establish because of the minister you executed because of the way you help raise them and train them and disciple them. Gotta be people whose lives are better off because of what you did and if somebody isn't impacted when you die and they just go eat some is wrong you know if you did. If you have been around us. They just asked them the whole church is been trained in mice will be part of the new member orientation when past the goals you suppose the fall out. Even working hard trying to be a good pastor trying to help people with their lives. The day you're here. I'm going out that day is no time soon, but the date you here I'm gone. I will man, which only eaten that's the date you fast. The rest of that day you to believe that he will got all our diseases and some heart is the just thing this grade up. Thanks for being here for today's message seizing the opportunities before you. For more information about Destin for victory or how you can get your copy pastor Paul Shepard's booklet trusting God and scary times stop by our website Pastor Paul.net that's pastor Paul.net we all have good opportunities but we also have gone opportunities with many of the good opportunities you can but make sure you don't miss any of the God opportunities when a thing is a God thing you want to make it a priority. That's next time a pastor Paul Shepard's message seizing the opportunities before you. Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory