Some people prophesy what they want to happen in your life. You're not going to get off drugs. You're not going to get free from alcohol. You're not going to get out of debt. You're not going to make your marriage work.
They are prophet lying. You've got to learn just like you've got to learn to receive godly prophecy. You've got to learn to reject prophet lies. When God continues the work he began in you at the point of your salvation, you can expect divine revelation. You can expect partnership, but you can also expect opposition.
Hello and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. The moment you start trying to clean up a few areas of your life, you'll run up against doubters and detractors. Stay with us now to find out how to stop this opposition in its tracks. Remember to come see us at PastorPaul.net to listen to Destined for Victory on Demand at PastorPaul.net. Subscribe to the podcast at Apple Podcasts, at Spotify, or wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Now, here's today's Destined for Victory message, Wisdom for People Under Construction. You got to remember, it's just like what happens at an airport. If you've ever seen, I have at times in all my years of flying, I have seen somebody leaving an area for good. And back in the days before all this security, you know, back in the day, your folk used to be able to go all the way to the gate with you. You all remember those days?
And sometimes I have seen back in the day families crying and what have you as they're sending somebody off. And there's great tears and what have you because this is goodbye. but they're getting on the same plane I'm getting on and we take off and we go somewhere new and we land and guess what for all the tears of sorrow at the one airport at the other airport there are tears of joy there's hugging and joy as that person gets off the plane and whoever they're going to embraces them and says come on we'll go get your luggage for you come on we got the car running. We're going somewhere. I come to tell you, you might have to say some painful goodbyes on the one end, but God has some happy hellos on the other end.
And you got to expect partnership. Number three. Oh, we don't like this one, but it's true. Expect opposition. Expect opposition.
You will be amazed. And some of you won't be anymore because you've already experienced it. When you decide I'm going to get my life together in some ways, you would think everybody who loves you would be excited for you. And you will discover that as sure as you say, you know, there's some things I got to get done, resolved. There's some ways I've got to get free.
There's some ways I got to grow. There's some ways I've got to put away dysfunction. I've got to get my life together. God's been speaking to me about preparing for a different career and so I got to get back to school. God's been dealing with me about getting out of this debt that I have just buried myself under and so I got to discipline myself and learn how to live on a budget and get myself together and you are laying out some good plans that you know are part of God's will for your life and you will be surprised the people who try to talk you out of what God is trying to talk you into.
Nehemiah is ready to start building. He hasn't even begun the process, but word begins to disseminate. Nehemiah got permission from the king. He got a leave of absence. He got permission to go in the forest and get some lumber.
He's getting ready to deal with that messed up city wall. And word began to get around. And I want you to notice Nehemiah 2 verse 10 And when Sam Ballett and Tobiah heard about it, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Some people don't want others to be blessed.
Some folk don't want others to grow.
Some folk don't want you to get a different mentality than you had because they've had that same mentality with you and they've had that false fellowship. And now that God has taken you higher, they're actually upset.
Some people don't want you to get out of debt. They in debt and you stay in here with me.
Some people don't want you to get free from your addiction. I'm addicted. My mama was addicted. All my relatives addicted. how dare you try to not get addicted?
Who you think you are.
So now you somebody because you're going down to church and you're reading your Bible and now you think. Why would somebody get upset with you for improving your life? My wife has people, when people found out that we were working through our challenge and God was blessing us, keep our marriage together because of the grace he had put on this woman. Do you know not everybody is happy with her? Do you know there are some people that hate that she loves her husband?
What kind of dysfunction would cause you to not celebrate with people when the grace of God is upon them and he is blessing them tremendously?
So listen, as it is with us, so it is with you. Don't expect everybody to be happy as God is speaking to you about the areas of your life, you can expect opposition. In fact, in Nehemiah's case, and it's going to be true in your life too, the opposition at first, they were just disturbed. Chapter 2, they were disturbed. He going to do what?
Rebuild the wall? The people going to have safety and freedom? And they disturbed By chapter 4 they mad Oh I going to read it to you Chapter chapter 4 verse 1 when sam ballad heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became angry and greatly incensed he ridiculed the jews and in the presence of his associates in the army of samaria he said what are those feeble jews doing will they restore their wall will they offer sacrifices will they finish in a day can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble burned as they are. See, some people prophesy what they want to happen in your life. You're not going to make it.
You're not going to get off drugs. You're not going to get free from alcohol. You're not going to get out of debt. You're not going to get a better job. You're not going to make your marriage work.
They are profiling. And you got to learn just like you got to learn to receive godly prophecy. You got to learn to reject prophet lies. And when you hear people speaking doubt and not faith and speaking out of anger and not out of redemptive, restorative grace of God, you got to stop that in its tracks, right in its tracks. You got to say, no, no, you don't talk to me like that.
They ridiculed them. They said in verse three, what are they building? Even if a fox climbed up on it, it would break it down. But look at verse four. Nehemiah said, hear us, oh, our God.
He ignored them. They talking about foxes. Y'all ain't doing that much. You think there's going to be something? Nehemiah said, hear us, oh, God.
While he's telling them, talk to the hand. Hear us, oh, God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. In other words, he's turning them over to God and he's going to stay with his mind and heart on the work.
That's what you and I have to learn to do. In chapter two, they were disturbed. In chapter four, they were angry. And by chapter six, they ready to hurt somebody. In chapter six, I can't read in the interest of time, but read it.
You will find they are plotting to get Nehemiah off the wall to get him away from town so they can kill him. Folks, if you don't believe spiritual warfare is real, just try to get the will of God done and see what opposition jumps up in your life. Folk, you didn't even know knew you. You know, you will get to a season in your life where after a while you say, Lord, at least let the people who hate me know me. You know, it kind of hurts your feelings.
Folk hating you and they don't even know you. And they're spewing all this hatred and you're looking at them like, who are you? i'm telling you where i've been talking like you know something you don't know that you don't even know me who are you why are you running your mouth but they've been sent by the enemy of your soul to discourage what god is doing and you and i have to learn to do like nehemiah nehemiah wouldn't get off the wall when they said come on down we're having a meeting and we need you to come. Dan Meyer's up on the wall. He said, I'm not coming down.
I'm doing the work. Can't have a meeting. I'll cast my vote by proxy. Whatever y'all want, my vote is no. That's what you got to learn to do.
when the enemy rears his head trying to defeat what God is doing in your life, you got to take a stand against it. Expect opposition. That's not a fun point, but I promise you it's important for you to know as God is building your life. One of the ways you can know you're on the right course is how much hell is breaking out. Decide like the prodigal son.
My father's servants are doing better than I'm doing and I'm his child. I've messed up. I've disgraced the family name. I've done all kind of dirt, but I'm going to get up and go home. At the very least, my father will make me like the servants.
He knew his father loved him. He didn't know how much his father loved him until he headed home. And when he got home, he found out his daddy loved him much more than he could ever imagine. Why? Because he had never gone far enough away to tap into the deep resources that were in his father's heart.
And when he came back, he found out that his father didn't want to hear his little lame speech. I sinned against you and the family. And I disgraced myself. And I know you told me not to do it, but I went in anyway. And I spent up all your money.
And I'm so sorry. The father didn't even want to hear it.
Now, the boy needed to say it. You need to repent. When you're messed up, don't take God's love for granted. Don't act like you can just bust back up in there. Yo, yo, yo, yo.
No, no, no, no. When you've been wrong, act like you know you've been wrong. Don't go away. The rest of today's Destined for Victory message featuring Pastor Paul Shepard is coming right up. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me. And that's why Destined for Victory is here, to teach timeless truth for a victorious life by pointing people to Jesus Christ. And with summer winding down, we're asking listening friends and partners like you to send a generous gift to help us close out the rest of the year in a strong financial position.
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Well, the prodigal son is one of the most beautiful stories in all of scripture. It's one of humility and forgiveness and love, but also jealousy and opposition. Let's get you back to the rest of today's message. Wisdom for people under construction. The Bible says if you humble yourself God will exalt you in due time He came back humble but his father heart was so full of love that his father was hardly listening to the apology Father said, my son's back, my son, get him a robe.
Get him some sandals for his feet. Go get the family ring. I'm going to put it on him. That was like a credit card in his day. that meant he walked around with the authority of his father he could go to the marketplace and on the basis of who he was he could purchase anything his father was reinvesting now you know some of us if we can barely forgive somebody we sure gonna do it on our terms well you know you ain't getting no more money, don't you?
Oh, the love of God. Oh, the love of God. God doesn't say, all right, you're my son again, but you're going to be my broke son. You see all that money you spent up? He reinvested because he knows now this boy has come to himself.
Now he is going to make me prouder than he's ever made me before. But here's the point why I'm bringing that up. I'm on the point of opposition. Guess who didn't like it? His brother.
Sometime your brothers and sisters act like your enemies. They're not your enemies. At least they shouldn't be. But they act like them. His brother wouldn't even go to the party.
They in the house partying, killed the fatted calf, food in there, smorgasbord, everybody eating, got a bone in their hand. Older brothers outside. But I love the father. The father noticed.
Somebody missing. Where Junior? He's the older brother. He's probably Junior. He's the firstborn son.
Where Junior? And one of the servants. He outside. I saw him in. He goes out.
I love God. He'll find you wherever you are. With all your attitude and he went out there, threw his arm around and said, son, what's the problem? Come on in, man. Food's ready.
I don't believe you. I've been here the whole time. You ain't never gave me no banquet. He go out, sleep with whores, spend all your money. Oh, he was talking.
I mean, he was wrong. Spend all your money, disgrace the whole family. and he come back and he get a banquet. What up with that? The father said, everything I have is yours.
Whatever you don't have is because you didn't ask for it. You sitting around feeling entitled. He said, everything I have belongs to you. But when somebody messes up the way your brother has, and finally comes to himself and is broken and is ready to get himself together, that's when the people in the family respond. And we don't wait for him to ask to have a banquet.
He would never do it. We have to just throw it. And he was trying to help him see, you can get anything from me. All you need to do is ask. but your brother was lost and now he's found he was messed up and now he's gotten straight that's worth a party and you got to know some folk won't like it but you gotta be prepared for opposition final point i'm done not only expect revelation not only expect partnership not only expect opposition, but number four, expect success.
Do you know that Nehemiah and the people rebuilt the wall in 52 days? Less than two months, the entire project completed. Talking about coming in on time and under budget in 52 days. they experienced the thrill of seeing success. They were able to walk outside and walk all around the city and see everything was fortified.
The enemy can't get in here. He used to be able to just run right through here.
Now look at this. He can't get in. When we shut the gates there's no entry point for the enemy. It's not going to take you long for God to do what he's doing in this season of your life.
Some of you all are thinking, oh, in a few years, I hope you get it done. Oh, God said, I'm speeding this timetable up. I'm going to get some things done for you in the next couple of months. If you get down to business and seek my face and let me have my way in your life, I will get it done and I don't need a whole lot of time. God said, I'm going to do it.
I'm going to do it. I'm going to let you experience the thrill of victory. Because you've had enough time with the agony of defeat. If you don't know what I just said, that's because you're too young. For some of us old heads, we know when we hear the thrill of victory, we know exactly where that come from.
These young folks say, what's the thrill of victory? I'm referring to before ESPN, before there was a sports center. In fact, before there was cable TV. Back in the day when you didn't have something sitting up on your roof, except an antenna maybe. But most of us didn't even have the antenna on the roof.
We had the one sitting right on top of the television with two rabbit ears.
Sometime one of them was broke and you went and got a hanger Oh come on somebody Went and got you a hanger and put the hanger down in there Sometimes you had to put foil on it You had to put foil on there. Forget remote, remote nothing. You get up, walk across the room, turn that dial. If the dial was broke, you got some pliers. in my family, we just left the pliers right there.
And this is the day before video recorders. There was no Betamax. There was no VHS recorder back in those days.
So if you missed it, you missed it. Whatever was coming on those four or five channels you had in your city, that's all. It wasn't to take you a half hour. Today, it took you a half hour to flip through all the channels. Back then, it was four, five, maybe six channels in your whole area.
Some of them were VHF.
Some of them were UHF. And whatever was coming on, if you missed it, you missed it. Once a year, the Wizard of Oz came on. We lived for that day. My brothers and sisters and I lived for Wizard of Oz Day.
because you knew it wasn't going to come on but once a year. We would check the thing. And when we saw it was coming on, all right, you've got to clear your whole schedule. You move heaven and earth for that Wizard of Oz night so that you could be sitting up there. And, of course, at first, I remember when we got our first color TV because at first we had black and white TVs, and you couldn't tell the difference between Kansas and Oz in terms of color.
when we first had it, you know. And I'll never forget the first night I saw it in color. And when she opened the door and Oz was all bright and beautiful, I said, look at that. I'm finished preaching.
Now I'm going to reminiscing. And Oz was so beautiful, but you had to be there because it was in living color. That's all back in them days. You had to see it. That was the one time in the year you were going to get to sing Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead.
What point am I making? Oh, about thrill of victory. And back in those days, there was no sports center, but there was a show on ABC called the... Thank you, thank you, thank you. Wide World of Sports.
and in the opening monologue the man would be talking and what have you and they were showing sporting moments and he said the thrill of victory and they'd show these victorious sporting moments and then he said in the agony of defeat and you fall saw folk failing miserably man a skier falling all over the snow thrill of victory and the agony of defeat i don't know about you but I've had enough time in defeat. I want to experience the thrill, the thrill of victory, the thrill. God, I want to go from victory to victory. I want to go from glory to glory. I want to see how next you're going to bless my life, how next you're going to fortify some area, how next you're going to take me to a deeper, higher place.
And he'll do it because God is a finisher. Thanks so much for spending part of your day here with us on Destined for Victory. Today's message, Wisdom for People Under Construction, is part of our teaching series, God is a Finisher. Look for it online at PastorPaul.net. And while you're there, be sure to check out our online store for some great resources that will help you grow in your Christian faith, including books and video messages from Pastor Paul Shepard.
It's found at PastorPaul.net. Speaking of resources, we've got a brand new one to share with you today. It's our latest booklet, Rising Above Offense. We've all been wounded from time to time, even by the people who love us the most. What does God say about how to handle these situations?
You'll find out in Rising Above Offense, something I believe everyone should read at least once. If you want to discover the right way to respond when someone offends you, if you want to learn all about the beautiful and amazing power of forgiveness request your copy of Rising Above a Fence when you make your generous gift to Destin 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.
Or even mail your gift to Destin for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California 94538 And here at Destined for Victory, we believe in the power of prayer. And today we'd like to offer to pray for you. Please use the contact feature at the top of our homepage at PastorPaul.net and share your request with us. That's PastorPaul.net When you're called according to God's purpose, God doesn't have a usual, normal, predictable life prepared for you. He has some things prepared for you that your eye hasn't seen, your ears haven't heard.
It hasn't even entered into your heart what God is up to in your life. That's tomorrow in our message. It's time to pray. But until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
Food Talk.
