Making the Most of What You Have, Part 4

Wait until you're already situated and in a better position in order to do the things God called you know the Lord tells you to do something with your finances, you do it now. You don't wait until later to do it now that is pastor Paul Sheppard and this is destined for victory hello and thanks for tuning in. Jesus spoke about money more than any subject other than the kingdom of God.

He talked about money in 11 of his 39 parables, including the parable of the talents. Pastor Paul is taking us through this month. Here are some of the points we've covered so far Jesus has gone away but he is coming back. He is entrusted property to us. In the meantime, as his servants, he expects a return on his investment.

Stay with us now as we move ahead in this series of messages or visit Pastor Paul.net to listen on demand. That's Pastor Paul.net now in today's destined for victory message making the most of what you have. Pastor Paul. We are currently exploring the parable of the talents as found in Matthew chapter 25 because we are interested in learning what Jesus would have us learn in this parable that he shared with his disciples.

Matthew chapter 25, in the interest of time, I'll only begin by reading verses 14 and 15, but will refer to some others along the way.

Matthew chapter 25, beginning with verse 14 Jesus says again it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them to one he gave five talents of money to another to talents and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey and recent messages we have been exploring this passage to determine what is it that the Lord would have us learn from the parable of the talents regarding our stewardship regarding our management of the resources that God has given us and we learned several things along the way. First of all, we learn that Jesus has gone away but he is coming back. The parable opens with Jesus talking about a man going on a journey, who is to return and he was speaking of himself or indeed Jesus has gone away but he is coming back and we are to live our lives knowing that our Lord is coming again. Secondly, we've learned that we are God's servants, the parable talks about the master calling his servants to himself before he leaves, and we indeed are the servants of the Lord and what we have learned from that is that we are called our purpose on this earth is to serve God is to please him.

God blesses us with many exceeding great and precious promises, so that we can enjoy our lives. God want you to enjoy your life but never outside of his will.

There's plenty of enjoyment and enrichment and fulfillment to be found in the will of God and that is our purpose to live our lives in the will of God and to and to please him. As we live, and then the third thing we are exploring in this passage is that bad he, the master has entrusted his property to us the resources you have been given are in fact not yours.

We have been discovering but they are God and one day we will give an account to him for the way we manage his resources.

Now what are the resources we are looking at three major resources that God has entrusted all of us.

The person is treasure. The second is time and the third is talent. God has entrusted all of us with those three resources and it is our job to learn how to utilize them because here in the parable, it is clear that the master was going to return and he wanted a full accounting of the way the servants handled those resources, which tells you and me that God is gonna want to know how did you handle my money that I entrusted to you.

How did you handle the time I gave you. How did you handle the talents or abilities that I gave you now in the last message we were talking about the fact that God wants us with regard to the treasure to not only give generously what to do to other things and I would pick it up with those other things.

He wants us to give generously number two.

He wants us to save strategically and number three. He wants us to spend sensibly. Having covered giving generously in recent messages and making the case biblically that all the boss ought to give God a tie as the initial indication that we are about to be generous in our support of the kingdom of God and worship of God through our funding. All of us are to be tigers. Beyond that, God will have you give as he so leads, but you want to honor God with the resources by recognizing Lord. This is yours and this tie is my first indication that I'm putting you first and trusting you that you would use my life for your glory. Now we need to talk about what does it look like to spend sensibly and save strategically and in the last message I gave a number of very practical points. I don't have time to recount all of them, but let me just talk briefly about the bullet points we talked in the last message about assessing the money God has given us and what we're doing with it to your boss really know what God has given us and even fewer of us really know what we're doing with what God has given us so we need to assess it and I would encourage you to listen to that message carefully because that message will help you understand that God has given us a seed in order for it to bring forth the fruit that will accomplish his purpose for us. If you are in debt and most of us are God has given you a seed already for the process of beginning to make that debt and get your self and myself on firm financial footing. God doesn't call you to a place and then doesn't give you the wherewithal to get there and I'm here to give you good news. If God wants you out of credit card debt.

Any he has given you the seed in the wherewithal to get it done.

We talked about that in the last message assessing what God has given you and what you're doing with it. We talked about creating a financial plan that will help you live within your means that will help you eliminate credit card debt and that will help you say strategically and I want to get up there by talking you about one more thing before I move on and talk about our use of time in order for us to get God and excellent return on his financial investment in our lives. You and I are going to have to do three things were going to have to walk by faith we going to have to walk by obedience and were going to fasten your seatbelt walk by discipline. Now, again, the goal is to hear the Lord one day say to you. Well done. What you want to hear what I want to hear.

I want to hear. Well done.

I don't want God looking at my report card shaking his well done and well done.

We're going to have to practice faith obedience and discipline limited thought about them a few moments and then gets off the hot seat and talk about time is always about money poker nervous and anxious and who will be glad to get to the next point counsel in this passage tells you that you got to give an account for what God is entrusted to you, which means we gotta walk by faith, that means I want to encourage you if you are in the best financial shape. If you are not in the best position to do all the things that God would have you do with the resources either entrusted to you, and you want to exercise faith that is you want to play and believe God for his blessing in his favor.

If you are in credit card debt and most of us are going to have to believe God to help you get out because you already have a good thing about being God's servant. When you are God's bills are God's bills and that good news and so we want to present them to God.

You want to separate your finances from your spiritual mistake you bring your bills to your place of prayer, and say Lord here.

It is now when you get there.

We don't say Lord you didn't tell me to create this particular picture I created for myself. You did not tell me to get into all of this debt and so what I want to egg knowledge that in some cases I have made some decisions, but it applies the whole lot of us somebody on your role for show and say Lord I got myself into a messier and so I am not coming to you as though you are obligated because after all you are the master I'm the servant so I need to acknowledge you that perhaps I didn't know how to be the best steward.

Perhaps I did make some of the right choices past the Paul series. Yet Jesus and saw made some really bad decisions with some resources and result in me having consumer credit debt that, on second thought, I probably shouldn't of gotten into law now that's water under the bridge but you believe in you and Lord as I am faithful I am going to ask you to please give me favor using the money you've already given me. I want to ask you to give me favor and bless me to be able to get out of debt so that I can before your bondage when you bondage when you so you still really feel like bondage. Trust me, though it is. The Bible says that the borrower is so naïve to the lender. You are in debt and in bondage so you want presented to the Lord you want to walk in faith you want to believe God that he is going to bless you.

Second thing you want to do is walk in obedience, which means you don't want to wait until you're already situated and in a better financial position. In order to do the things God's call to do what the Lord tells you to do something with your finances, you do it now. You don't wait till later to do it now. So course, we saw earlier in the series that begins with becoming a tither honor you. I am not going to let my opinion of my financial position dictate whether or not you I'm going honor you with the time and so I walk in obedience, then you also will will be right back with more of today's testing for Victor message from Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California to listen to any of Pastor Paul's recent broadcasts. Be sure to stop by Pastor Paul.net listen on demand. That's Pastor Paul.net and stay with us after today's message Pastor Paul joins me from studio in California right now.

Let's tuning to the rest of this teaching, making the most of what you have, once again, here's Pastor Paul. Remember, about what he referred to the series. The woman who is God's child, and therein a famine. That's pretty bad. Yet obedience to our house and Elijah shows up and says the Lord says to me that if you do it he'll take care of you.

Now that is a test of your faith. You got a chow mama has a child we don't know how to hear but you know mama's boy and now is a preacher showing up him but I want to see if she knew this was God. She brought him in and fed him and indeed the Lord fed her and her son supernaturally through the famine. Sometimes a little test your obedience by giving you a test that is very uncomfortable that big a test. If you got extra resources and God says give birth to this family in the gym to that project that that ministry that that admission and you got a lot okay. You might want to do some else will be soaking automobile you that's a little minor to the pop. We had God give you like a major exam where you have no and God tells you what to do with and you figure know how to make it anyway and now you're asking me to do something that takes this from bad to worse or has God ever taken you from worst to Wasser.

I realize that is not a word. I'm educated. I realize that's not a word but it feels about right now. I know just what you thought about what I've hung out. They lived there for a while and you know what that's like when you under obedience. You got God which you and some of the witness. If you are living in. People bring you out of there and he is going to glorify himself so much yet to learn to do is you have to learn to trust them even when it doesn't make sense to you because God loves you, know the God we serve. We serve a God who loves sometimes stacking the odds.

God love that God love me sometime you just gotta get used to that walking with God. You just have to get used to that you just can't remember what Mary and Martha went through when they saw their brother Lazarus problem, but they say Jesus is our best friend Lazarus is so they sent word to Jesus said tell him the one he loves his sick while they were concerned about their brother land.

There was, get word to Jesus.

When I got word the messenger shows up, says Mary Martha said to tell you that your friend, the one you love is sick. But Jesus and live according the divine purpose and so Jesus knew that it was not the father's will for him to go heal Lazarus at that moment, so we stayed right where he stayed right where he will continue to minister continue to do whatever he was doing and back and back on the they don't know what he's doing, but they know he hasn't shown up and they sit there and watch Lazarus go from sick today. John chapter 11 I'm in the book. He went from sick today, how they felt Jesus there and his inner circle of disciples and people by him once or twice his friend. He hangs out at some time, and Jesus did not show up, and his best friend now has died. Imagine how they felt.

As they prepared to bury their brother and so the Bible tells us that he is died and Jesus still hasn't shown up even for the funeral.

Now they bring their brother hadn't shown up. Mario now days after his death.

They are at the house.

Mourners are at the house with them.

They are morning been in that setting. You know what that's like mourners all around you people, when you lose a loved one and they trying to comfort you and what have you made about the house and some poker bring in food in bringing flowers and and all that can be very well-intentioned but some time to get on your nerves you never had that experience. I've been there done that, you know, you miracle, and you don't even know and all the food is set up and poking the kids in the fall come in and what have you and you see these folks. Then Ron Eaton and you don't even know you believe what you start crying long enough to say who is that you not been anyway, all that was going on.

Later in Jesus shows up coming down the road read when you get a chance. John chapter 11 Martha runs out the meeting of the Bible says Mary stays in the house and some of us on Mary like when God does this kind of thing to us and makes these very difficult demands of our obedience and Mary sat in the house with an attitude. She said in the house and you can sense in the text, what her attitude is comorbid just ran out and just expressed to Jesus. He so if you had died. We were going to God.but more like oh no he didn't know you not just showing up now for daily we call him, but you gotta put you in that pickle just to show you that he's the God who can do exceeding abundantly above all that you can imagine somebody if you will be obedient with what God tells you to do. You are going to see all resurrection in your own life and there when Mary finally did come out. She said some of the same things that Martha said if you had been here, our brother wouldn't die. Jesus said what you said you're talking about is like death is the end and you're talking to the resurrection everybody else. Death is final to the resurrection is no problem coming in to the resurrection resurrection listed talk to me. Somebody about bad situations and jobs in bed situation, somebody will be doing with my situation and believe that you are going to speak where there what happened in that little situation I met with Jesus to take me to where you buried take me to regulating tightly to what you gave up. That's was taking the way you gave up when you said this is it.

I'm pitiful. I'm broke, I'm never going to get out of this mess that I created, and it's the in summer you are right in your obituary in your heart right now. And Jesus is saying just take me there and all my weight get the blessing got wind of this obedience away.thanks so much for being here for two days destined for victory message making the most of what you have for always glad to have you join us as part of this month celebration of Easter we've prepared a booklet which will encourage you with a hope in power, the resurrection, it's called he's alive, and no give you the details of how you can get a copy in a moment, but right now Pastor Paul has join me again with the microphone pastor. Why should the fact that Jesus is alive be so important of those who claim to follow him. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the truth that distinguishes our faith from all other religions.

When we think about it. Jesus was only an outstanding leader and teacher while on earth, and many people even non-Christians realize that he was, but if that's all he was.

Then he is to be named among great men.

But we who are Bible believers, we who are followers of Christ. We proclaim because we believe it is absolutely true that the historical fact is not only that he lived and died but that he rose from the grave on the third day humanity lives now and he still lives. So that's a different message than you'll get from any religion anywhere in the world.

He's not just a great man. He's the God man.

He is the Redeemer.

He is the one who revelations as well as their buddies alive see when you got me preaching buddies alive and he is coming again for his church. I'm excited because Easter is something we need to all rejoice about because it is what makes our belief system different than any other in the whole world and I praise God that day is approaching and once again were going to rejoice in the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what a day that will be Pastor Paul again.

That booklet is called he's alive and it's our gift to you this month 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 to get that destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 amount of time you know what you get on in that time you insult God when you say you don't have enough time. He granted your life he created your calling, he would never give your calling and not give you time to fulfill it. That's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepard's message making the most of what you have until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory