You can achieve unity without being identical. In fact, you're supposed to achieve unity without being identical. You know why? God made us different so that each of us can bring our strengths to any situation. If all of us were alike, the world would be a boring and unproductive place.
Hello, and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. In John chapter 17, just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus prayed for unity among all His followers. Not sameness, not identicalness, but oneness. He took unity in the Church very seriously, and so should we. Stay with us today as Pastor Paul examines the concept a little more closely.
And remember, you're always invited to come see us at pastorpaul.net. where you can listen any recent message on demand, including today's. That's pastorpaul.net. Subscribe to our podcast at Spotify or wherever you enjoy podcasts. But right now let's listen closely to Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message.
The call to unity.
Some of y'all old heads, y'all remember the Patty Duke show? Come on, don't be ashamed of how old you are. The Patty Duke Show. And Patty Duke was a youngster in those days. Teenager And she played in this little weekly sitcom with her family, but she played two characters.
Patty And Kathy. And Patty was the rowdy one. And Kathy was the s sophisticated one. And when it came on, it showed them. Um In at one scene, as it was coming on, it showed her standing in front of herself.
And at first they're they're mimicking each other and identical, and then you see they go different directions. And identicalness Means we never go in other directions. We never show our differences. Here's what I need you to know. You can achieve unity without being identical.
In fact, you're supposed to achieve unity without being identical. You know why? God made us different so that each of us can bring our strengths to any situation. Here's my firm belief. If two of us are exactly alike in the same setting, same environment, if we are exactly alike, one of us is not needed.
In that environment. 'Cause we already got that. What else you got?
So we need to celebrate difference But Difference that refuses to move toward division. Difference is okay. Division is not. Difference is fine. In fact, difference is needed.
All the brothers who married to a woman unlike you, thank God for difference. All the sisters married to a man you might not always thank God for, but every now and then. And now and then you ought to recognize He does bring some things to the table. That you don't bring by yourself. We're supposed to be different.
In marriage, opposites. are supposed to attract. You know the four temperaments, sanguine, the basic temperaments, sanguine are the most extroverted, and then choleric are somewhat extroverted. Then you have melancholy, somewhat introverted, mostly introverted, then you have phlegmatic, all the way introverted. And then you have the blends of all the things.
And rarely do you see two sanguines who want to get married to each other. Why? You already got noise with the one. You already got the one that, you know, I used to say that about my father. He enters a room mouth first.
You knew he was around because you heard him before you saw him. That was my dad. He was just, he was the ultimate sanguine. You heard him, he out he hadn't even come in the house, he still out on the step and you hear him. And that's all.
But he married a phlegmatic. My mom was his temperamental opposite, just what he needed. Just what he needed, because she was laid back, chilled out. My mother would, you'd have to, you'd have to know she was happy. You have to know she's happy.
You know, some people who are used to activity and all that, sometimes they look at Sister Peggy Shepherd when she's first lady, my dad was the pastor, and it'd be a little picnic or something. She'd just sitting in a chair, what have you, fussing down behind the kids. Y'all stop that. And other than that, she'd just be sitting there. And sometimes people would be concerned, say, is your mother okay?
I said, oh, she's having a good day. What you done, buddy?
Okay, she is having herself a good day. But you couldn't tell by being demonstrative. Choleric, strong natural leaders. I'm choleric. Many of you all are strong natural leaders.
But two strong natural leaders married, that's going to be a problem because both of y'all want to lead. And it's gonna be uh gonna be a fight to the finish in in a lot of cases. And and all that. And so, um I'm pre predominantly choleric, but uh have a uh a minor in melancholy and I married a predominant melancholy and minor in phlegmatic. And so we got the diversity we need.
So I'm, you know, I came with action and here's what we're gonna do and plans and all that. And she came with the but I don't feel And I had to learn to appreciate feelings. I had to learn to appreciate when you couldn't give me a concrete reason why you think something is better than something else. Because I'm, you know, choleric. I could have been a lawyer if God hadn't called me, I'd have been a bomb lawyer.
Because I would wear you out in a courtroom. Because I know how to pick at the weaknesses and find the holes in your story, and all that. That's my temperament. I know how to do that and all that.
So I can deal with facts and all of that, but the concepts that are not. Like that, it uh gave me a problem. But I married somebody who taught me to appreciate that not everything can be proven in a factual kind of way. And things like, I just sense that. I like sense.
No, no, no. What that got to do with anything, what? And I told you all, I've told you many times before, I had to learn how to not solve problems when she would begin expressing frustrations with what was going on in her life. In the early years, kids were little or whatever, different seasons of our life, and she'd have a frustrating day. I'd come home from ministering at the church or what have you, and come home.
And she wanted to talk about these feelings and frustrations. And she'd go in and do that. And I'm sitting there and I'm listening, but I'm listening to hear what's the problem I can solve. Where's the problem I can solve?
Soon as I thought, okay, I Got it, there's the problem. Then I would cut into her Talking and say, baby, here's what you need to do. And I would lay out A really good plan. Just ask me, I'll tell you. It was really good.
It would solve the problem. And she would end up more frustrated. After I talked, than when I started. And I'm like Scooby-Doo. Yeah.
The noise Scooby-Doo made. Cause I'm like I just, man. I just I solved your problem for you. And and I did it without This having to continue. Because I just came home from work.
Sports Center will be on in seven minutes. I want to run in there and get me a snack. Sit down in my chair, be ready for Sports Center. And I've just done that. Why aren't you happy?
Finally, this is in our early marriage, but it took a while. And finally, she said, listen, let me help you understand something. When I. Present problems and frustrations to you like this. I don't want you to solve the problem.
And I'm thinking You mean you want to talk for an hour? About a problem. And not arrive at a conclusion? And she said, yes. Here's why.
Because I'm intelligent. I didn't need you to solve the problem. I needed you to help me get the frustration. Out. You are my sounding board.
You are my covenant relationship. You are the person I'm supposed to go to. And when the pressure is building up, emotional pressure is building up, she said it's just like a pot. It's just getting inheated, and the pressure is building up. And I need a safe place to get.
And that's where she taught me what exhaling meant. I didn't know about waiting to exhale until then. I got married. And I learned what waiting to exhale really is. It's not a movie, it's a reality.
She needed a safe place to exhale. She said And after I do that, if you are listening actively, Then I will get the pressure out. I'll feel better. Then I can solve my problem. And she said, I remember one thing she said, and if.
At any point, I need your advice. I will be sure to let you know. By saying, So, what do you think I should do? She said. If you don't hear, what do you think I should do?
You should shouldn't do anything. All you should do is listen actively. Look me in my eyes while I'm talking.
So I know you haven't disconnected. Look me in my eyes. If you aren't understanding, ask questions so I can make sure I know you are hearing what I'm saying. And she taught me what that exhaling stuff was about. Oh man, that saved me a whole lot of trouble.
Cause I was so confused at first. Like Who wants to talk about a problem and not get it solved? But now I get it. It wasn't about getting it solved. It was about you being a partner who is willing to help me.
I had to learn how to become an emotional midwife. An emotional minute, and just pull the baby out. Come on, we. We gonna get this frustration out of here. And so I learned to say, say what?
They did what? And she was saying, yo, yeah, no, I'm telling you what it is. And I said, oh my Lord. Still ahead, the second half of today's Destined for Victory message featuring the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. As always, you can hear any of our recent messages on demand at pastorpaul.net.
That's pastorpaul.net. Listen and subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, at Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, the great commission has to be funded to be fulfilled. It always has. God has commissioned pastors, teachers, and missionaries to do their part.
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or call 855-339-5500. God made all of us different for a reason. Differences are never the problem, division is.
Now here's the rest of today's Destined for Victory message, the call to unity. We have to learn difference isn't the problem. Difference is helpful. Division is a problem. Division is toxic.
It's when people say, Here's where I am, I'm not coming over there. Here's what I believe, I'm not going over there. Here's my decision, I'm not changing my mind. Here is my position. That's the problem when you divide.
Because unity then is broken. Difference doesn't break unity. In fact, difference can promote Unity. Difference can make things better. You know, there's a concept called synergy.
When synergy is in play, You can have two different individuals, but when they synergize. The sum of their working together is greater in what it produces. Than the individual parts that they bring to any situation.
So, your giftedness and their giftedness can produce a certain amount of things, but when they synergize, And they marry their creativity together, and their decision-making is in sync. Then you go to another level. That's what the Bible means when it says one can chase a thousand, but guess what? Two can do? Put ten thousand to flight.
Not one can chase a thousand, two can chase two thousand. No, one can chase a thousand, two can chase ten thousand. Why? Because that's synergy. That's unity.
Let me illustrate it. Musically, I'm some of y'all don't know you you have only met me when I stand up here. I was a minister of music before. I was a pastor. I was my dad's minister music and his associate pastor before I came out here.
I gave them a hymn, the lyrics of a hymn, and let me just illustrate it real quick.
So put up the The church is one foundation. I'm a hymn dude to my heart. I love hymns. We grew up on hymns. Do y'all have my the church's one foundation?
Okay, there you go. Put it on the back screen for me so I can. Read it out. Put it on the back screen for me too so I can see what I'm telling them. All right, the church is one foundation.
That's one of the many wonderful hymns I love about the church, the universal church. Church is one foundation, first verse, is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation. by water and the word. You're not moving it.
Ever All right, I'll look over here. Oh. By water and the word. From heaven, he came and sought her to be his holy bride. Talking about us, the church.
with the bride of Christ. With his own blood, he bought her. And for her life, he died. Beautiful, majestic hymn. Here is the hymn.
I'm going to play it. in unison, identicalness, uh using two fingers. Uh Uh That's nice. Anyone who grew up with Hams and others, and you hear that, you say, Oh, yeah, that's the church's one foundation. It's nice.
But it didn't have any oil. It was just Bland. Let me show you the power of synergy when you take difference. But instead of making difference work in division, you let it work in unity.
Now, you might think. You might think Well The first one was okay, but the second one was anointed. It wasn't the anointing. It was harmony. It was taking different notes instead of playing the same note in two different octaves, which was the first.
time I played it. That's identicalness. It doesn't get you anything that you really can use. But It gave you the melody, but that's it. The second time I took difference.
I played four or five notes at a time. But I told them synchronize with each other.
So that nobody is saying, I don't care what you're playing over there, this is my note down here, and I'm doing. Harmony is taking intentional blending of difference. and making it work. for the common good. That's what we've got to learn to do.
As we continue to see God move, not only in our church, but in our families. In our homes, marriages are not breaking up because people are different, they're supposed to be different. You're supposed to be different. That was God's plan. The two shall become one.
The two different shall become one. Not two people exactly the same.
So you singles who want to be like Patty and get married one day, Don't go looking for you in the opposite gender. Trust us. We don't need another you. We don't need another you. We got you.
The world has you. That's good. We good. Please don't clone yourself. Look for difference.
That can agree as to what the end goal is. And use that difference along with your difference to accomplish. That goal. And so Next week, I'm going to start giving you some practical ways that we being a church full of different people. Can walk, continue to walk in unity because division will kill what God is doing.
I'm telling you, I've seen it. Division kills. Unity brings life. Invites the presence of God. Jesus presents.
Prayed. For unity. For us before he left the earth. He didn't promise us unity because it's up to us. When you get a chance, read John 17.
That's his prayer he prayed before. We call the Lord's prayer, you know, our Father which art in heaven. That's not the Lord's prayer, that's the prayer he taught us to pray. The Lord's prayer is what he prayed in John 17 before he left the earth. And he said, Father, Make them One.
In the same way that you and I. are one. He prayed to the Father, would you make them one just like we are one, so that the world may know? And so Jesus showed us. If you don't get in sync with other believers, You are going to miss out on the opportunity.
To experience the move of God in a powerful way because you're out of step and out of sync. Unity in the church does not mean sameness. We are part of a body, and every part of it is necessary. Let us endeavour to achieve unity in the midst of diversity, and that for His glory. Thanks so much for being here with us for today's Destined for Victory message, the call to unity.
Always glad to have you with us. Destined for Victory can only continue on this station through your faithful prayer and financial support. When you give today, we have a very special gift we'd like to send your way. It's one of Pastor Paul Shepherd's final messages and one that has not yet been heard on the program. In fact, Pastor Paul interrupted the final series he preached at Destined Christian Fellowship to share this sermon about something that was heavy on his heart.
I've asked Pastor Paul's daughter, the executive director of Destined for Victory, Alicia Greer, to tell us about that and exactly why she believes you should hear this message. Man, Pastor Paul was so energized when he preached this message. He was actually in the process of teaching his, or what would be his very last series, but he interrupted that series and said, you know, I have to pause teaching, and today I just have to preach. And man, he was just fired up. And so I would encourage everyone to get this resource.
It's so encouraging. By the end, you will be built up. Whether you're going through a challenge now or you are just preparing for what you have to do when you will face one, Pastor Paul gives such practical advice, and you know he does it with his signature humor and his down-to-earth style. And so you'll just be so uplifted by the end of listening to this message.
So I pray it blesses you. The message is called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself. It's not available anywhere else but right here, right now.
So when you make your most generous gift today, we'll send you this exclusive message as either a DVD or streaming link. Again, it's called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself, one of the last messages Pastor Paul ever preached, and it's only available right here for your most 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 Box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538. We're all lost, everybody in the world, which is why you have no business looking down on people because everybody needs the same grace of God. But for the grace of God, there goes you. That's tomorrow in our continuing Destined for Victory message, the Call to Unity. But until then, remember.
He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
