Destined for Victory

Guest (Male): Hello and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard. Glad to have you with us. Before we get going with today's message, we'd like to share a conversation I once had with Pastor Paul.

His mission had always been to reach the world for Christ through the Destined for Victory media ministry. And it's a mission he hoped would continue long after his preaching days were over. So, when we had a chance to sit down and talk about it, here's what he had to say.

Paul Sheppard: Well, when I think of victorious, my mind goes back—I'm a kid growing up watching TV in the '60s—so my mind goes back to the Wide World of Sports. There was an announcer named Jim McKay, something like that. He had this classic line where he talked about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

I love just thinking about how thrilling it is to be victorious. I love in any game I'm playing, I want to be victorious. I tell people I don't care whether it's Monopoly or something really serious, I want to win. And in life, we can win in Christ. And that's what the Bible tells us, that we are victorious in him.

Victorious means that we're following his lead, that we're letting the Holy Spirit take us where he wants us to go in life. We're saved by his grace, and then we're simply following his direction. And of course, the Word of God is so key to following God's direction because the Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway.

And so, those who tune in to broadcasts like Destined for Victory are really supposed to be receiving guidance so that we can walk in and live in victory. And that's what I pray is happening as people tune in day by day.

Guest (Male): Well, we say it every day: in Christ, you are destined for victory. And our prayer is that you will live the victorious Christian life today and every day until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's why this program exists, but honestly, we can't do it without friends like you who pray and financially support us.

As you give today, we've got a great thank you gift to share with you, our latest booklet, "You Are So Loved." This is an honest, deeply personal booklet about the most important question we'll ever face. Does my life matter, and is there a God who actually cares about me?

This is a must-read for anyone who wrestles with these questions. So, if you have a friend or loved one who may need to hear this heartfelt gospel presentation, please contact us today and get your copy. It's called "You Are So Loved."

That's "You Are So Loved," our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destined for Victory. Just visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. Call us at 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. Or if you prefer, you can mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Paul Sheppard: Do not assume that every time someone gets power or gets a position, God put them there. Fact of the matter is there's a difference between divine favor to accomplish God's purpose in our lives and human elevation, which only serves to accomplish the purpose of a man or a woman.

God established government authority on the earth. He is a God of structure, a God of order. But just because he established government, that doesn't mean that everyone who rises to power in government makes wise and righteous decisions.

On today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard, you'll meet a leader who rose to power but who ultimately had a fall from grace. Now, here's our Destined for Victory message, "When Conceit Meets Conviction."

Guest (Male): Esther chapter 3, verses 1 through 6. After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him.

But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?" Day after day they spoke to him, but he refused to comply.

Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.

Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

Paul Sheppard: Now let's dissect this passage. There's an important lesson we need to take away from this text. In verse one, you see human elevation. Now, in the last message we talked about divine favor. Here in chapter three, you don't see divine favor at work; what you see is human elevation.

God did not promote Haman; Xerxes did. Not all elevation, not all promotion is an example of divine favor. Now, it's important that we understand that because we live in a world where we see people rising to heights of power. We see people rising to a level of authority. Do not assume that every time someone gets power or gets a position, God put them there.

Fact of the matter is there's a difference between divine favor to accomplish God's purpose in our lives and human elevation, which only serves to accomplish the purpose of a man or a woman. Now, let's be clear. God has indeed established government or authorities on earth so that we can live in peace and order.

When you read Romans chapter 13, the first seven verses talk about that, that God is the one who instituted government. God is the one who instituted authority in the earth. There would have to be authority among mankind because if you don't have authorities, if you don't have government, what you would have is chaos and even anarchy.

You would have people doing whatever they want to do because they want to do it. God is a God of order. God is a God of structure. And therefore, he has established and instituted governments and authorities. We're told that in Romans chapter 13 and in other parts of Scripture.

But just because God instituted governments and authority and tells us your general standard of living ought to be to live in compliance with government and with authority, the fact of the matter is not everyone in authority is right. Authority is right. Government is right. That God wants us to live peaceable lives is right.

But not everyone who rises to a position of authority, not everyone who becomes a government leader, is a person who makes right decisions. So although God ordained governments, God does not ordain everybody in government. Are we all there? I'm glad we're there.

It's important that you understand there are corrupt people in politics. There are corrupt people in the business world. There are corrupt people on Wall Street and on Main Street. There are corrupt people in government statehouses and local municipalities and even in national leadership positions.

There are corrupt people there. There are people who make poor decisions. In our legal system, there are corrupt judges. There are judges that can be bought. There are people with personal agendas. There are people who have some axe to grind and some issue.

There are people whom there's no point in going to trial in that setting because those folk are not committed to right; they are committed to a personal agenda. So all of that is true, and it's important that we as the people of God understand, yes, we are called to live according to governmental structures as the norm for our lives.

But don't be deceived. God ordained authorities, but God did not ordain everybody in authority. So we have to learn to live very carefully. We have to learn to be wise and we have to learn to be discerning. And that's what you find in this text.

You have God's people, the Jews, who generally speaking are committed to living according to governmental authorities and doing what is required of them in the world in which they live. These people in particular, Esther and her people, there in the kingdom ruled by Xerxes, they know they're among folk who don't care about the law of Jehovah.

And so they know that, yes, we're called to abide by life here in this kingdom, but there are some standards God has given us that we have to keep in our minds. If God's called you to be just in an unjust world, sometimes you're going to stick out and stand out.

You're not trying to, you're not trying to make waves, you're not trying to make a big fuss, but every now and then you can't help it. Folk will call on you to do what God says not to do. And if the Word says don't do it, it doesn't matter who said do it.

So you find yourself in that precarious situation, and that's where Mordecai is. Now, who is Mordecai? Mordecai is the cousin of Esther. We saw in chapter one that he is an older cousin of Esther, and when her parents died at a young age for her, her older cousin essentially raised her.

He was her big brother, her cousin, her father, all wrapped up in one. He had to play that role, and he had to guide her life. And to this day, even though she's the queen, her deference is to her older cousin who has raised her.

She's accustomed to doing that, and so right up to the moment that she went into the palace and became the queen, he had her ear. And when he would say, when Mordecai would tell her what to do, she was fully committed to that. Well, Mordecai is one of those gentlemen who sits, we find him sitting as it were at the king's gate among the nobles.

He was in the mix of things. But unbeknownst to them at first, they didn't know that he was a Jew. Now at this point, we see human elevation. We see Xerxes elevate a man named Haman. When you read the entire book, you get a clear picture of who Xerxes is and a clear picture of who Haman is.

Xerxes is a man we already know from chapter one who loves showing off. You know anybody who loves showing off? You know anybody who whatever they have, you're going to know about it because they are show-offs? That's what they do.

They are proud of who they are, proud of what they have, and they are show-offs. Well, imagine a king who is egocentric, who has a vast kingdom, who has great wealth, and has the heart of a show-off. We saw him in chapter one, just going to elaborate lengths to let folk know how wonderful a man he is.

And he's the kind of guy, when you run into a show-off, that's a person who craves affirmation. Now behind that is they're really insecure. I'm giving you a little psychology along with the Word. They're a little insecure, and the reason you can know it is because when people know who they are, they don't have to prove it to you.

When people know who they are, they don't have to show off to you. When people know their worth and their value, it doesn't matter whether you see it or not, because I am who I am whether you know I am that.

But when people are insecure, they need to constantly be reminded of how wonderful they wish they were. Oh, I'm helping somebody. I'm helping you to discern the folk in your life so you'll know how to pray for them and how to deal with them.

When somebody constantly needs to be reminded of the same thing, it's because they don't believe it on the inside. Because once you have it on the inside, it's done. That's why we have to all grow spiritually and emotionally. You need to get to the place where, for instance, people can't define you.

You've got to get to the place where what you say about me doesn't really affect me if it's wrong. That you believe it, oh well. It can hurt me, it can disappoint me, but it won't change my view of who I am. I know who I am in Christ.

I know what he has done for me, and so your opinion really doesn't count. That's where you want to get to in life so that nobody can redefine you. Don't get to a place where people can redefine you. Don't get to a place where you gain your value, your sense of worth, from what other people tell you.

Don't go around Valentine's Day season looking for somebody to tell you how wonderful you are. Because if they define you as wonderful, they get to rewrite the definitions for your life. They write the dictionary for your life.

"He told me how special." No, you've got to know you're special before he opens his mouth. In fact, you've got to know you're special if he doesn't open his mouth. You've got to know who you are. If they get to define you, they get to control you. Period.

And God has not put the control of your life in anyone's hands. I've said it over the years: "You light up my life" was a wonderful little love song, originally written with the Lord in mind. Debby Boone, back in the '70s, wrote it with the Lord Jesus in mind.

But it became a general love song, and after a while, folk started using it in their weddings. "You light up my life, you give me hope to carry on." Listen, you can't let them come into your life with the light. You've got to have your own light.

Because they need to see what they're getting into when they come into your life. Got my own light, come right on in, every room is lit up. No surprises, this is me. If you like it, praise God. If you don't, oh well. Come on, somebody. That's where you've got to be.

You can't be sitting in a dark room of your life: "I wish somebody would come in here with a light." And then here they come riding in with a light, and you think it's God. That's not God. God didn't tell them to light up your life. If they bring the light, they own the lightbulb.

And they'll light it up as long as you're making them happy. But as soon as you work their nerve—and guaranteed you're going to work their nerve—they will unscrew their lightbulb and walk out, and there you are back in darkness.

And there's no darkness like you used to have light, now you're dark again. So listen, you've got to understand, you've got to be secure in who you are in Christ. Get your self-definition from Christ, the one who made you, the one who called you according to his purpose.

You are who God says you are. You can do what God says you can do. You're special because you are the apple of his eye. So if you haven't yet run into a human who thinks you're the apple of their eye, don't worry about it. You are the apple of the Lord's eye.

And it's fine to believe God for somebody special in your life, nothing wrong with that. Ask the Lord for that and trust him and tell him, "Lord, now don't let some joker run up in here. I'd rather be just you and I than you and I and somebody I wish had never shown up."

But you've just got to make up in your mind, you are who God says you are before anybody tells you that. So learn to bask and bathe in the love of God. Before you get somebody else to take you out and treat you special, take yourself out and treat yourself special.

The Lord says, "I'm with you always." Tell the Lord, "Thank you for being with me. Come on, let's go to the spa." Go to the spa, get a nice massage, whatever it is you like to do. Your manicures and your pedicures, sisters, and all that stuff you all like.

Whatever it is, make yourself special before anybody else does. So you already know who you are in Christ. So if he says something otherwise, you know he's wrong. Oh, this is good. I say that because the king was that kind of insecure person.

He had to keep proving what he wished were true, throwing these elaborate parties and banquets and trying to be somebody special. Now, how did Haman get to slide in on the king's insecurity? You know how you get in with insecure people? You flatter them.

Now, we're not told specifically what happened, but just in human psychology, you can easily see what happened. Haman had to have been a man who was able to—today folk would just say suck up—who could just flatter him and just make the king feel so special.

"Oh, you are the best. You are the brightest. There's never been a king in all of Babylon. Forget Persia, way back when it was Babylon, none of them were like you. Nebuchadnezzar couldn't light a candle to you. You are the man."

I can easily believe that it was that kind of excessive flattery that impressed the king to the point where he would give such a small man, such a small-minded man, a great position. You can see by seeing Haman's actions throughout this book, you can see he was a petty man.

You ever met a petty person? Just a little in terms of character and development. They're just small-minded and petty and foolish and stupid and full of themselves for no reason. Wrapped up in themselves and don't know they're a very small package.

If you're going to be wrapped up in yourself, at least have something to be wrapped up in. Here's a man full of himself for no reason at all. But I can easily believe he has just flattered the king and positioned himself with this insecure leader.

So look at the dynamics. You've got a king who wants to show off. He is basically insecure. Then he's got a man around him who is constantly building him up. And so he can use his show-off instinct to promote this guy, because if I promote him, then that still comes back to my credit.

So I'm going to lift him up, and that's just another way of showing off. It's like people who when they get a hold of money, they go do stupid things to show off with it. You ever met anybody like that? Instead of saying, "Lord, thank you for this money. Now let me do the right thing."

"Let me put some of this aside, let me pay some necessary things off, let me get myself straight." No, they want to go out and "I'm paying for everybody." If they're at a bar, "Drinks for everybody." You all don't drink, but I'm just saying.

You ever met somebody like that? Just drinks for everybody. And their wife or their kids or whoever knows their real deal and what they really need to be doing with their money stands there and "Have you lost your mind?"

Talking about drinks for everybody, and this bill is gone late, and this one, and they're about to cut off PG&E. Just stupid, just petty, just small-minded. Kind of person you're looking at when you're looking at Haman. Suddenly, he is promoted for no good reason.

You know it's no good reason because the king had to command folk to give him honor. When you are honorable, nobody has to be commanded to honor you. King said, "Everybody, all right now, when you all see him coming, you're supposed to bow."

You don't have to say that to an honorable person. If Haman were a man of distinction in that kingdom, people would have automatically said, "Oh, look at that. The king's now giving him a higher position," and they would have given him deference.

That it had to be commanded, oh, that tells me a lot about this brother. He is no-account. But the king commands that folk give him honor. So that sets this chapter up. And what happens is everybody he walks by and everybody's bowing and scraping and going low.

And Mordecai just stands right there. And you know, it's funny about people. When they're bowing and scraping, they are always looking to see who's not bowing and scraping. Have you noticed that about people? People won't just bow and do what they're going to do. They're looking at you while they're doing it. "He ain't bowing. What's up with Mordecai?"

Guest (Male): Thanks so much for stopping by for today's message, "When Conceit Meets Conviction." To find out more about Destined for Victory's mission and purpose, or about the special gift reserved for you when you give generously today, please come see us at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net.

Paul Sheppard: As you live your life by principles, you're going to be questioned because people aren't accustomed to living by principle. Living efficiently is doing things quickly and conveniently, but living effectively means doing things right. And sometimes to do things right, you're going to stand out.

Guest (Male): That's tomorrow in our continuing message, "When Conceit Meets Conviction." But until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.