What to Do in the Meantime

I came to talk to folk who are carrying a verse 11 promise around, but you wondering why in the world It hasn't come through yet. I thought God said He was gonna give me hope in the future. I don't see either one of them. Are you living in the meantime today?

Somewhere between where you started and where God has promised to take you? Hello, and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory, where we feature the preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. If you're stuck somewhere in between the past and the promise, we have some helpful words of wisdom for you today. God has things for you to do right where you are so that in due season He can take you where you're going.

Now remember, you're always invited to come see us at pastorpaul.net, where you can listen to any recent message on demand, including today's. That's pastorpaul.net. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Now, let's listen closely to Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message: What to do in the meantime. If you have a preacher who gets up every week and tells you what they think, Rather than what God says. You got the wrong preacher. Our job is to take the Word of God, rightly divide it. Help people understand it.

and help them know how to apply it. to their lives. That being the case, I don't want to talk to you Mostly about verse 11. I want to talk to you mostly about verse 10. Back up, and you'll see this in the New King James.

For thus says the Lord. After seventy years are completed at Babylon. I will visit you. And perform my good word to my towards you. and cause you to return To this place.

Now Wait, Pastor, I'm used to verse 11. I know the thoughts I have towards you. But what's up with December years? Glad you asked the question. You can't take a verse, even an exciting verse, like Jeremiah 29:11.

Snatch it out of its context. and walk around Acting like this is all God said. The way to end up blaming God that He did you wrong is for you to mishandle His word. You're under this ministry. It's my job to do permanent damage to your ignorance.

It's my job to make sure you don't sit up under this ministry or listen regularly to my broadcast or however you're exposed to this ministry and end up saying, well, Pastor never told me. No, no, it is my job to help you understand. You can't grab a promise out of the middle of a context. without understanding the conditions And the broader truth that is being revealed in that scripture.

So let's read them together. Verse 10, for thus says the Lord, after 70 years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word towards you and cause you to return to this place. Pause. What's this place?

Well, the letter is being written by the prophet. Jeremiah Who at this moment is in Jerusalem. He writes from Jerusalem. The place where the people he's writing to used to live. But they now have been deported.

and are now living as exiles. In Babylon. Why are they in Babylon? Because they walked in disobedience to God's word. And when God's kids disobey him, There are always consequences.

Not Just to punish Punishment is supposed to be a means. The end is correction. Y'all need to understand that you who weren't raised old-fashioned like many of us were, y'all need to understand punishment was never out of anger when it was done right. Punishment and anger are not supposed to be related. You who still practice some forms of corporal punishment, that's between you and your family.

I'm not getting into that, although there are places where they'll tell you you can't practice it and all of that. I'm not going there. If I start down that rabbit hole, not getting back any time soon. Because it just amazes me what happens now. I can't relate.

I never heard timeout except I was at the ball game. All right, so anyway, I'm not going there. But you who might still practice it, please know if you practice it, you're supposed to be in your right frame of mind, not angry. I'm concerned about my child needing to learn correction.

So as he or she grows up, They go in the straight and proper way so their lives can be blessed. If you're mad, don't touch your child. Amen. If you're angry, frustrated, you need to give yourself a timeout. Go somewhere, walk around the block, call your prayer partner, pray, whatever you need to do.

Because when you discipline, it's supposed to be for good, not for evil. And that's what God does. We got it from God. God said, I'm going to correct them by showing them when you live in disobedience, you remove yourself from the blessed place. In their context, Jerusalem is the blessed place.

It's where God Himself said, I want my people. And they removed themselves. God will use your enemies to correct you. For his purposes. That's amazing about God.

God will use folk that don't even know Him. And they'll work for him. You gotta understand, even your enemies work for God. And sometimes the Lord will just unleash them, just let them have at it with you. Because he is saying, You're my child, and I'm going to get you where I called you to be, no matter what route you take.

Now, you can be obedient and take the direct route. Or you can be disobedient and take the scenic route. I wish I was preaching to a few honest folk. who would admit that every now and then I should have taken the direct route. Do I have any honest I took the scenic route sometimes?

I was somewhere doing what I had no business doing. Come on, and God said, fine, since this is the route you want to be on. When I get through with you on this route. You're gonna be ready to straighten up.

So when it says, I'm going to return you to this place, he's talking about Jerusalem where Jeremiah the prophet is writing from. He sends this letter to the people of God in Babylon. And he says, I'm going to perform my good work toward you, but not yet. It's going to take 70 years.

So, my subject. What to do. In the meantime. I came to talk to folk who are living in the meantime. I came to talk to folk who are carrying a verse 11 promise around.

But you wondering why in the world It hasn't come through yet. I thought God said he was going to give me hope in the future. I don't see either one of them. I thought God said that He was thinking constantly about me, and they were thoughts of peace and not of evil. And I'm going through all kinds of turmoil and confusion.

I don't get it.

Well, he sent you here so you can receive this word. This word is for people living, quote unquote, in the meantime. Where is the meantime? You're not where you started. and you're sure not where you're headed.

You're somewhere between where you started And where you're headed. And what's worse, Most people who live in the meantime don't even like where they are right now. Pastor, how will I know if I'm living in the meantime? You're not where you started, you've made some journey. Even if on the wrong road.

Through disobedience. And you're not where you're going. You're not where your verse 11 promises. R. You're somewhere between the two And you sure, most of the time, you don't like where you are.

That's the meantime. 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, but He also encourages listening friends and partners like you to do yours. And we're so grateful for what you've done in His name. Your prayers and donations reach people all over the world with the love of Jesus Christ.

So let's keep that momentum going and let's do it together. To make a safe and secure donation online, do so at pastorpaul.net. Or call 855-339-5500.

Now, back to the rest of today's message. What to do in the meantime?

Now, let me tell you, you can live in the meantime. In a lot of different geographic locations. Meantime can be lived out Almost anywhere. Let me just give you three examples from the scripture to help you make this clear and apply it to your life. Babylon is one of the mean times.

When you're in Babylon like the Israelites are right now. You're there because of your own wrong choices and decisions. You're there because of your disobedience. You're there because God and His Word told you to do one thing, and you did another. You're there because there were some right choices you could have made and you made wrong choices.

And so God Himself has had your enemies carry you off into captivity in a place called Babylon. When you see Babylon in Scripture, it's a place that has not been blessed by God. It is a place of punishment. It is a place of captivity. It is a place where heathens rule.

It is a place where God's people know they have no business being there. And some of you are in Babylon right now in your life.

Now, I need you to understand, verse 11 still applies because that's who he wrote to. He wrote to the folks in Babylon. I came to tell you: if you're in a Babylon because of your disobedience, I need you to know God still loves you. Do not charge God with not liking you anymore, not loving you anymore. God's sick of me, He's through with me.

No, if he was through with you, he'd have never sent a prophet with a word. I want somebody to know that because as you move forward in your life, the enemy is going to tell you all kinds of things. Look at God, He forsook you. You're over here by yourself. You need to quit all that going to church stuff.

That's not working out for you. That's the enemy speaking to you. When you are in Babylon You are in a place of captivity in some areas of your life. And you who can go to church, you who are in the New Testament Babylon, you need to get to church every chance you get. Don't let the enemy tell you.

We might as well sit home now. You see, God's not worried about you. He's trying to keep you Out of the center of God's will. Look at what that verse said. It said, I'm going to return you to the place where I can bless you.

But first, you've got to own your punishment. I am where I am. By my own doing, is there anybody willing to be honest enough to say there's some areas in my life that are thoroughly jacked up, and there's no need of me blaming it on other people? Truth be told, quiet as is kept. I did this.

Do I have any folk who know in some area of your life, I made some poor choices, I made some wrong decisions, I didn't pray about it, I didn't obey the word about it. When they brought me the word, I said, I don't want to hear that.

Some of us would have to say I put my feelings in the driver's seat. I should have put them in the back seat. I let my feelings jump behind the wheel. and they wrecked my life in some area pretty good. And here I am all shipwrecked and messed up.

But I can't blame it on God. God sent me to Babylon so He could show me you can't be blessed. in the midst of your disobedience. And so I need you to know. If you're in Babylon, it's because you did it.

Now, there's another place where you can live in the meantime. The Bible calls it Egypt. Consider Joseph in Genesis 37. I won't have you turn there in the interest of time, but some of you who are Bible readers know what I'm going to refer to. Joseph in Genesis 37.

is a young man who Though the younger of these many brothers in Jacob's family. He receives two dreams. Two dreams from the Lord. Both dreams show him And leadership over his family. First dream shows him in leadership over his brothers, his older brothers, and the second dream shows him in leadership over not only his brothers, but his parents.

Now, in Old Testament times, if you want to be disrespectful, act like you're going to be bigger and badder than your parents. You didn't do that back in those days. It was utter disrespect. Yet, these dreams show him I'm going to be in charge of my family, including my parents.

Now, 17-year-old spoiled Joseph. Has gotten these dreams. And he, not knowing any better. Gold this family says, yo. Guess what?

God showed me That before it's over, All y'all gonna be bowing to me. He doesn't know. You remember when you were seventeen? You didn't know what you were doing. You thought you knew everything.

Now you're old enough to know you knew next to nothing. Come on, is that true? Man, when you were a teenager, a hot shot teenager, you thought you were the stuff. And you thought you knew everything.

Now you're old enough to realize how dumb I was. To think I knew. What I thought I knew. That's Egypt.

So Egypt is this boy sets up Tells his family what these dreams said, and his brothers hated him. They already hated him because he was spoiled and jealous. They out working hard, and he's the youngest son. He come out, his father sent him out to check on his brothers. Y'all know how this works in families?

How the youngest, spoiled one gonna come out and supervise us. And when he comes out, his father has made him a Versace suit. Bible calls it a coat of many colors. Versace. He come with his Versace on.

Tell me about I came check on y'all.

So his brothers hate him all the more because he's spoiled, and now he thinks he's going to be in charge of us, and they plot to kill him. They said, tell you what, we're going to get rid of it. We're sick of this. And they drop him at a certain point, read it when you get a chance. They drop him in a well, a dry well, and they're going to leave him there to starve and die.

But GO! Yeah. is in charge of his people. When you're in Babylon, because you brought it on yourself, he'll send the right folk to send you to Babylon. Then he'll send you his word in Babylon and said, if you're all ready to do what I said.

Here's what it's going to take.

Now we're talking Egypt. Joseph is in Canaan with his family, saying, Hey, everything is wonderful. And now his family's plotting to kill him, and God knows they will kill him if he lets them. But I came to tell somebody: your enemies are not in charge. And the people who are plotting on you and don't mean you well, they work for God.

Because you're called according to his purpose.

So here's what happened: they leave him in the well. But God touches one of the brothers. And he goes and gets him, said no. We can't do this. And while he's pulling them out of the well, he sees a band of merchants coming down the road.

And say, oh, this is what we'll do.

So that his blood's not on our hands, we won't kill him. We're gonna sell him. Tells the brothers, we're not going to let him die, we're going to sell him. We're gonna make Pop think he's dead.

So they put some blood on the Versace. Made sure they took the pop. He thought, oh my Lord, an animal killed my son. But they sold him because all they want to do is get rid of him. That's God's plan.

Here's why we know it's God's plan. Because not only didn't God want him dead, God to fulfill the dreams he gave him, God has to send him to Egypt because that's where the dreams are going to be fulfilled. The only way to get to Egypt is your hateful brothers. Gotta send you there. When you are called according to God's purpose, God will make folk who are trying to wipe you out.

Pay your ticket to your place of destiny. That's what they did. All they did was purchase his trip to Egypt. He didn't know it was in Egypt. He didn't know this was a God thing.

All he knows is what in the world is happening in my life. I came to tell somebody who's in Egypt, I didn't do anything wrong. I've been living the best I know to live. I'm not a perfect person, but I'm no worse off than the average person. How do I go from being the spoiled son of Jacob?

To a slave In Egypt. I came to tell somebody who is perfectly perplexed. You've done nothing that you can account for as needing correction. And yet You're a slave. Your hands are tied, your money's tied, your family situation is messed up, you don't have stuff going in the right direction as you perceive it, and you don't understand why.

And this word comes to let you know. That although you haven't disobeyed God in anything, He is setting you up. He's setting you up.

Now you don't know it because you're in the meantime. When in the meantime, you don't have a whole lot of answers. When in the meantime, all you know is I was better off before. I think I'm supposed to go somewhere really nice. But where I am, I cannot.

factor that in at all. What is this? And so he's a slave. But the Bible says the Lord is with him. Even though he's in Egypt.

Thanks so much for being here with us for today's Destined for Victory message: What to do in the meantime. Always glad to have you with us.

Well, God has a specific will for all of us, but none of us can carry it out all by ourselves. We need a little help from time to time. And what's true of us as individuals is true for ministries like Destined for Victory. We once asked Pastor Paul about what he would tell you, our faithful listeners, about the value and the power of partnership. Here's what he said.

I want them to know your partnership is very, very important and necessary. When you think about it, starting way back, I'm thinking about Moses. He could not have been Moses without the partners God gave him. God raised up Joshua. The Bible called Joshua Moses' minister before it called him God's minister.

And Joshua was one of those key people. Aaron, his brother, was one of his key partners. Every man or woman of God since then, all the way into, of course, when you get to the ministry of Jesus, Jesus himself required partnership. Isn't that amazing that the God man needed partners? He took Peter, James, and John farther into the garden of Gethsemane and he said, just stay here and watch with me.

And he cried and poured out his heart to get ready for that moment when he would lay down his life for us. And he needed that partnership. He had Peter, James, and John. He also had Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Then when you look at the apostles, there is no Paul without Timothy, without Silas, without Barnabas.

And on and on, all of us need partners.

So the bottom line is: I'm so grateful for every man, woman, boy, and girl who has become a partner for our ministry so you can keep on providing this platform so that we can reach even more people for the Lord Jesus Christ. Pastor Paul always made it clear that he wanted Destined for Victory to continue after his preaching days were over.

So today, your partnership with us is more important than it's ever been as we seek to build upon the strong legacy of faith he left behind. For as little as $20 a month, you can become a Destined for Victory partner today. And when you do, we'll send a few thank you gifts your way, including one of our most popular CDs, the best of Let My People Smile. Yeah. Call 855-339-5500 to learn more about being a Destined for Victory partner.

Make your pledge over the phone or mail your gift to Destined for Victory. Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538. You can also become our partner from our website, pastorpaul.net.

Now, if you can't become a partner but would like to send a generous gift today, we'd love to send you our latest booklet, Grown Up Faith. For more information on this outstanding resource, stop by our website, pastorpaul.net.

Sometimes you're in the meantime in Babylon because of your disobedience.

Sometimes you're in the meantime in Egypt. And you're there in Egypt because you didn't do anything wrong. What's this? All I had was a dream from God, all I had was good plans. That God seemed like He wanted to bless?

How do you go from being a dreamer? To being a slave. Answers come your way tomorrow in our continuing Destined for Victory message: What to do in the meantime. But until then, remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.

In Christ, you are destined for victory.