Destined for Victory

Paul Sheppard: He is witnessing to who God is. Put it this way: Jesus is the best picture God ever took. He is the faithful witness. He is the one who shows us what the Father looks like. He's the invisible, awesome God who was made visible and approachable.

Narrator (Male): If you want to know what God is like, find out what Jesus is like. Hello and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard. You know, part of the reason Jesus came to Earth was to offer visible evidence of an unseen God.

As we move ahead in our journey through the Book of Revelation today, remember: the Jesus who lived and walked among us is the same person as the God who created us. The message is coming up, but first, I want to remind you of our website, pastorpaul.net. That's where you can listen to any of our recent messages on demand and where you can find out how to listen to the program on your favorite digital platform. That's pastorpaul.net. Now, let's get started with today's Destined for Victory message, "Jesus in High Definition."

Paul Sheppard: We're continuing to look at Jesus in high definition. You see here in the first chapter of the Book of the Revelation a very clear, dynamic picture of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we are focusing here so that we can understand the God with whom we have to do. He has given us a very clear image in the words that he gave to the Apostle John.

Now, we have covered in the first couple of installments of this series the fact that he is described here as the one who is, who was, and who is to come. And we said in the opening message of the series that Jesus has eternal "is-ness." He is the eternally present one. He is present in the now. He is present in what we call eternity past. He is present in what we call eternity future.

God is the eternally present one. You always speak of him in that tense. He said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM." God is not a "was," he is not a "will be." No, he didn't reach his prime and now he's getting kind of old and can't do what he used to do. God is eternally present. He is who he always was. He is what he always will be. He is the eternally present one.

And we looked at a passage of scripture to help us understand the "is-ness" of God in Numbers 23, verse 19, where we're told God is not a man that he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent. And in that opening installment of our series, we saw that God is not like us. So he is not some superhuman being. He is not the man upstairs. There is no man upstairs. He is God, the God of the universe, and he is not a man.

We also saw in the last message in our series that God is a jealous God. And we talked about the fact that God is a jealous God. He revealed that in Deuteronomy chapter 4. Moses said, "Listen, when you get ready to get into the Promised Land, you need to understand, Israel, that God will not allow you to practice idolatry without consequence. He is a jealous God. He is a consuming fire."

And we talked about the fact that God is the only being in the universe who has an absolute right to be jealous, for we are his by creation, we are his by redemption, and we are his by covenant—they in the old covenant and we in the new covenant. And so we belong to God, and he has every right to insist that our lives line up with his will and with his purpose, for our God is a jealous God.

But we went on to see in Deuteronomy chapter 4, in verse 24, you're told he is a consuming fire and a jealous God. And in verse 31, Moses said, "Now, if you begin to practice idolatry, God will cause you to be scattered; your enemies will prevail against you. But if you turn to God with your whole heart, you will discover he's a merciful God."

And I ended the last message by reminding us of the importance of the mercy of God because all of us have had those times when we have failed, when we have disappointed, when we have come short of God's plan, when we have been sometimes in open rebellion. But Moses said, "If you turn to the Lord with your whole heart, you'll discover God's a merciful God."

And I want to let somebody know that if you are ready to get out of your mess, if you are ready to experience God's glory, if you are ready to move on from where you've been, if you're tired of being a prodigal, if you're tired of having squandered this time with riotous living and living outside of the will of God—if you turn to him like the prodigal son, you'll discover that he is ready to embrace you.

The thing I love about God is that he doesn't hold grudges. If you turn to him with your whole heart, he is ready to embrace you. He won't put you on spiritual probation. You know, if you come back to God after having messed up and having defied him and having practiced some form of idolatry, idolizing anything or anybody other than God, you will discover his wrath and his wrath upon your life. But if you turn to him, the Lord will embrace you, and his ability to cover your sin is magnificent. The Bible says he casts them in the sea and remembers them no more.

And if you turn to God with your whole heart, you're going to discover that our God is a merciful God. I love his grace and his mercy. Grace means he gives you what you don't deserve. But mercy means he doesn't give you what you do deserve. And all of us have needed both. You're saved because of grace; you got what you could never earn: salvation. But even after getting saved, how many know there have been times when you needed mercy? You know that you blew it royally.

But God is a God, not only of a second chance—a lot of people say God is a God of a second chance. Well, that would be nice, but I've got something better than that. God is a God of another chance because some of y'all don't even remember when your second chance was. Come on now. We blew the second chance so long ago. Some of us are up to God knows what the count is up to now.

But if you turn to him with your whole heart—now, that's the measure of true repentance: when we turn with our whole heart. He's not talking about turning to God just to get out of the immediate mess you're in. You know, some folk, some of y'all have prayed before you got saved; you prayed 9-1-1 prayers. "Oh, Lord, if you bail me out of this, I'll serve you, and I will go to church; I'll start going to church, Lord."

And you were in your mess, and God got you out of your mess, and some of you all did not follow up on what you promised God. And it took a while before you got saved. And even after getting saved, sometimes we test the boundaries of God's grace. But this word is a sobering word: our God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God. And if you repent, he wants you to repent with your whole heart so that he can bless your life.

I could spend so much more time in the "God is" passages. We could talk about Genesis. We could talk about Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength." Have you ever found that out to be God—that he is your refuge? He is where you can hide. He is where you can settle in. There are times when the Lord will cover you from the storms of life. He will be your refuge.

And then there are other times he will allow you to go through the storm, but he will strengthen you in the storm. And I have found out that it's good even if the Lord allows you to go through certain storms in your life. It is good to know he will be inside you. He will walk with you. He will make sure that the waters do not overwhelm you, that the fire does not consume you. He will make sure that you can get through what he lets you go through, and then he will bring you out with a powerful testimony.

One of the reasons God lets you go through some things is so your words can have some weight, so that your testimony has some real meaning to it. Because sometimes if you haven't been through much, you don't know much. Some of us love God, but we don't know a whole lot about God. But the time he allows you to go through some things, you'll have a testimony that has a little weight.

You'll be able to say, "I know what it's like to have my heart broken and have God be the restorer of my peace of mind. I know what it's like to be forsaken by father or mother, sister or brother, spouse or children or parent. I know what it's like to have folk walk away who said they'd be there." And I have found that God in that moment will be with me—one who will never leave me or forsake me.

There are some things you don't know until you go through them. And that's why David said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I've learned I don't have to fear evil because he never lets me go there alone. The Lord is with me. His rod, his staff comfort me. He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

So there's so much we could cover. We could talk about Psalm 54:4: "The Lord is my help." Anybody ever had God help you? Just be your helper. "God, I need some help. I can't make it by myself." And he will help you. And that verse goes on to say, "The Lord is the one who sustains me."

Narrator (Male): Still have the second half of today's Destined for Victory message featuring the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Sheppard. If you haven't already, don't forget to download our free mobile app. Search "Destined for Victory" at the App Store and listen to Destined for Victory wherever you go. Visit pastorpaul.net for more details and to find out how you can listen to us on any of your favorite digital platforms. If your faith in God ever wavers, it might be because you don't really know who he is. Let's get to know him a little bit better right now in the rest of today's message, "Jesus in High Definition."

Paul Sheppard: Ever had God carry you through a season you don't even know how you got through it yourself? Don't even know how you got through yourself. You were expecting yourself to lose your mind. You said, "Any day now, my mind's about to go." If you haven't been there, keep on living. If you haven't been there, keep on living; it's going to come. There are going to be times when you are pushed right to the brink. Circumstances and sometimes people will push you to the edge.

But you will discover in those moments that the Lord sustains and helps us. Sometimes he walks with you through that tough season, and sometimes, to tell you the truth, he picks you up and just carries you through—just carries you through. It's like that poem about the footprints, and the man's looking back on his life and saying, "Lord, I see two sets of footprints where we were walking together. But, Lord, looking back on my life, I'm now seeing this whole period of my life where there was only one set of footprints. I thought you said you would never leave me."

The Lord said, "No, no, that's when I picked you up. I had to pick you up through that season, because if I didn't carry you, you didn't have any more strength." But the Lord is a nurturing God. He is a loving God. You know, these people who say, "Well, you know, I believe that Christianity is just a crutch." Well, a crutch is what crippled folk need. And what's wrong with you is you haven't figured out you're crippled yet.

But I'm glad some of us have learned when I'm crippled by my sin, when I'm crippled by the fortitude, by the vicissitudes of life, I have found God to be one who is a sustainer and a helper. And God will help me get through what I have to go through. When you get a chance, just do a word search and study the "God is" passages. You'll be amazed at the glory of our God. And when you get through the "God is," then study the "Lord is" passages.

And you'll find things like Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation. The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" And you'll be blessed as you learn who our God is. And so we are told here that God is. He is the one who is and who was and who is to come. Now, I want to look farther at this passage and look at some other dimensions of what the Lord showed John.

We are told in verse 5 that this comes from the one who was and is and is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ. Here's another description, here's another HD view of Jesus: "who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth." Let's park right there. We are told three more things about him. Number one, that he is the faithful witness. The faithful witness.

A witness as in one who testifies. A witness as in one who explains. A witness as in one who clearly communicates that which is factual. If you've got a court case that you need to establish, it's always helpful to have some witnesses. And Jesus is described as the faithful witness. What is he witnessing to? He is witnessing to who God is. Put it this way: Jesus is the best picture God ever took.

If you want to get a good look at the Father, look at Jesus. He is the faithful witness. He is the one who shows us what the Father looks like. Isn't that what he said to the disciples in John chapter 14? In John chapter 14, Jesus said, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. If you believe in God, believe also in me." And he said, in fact, "I'm going to prepare a place for you, and I'm going to come and receive you back to myself, that where I am, there you will be also. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it weren't true, I would have told you."

And then the disciples said, "Now, sounds like you're getting ready to leave, but would you help us see the Father? Show us the Father." And Jesus said, "All this time I've been with you and you're wanting to see the Father? When you see me, you have seen the Father." Now, this is important because we've got a lot of folk who want to try to make God someone that they can make in their own image. There are a lot of people who want to serve a God that strikingly likes everything about them and doesn't require them to change in any way. Not you, but people I know.

But Jesus said, "No, God is, and I am his exact representation on Earth." He was the faithful witness. He was full, the Bible says, of grace and truth. Grace and truth. And so when you see Jesus, you are seeing the one who shows us what the Father looks like. I want to make sure you understand that Jesus is the exact representation of our heavenly Father. He is the one who shows us what the Father looks like. He's the invisible, awesome God who was made visible and approachable.

So you have no more right to fear God, because when Jesus walked the Earth, people didn't fear him. The only folk who feared Jesus were hypocrites. But people who said, "I just want to get my act together and I can't do it on my own, but I need help," they got along fine with Jesus. Jesus got along fine with people that church people don't always like. Jesus got along fine with people that sinners call sinners. You know you're bad when folk who don't know God tell you you need God.

And Jesus was exactly who they needed, because they knew he came to love them, to rescue them, and then to give them the power to live a different kind of life. That's who Jesus is. You should not be afraid of the one who loves you, who wants to rescue you, and who promises to give you the power to live a life that pleases God. No need to fear the Father because he has made himself approachable in Jesus Christ.

Here's how the writer to the Hebrews put it. He said, "We don't have a high priest who can't be touched with the feelings of our infirmities." He said, "But we have a high priest who you can come boldly into the throne room, and you can chat with him because you have a personal relationship. Your sins are forgiven, and I now have direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ." What a wonderful privilege that you and I can know God in a personal way and experience his love, his grace, his power, and his ability to transform our lives.

So he is referred first as the faithful witness. He shows us what God looks like. Secondly, he is referred in verse 5 as the firstborn from the dead. Now, what does that mean? Because if you know your Bible, you know that there were several people who died and were resurrected in biblical history. So why would the Bible call Jesus, who came hundreds of years after many of the persons mentioned in the Old Testament—why would he be referred as the firstborn from the dead?

Here's what it means. Here's the HD view of Jesus. He's the first one who, when he got out of the grave, he didn't go back. See, everybody else got out for a while, hung around, got a little overtime, and then they died again, and we haven't heard from them since. Don't get too impressed. "Oh, boy, look at that! Lazarus was raised from the dead!" Yes, lived a while, hung out a while, ate his favorite meals a while, hung out with his sisters a while, enjoyed his friends a while, and then he died again.

The Bible doesn't tell us about his second death. You know why? Because it was insignificant. It was just like everybody else. They had the funeral the second time, they went back to the house of the church, ate chicken and potato salad the second time, and this time there was no Jesus coming down the road to bail him out. He stayed in there with the rest of the folk at the graveyard.

So when the Bible here says Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, it's talking about the fact that he is the first being who rose from the dead and rose to never die again. And guess what? He's the first. It's mentioned because that is going to be true of all of us. That when the Lord comes again, we will all have eternal existence inside or outside of fellowship with God. So Jesus, because he loved us, saved us through his death on the cross and became the firstborn, saying, "If you put your trust in me, you will live. You will not only exist forever, but you will exist forever in my presence, enjoying my glory and being with me forever."

But let me tell you something: everyone of us are going to exist after death. The Bible says it is judgment. Not after death reincarnation. Get it straight. The Bible is clear: no reincarnation. Don't listen to these folk writing these books and going on talk shows: "I used to be here; I remember. I think it was around the 15th century. I remember I was living in a palace." Listen, you've got to keep straight. Jesus is full of grace and truth. And the Bible says after death, resurrection. Not after death you come back and get another shot. After death judgment, and we are awaiting resurrection so we can be judged. He will judge, the Bible says, the living and the dead.

You're not coming back, practicing again. And have you noticed nobody was back as something pitiful? You haven't heard any of those folk say, "You know, I used to be just a bum sitting on the side of the road. Oh, I used to be royalty. That's why I like the color purple." You know, we've got foolishness that we're buying into, and people sit right up there and buy the book. "Oh, that's very interesting." And then you preach the Bible, and they say, "See, that's just foolishness." Let me tell you something: you'd better stick with the book.

Narrator (Male): Consider the nature of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is God, but he is also the Word of God become flesh. When we read the Bible, we are literally looking at Christ in written form. No one can say he believes Jesus is God and then reject any part of the Word of God, because Jesus is the word and belief in him is an all or nothing proposition.

So glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message, "Jesus in High Definition." If you joined us late or if you want to hear the full message one more time, stop by pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. Well, we have a great resource to share with you today: our latest booklet, *Clothed in Love: Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most*.

In this message drawn from Colossians 3, verses 12 through 15, Pastor Paul Sheppard challenges us to direct our best selves towards the ones who matter most. As you learn about seven powerful virtues—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness—you'll discover what it truly means to honor your mother and how giving these gifts can transform your most important relationships.

That's *Clothed in Love: Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most*, our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destined for Victory. You can give that gift by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or by visiting pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. Or by mailing your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Paul Sheppard: Jesus, like no other magistrate, like no other prince or king, is large and in charge. He's at the top. He is king; he's not president. He's not running; he's not trying to get the vote out. He is the king, the ruler of the kings of the Earth.

Narrator (Male): Be listening next time in our Destined for Victory message, "Jesus in High Definition." Until then, remember: he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ. You are destined for victory.