Destined for Victory

Paul Sheppard: I don't care if you got saved out of crack, I don't care if you got saved out of prostitution, I don't care if you got saved out of all kinds of bondage in your life. Now that you're in the Kingdom, you are not a second-class citizen, you're a first-class citizen in the Kingdom of God.

I come to let somebody know that you ought to lift your head up high because you're a child of God now.

Guest (Male): But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. That's Psalm 3:3 and this is Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Sheppard. You know, when God looks at you, he doesn't see your past, he doesn't see your sin, he doesn't see your bondage. In a manner of speaking, he doesn't even see you. He sees Jesus.

As the Apostle Paul said, you and your life have been hidden in Christ. There's some encouraging news coming your way next, so stay with us. Online you'll find us at pastorpaul.net where you can listen to Destined for Victory on demand. That's pastorpaul.net. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Well, today's Destined for Victory message is called When Jesus Comes, and it starts right now.

Paul Sheppard: Don't wear $100 hats on nickel heads. Don't put Armani on your back when you've got a JC Penney budget. You've got to sow in sowing season and trust God. And God wants his people taken care of. So in the year of Jubilee, there was one unique feature which was to restore people's personal dignity.

How did he do it? God said that in the year of Jubilee, in the 50th year, if you have been a slave because of indebtedness, you have been enslaving to your brother or sister in Israel, he said in the year of Jubilee, you can shake their hand, say it's been a pleasure doing business with you, walk out the door because there's a zero debt. Who said so? God said so.

God said the debt is cancelled. The year of Jubilee, you don't owe them anything. Doesn't matter if you just entered into debt two weeks before. Then they got you for two weeks, but when Jubilee kicked in, you walked out. The debt was cancelled. It was the restoration of personal dignity. I've come to tell somebody that God wants to give you personal dignity in Christ.

That when you got saved, I don't care if you got saved out of crack, I don't care if you got saved out of prostitution, I don't care if you got saved out of all kinds of bondage in your life. Now that you're in the Kingdom, you are not a second-class citizen, you're a first-class citizen in the Kingdom of God.

I come to let somebody know that you ought to lift your head up high because you're a child of God now. When you're born again, you are a new creature in Christ, and God doesn't have favorites in his family. He gives the year of his favor to all of his family members. I want to let you know the promises that I have, you have as well because we all share the same inheritance in God.

And I come to let somebody know who's saved, but you've come out of such misery and such poverty and such degradation of life until you feel like all you can do is just hold on to the hope of eternal life. No, no, no. God's got a future for you. God's got a future for you. Don't you be intimidated because other folks seem to be further down the road with you.

All it means is that you're entering into a sowing season, and you've got to do some sowing before you reap. But I've come to tell you, you're going to get where God's taking you. I don't care if you got saved and don't have a GED. Now that you're in Christ, you can get a GED, and after that you can go to junior college, and after that you can go to four-year college, and after that you can go to grad school, and after that you can get a job and marketable skills, and you can have a future in Christ. God comes to give you personal dignity.

How's he do it? Well, when he comes into our lives, first he says, "I want to renew your mind." What does that mean? Now that you're in Christ, open up that Bible, especially your New Testament. The Old Testament is wonderful and will give you many, many wonderful teachings, but remember you've got to understand its fulfillment in Christ.

And so especially in the New Testament, you want to master your New Covenant. And whenever you read and you see yourself described as the family of God, whenever you see the apostles tell you, or Jesus in the gospels tell you who you are in Christ, underline that, highlight that, and begin to rehearse that truth to yourself. If you've got to get 3x5 cards and write down every "I am" and "you are" verse that you come across, then you've got to renew your mind so you begin to know your identity in Christ.

When the Bible says, "I am," then you write it down. When it says that you are the light of the world, you write that down. Say, "I am the light of this dark world. I came out of darkness, but I'm not in darkness anymore. I'm in the light." When the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, you write that down and confess that about yourself.

I have the ability to do everything God wants me to do because I now have his power to strengthen me. When the Bible says we are more than conquerors—now it would be wonderful if it just said you were a conqueror, but note that it says you are more than a conqueror through him who loved you. And when you go through your Bible and pull out those verses that give you your identity in Christ, speak it to yourself, meditate on it. That means over and over again you say it to yourself until it gets down inside of you and learn your identity in Christ.

Then while you're learning your identity in Christ, you want to learn your ability in Christ. You want to learn what you can do in Christ. You want to learn your potential. Read the Bible that tells you that God's given you gifts and callings and abilities to serve other people, and you're not going to be on spiritual welfare. God's going to bless you with resources to help somebody else.

And I don't care that you haven't been long in the Kingdom of God; there are gifts that have to be cultivated in you. And when you cultivate them, God will make you a blessing to other people because one of the things that gives you dignity is the ability to help other folks. The ability to not only be the person in need, but the person providing for the need.

And God has made all of us with the potential to provide for the needs of other people. For the Body of Christ is interdependent and all of us need the gifts that come to us from the other members. I want to let you know God gives you dignity through establishing your identity in Christ, through establishing your ability in Christ, and then through establishing your authority in Christ.

The Bible tells you that you have a right to live a life as a child of God. You have a right and an access to everything that belongs to him. And so I want to let you know that Jubilee has come to you in the form of God's favor, and God says, "I'm going to restore your personal dignity." That's why I love going after the not-yet believer because they come from all different backgrounds.

They come from every conceivable background. Some folk are down and out when they come to Christ; some folk are up but they were still out till they came to Christ. And so we all have to come into new identity in Jesus Christ. And it's wonderful to see God not only saving souls but changing lives. Oh, I'm telling you, it's just doing my heart good to see people come from all kinds of backgrounds.

See people come from all kinds of the muck and the mire of sin. I want to let you know when you come in here, don't be ashamed of where you've come from because you can't help where you've been but you can help where you're going. And the good thing about it is God will give you a ministry that some of us can't have because you've come from a place some of us haven't come from.

Now, we've all come from sin, but you've come from some bondages and some of the effects of sin that not all of us can relate to. Because some of the saints, bless their heart, come from Never-Never Land. They are quick to tell you what they never did, even when I was in my sin. "There are certain things I never stooped to. I had a certain kind of upbringing and a certain kind of moral sense of..."

Fine, but there are some folk then you can't minister to. Because some folk in order for you to minister to them, they've got to know that you've been where they are. And that's why when you come and get in Christ, God will turn around and give you a ministry to people. God will give you the ability to testify in a way that some of us can't testify.

It's going to be just like that when we get to heaven. We're going to sing the song of redemption, and the angels doing all the singing now, but when we get there and start singing the redemption song, they'll have to listen to us. Because they don't know what it's like to have to be redeemed. But when we sing "Redeemed," we're going to know what we're talking about.

And let me tell you something: you have personal dignity in Jesus Christ. That's what the year of Jubilee did; it gave Israel personal dignity. The second unique feature of Jubilee was not only the restoration of personal dignity, but the recovery of family property. If a whole family had lost their house—it had been foreclosed on, again because of debt or the death of the patriarch or whatever the case was—in the year of Jubilee, God said tell every family to go back to the place I gave them. In other words, God said tell the haves to give to the have-nots so that everybody shares in my inheritance.

Let me tell you something: one of the things God does in the Kingdom is he blesses us to make us a blessing. Because the church is a place where everyone is entitled to the blessings of God and remember, some of God's blessings come to you but they're really coming through you to somebody else. I've come to give a word that some of us in order to be in the place of the Lord's favor, we're going to have to change our thinking about giving.

Some of you all think giving is something you're doing and you ought to be applauded for it and patted for it, and the church better treat me real nice cause I'm sowing this seed and all that, and they better not work my nerves cause I'll keep my money. Not you, but people you know act like that and think like that. Like their money is theirs and they're doing you a favor by sowing the seed into the ministry. I beg to differ, my friend.

The Bible says that we are sowing into the Kingdom of God. When you understand the spiritual nature of giving, you understand that you're not giving that which you'll never get, but you are sowing seed, and if you sow it out of the right harvest and the right attitude, God will bless you accordingly.

Guest (Male): Don't go away. The rest of today's Destined for Victory message featuring Pastor Paul Sheppard is coming right up. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's why Destined for Victory is here: to share timeless truth for a victorious life and to show as best we can that Jesus Christ is the only one who can give us that life.

You can help keep these messages coming your way all year round by sending a generous gift today. Stop by pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. That's pastorpaul.net. Or call 855-339-5500. You know, some of the Lord's best promises come our way when we learn to invest in the Kingdom of God and in the lives of others. Now, let's get back to the rest of today's message: When Jesus Comes.

Paul Sheppard: God told Israel, "I want you to give back property that was confiscated, that was foreclosed on. I want you to give it back." And you say, "Man, that's cold-blooded. Then what are they going to have?" You don't understand. When God makes you give, he's setting you up to receive. Give them theirs so I can give you yours. Look out for them so I can look out for you.

Let me tell you something: when you understand the spiritual principle of giving, you will quit trying to be chintzy with God. You will quit trying to see how little I can give. "All right now, wait now, let's see..." No, no, no. You'll start saying, "Lord, how much can I sow?" I've got to stay responsible. I've got to be able to take care of my family.

So, Lord, I don't want to go crazy with this thing, but I want to sow into the Kingdom. Because when you sow into good ground, you never have to wonder whether you're getting a harvest. When you sow into good ground, you always get a harvest. And when we understand this, our giving will become a joyful act of worship.

Let me tell you something: when we understand this principle, even if the IRS pulls off this thing they're trying to do... you know that there are some folk working very hard to overturn the provision for you and I to have a tax break through our giving to charitable organizations such as churches. They're working hard to take away that deduction.

I don't know if they'll be successful, but let me tell you something: if they were to be successful, when you understand the principle of giving, your giving shouldn't change one bit. If you don't get a tax write-off, that's all the more reason to sow into the Kingdom of God. To sow by being obedient to what God tells you to do with your money.

When you see a brother or sister who's between blessings and God speaks to your heart to sow into their life, you've got to understand something: you don't need to be getting them to fill out a promissory note. Promissory note, make it all legal... this is a spiritual matter. I'm not lending to you, I'm not lending, I'm sowing.

Now if you have to come up with a lending arrangement for somebody, that's very different. But I'm talking here about the principle of giving. And it has nothing to do with that. I'm sowing. I give it and I keep going. I don't need credit, I don't need you to send me a thank-you note. I don't need anything because God saw what I did. God put it on my heart and God is my reward. Oh, you don't understand this, but it's a wonderful principle.

Anybody know what it is to have God be your reward? To have God be the one who sees what you do in secret and rewards you openly? And he'll cause you to sow discreetly. And so when you understand this, you'll change your ways. Because some folk now, giving is parting with, and that's what's killing you. You see the bag coming down the row and you're just, "Oh, Lord... all right, all right, well, let's see now... oh, here it come. All right."

No, no, no. If it's paining you that much, if it's hurting your heart that bad, keep your money. Hurting you that bad? Keep your money. Because you're not going to get any blessing giving that way. God's not in heaven putting down what you gave. God's not saying, "Well, it's killing her but she did give a tithe. All right." No, no, no. God's looking on your heart, and if it's killing you, keep your money. Keep it.

You say, "Oh, he doesn't mean that." I do mean it. If you don't know why you give, don't give. If you're not giving cause God's good and he's your provider, don't give. If you're not giving because God has promised to meet every one of your needs and to bless you, don't give.

I was preaching like this, you think I'm playing? I was preaching like this when we had no money. I was preaching this same way. I'm not showing off now because we've got a big budget; I'm telling you what God's word says. He that sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, Second Corinthians chapter 9 tells you. But he that sows generously will also reap that way.

God says, "I look out for my people." And one of the ways—the Kingdom of God is something—one of the ways God blesses you is he causes you to sow. Now, see, you're used to thinking the blessing is the reaping. "Oh, God blessed me, somebody just wrote me a check." No. The blessing is in the sowing. God blessed me to write out a check to help that family in need. I just got blessed by sowing.

God blessed me to raise my level of giving of support to the work of the Kingdom of God. I just got blessed. I just wrote the biggest check I've ever written to the Kingdom of God. I was just blessed. The blessing is in the sowing. And when you sow right, you don't have to worry about it. You never saw a farmer in your life down on his hands and knees looking to see if there's something coming up.

Farmers don't worry about it; they make sure the ground is tilled. They make sure it's ready to receive the seed, and that the seed then is nurtured by the heat and the water that it needs. And then they know that it's only a matter of time and that the harvest is going to come. And so the year of Jubilee is the year of the Lord's favor. God wants to bless his people. We serve a God who supernaturally provides.

Watch this as I close. Here's the neat thing that happened then. The Bible tells us in Leviticus 25, at one point God says through Moses, "Now the people might be wondering if I give them two consecutive years of no harvest, no sowing and no reaping, they might be wondering how they're going to make it."

He said, "Tell them that I'm going to provide for them so well in the 48th year." Leading into the 49th year, which is a year of Sabbath, and then the 50th year, which is the year of Jubilee, tell them that the 48th year is going to be so bad—that I'm going to give them three times the harvest they would normally get.

I'm going to give them a supernatural harvest so that in the 48th years, instead of reaping one year's worth, they'll reap three years' worth. That'll take them through the 49th year, that'll take them through the Jubilee year, and that'll take them through the year after as they begin to sow again.

Listen, let me tell you something: God will do that in your life. God will send you money you don't know where it came from. God will give you favor with people you didn't even know knew your name. God will open a door and make a way. Don't you try to figure your God out; it'll blow your circuits. All you do is walk in obedience and watch God.

See, we love reading the stories about miraculous provision in the Bible, but I tell you what's better than the story: when God does it for you. See, it's one thing to see God do it for Elijah and all those folk, but it's better when God does it for you.

When you're seeking first the Kingdom, when you're doing the things that are important to him and when you have a need, you don't even have to worry about it because God will take care of that need for you. Supernaturally, God can give you favor. Supernaturally, God can open doors that no man can shut.

And then the old saints said God can make a way out of no way. What they meant by that... see, an open door means there had to be a door in the first place, and it was locked and God just gave you the key and you open and went through. Now, that is a blessing, but what's better than that is sometimes there is no door.

But God decides he wants you to walk through there, and he will make a way where there is no way. Come here, Moses, and tell me about it. Moses said, "I stood there on the banks of the Red Sea, knowing I was in the center of God's will, knowing God told me that I was going to take the people over." Now, there's no way to do it, but God is able to make a way out of no way.

And so God said, "Stretch out your rod." And the Bible says Moses stretched out the rod. Now, that looks silly. What you doing stretching out a rod over a sea? All that means is you do what you can do and God does the rest. He stretched out his rod in obedience to the word, and God parted the waters.

Put the water on walls up on either side, and the Bible says they walked through the middle of the Red Sea on dry land. That's supernatural provision. And then old dumb Pharaoh's army going to chase them through a divine provision. How stupid can you be? Now, I realize, I know what was happening.

I know that if those folk had come back without the slaves, that Pharaoh would have had their heads. So I realize that they had to keep pursuing the enemy because they couldn't go back and tell Pharaoh, "I was scared to keep following them." But still, I'm not... if... look. Think about this with me now.

If you watch the Red Sea open up—God puts the water up on two walls on either side—two million folk you're chasing go through the middle of the sea on dry land. Whoever wants them to get away from you... you might be a pagan like they were, not know Jehovah like they did not. But whoever he is does not want me to get them.

So I've got to figure out another way to live my life. I can't go back to Pharaoh; he'll have my head. But I... if I had been the first guy in the first chariot, I'd have pulled off to the side of the road. Pulled off to the side of the road, pulled out my cell phone, called up Meredith, said, "You all meet me over in Dothan. Co-Dothan, Co-Dothan. We're going to go over there. We're going to start a brand new life. I'm taking off my army stuff right now."

Listen, God is a God of supernatural increase. You be faithful to him, do what he tells you. He'll meet every one of your needs. He'll restore your personal dignity. He'll restore that which he wants you to have, which other people currently have. And he will make a way out of no way. He'll provide supernaturally for his name's sake and so that he can be a blessing to his people.

Guest (Male): Thanks so much for being here with us for today's Destined for Victory. Remember, any of our recent messages, including the one you heard today, are available on demand at our website, pastorpaul.net. While you're there, be sure to check out our online store for some great resources to help you grow in your Christian faith, including books and DVD messages from Pastor Paul Sheppard. It's found at pastorpaul.net.

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Well, when you came to faith in Christ, you were immediately made right with God, and it's because of this new relationship that believers have access to peace, joy, hope, even during life's most difficult seasons. To learn more about the access to the blessings you have in Christ, I hope you'll contact us today and request your copy of our latest booklet, Access Granted.

That's Access Granted, a great resource based on Romans chapter 5, and it's our gift to you for your generous donation to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500 or simply visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation there online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, PO Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Paul Sheppard: Jesus has done so much for us that he said, "I want my church to realize that the joy of the Lord is their strength." And I want my people to have every reason and every right to be joyful people.

Guest (Male): If you need a fresh infusion of joy or if you've lost it altogether, be sure to join us next time for our continuing message: When Jesus Comes. But until then, remember: He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.