What happens when there's a disagreement you can't come together? The Bible says you don't break fellowship.
Sometimes you have to park company. But you don't break fellowship. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. That's Ephesians 4:32, and this is Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. If you live long enough, there may be times when you have to leave a relationship, either temporarily or permanently, but to do it without breaking fellowship.
What does that mean? What does it look like in a friendship, in a marriage? Stay with us now as we uncover some biblical answers to these and other questions. Online, you'll find us at pastorpaul.net, where you can listen to any recent message on demand, including today's. That's pastorpaul.net.
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Now, let's listen closely to Pastor Paul Shepard's Destined for Victory message. The call to unity. America has never been More divided. Than it is right now, except In the days of the Civil War. This is a mess.
that we're living in right now. and the church and church leadership. Is at the head of the mess. Instead of Staying focused on what we ought to be focused on. Arrogant Christians have decided You can't be a Christian and be part of the other party, whichever the other one is, in their world.
I've heard it on both sides of the political equation. I'm an independent, I can talk about both of them. I am proudly independent. I've never found a party that I support their platform 100%. I haven't.
So I vote, so I look at all the issues, I look at all the candidates, I look at all the integrity or lack thereof, I look at the decision making, I look at everything, and I prayerfully make my decision. And I go into I go in and I vote all y'all need to vote. Get registered and vote. Your voice needs to be heard. And you shouldn't come to a church.
And you couldn't come to a church that tells you you're not a Christian unless you vote like me. You vote your conscience, you vote your convictions. And And so you need to understand we got these people out here now that are deciding. Of course, being a widely known pastor, I have for all time. If you would just get out here and support, we need you.
No, I need to follow the Lord and his word. And I'm not going on your platform to help any candidate. I'm going to tell folks to vote your conscience and your conviction. And you answer to God, not to me. Oh, but you can really impact them.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna impact them by preaching the word. and telling them to live accordingly. And I'm disgusted by the arrogance. I'm disgusted by people who Who just have made up their minds that politics and the Bible go hand in hand. I'm disgusted by people who use spiritual things for props.
I'm disgusted by that. The Word of God is not a prop. You either live by it or you gonna be judged by it. But you have no business using it for a prop. I'd say that to anybody.
And so we need to understand that politics is your personal you You go come November and vote what is in your heart to do. Walk out with your head high, whatever you voted. And leave it alone. And trust God. We're going to have to trust God no matter who gets in the White House.
I hope you know that. We're gonna have to trust God in this country. Are you kidding all this division? Because that's not going to settle anything. All it's going to do is stoke new controversy.
And so the church needs to be making. The message loud and clear: seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Spiritual gifts. Christians divide. divide over spiritual gifts all the time.
A lot of my colleagues on on the radio with me. Are cessationists. What's that? That's somebody who doesn't believe that the sign gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, 8 through 10. are active in today's Whirl.
Apostle, I mean, apostle prophet, that's Ephesians 4. But 1 Corinthians 12 talks about sign gifts, tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discernment of spirit, all that sort of thing. And they say those gifts, those nine gifts mentioned in that three verses, are not active today. And so, and so, but then some of them go on to say: so, if you call yourself a Christian and you are speaking in tongues, you are deceived. I'm talking about people I preach alongside right on the radio.
If you hear them preach on that, that's exactly what they'll tell you.
Some of them have written books. Cursing all the all modern day expressions of charismatic Yes. You know what? Here's what I'm going to tell you all. When somebody says tongues no longer operate in the church, you know what that means?
He or she doesn't speak in them. That's all that means. He or she doesn't speak in them. If you speak in tongues, nobody can tell you you're out of order. Because right in the book, it said one of the gifts God gives is speaking in tongues.
One of the gifts God gives is prophecy. One of the gifts, God gives his word of knowledge. And any preacher who says, Oh, that went away after the establishment of the canon of scripture, those were no need, were not needed. Who told you that? The Bible didn't say that.
And then I heard somebody say, oh, no, the Bible said, whether there be tongues, they shall cease. They're reading from 1 Corinthians 13. Whether there be tongues, whether there be prophecy, it shall pass away. Ask him the question: when did it say it would happen? And the answer is When the Lord comes.
When the Lord comes, we're not going to need to speak in tongues. We're all going to be with Him. Whatever the heavenly language is going to be, we're all going to speak it. We won't need signed gifts. Nobody gonna need to be healed in heaven.
So, I don't need no super spiritual person walking around with their eyes squinted, trying to act like they're so deep. You know, some of my charismatic friends make me sick. Just They just make me just walk my eyes all squinting. Mm. Stop just stop it.
If you got power, just in Jesus' name, be healed. And be done. What's all this? Oh, I said. Fuck around like something stink in the room.
Like stop. Yeah. We need to quit with all the shenanigans. Just walk in grace, walking in love. If you got power, let the power be seen.
I've seen supernatural movement. I've seen God heal instantaneously. I know He does that. But I most enjoy it through vessels who aren't full of themselves. And so we need to get it together.
Now, let me wrap it up by saying those are just some examples. There are many, many more things where we need to stop. being arrogant. When sometimes there's disagreements, you can't come together. What happens when there's a disagreement you can't come together?
The Bible says you don't break fellowship.
Sometimes you have to part company. But you don't break fellowship. Let me give you some examples of not breaking fellowship. Go with me to Galatians 2, verses 11 through 14. Put these up on the screen for me.
Galatians chapter 2, verses 11 through 14. I want you to see an example of people who are both anointed, but sometimes they butt heads. Look at this. When Cephas, that's Peter. This is the first century church early days.
Came to Antioch. Antioch is where the Gentiles first started getting saved. You know, on the day of Pentecost, people came from all other regions, but they came to Jerusalem where the Jewish church was. But now, by the time you get over later on in Acts, you find the gospel spreading to Gentile regions such as Antioch.
Now, put that back up. I'm sorry, I just had to explain that. When Peter came to Antioch, Paul says I opposed him to his face Because he stood condemned. Wait, the Apostle Paul Said to Peter, That you are, you stand condemned. Go to the next verse.
For before certain men came from James. He he, Peter, used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived The the the Jewish Apostles arrived, such as James. He began to draw back. and separate himself From the Gentiles.
because he was afraid. of those who belonged to the To the circumcision group, that's the Jewish leaders. You see what happened? Paul said, When before James and them came. Yeah, James in there, missing you, Bob.
Before James and them came to Antioch. You were sitting down breaking bread with Gentiles. Because you already knew God had accepted Gentiles, and you knew that because God had shown it to you. You knew better.
Soon as James and them show up. You no longer eat with the Gentiles. You now hanging out. With the Jewish brethren exclusively. And Paul shook his finger in Peter's face.
and said, You are condemned. You are wrong. for what you did. And listen, sometimes we shouldn't practice sloppy agape.
Sometimes folk need a really good blessing out. I said blessing out instead of cursing out. Y'all did it. I hope y'all got that. Pastor said we can cut your art.
No, I didn't. Bless them out. But they still need to be told off. Need to be told off 'cause they're wrong. When you see folk who are being arrogant or being hypocrites, as in the case of Peter.
Call them out. Don't practice sloppy agappy. Tell them what you think. And so, but here's the point I want to make. While Peter And Paul had that.
Encounter where Paul shook his finger in his face and said, You're just as wrong as you know how to be. Paul didn't start. I don't go to Peter's services campaign. You see the difference?
Sometimes you bless people out and you keep fellowship. But I have to tell you the truth. And y'all gotta learn that. You who are married better learn that. Quit breaking up with your spouse just because you all have a really good one.
Really good falling out. over something. Find a way. to honor your vows. Are there grounds, Pastor, for divorce?
Sure there are. Sure they are. And you can get some biblical counseling. We can help you with that. But don't start with, I'm out of here.
Some folk have nothing but the but the gift of departure. There are some people that say, oh, that's the only gift you got. I'm out.
Somebody got to have enough grace to say, I'm mad, but I'm not out. I'm angry, but I'm not out. I'm disgusted with you, but I'm not out. Let's find a way to work this out. Bunny Williams, uh Bunny, um, used to come and um And Wilson used to come to my previous pastorate, and I would have her teach on marriage.
And she said, Sometimes you have to separate. She said, But when you separate, separate redemptively. She said, meaning you lay down the law, I need this, this, this changed. I'm not living with nonsense.
So I'm not leaving you, but I'm leaving your behavior until you get your act together. And she taught that right from my pulpit. I'm not leaving you, I'm leaving your behavior until you get your act together. And sometimes you separate redemptively. And sometimes they change and sometimes they don't.
You don't have to stay somewhere and live with foolishness just because you got married one day. You say I didn't marry a fool. And that's what you acting like now.
So we need to change some of this. And you get your act together and then we can talk. We can go to counseling. And so I approve all that.
So sometimes you have to disagree without breaking fellowship. Let me give you another final example: Acts 3. Yeah. Verses 35 through 41.
Now, this is Paul now dealing with Barnabas. A fellow leader in the church. And Look at this beginning at verse thirty five of Acts fifteen. Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch. where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Keep going.
Sometime later, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preach the word of the Lord and see how they're doing. They had gone through it, they had had the first missionary journey from Acts 13 to Acts 13. Um uh fifteen.
Now he's saying at the end of Acts 15, let's go back. This is sometime later, not immediately thereafter. Let's go back and check on the churches where we. Where we minister. We established churches there and all that.
Let's go back.
Now, see what happened. Look at the next verse. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, Yeah. also called Mark with them. Keep going.
But Paul did not think it wise to take him. Because he had deserted them in Pemphilia and had not continued with them in the work. Keep going.
For or they had such a sharp. Disagreement. that they parted company. Barnabas took John, took Mark, whose name was John, and sailed for Cyprus. And then Paul Chose Silas and Commended the believers to the grace by the believers to the grace of God.
Now, let me help you understand something. Paul and Barnabas were the ones called in Acts 13. By the Holy Spirit. Read Acts 13. The teachers and prophets in the early church were fasting.
And in that time of fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke through one of them, and they all consented, Yes, this is God. And the Lord said, Separate me, Paul and Barnabas, for a work I've called them to.
So that's how Paul and Barnabas became the first leaders of the first missionary journey.
Now, getting ready to go on the second missionary journey. God hasn't said anything different. He has still called them. And they spent Some good time. Ministering and traveling.
John Mark was a young man.
So he's a little rookie. And he Tried to go with him. But it got hot out there.
Some of those cities, when you read that first missionary journey, they were having their lives threatened and all that persecution breaking out. And John Mark said, whoa. He's like, Mm-mm, I'm not for all this. And he went home to his mamma. He did.
In fact, his mother hosted one of the churches in Jerusalem. And so he wouldn't be because he used to run around the saints praying and eating. And he wanted to be in the comfort of that. That out there and on the road, where they're talking about, if you come back here, I'm gonna kill you. And so Barnabas, who is a son of encouragement.
Said Hopefully he's grown up some and we're gonna take him. I'm gonna go get him Paul said, stop the presses. He not going with us? He left us the first time. I don't fool with people who are deserters.
That's the that was Paul. I don't fool when we get out there, this is war. I don't need nobody who gonna run away. If you're gonna be in the foxhole with me, you need to fight. And the Bible says you just saw it, the contention between Paul and Barnabas was sharp.
And Barnabas said, You don't throw people away just because they messed up the first time, give them another chance. Paul said, Read my lips. He ain't going with me. Those brothers, if it wasn't for the Holy Ghost, I I think there'd have been a fight. I can't prove it, but it sound to me.
The Bible said was sharp. Y'all have had sharp disagreement. And so instead of fighting. They just separated. Paul said, well, I'm going to find a new partner, Silas.
Barnabas said, Well, I'm taking John Mark so he can learn and grow. And they went two different directions. Strengthening the churches. There is no record that the two of them ever continued doing missionary journeys together. But They didn't curse each other's ministries.
How do we know that? Because when Paul is getting ready to lose his life in 2 Timothy 4, when you read 2 Timothy 4, you're reading the last known words of the Apostle Paul before he was beheaded. And during that imprisonment, from which he was killed. He's writing the read the latter part verses of 2 Timothy 4, and you'll see him saying to Timothy, his spiritual son, oh, When you come to visit me. Bring John Mark with you.
Who? The boy who you said he ain't going with me? What had happened? Clearly. by pardon by Barnabas giving him time to grow.
He had gotten so Mature. That Paul later was able to use him as a companion. And you'll see what Paul says in 2 Timothy 4. He says, He has been a great help to me. in my ministry.
Just because somebody is jacked up now. Doesn't mean they can't grow later. Y'all stop throwing people away. Because they're not everything that's supposed to be now. Give them some time.
Give them a chance to let God work in their lives. Give them a chance to go through some life experience.
Sometimes life will just, you know, life be life and. I know there's a more sophisticated way of saying that. I just said it recently. I was talking to my announcer on my broadcast, and we were doing the little exchange. And I said, I told him, I was talking about something.
I said, that's the facissitudes of life. Yeah, he's a white guy, Wayne Shepard, my announcer. And I said, you probably have never had anybody teach you Ebonics, Wayne. Let me just give you something. I said, so y'all say vicissitudes of life.
We say life be life'n. I should have said life be life and like a mug. Yeah. Come on.
Sometimes you just got to give people a chance to go through.
Some folks just haven't had enough hard knocks. You let them have a good hard knock or two. And they'll learn some things. And so you and I have to understand. to not throw folks away.
God was patient with you. Oh, come on. You ought to be the first one to extend grace and wisdom. God was born. Not was patient.
I need a few honest folk while I'm wrapping this up. to say, God, it continues to be patient with me. I still have days where I say, ooh, I'm so glad I'm saved because I sure ain't acting like it today. The grace of God that appears. To all men.
Has And teaching us that denial. ungodly and worldly love. We can live soberly right now. Righteously and godly in this world, but sometimes you go through hell getting there.
So whatever you do, Avoid the habitats. Thanks so much for being here with us for today's Destined for Victory message: The Call to Unity. Always glad to have you here. Destined for Victory can only continue on this station through your faithful prayer and financial support. And when you give today, we have a very special gift we'd like to send your way.
It's one of Pastor Paul'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 Destiny Christian Fellowship to share this sermon about something that was heavy on his heart.
So I've asked Pastor Paul's daughter, Alicia Greer, to tell us about that and exactly why she believes you should hear this message.
So, please welcome Pastor Paul's daughter, the executive director of Destined for Victory, Alicia Greer. 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.
Well, the message we're talking about is called Sometimes You Have to Encourage Yourself, and it's never aired before on this program. It's not available anywhere else, but right here, right now. When you make your most generous gift today, we'll send you this exclusive message either as a DVD or a streaming link. Again, that's 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 donation to Destined for Victory. Please give that gift by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's eight five five three three nine fifty five hundred. 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.
Boys are taught you gotta win. We're not taught That losing has any virtue at all. Just you're supposed to win. When you're on a bad team, you're ashamed of yourself. How bad we can't play, we can't win.
We've been socialized, we've been taught, and it's been drummed into us. You're supposed to be a winner. That's tomorrow in our Destined for Victory message: Men Who Are Determined to Win. Until then remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
In Christ, you are destined for victory.
