Uh Hello, and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory, where we feature the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. Coming up next, we return to the book of Daniel for an important lesson about the law of sowing and reaping. But first, I want to share a recording of an important conversation I had with Pastor Paul. Over the years, we talked about a variety of subjects. One of those conversations concerned charitable giving during the busy summer months.
I asked him if it was true that summertime was particularly tough on Destined for Victory from a financial standpoint. And here's what he had to say: Yes, it is. And it's simply because people love us and they want to support us. But sometimes we're so glad to be through the winter and the spring, and we're now in the summer and we're ready to take some vacation time and do some things that we've longed to do for months. And we get to do it, whether it's travel or whatever.
But I just want to encourage and remind our listeners that if we're going to keep on preaching the word throughout the year, then the support is absolutely necessary because I I have found out that the bills don't take vacations. They keep coming every single month. And so we have to be ready to meet them with the finances necessary. And again, it's not about the money, it's what the money does. Your giving allows us to keep on declaring truth that people need to hear.
Day in and day out, month in and month out.
So, at every season, even in the summer, we get to keep preaching timeless truths if we have the financial support. I want to thank all of our partners, all of our donors, everyone who makes sure to meet the financial needs so that lives are changed, souls are saved, and people come to know who Jesus is and how important knowing Him is in their lives. I hope you realize your donations do make a difference. And as you give generously today, we have an outstanding resource to share with you as our way of saying thanks. Introducing our brand new booklet, Overcoming Bitterness.
Based on some of Pastor Paul's best sermons, this message will show you some key strategies for removing bitterness from your heart once and for all. As you follow along, you'll gain strategic insight into ways to cultivate hope and reclaim the joy of the Lord's salvation. Again, that's Overcoming Bitterness, a helpful booklet for anyone who still struggles to let go of past wounds and press on toward his or her victory in Christ. Request your copy today for your generous gift to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500.
That's 855-339-5500. Or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office. Office box seventeen sixty seven, Fremont, California, nine four five three eight. Mm.
There is. A built-in curse that you bring on your own life. When you dishonor God in any area of your life. It's not like he has to get you. He can get you.
And in many cases in scripture, you see, he does get people. And this dude is about to get God. If you're wondering who's in trouble, you're about to find out as Pastor Paul Shepard takes you to the book of Daniel in his continuing series, Standing for Right in a Wrong World. King Nebuchadnezzar, who eventually repented before God and became a good king, has now died. His grandson has risen to the throne and elected to take a far different path than his grandfather did.
To see what happens next, let's join Pastor Paul for today's Destined for Victory message. Wane in with God.
So, today we're at Daniel chapter 5. I'll read just selected verses in the interest of time. King Belshazzar Gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, might drink from them.
So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. As they drank the wine they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
His face turned pale, and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together. And his legs gave way. That's a scared brother. Skip down to verse 13.
So Daniel was brought before the king. Skip down to verse 16. King says this: Now I have heard that you, Daniel, are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
Verse seventeen, Daniel answered the king, You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. We'll pause right there.
Now we've arrived at Daniel chapter 5 in this current study. And at this time in the history of Babylon, we're now looking at the era sometime after Nebuchadnezzar. Has died. You can see by these opening verses of Daniel 5 that the reigning king is now a guy named Belshazzar. This chapter refers to Nebuchadnezzar as Belshazzar's father, but I want to make sure you don't take that literally.
It doesn't mean that he is the biological father of this new king. The word father is often used in Bible times to talk about a significant predecessor in your family. Just give you a couple of examples. In 2 Kings chapter 2, it talks about a young man who was made king when he was eight years old. You remember?
Have you ever read about Josiah? Josiah became king as a child. He had to grow into kingship. And the Bible says there in 2 Kings 2 that Josiah walked in the ways of his father David. Fact is, David was not his biological father at all.
David was generations before Josiah, but because he's in the same lineage, David is referred to as his father. He walked in the ways of his father. In John chapter 8, Jesus is having a talk with some Jews who want to dispute the fact that he's talking about Abraham like their bosom buddies. And they were troubled by that, and they referred to Abraham as their father.
Now, you know, they are hundreds and hundreds of years removed from Abraham. But again, the principle is they can call Abraham their father because of the lineage. They are Jewish, and therefore they can trace themselves back to the covenant God made with Abraham. You get the point?
So when you see somebody being called my father in the pages of scripture, it doesn't necessarily mean that that person is your biological father. This text calls Nebuchadnezzar this. Guy's father, but when you look at the actual family history, he was his grandson.
So, Belshazzar is the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He's now on the throne, and this guy is a case study in what not to do. That's what I love about the Bible. The Bible isn't just there to show you these shining examples of wonderful people that you could never live up to. I love the scriptures because they show us people who did it right.
And they show us people who did it wrong. They show us people who started out wrong and got right. They show us people who started out right and turned wrong. You'll find what you need in the Bible. Do yourself a favor, get to know your Bible.
Read it, understand it, comprehend it, take it in where you don't understand things. Write down what you don't understand, do a little research.
Nowadays, you don't even have to have a great library like we used to have when I first got saved, and especially when I first got called to ministry. And they taught us that you got to get this book and that book, and all of them were literal books. And we built little libraries trying to be little young preachers. We had to read books, and then you know, if you're traveling, you're stuck. I can't take all this stuff with me.
Now, Jack, you can just download it into your computer. I got the baddest library imaginable, and it's in my computer. When I take my computer with me, I got everything I need to study my Hebrew and my Greek and my Aramaic and all that stuff is all in there. Y'all say, What's that? That's what I'm talking about.
You got to learn some stuff.
So invest. In the word. And so I love this part of the scripture because Belshazzar is there to show us how to do it wrong. Then you might as well call chapter five how not to live. I mean this guy is just a train wreck.
I just want to walk you through chapter 5, like I did chapter 4, and just point out some things that you need to learn. The Bible says the scriptures in the Old Testament were given to us to teach us, they are there to give us lessons. Everybody's story is there for a reason. That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, Paul said in Romans 15, might have hope. The scriptures give you patience, the scriptures give you comfort, and they help you understand some things.
So that's all I want to do. I want to make three basic points, and I'll let you go. The first point, and I'm giving you the positive point of what he did wrong, the opposite of what he did. In other words, number one: honor God in all things. Honor God in all things.
Now, look at what this crazy dude did in verses 2 through 4 of Daniel chapter 5. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, He's throwing this big party. He's got a thousand of his nobles there. While drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem.
So when they besieged Jerusalem, They not only carted the people off to live in captivity. But then they went into the temple of God and they raided it. And among the things they took were these special goblets, which, of course, were dedicated to God's purposes in His holy temple. And they took them.
So now this crazy guy decides he wants to throw a party and Preston nobles has his wives there, his concubines there. And he says, oh, yeah, go get that stuff we took from Jerusalem, from the temple in there, and we're gonna drink out of that. And then it says that they praise verse 4, the gods. of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
So, not only do you rob the temple, But then you replace the God that that temple was dedicated to. You replace him with your raggedy ideas of false gods. Let me tell you something. There is a built-in curse that you bring on your own life. When you dishonor God.
In any area of your life, it's not like He has to get you, He can get you, and in many cases in Scripture, you see He does get people, and this dude is about to get God. He gets God in one chapter flat. By the end of this chapter, he is dead. Paul told us, don't be deceived. God is not mocked.
Whatever a man sows, he's going to reap it. You got it coming. Whether in this life or in the judgment to come, you're not getting away with dishonoring God. God loves to be honored. It is appropriate to honor him.
The Bible says it is due him. Honor. is due to God. In other words, when you give somebody what's due, they don't have to be appreciative. You were supposed to give it to them.
Now, God inhabits our praise, so He loves it when we praise Him and honor Him. My point, though, is: you're not giving something to God that He really doesn't deserve, and you're just being so wonderful. Let's just apply that in a few practical ways.
So when we say we're going to church to honor God, to worship Him on the first day of the week, which is when many people worship, but not all. And thankfully, because of the cross, you don't have to pick a certain time. You don't have to meet God at a certain time and under certain circumstances. We could have church Wednesday afternoon at 3:17. If it weren't for our jobs and what have you, we could decide we're having church Wednesday afternoon.
And God, when we gather in His name, He'd be right here. Ready to bless us and heal us and minister to our needs right here because the time of day, the day of the week, is not the issue. He's looking for those who will worship him, honor him in spirit and in truth. And I want to let you know that God loves it and God responds when we honor Him. My point is, he is due honor.
He is due honor. You're not giving him anything special when you show up. That's why I keep saying, as a pastor, let's come to church, teach ourselves, come to church on time. We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message, so don't go away. Remember, you can always listen to the broadcasts on demand at pastorpaul.net.
And while you're there online, be on the lookout for some of the best Christian resources on the market, including books and DVDs that feature the teaching and preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. It's found at pastorpaul.net.
Well, Jesus said, He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much. With more from the book of Daniel, here again is Pastor Paul with the rest of today's message, weighing in with God. Don't dishonor God by being late. as a norm.
Sometimes stuff happens. To all of us, there are times I'm running around, there's times my wife's running around. And so it's Sunday morning, and there's those Sundays where you're just glad to get there. But don't let that be your norm. I got my own amens.
I'm good. If y'all worried about me, I'm good. I got them in my back pocket. I'm pulling them out as I need. Y'all never see anything.
Go ahead, Doc. It's going to be heavy, but go ahead on. You just got to make up in your mind to do it. Why? God, I want to honor you even in the little things.
Don't keep telling God.
Well, you know, you know me. I'm always running late for something. Don't tell him that every week. That tells him this isn't important. I'll get there when I get there.
We need to tell him. No, no, it's important. That from start to finish, I'm gonna be there, it's only 90, 95 minutes. out of a whole day that you gave me. In you, I live and move and have my being.
And when we say we're going to gather in these services, here's the start time. At least where I pastor is not old-fashioned church. Where in certain church cultures Certain church cultures. The start time was meaningless. Y'all ever been to those kind of churches?
Start time, they said this is the starting time of the service, but everybody knew you didn't really have to be there. I believe as a pastor That dishonors God. When we say we're gathering to worship him, let's be there. You don't have to like the song selections. I'm here to tell God.
I love you. I honor you. I'm not going to run late for you. If it happens every now and then, I know he's faithful and just to forgive. That's not the point.
The point is, I want to be there to say to God, I love you, thank you, thank you. This is another day that the Lord has blessed me. Come on some of you old chorus singers. Just another day. The Lord has blessed me.
And so you need to honor God in the little things. Makes a difference. This guy just took holy things, things that were dedicated to the temple, and he just made a mockery of the God they were dedicated to. Giving it to his nobles and his little raggedy wives and concubines. And they're sitting there drinking out of holy utensils.
That's an offense to a holy God.
So let's just make up our minds. I'm just not going to let my children, my grandchildren, people watching me, I say I serve the true and living God, and I say that He is first place in my life, and then they see me pulling out late to go to church. Say amen whatever you can. What am I telling them? I love God.
I go to church late. That's a contradiction. You see what I'm saying? Yes, it happens. Stuff happens.
Stuff comes up. When it does say, Lord, thank you for grace. Thank you. I'll get there, Lord, as soon as I can to worship you with the saints, but thank you. But don't make God's stuff casual.
Amen. Don't make giving to the kingdom casual. Yeah, God knows my heart. No, something wrong with your heart. People have told me, oh yes, Pastor, you know, it's tough financially, but if I ever get a blessing, if I ever get a windfall.
No. It's not true. What you think will happen is not true. The Bible says it's not true. Pastor, what are you talking about?
Jesus said in Luke 16: he who can be trusted with little. can also be trusted with much. He who is dishonest With little. We'll be dishonest with much. Statistics show us that the more people make, the less they give in charitable giving, percentage-wise.
The more You make percentage-wise, the less you'll give to charitable causes, especially religious charitable causes such as the church. That's the way it happens. They get the money, and their mind goes to what can I do now that I have more, rather than what can I give now that I have more. And I'm telling you, folks, we can't afford to dishonor God, especially in a day like this. But in general, you can't afford to dishonor God in the matter of giving.
Can't afford to do it. He's been too good to you, and you need him too much. For the way you gotta stretch what you have. Come on, somebody. And that's why I'm very practical as a pastor.
I say I believe all of us ought to be tithers. Everybody in the kingdom ought to be a tither, at least a tither, and give over and beyond that offerings to support major causes. I don't apologize for that.
Some folk get mad. As soon as they hear you believe in tithing, they say, oh, so you come from that legalistic. No, I come from a generous mindset. It's not legalism. I don't tithe because I'm legalistically obligated.
I tithe because if they were tithing from Genesis. All the way to the coming of Christ, and when he mentions it, he mentions it in a positive light. And then in the New Testament, when they talk about the standard being generosity. Don't tell me generosity is 2% and 3% of all that God has given you. Don't even try to run that game on me.
You know what generosity is? How much you give your mortgage company? Anybody here have a non-generosity approach to paying your mortgage bill? And I'm not going to treat Bank of America better than I treat God.
Now, in terms of my tithe, it's far less than my mortgage payment.
So, when the Bible says, honor God with the tithe, the 10% of all that He puts in your hand, and then give offerings as He leads you and blesses you. He is not asking me for my mortgage payment. Aren't you glad? You glad you only had to cost that up once a month? Say, ooh, thank you, Lord.
Got rid of this one. Yes. But don't cheat God. while honoring Macy's. Don't cheat God while honoring the financing they did for your vehicle.
Don't Play games and lie to yourself. God knows my heart. That's the problem. You gotta change your heart. To put God first.
And so just make that a decision you make. And I'm very practical. I tell people the last few times I've done a tithing series, money is one of the clearest indications of where your heart is. Jesus said that. Remember when Jesus said, where your heart is?
They're your treasure. will be also. Don't tell me how much you love God. Show me your checkbook. Because I'll see it in the way you release the resources that he's put into your hands.
Honor God as I worship. Honor God as I give. Honor God as I serve. He's given me gifts and talents and abilities. They're not just to make money, they're also to bless other people.
So, how much of your time that God has given you are you dedicating to helping somebody? How much of your time are you giving to helping people who can't help you back? Serving people because they need to be served. Those are the kinds of ways we honor God. Honor God in all things.
God is not mocked. As a man sows, he shall also reap. Thanks so much for being here for today's Destined for Victory message, Weighing In With God, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. To find out more about how you can help support Destined for Victory during these difficult summer months, visit our website, pastorpaul.net. We have a special gift reserved for you when you give generously today.
Again, the website is pastorpaul. net. Seek wisdom and As you live your life. Men and women of God seek wisdom. Don't just live, learn.
And let me tell you something. If I see you wreck your life real good.
Some ought to tell me.
Okay, avoid that. That's next time in our message, Weighing In with God. Until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
