Hello and welcome to another great week here on Destined for Victory featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. We're so glad you're here because we've got a great message to share with you today titled, There's a Reason for Every Season. But before we get started, I want to tell you about a great new resource we'd love to share with you this month. During the final year of his life, just before being called home to be with the Lord, Pastor Paul preached an excellent series on stewardship, one that we've aired right here on Destined for Victory. It was so well received that we decided to put those messages together as a book called Becoming an Excellent Steward.
And to share a few words about the book, I'm pleased to welcome in Pastor Paul's daughter, the executive director here, Destined for Victory, Alicia Greer. Alicia, welcome. I know you have some thoughts about this new book, but also about the heart of the man who wrote it. You know, I had the privilege and honor of growing up with Pastor Paul as my dad. And one of the things that he was really great at as a dad was giving advice.
And so I could always go to him for life advice. He was very wise and he lived his life according to godly principles. And as a result, he saw so much fruit in his life.
So I see this last year of teaching that he did on stewardship as his advice to us as a spiritual father. And one of the things I love about books is it gives the opportunity for that wisdom to be packaged in a way that's timeless. And so this book is a wonderful way to glean advice from your spiritual father about how to steward every area of your life according to godly principles. And I believe that as we put these things into practice, we can see the same kind of fruit from our lives. Again, the book is called Becoming an Excellent Steward.
Thank you, Alicia. It's available for the first time as a hardcover book, and we'd love to send you a copy today as our way of saying thanks for your best gift of $25 or more to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. or by visiting pastor Paul dot net to make a safe and secure donation online, or by mailing your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box seventeen sixty seven, Fremont, California, nine four five three eight.
Timing. Timing is everything in the plan of God. And some of us right now are in a season where we have to discern. Where we are and what God wants out of this season. There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.
Salvation is our greatest gift, but on today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard, we want to talk about our second greatest gift, our time. How can we spend the days of our lives in a way that honors God? For the next half hour or so, we'll take you to the life of Jesus to answer that question. Stay with us here or stop by pastorpaul.net to listen on demand. But now, let's sit back and enjoy Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message.
There's a reason for every season. Luke chapter 2. Let's begin at verse 41. Every year, Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the feast according to the custom.
After the feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, They traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem.
to look for him. After three days. They found him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers. listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his wisdom.
And his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother, mothers have been the same through every generation. His mother said to him, Son, some of our mamas would say, Boy. Why have you treated us like this?
Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. How many know Mary wasn't smiling when she said that? And look at Jesus, verse 49. Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my father's house?
But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Now watch this. Critical verse. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things In her heart. Get what's happening there.
Jesus is 12 years old, but he knows who he is. He knows in the plan of God what is down the road for him. He knows he has come to earth. To be the Savior of the world. He has come to proclaim the good news.
And so he is in preparation mode in his mind, even at 12 years old. He is preparing his heart and his mind for what is coming. And so he's in the temple courts and he is talking with people about the things of God. Look at what he's doing in this season. He is listening.
And he is asking questions.
Some of us If we're going to get where God's taking us, we've got to understand something. You don't know much of what you need to know yet. In order to do the will of God. And so when you are in a season of preparation. You've got to major in listening entirely more than you talk.
Jesus, who is the Son of God, and who, when he did speak, the Bible says they were amazed at the wisdom of this 12-year-old. But look at the way it characterized it. He didn't do more talking. The Bible says he was there listening and asking questions. Because he discerned That this is a time of preparation.
Now, what he didn't discern is that although it's a time of preparation. He didn't have jurisdiction over his earthly life. At this point, he is a 12-year-old.
So when his mama said, I don't know about all this talking to these folks, I know you better get back in that caravan. The Bible says He went back. And was subject to his parents. Why? Because this isn't time.
For him to be on his own. This isn't time for him to have control of his schedule and of what he does and how he does it. It is a season of preparation, and so he's taken some time to do that. But when his parents call him on it, the Bible says he subjects himself to them.
Now, here is Jesus, who one day Mary is going to refer to as her Savior. But at this moment, he's not her Savior. That's my boy. And he has got to be subject. to her.
Timing. Timing is everything in the plan of God. And some of us right now are in a season where we have to discern. Where we are, and what God wants out of this season.
Now, I'm just laying a foundation. Go to Ecclesiastes chapter 3. And what are the words you're going to find there in verse 1? There is a time For everything And a season For every activity Under heaven. Did you get that?
There is a time For everything. And a season For every activity under heaven. God has taken your time, which is the greatest gift other than salvation He's given to you. And look at what He's done. He has divided it up into seasons so that there is a season for everything He wants to have happen in your life.
Then we just get a sampling from the wisdom of Solomon here. A time to be born? And a time to die. Physically, there's a time to show up in the world. There's also a time to leave the world.
You can take all the pills and do everything you want, you're not hanging out here forever. Your body wasn't designed to hang out here forever. Stay cute as long as you can. But understand, time is marching you toward eternity. Do your best now fight the good fight And some of y'all are doing good.
I see y'all up in your 60s, 70s, 80s looking cute. I had a radio rally in Dallas, and there was a lady who came in, and she was 92 years old. And she said, I listen to you every day, and I wanted to see you for myself. When she saw me, she said, I didn't know you were black. She said, I just know that you speak the word of God to me, and I wanted to see you.
I'm surprised to see what you look like. I said, well, mother, I'm glad that God is using the broadcast in your life. She came to the rally, sat there, and just enjoyed herself, 92 years old, cute as she knew how to be. I mean one of the cutest people in there. Had her step all together just just right.
Do the best you can, man. Do the best you can. Fight the good fight. But understand this, time is marching you on. You cannot get frozen in time.
It's just not going to happen. What you have to do is just live in every season, maximize every season. But don't try to act like you are in a season you're no longer in. Let me help you. Don't try to dress like a season you're no longer in.
You ever seen these old folk? You look at them and say, now you just ought to be ashamed of your. You just oughta know better than that. I know back in your mind you're back somewhere in yesteryear. But look in the mirror, baby.
You are not there anymore. Middle-aged men going through a crisis. Trying to look like you're in your 20s, gut sticking out. Button that thing up, get a shirt that fits you, and act like you're in your season. Where am I?
Where am I? All right. Yeah. Time to be born, time to die. You got to discern where you are in life.
Look at what else the wisdom of Solomon tells us. There's a time to plant. and a time to uproot. It's talking about seasons. There's a time to get some things planted, a sowing season, if you will.
A time to begin to sow some things, and I'll talk more about that. There's a time to sow, there's a time to begin to get some things done in your life, and there's also a time to uproot. Times of change, times of pulling out what has been sown. There's a time to kill. Not people.
But how many know there are some other things in your life, it's time for it to die? There's some things you go through a season where God says, I want that dead, I want it out of here. There's no room for that in my plan for your life. You got to get rid of that. Time to kill some things, time to kill some dreams that are not part of God's plan for your life.
And there's a time to heal.
Some of us are broken. And we need to submit to a time and a season of healing.
Some of you, God's brought you to this church or some other church where you can heal from some things that have gone on in your life. It's a season for you to get past some things because if you don't heal in the right season and you take your brokenness and your disease into the next season, it'll mess up what God wants to do in your life. Haven't you run into someone who obviously hasn't healed from some hurts in their past? And you can tell it's all in their words, it's all in their actions, they're still bitter, they're still angry.
Sometimes you meet someone at this time in your life and you see them act out on you. And you wonder, why in the world are you acting like that? I didn't do anything to you. It's really not you. They are projecting onto you the pain of something in their past, but they've not gone through a season of healing.
Oh, this is good. This is good. You got to understand, this is your time. This is someone's time to get healed of that junk, of that hurt, of that pain in your life. Don't carry it around because God wants to deliver you from it.
And you can't beat up on everybody in your life now because of stuff in your past, whether they were part of it or not. At a certain point, you have to say, Lord, it's time for me to allow you to heal me so that the past remains the past, and we can open a new chapter.
Now God will use the memories, God will use your experience. But he can't use it if you are still unhealed. And so you have to watch your dealings with people.
Sometimes I talk a lot about Jack coming out the box.
Sometimes you see Jack got some issues. Isn't that right? You ever been in a conversation with someone, and you say one thing that triggers something that has nothing to do with you? But you use one phrase, or you say something a certain way, and Jack or Jackie pops out. And they are angry.
And you're sitting there and you hear the Twilight Zone music, you don't know what in the world just happened. That's someone who's unhealed. And God wants to take them through a season of healing. Because the best works God is going to do through you will be you sharing those experiences, but you also sharing how God blessed you to get past it. Let's pause here for just a moment, but don't go away.
We'll be right back with more of today's Destined for Victory message featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. If you enjoy listening to Pastor Paul, you may want to subscribe to our podcast. It's the easiest way to get the program delivered to you and listen on demand. You can find us at your favorite podcast platform, and of course, you can always listen to recent programs at our website, pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net.
There is a time to tear down and a time to build up, a time to speak and a time to listen. You're invited to listen right now as we share the rest of today's message. There's a reason for every season. See, God will take our junk. And turn it into a treasure for his glory.
God will take your stuff. God will take the abuse you've been through, the pain you've been through, the bad relationships you've been through, the anger you've been through. God can use that. But he wants to heal you first.
So that when he sends you to people, he sends you with a message of hope. Not a message of comparing scars. Oh girl, that's nothing, that's nothing compared to what I've been through. Yeah, but I don't hear any healing in your testimony. I hear bitterness.
I hear anger. And so submit to that. There's a time. To kill some things, but there's also a time to heal. There's a time to tear down.
There's a time when there are some things that have to come down in your life. They have been built up through time, through effort. They've been built up. But there is a time for demolition.
Some of you are in a season right now where God is demolishing Some things, or he's wanting to, he's dealing with you about it. And you know what? One thing about God: there are occasions when he'll demolish things in your life, but most of the time I found that he makes you dismantle it. Anybody ever found that? God doesn't generally show up in your life.
With the wrecking equipment. He usually just shows up with a mandate. Tear that down. Just like in Gideon's day, before he could use Gideon in the miracle of the 300 men, he told Gideon, I want you to go and destroy the idols among God's people, tear them down. God didn't say I'll tear him down Watch me tear them down.
He said, You tear them down. And Gideon, brave, powerful man that he was. Went out at night. Read it when you get a chance. Book of Judges.
He went out at night. Tore him down in the darkness of night. Folk woke up in the morning. Who did this? Gideon standing there in the crowd.
Ah, but he got them torn down. There's some things that got to come down in your life. And as long as they're there, God can't take you where He wants to take you. There's a time to tear down. And here's the thing I've learned: because the next phrase says, and there's a time to build.
Until you tear down what God doesn't want there, what He is ready to build will never come up. Do you know you can't get God to build next to your stuff? You can't keep that which is to be demolished and then say, Now, Lord, I know you got your hand on me. I know there's things you want to do.
So, why don't you build this a nice plot of land right next to it? God will not have Ishmael coexist with Isaac. Not in the same space. He used Ishmael But he sent him away. From Abraham's life.
And some of us trying to keep Ishmael, Ishmaela. It's Malika. Trying to keep all those folk around. Trying to keep these raggedy folk in your life, these raggedy practices in your life, things in your life that God says, no, that's not my plan, send that forth. And until you do it.
You will not see what he wants to build up.
Solomon says there's a time. to demolish And there's a time to build. Look at the rest of this. It's a time to weep. Time to cry, time to mourn, time to grieve some things.
One of the problems we have in the Christian world is we don't take seriously enough seasons of mourning and grieving. Have you ever had folk try to heal your hurts with just a few quick words? When I'm going through something deep, you can't just give me a few little quick words and it's done.
Sometimes we've got to learn in the body of Christ, it's time to grieve. Time to mourn it. Time to weep. Jesus Christ. Cried out.
In Gethsemane.
Sometimes we don't give enough Validation. We want to be so spirit. oriented until we want to remove ourselves from the reality of our souls. You know what I mean by that? The soul is your intellect, your will, your emotions.
And sometimes we don't validate soul, we think that's synonymous with fleshly. Your soul is only fleshly if it's driven by things that are other than the spirit. But the Spirit has a plan for you. That involves your intellect, your will, your emotions. And it's okay to cry in the kingdom.
And don't let some super spiritual person tell you. That you have no business crying if you have faith. I can have faith and cry at the same time.
Sometimes it's a cleansing cry. I have to release some things over to God. I've got to cleanse myself of some of the stuff. And God will sometimes use your tears. There's a verse in the Bible that says, He who sows in tears will one day reap in joy.
And if you don't sow in tears, you're missing out on some things. I'm not giving them many tears, but when I get those cries, I make them count. I make them count. I get somewhere by myself where I can cry, let it all out. Where no one will be worried about what's wrong with the pastor?
None of your business. That's why I'm crying by myself. Because some folks see you crying and they panic. They feel like they got to do something.
Sometimes God's just working something out in you. Time to weep, time to laugh. Oh, thank God for laughter in the kingdom of God. Thank God for laughter. Thank God for a church where you can laugh.
I'm sick of church where it's the church of the refrigerator. Everybody in there is cold and icy. You've been to church where folk look like Jesus is dead and not coming back at all. And who are y'all worshiping? Why do you even bother getting up and putting on your clothes?
Come in here looking sour? Singing old sour songs? Oh listen, there's time to laugh. There's time to rejoice. It's time to celebrate.
I say, if anybody ought to be in a celebratory mode, it ought to be a child of God. Time to laugh.
Some of you will be better off. You just let yourself have a good old laugh. Stop being so serious all the time. Sure, there are moments of seriousness and sobriety in your life, but sometimes you ought to just let it out, just crack up. Find you some friends.
Get you some friends who are good at just making you laugh. You need them in your posse.
Some of y'all got no laughter in your posse. You have all these serious folk. You walk around, all y'all walking around looking serious. Everybody just looks like a funeral procession. You're going to have a little fellowship, a little social at your house.
Bring some crack-up folk in there.
Some people in there who just keep something going all the time. Glad I grew up in a home where it was characterized by laughter. My dad and his friends, we just, many were the days, folks just laying on the floor, just cracking up. You know, the Bible says laughter is medicine. We're too stuck.
We got gook in us. We gotta get it out. And laughter will help you. Cleanse you. Give you a better perspective.
It's not all that bad. Jesus is still alive. There's hope for you. If your problems Are greater than Jesus in the grave. There's hope for you.
Because the Bible says the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. is available to you and I. In the kingdom of God.
So your trouble is not hopeless. And what you've got to learn to do is value time. And you've got to learn to recognize, appreciate, and maximize. Your stance. We're so glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message.
There's a reason for every season. To find out more about Destined for Victory's mission and purpose, or about the special gift reserved for you when you make a generous year-end gift of $25 or more, please visit pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. Is a time to be silent, and then there is a time to speak.
Some of you got to find your voice. You're in a season now where the Lord is leading you to find your voice.
Some of you have been bottled up. And that's tomorrow in our continuing message, there's a reason for every season. Until then though remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
