God called you before you showed up with all of your stuff. The calling predated your miss. The calling predated your foolishness. The calling predated everything that makes folk look at you and say, What is wrong with him or her? Your calling predated that.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. That's Ephesians 2:10, and this is Destined for Victory, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard.
Well, as you heard just now, God's calling in your life started before your life did.
So everything you've been through, every mistake, every wrong turn, Every wound you suffered at the hands of someone else, God knew all about it, and yet He still prepared good works for you. Think about that as you listen to Pastor Paul today. And then decide for yourself how you can take all of your experiences and all of your God-given talents. and use them to serve the Lord and bless others. Online, you'll find us at pastorpaul.net.
Visit us anytime to listen on demand. You're also invited to subscribe to the podcast at Spotify or wherever you enjoy podcasts.
Now, let's pay close attention to Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message. becoming excellent stewards of our talents. Anybody ever had enemies? I mean Folk that like Right? Why don't you I don't even know you.
What is your problem with me? You ever met those kind of enemies where they you couldn't make sense of why? I did nothing to you. You don't have to do anything. These people just come from nowhere.
Decide they don't like you. That's it. But it's all God works it all together. To fulfill his calling. on your life.
And when he gets through with all that working, you're like Paul. You don't have to worry about it because you're not going to run the risk of being conceited. Are any of y'all at that place yet where Conceit is not a temptation. 'Cause you've been through enough. I know if it weren't for God.
I would have been so done. I know if it weren't for God. We wouldn't even have a discussion.
So, I can't be conceited. I can't be full of myself. I can only be full of gratitude to a God who gave me what I didn't deserve, who took me where I shouldn't be, who called me to a place I don't deserve to walk in. Oh, I'm so glad. For the mercy of God, the restorative grace of God.
It was all him and none of me. When you get there, you don't ever have to worry. About being conceited. I'm on these stations all over the country and stuff like that. Every now and then and run into people, and they're just so thrilled to me.
Hey, how are you doing? Hey, God bless you. And they say, Wow, he's real. Like, are you kidding? How could I be anything but real?
One time I was somewhere at one of these conferences and some of my members were standing over watching me and the people bringing I'm kissing babies and signing autographs and my books and and all that and the people just hugging and just carrying on. And I heard a couple of them say, Wow, I didn't know he was famous. And I told him, I said, Y'all don't understand, I know I'm just pastor. You know, when you have a parent, you're not impressed with your parent. Your parent can be God knows what, but at home it's like, where the food?
Yeah. And that's why I like the Destiny folk, 'cause they're not tripping. But the fact of the matter is, it is all God, the good stuff that's happening to you, and will be happening to you. is all to his glory.
So Joseph gets sold into slavery. For the purpose of God. And he needed his brothers to be the haters that got him there. And what was the purpose? The purpose of God sending him there so that he could ultimately save the lives of his family.
God called him so he would be the Savior. of the people who sent him to die. That's the God. Who we give all the glory to. Because years later And you know what he went through during those years.
You've read it. I don't have time to walk you through it. He had to go from being a prominent spoiled boy to a slave in Potiphar's house. Then he came up in the ranks. God gave him favor with his boss.
And finally, he is the head servant in the house. And then Sister Potiphar saw him and liked what she saw. Lord is my shepherd. I see what I want. And she made up a new song 23.
See what I want? And so. She decided, I'm getting with this young man. And she went after him. And this is the wife of a prominent man.
You know, she had the wardrobe and the look and everything. You know how that happens with prominent men. And she worked her wardrobe and all that trying to seduce this man. And the Bible says. Joseph was so anxious to please God.
Now, here's why I bring it up. Because a lot of us have been through enough stuff where, at a certain point, the devil will whisper in your ear, you deserve anything you want. And he could have been sitting in that house saying, you know, I'm down here a slave. I had no business being here. I don't have to worry about serving God, I don't have to worry about integrity.
I could just this this lady want me cool. He could have done that. He said, No, he lived with a God consciousness. That's what you and I have to do. Especially in this season of your life, keep your God consciousness close.
When you wake up, I'm going to work with God. I'm going to work for God. I have to please him. I know I got all kinds of shady stuff around here. I get all kinds of stuff I could get involved in.
I gotta answer to God. And so he said, no, no. When she first tried to say, come to bed with me, he said, no, I can't do that. He said, Your husband trusts me in this house. He's given me, he actually told her, Your husband is giving me charge of everything in here, but you.
I don't have charge over you. I can't do this. And I've served God. Can't do this.
Some things you just have to lay down the law, resolve. It can't be your feelings. I didn't feel, it had nothing to do with feelings. I'm sure that lady was attractive. He like, yeah, she beautiful, but nope.
Can't do that. That's I had a dream. And she wasn't in the dream. Come on, somebody. God gave me dreams when I was 17 years old.
She wasn't in them. And so he ran away from her. And one day, you know the story, she held on. She said, uh-uh. We're going to bed today.
He had to run out of his clothing in order to stand in dignity and integrity. And then she got mad. Anybody ever met a woman scorned? Woman scorned is different from a man scorned.
So now you sexists, I'm real. I'm real. Yeah, and all the honest women know I'm real. A woman scorn has a degree. Of intentionality.
That goes beyond We're not smart enough. To do what certain women can do. And this lady Told her husband, she held on to the coat he ran out of when he came home from work. said that slave you brought in this house came in my room to make sport of me. tried to rape me.
Here is his coat. Potiphar got angry. Put him in jail. That wasn't what a husband in that situation would do. If he believed This man he gave all this responsibility to tried to rape my wife.
You ain't going to jail. Come on, somebody. He's not going to jail. Jail? No.
Uh-uh. I'm gonna kill him and he not an Egyptian. I can kill him, and it's like killing property, killing cattle. He didn't think to kill him. He thought to put him in jail.
Even if later on he said, why did I do that? Why? Because you are called according to purpose. And purpose means you can't die. Because your purpose isn't fulfilled.
So He's in jail. For years. For crime He did not Commit. Why? Because God is setting him up.
For In the fullness of time. I'm going to do something. God's going to do something in your life in the fullness of time. You're frustrated beyond belief because the fullness of time hasn't come yet. I came to tell somebody you got to use everything about you: your talents, your abilities, your personality, your experiences, especially when they are crappy experiences.
You gotta say these two have to glorify God. Don't go away. The rest of today's Destined for Victory message, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard, is coming right up. In John eight, Jesus said that if you abide in Him you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. That's why Destined for Victory is here, to teach timeless truth for a victorious life by pointing people to Jesus Christ.
You can help. Visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. That's pastorpaul.net. or call 855-339-5500.
Now, for more from the life of Joseph and how it applies to your own life. Here's the rest of today's Destined for Victory message: becoming excellent stewards of our talents. And so there he is in jail for years. You know the period of time he was in jail when the king's baker and butler came down. And God gave him a dream about each of them.
Or interpretation of their dreams. They say, We had these dreams, don't know what's going on. He said, All right, tell me. And uh when Joseph got the word from God. He said to the baker, you sure you want to know the interpretation?
Yeah, no, no, tell me.
Well in three days you're gonna be dead. Does your wife know where your insurance policy is? Minute. Cause you not coming up out of here. Alive, you coming out in a casket.
Cupbearer, you want to know? He said, I'm not sure now. Said, no, you don't have to worry about it. In three days, you're going to be restored. Then he said, This is our humanity.
Now, when you get out, remember me to Pharaoh. Tell him I'm down here and I didn't do anything wrong. Use your influence to get me out of here. You know that's a reasonable expectation. But here's the problem with some of us: when we're called according to God's purpose.
Our reasoning doesn't count. It's not like God is working according to what makes sense to you. Oh, I'm preaching better than you saying. Amen. He is working according to his purpose, not your sensitivities.
Yes, you would want to be supported by this guy who you helped him to get back to the king. Two years went by.
Now, you know, after the cupbearer first left, you know, Joseph, who was in charge of the prisoners, trying to keep them, you know, their spirits strong and all that. You know, he said, all right, man, I'm getting ready to go. Because you know My boy just I I just got Gave him a good word, and he's going. I'm getting ready to go.
So he's probably up there telling him about me right now.
So they gonna come get me in a day or two.
So I want y'all to be strong. Tell her to be strong. I'm leaving, but I You know, y'all come on now. Do this time, don't let this time do you. A week later.
Month later, Year later, Anniversary of the Cobear leaving. Nothing. By that time, Joseph was like, no, he didn't. No, he didn't forget me. That's where some of y'all are right now.
You mad at who didn't help you? in a way you thought you should have been helped.
Some of y'all are mad at some folks sitting up here right now with your Bible. And mad as you know how to be. Cause somebody didn't come through for you. And you have Send all your anger in their direction. Don't do it.
Withdraw it today. You are called according to purpose. Y'all got to stop all this. These younger generations trouble me with all this, what y'all deserve. Y'all just y'all really make me antsy.
And all my baby boomer friends. Y'all talk about what you deserve. I don't deserve to be. Life doesn't work according to what you deserve.
Sometimes Everything that happens to you. In your way of thinking, shouldn't have happened. But now that you are a child of God. He takes all of that. and works it together.
For good, not necessarily your feelings of good. But his purpose is good. And that's what he works it together for. to bring about and in that he is ordained. When the time was right, Pharaoh had a dream.
And said, I can't find any. He asked all the spooky people in his kingdom. Do y'all have an interpretation of this? Nobody had it. He's up there.
And the cupbearer standing there, just like some of your friends, standing there. Oh Oh, Pharaoh. I was supposed to tell you two years ago. About a guy in jail. He interprets dreams.
He the one told me I'll get my job back. Two years later. You can be mad for two years if you want. They can't. Change what they did because you.
Are living according to God's purpose and His timing. There'd have been no need of him trying to get him out two years earlier. Why would Pharaoh? Break somebody out of jail for no reason. But now he's got a reason.
I need to hear from this guy. Go get it. Joseph comes up. Gives him the dream. Joe said, here's the interpretation.
Going to have seven years of great success, extraordinary success. followed by seven years of extraordinary famine. And you need a plan. to take advantage of your years of plenty. Prepare for your years of famine.
And Pharaoh said, Well, I don't have anybody as wise in my kingdom as you. Tell you what. You're now second in command in Egypt. How do you go from a ex-conference? Can.
Accused of rape. Ex-Con accused of rape. to second in command. How do you do that? No human reasoning, but God.
So, while you're wondering what's going on in your life and how come things aren't making sense for you, you got to realize you serve the but God. When God gets through working what He's working in your life. It won't have to make sense to you, but he is going to fulfill his purpose. purpose through your life. Even the worst parts of it.
You got to know you belong to God, you're going to win. You just like that rapper. All I do is win, win, win, no matter what. Y'all don't know that, I'm sorry. Did Pastor listen to rap sometimes?
Yeah, I heard him. All I do is win, win, win no matter what. I was listening to it one day. I said, when I walk into church, everybody's hands go up. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm supposed to be holy, I'm sorry. You're a winner because you serve a God who doesn't. Loose. He is going to bring his will to pass in your life.
So all Yeah. Y'all quit belly aching. When things are wrong, you can call them wrong, but stop acting like that's the end of the world. Because God is above all. And he called you according to his purpose.
Don't worry about what's going on around you. You don't like, oh, but it's so much prejudice on my job. Yes, it happens. But God doesn't need them to fix their prejudice. ideas in order to bring his purpose to pass in your life.
He'll fulfill what he wants to do. We got elections every four years, a fresh one's coming up. Y'all quit acting like the end of the world, depending on what happens after the election, there's still going to be God who has called you according to his purpose. Purpose. You do his will.
In the good times, you do his will. the beds. You do his will when you like who's in the White House. You do his will when you can't stand. who's in the White House.
God is all in all. All and he will bring his will to pass in your life no matter what. You gotta let folks know it's okay. Because God's will is going to be done.
So, you know the story. Years later, after the years of famine, Joseph is the one who put the 20% plan in place. They took 20% of all the proceeds of the years of plenty and stored it away. That's what a lot of us need to start doing with our money. You might not be able to hit to 20%, but you better find a percent.
Because 100% of what you make is not 100% for now. That's a biblical plan. Put some of it away. Because if you live, there's going to be a later. I just thought I'd throw that in.
That's for free. Y'all who live in hand-to-mouth don't have an emergency fund, much less a real savings for your future, you're making a mistake. And so the bottom line is that money that's put aside. And then, when the years of famine came, guess where. Guess where the folks in Canaan, including Jacob and his sons, had to go?
Well, they got food in Egypt. And so Jacob said send his boys, Y'all y'all going down there? and see if you can get us some food. Here come the haters. His brothers.
They don't even recognize Joseph. They looking right at their brother and don't know who it is. God is trying to set some of y'all up to be unrecognizable. He set you up so you will be unrecognizable. Folk who say, oh, she ain't nothing.
That's right. Just consider me a nothing. And here he is standing with the power in his hands. And these brothers ended up, so if you could bring, give us, and we'll trade for this now. And you know what the devil told him.
You know what the devil told him.
Well, looking, looking, looking. Oh Oh look who's hungry. Come to town, want some food. That's why God is taking you through all the stuff He's taking you through, so that by the time your enemies are standing in front of you. You don't have that kind of response.
Because he's been working on you. He been growing you.
so that all you want is what he wants. Joseph didn't even stand and say, God, can I please just get him just one time? He didn't do that. He went and cried. He went.
Away and found a place to cry. The emotions are real. He didn't have amnesia. He knew what they had done. He cried.
But he was just getting stuff out cleansed so he could come back. and fulfill the will of God. And you know the story. He eventually had to get his father there.
so that all of his family could eat through the famine. and the will of God would happen. You know, if God gave us what we deserved, we wouldn't be here to explain to Him what we think we deserve. We'd already be in hell for all eternity. just one more reason to praise God for His mercy and grace.
Thanks so much for being here with us on Destined for Victory. Today's message, Becoming Excellent Stewards of Our Talents, as well as any of our recent messages, are available on demand at our website, pastorpaul. net. While you're there, be sure to check out our online store for some great resources to help you grow in your Christian faith, including books and video messages from Pastor Paul Shepard. That's pastorpaul.
net. And let me ask you: how's your faith life going? Is it maturing and growing the way you had hoped, or has it become stagnant? In our new booklet, Grown Up Faith, you'll be challenged to move beyond any childish habits you may have formed and begin to embrace the kind of maturity that honors God and blesses your life in the process. This practical biblical guide will help you stop living on impulse and start living with greater wisdom and purpose.
Again, that's Grown Up Faith, our thank you gift today, for your generous donation to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-50500. 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.
The state of your life now is not what it is going to be. when the Lord comes again. He says, we're going to be transformed. We are going to be completely transformed. And that's next time in our message, a preview of coming attractions.
But until then, remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
