They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They will mount with wings as eagles. They will run and not be weary, walk and not faint. That's Isaiah 40, 31, and this is destined for victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. We've got a great message lined up for you today from the life of Joseph.
But before we get going, 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 Shepherd 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 in a book called Becoming an Excellent Steward. And now, to share a few words about the book, I'm pleased to welcome in Pastor Paul's daughter and the executive director here at Destined for Victory, Alicia Greer. Alicia, I know you have some thoughts about this book, but also about 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 that 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.
Well, again, the book is called Becoming an Excellent Steward. Thank you, Alicia. We'd love to send everyone a copy today as our way of saying thanks for your best gift of twenty five dollars or more to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling eight five five three three nine five five zero zero. 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. God's not going to bless you suddenly all the time.
Sometimes He's going to mature you through a season of waiting. You are looking forward to your next season, but He'll say, maintain your focus and your faithfulness now and wait on the Lord. If anyone knew the value of waiting on God, it was Joseph. He spent years preparing for his calling in Christ and many more sowing seeds of faithfulness and perseverance. But before he could reap the blessings of God, there was one more season of life he had to endure: the waiting season.
That's where we pick up Joseph's story on today's Destined for Victory, featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. The message is called There's a Reason for Every Season, and it starts now. The Bible says the Lord so blessed Joseph and Potiphar's house. Until With Joseph in charge, one verse there says, with Joseph in charge, Genesis 39, Potiphar didn't have to think about a thing except what he wanted to eat. All he had to do was make up in his mind what he wanted for his next meal.
Joseph had everything. Covered. Let me show you some other Bible examples. Joshua. Joshua, in his season of sowing, Joshua.
Was not known as God's minister. In his season of sowing, Joshua was known as Moses' minister. When you look at Exodus chapter 17, When the Amalekites come against Israel, they're now in the wilderness, they've crossed the Red Sea. Verse 9: Moses tells Joshua, go down there and fight the Amalekites. And Joshua gets the fighting men together and begins to wage war.
He's known as Moses' minister, not God's minister. You don't start out as a big shot. You start out as a little shot. And you develop faithfulness and discipline. In the seasons where you don't carry a title.
Where no one is knowing you, no one is appreciating you.
Sometimes you're working hard on your job, and other folk are getting the benefit. But you gotta understand, you serve the Lord. God is looking at you. God is going to be your rewarder. And so you've got to learn to be the servant.
You've got to learn to be the diligent person. You've got to learn to sow in faithfulness. And if you'll sow in faithfulness, the Lord sees you and He will reward you openly. Season of sowing. When it comes to relationships, you want to develop relationships, you have to sow into them.
You want people meaningful relationships in your life, you have to sow into them. You've got to give of your time to people. You've got to be more than a fair weather friend. People don't need a fair weather friend, they need an all-weather friend. The Bible says a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
So, you who have been complaining to God, I need people in my life, I'm so by myself, I'm so alone, I'm so isolated, you need to be sowing into relationships. Pick up your phone and call people. How are you doing? Thinking about you. Drop them an email.
Let's get together. I want to know what's going on in your life. Show some interest.
Sow into them. Not you hadn't called me in two days. What exactly is your problem? How many know nobody wants to be your friend and that's your attitude? They know when they hear from you, it's either a complaint or a request.
You got a soul. You want a better relationship?
So. Into that. Make it better. Make their lives better. Leave people stronger than you found them.
Leave them happier than you found them. And you know what? You'll become known as a great friend. Learn to listen to people. when they're talking.
Don't run your mouth the whole time you're with them. Oh, this is good. This is good. You got a soul. Financially.
Financially. You want things to turn around financially? You've got to sow in the right direction. You've got to develop discipline. You know what financial discipline means?
Quit spending money. You believe in God to be debt free?
Well, why are you creating what you're believing God to get you out of? At a certain point, you have to stop the bleeding. Just stop it. I'm not going to spend unnecessarily anymore.
Okay, now, what exactly do you mean when you say unnecessary? See, I'm gonna ask the questions in advance. If it is not food, Necessary clothing, in fact necessary food. Help me, help me. Help me now, help me.
Necessary food. If you need to get your financial house in order, you can't eat out. All while proclaiming you're tired of debt and you got to get your house in order, it takes sowing and discipline. You got to drive past Cheesecake Factory in Jesus name. You're in that season where you gotta sow and get your house in order?
It takes discipline. Or you might build into your budget an occasional splurge or whatever, but if you're in a season where you are sowing, You got to discipline yourself. And you just have to say no to some things. You just got to say no. Your day is coming where you can go there and enjoy, but right now, this is not your cheesecake season.
Right now, this is your go to Albertson's Safeway. Get yourself a little bologna or something. And hook it up. You can make five lunches. From that one little trip to the grocery store.
Have your little brown bag. All your co-workers going out, jumping in cars, going all to the fancy places. You sit right there in Jesus' name, pull out your bag. Trying to drive a new car when you are in used car season. You're cheating your season.
You're missing your blessing. This isn't Q time. It's in time to try to impress anybody. This isn't time to live in luxury, drive in luxury. Right now you are in a season where you discipline yourself.
I've told you, some of you have heard me tell the story.
Well, years ago when we needed a second car and the church was small, income was limited and all of that, I knew not to go to a dealership. Dealership didn't have my answer.
Some of y'all go bust up in there. I'm believing God. It's not your season for that. You're abusing faith. You don't use your faith to try to claim something you can't afford.
Oh this hurts but let it hurt good. We prayed and asked God for a car. I said, God, I want to give my wife the car that I drove across the country with. I was still paying on it, it was a very nice car. And let her drive that.
She had the young kids, had to get them around, you know, in those years. And so let her drive the good car. You're in a season like that. Give your wife the better car, brother. Taking care of the kids and having to run around.
And I said, Lord, I just need something to get me around. In retrospect, I should have asked for something a little better. But I said, Lord, I just need something dependable to get back and forth. We were living in Fremont, and the little church was over at East Palo Alto, and I was having to drive across the bridge and what have you. And I said, God, I just need something dependable.
And he blessed me with something dependable. But it was pitiful. But you couldn't tell me I wasn't blessed driving my 1984 Ford escort. I was blessed as I knew how to be. Pulling up at the church, pulling up wherever I needed to be, just coming.
I was getting there. Had the second worst car in the church. I was so glad that one sister's car was worse than mine. I didn't want the distinction of being the pastor of the church and having the worst car in the church.
So it helped me that it was the second worst call. in the church. And she tells me every now and then, I don't know why you say that. I said, I don't call your name. She's sitting there feeling all funny because she was the one with the worst car.
But the people don't know your name. What are you worried about? Let's pause right there 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 can't stick around or if you want to share this message with a friend, visit our website, pastorpaul.net.
And when you stop by, make sure to click on the online store where you'll find books and video messages that feature the teaching and preaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard. That's Pastor Paul. net. Are you in a season of waiting today? A time when you feel ready to do your calling in Christ, but God is asking you to be patient.
Pastor Paul has some encouraging words for you in the rest of today's message. There's a reason for every season. Let's get you there now. But here's the thing: you've got to learn when you are in a season. You honor the season you're in because God is the one who is watching how you go through that season.
And he was watching my faithfulness, and I drove that car, it was a blessing. God had supernaturally provided it. Folk from across the country sent me all but $300 in order to get that car. They sent me the $1,700 I needed, and then a local pastor called me, asked me to preach for him one night, and I went up there and they gave me $300, put that $1,700 and that $30 together, had my $2,000 car. And drove that thing, it was such a blessing.
I drove it to the bitter end. I drove it till a mechanic had to make me let it go. I'm telling you the truth. The man said, Pastor, Pastor, let it go. Yeah.
Serious. Man, 'cause it was falling apart, spring was coming through the seat, it was pushing me. But I knew it was a blessing. And he said, yeah, but blessings have a lifespan. And let me tell you something, you can't cheat your season.
Some of y'all wearing hundred dollar hats on a nickel head. You're cheating your season. You're wearing designer clothes. This is not your season for that. You've got to prove faithful.
You need to get out of debt. You need to discipline yourself. You need to give soul faithfully into the kingdom of God.
So, this is not your designer season. This is your Walmart season. Going up in there and believe God for those price-slashing things they talk about on that commercial. You have to be faithful in a sowing season. Faithful in your building relationships.
Faithful if you're getting your finances in order. Faithful if you're aspiring to a certain career. You've got to come up through the ranks. They're not going to put you over the department right now. They don't know you.
Come in, I want something commensurate with my abilities.
Well, I tell you what, why don't you start by sweeping that floor over there? Let's see your abilities with that. That's how I was trained. That's how I came up. That's how some of us saw God bless us through the stages of development.
And let me tell you something. You'll go through a season in your life right now where you're starting back over, proving yourself faithful because God is doing a new thing in you.
Sowing season. Is characterized by discipline and faithfulness. But look at what happens. God blesses you. Joseph was.
Faithful in Potiphar's house. And as a result of that, God was setting him up to one day Be ruler of all of Egypt. Second only to Pharaoh. Joseph had no idea. when he was Potiphar's personal valet.
that one day he would effectively be Potiphar's boss. And you don't know what God has in store for you. Until you learn to honor your seasons. And I want to encourage you: if you will sow in sowing season, the Lord who sees you in secret is going to reward you openly. Let me just mention two other seasons.
I can't expound on them in the interest of time. Then there is a waiting season. Waiting season. Our generation doesn't like that. I've told you many times before because we are spoiled.
Bless our hearts, we don't mean any harm. But we are spoiled. We say we're washing clothes. The machine is washing clothes. You know, we don't mean any harm, girl.
I can't talk today, I'm watching the day. What are you talking about? You put some clothes in the machine, poured a little detergent in there, pushed a button, and walked away. And you're too busy to talk to somebody. We're spoiled.
Bless our hearts. We don't mean any harm. But let me tell you something. As a result of technology, We don't have an appreciation for the fact that some things are worth waiting for. Worth waiting for.
And in the economy of God, God's not going to bless you suddenly all the time.
Sometimes he's going to mature you. through a season of waiting. And what he'll do is build your expectation. You are looking forward to your next season. But he'll say, maintain your focus and your faithfulness now.
And wait on the Lord. What did the writer to the Hebrews say in chapter 10, verse 35? He said, Don't cast away your confidence. Why? Because it will be richly rewarded.
But then he said this, you have need of patience. Anybody need patience? You're doing good things, you're sowing the right seed, but you just need some patience. He said, You have need of patience so that when you have done the will of God, In your spiritual life, in your finances, in your career development, in your ministry, whatever it is, when you have done the will of God. You will receive what he has promised.
He said, For in just a little while He who is coming will come. And will not delay.
Now here's the problem. When the Bible says just a little while, you gotta know who you're dealing with. Because there's one verse that says, a day with the Lord is as a thousand years. When God says, I'll be there in a little while. We're not sure what he means by that.
So what you have to learn to do is walk by faith. Because you know what God's little while is? It's in the fullness of time. as he has ordained it for you. And one thing about God, you don't know when He's coming, but you can know He's showing up.
Joseph Didn't know. That from being in the pit, He went to Potiphar's house. After Potiphar's wife got through trying to seduce him and he dodged that bullet, what did he get? See, some of us, if we dodge that bullet and we fight off that temptation, oh, we want a blessing right now. And Sister Potiphar accused him of attempted rape.
And he was thrown in prison. For years For a crime he did not commit. But the Lord was with him during that waiting season.
Somebody's in jail right now in your heart, in your mind, in your circumstances. You're not free to navigate and do the things that you want to do. You're not free in your life, and you're fussing and complaining. Look at the life of Joseph. The Bible says while he was in prison, the Lord was with him.
And even in your prison season, God will use you to be a blessing to somebody. Joseph was used to minister to two other prisoners. One was Pharaoh's baker, and one was Pharaoh's personal butler or valet. And they both had dreams. God used Joseph to interpret their dreams.
The baker's dream meant in three days you're going to die. He didn't want the interpretation of that dream. But the butler's interpretation was: in three days you're going to be restored to your job. And Joseph said, When you are restored, would you remember me to Pharaoh? Let him know I'm down here, I'm innocent.
and get me out of jail. And what does the Bible say in Genesis 40? One of the saddest verses in all of your Bible. Is where it talks about the fact that the butler forgot all about Joseph. For two years And some of you have to fight off bitterness now because people you counted on to be a blessing to you.
Failed you. And what you have to learn to do is fight off resentment because that will be mud in your wings. Because people don't hold your future. No one can destroy your life. You are the product of divine purpose.
God will take people's hateful actions. God will take their mistreating you. God will take their not doing right by you. And He'll work it together.
So Joseph had to stay, keep his heart right. Because you know some of y'all would have been down there in jail plotting. Once it dawned on you he forgot about you. And you're in jail two years longer because he can't remember you after you took good care of him? You know some of y'all would have been, oh, when I get out of here.
No, no, the Lord was with him? He had to wait. Be patient. Wait on God? One day, the Lord Created the circumstance.
What happened? Pharaoh had a dream that troubled him. And he asked folk, and his butler's standing right there, his valet standing right there. He asked people, can anybody interpret my dream? Nobody had a word.
And then Here's the butler standing there by Carol's side. He's like, oh! Oh. Pharaoh, I was supposed to tell you two years ago. Isn't that just like some of the folk in your life?
Here they come all late. I was about to tell you two years ago about a man who's in jail. He's a man of God. He can interpret your dream because he interpreted mine. And Pharaoh sent for him.
I want to tell somebody: if you'll be faithful, God's going to set it up. Where you come out of your circumstance. You come out of your, or whatever it is that's fruitless in your life right now. God's going to bring you out. God brought him out, he interpreted the dream, and look at what happened.
The dream was that Egypt's about to go into major famine. They'll have seven years of plenty followed by seven years of major famine. And Pharaoh needed a plan for that. And he looked at Joseph and said, I'm putting you in charge. Joseph wasn't even an Egyptian.
But when God is at work in your life, Don't be surprised what he'll do for you and through you. God can give you a job you don't even deserve. God can give you a job you're not qualified for. God can bless your income above your ability. You have to learn to be faithful.
Honor God. Be faithful in every season. Wait on the Lord. And one day, You will reap. If you faint now.
You know, we're called to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And according to I Corinthians thirteen, the very first thing love is supposed to be is patient. Even in his darkest days Joseph remained faithful and patient, and God blessed him in his perfect timing, and he'll do the same for you. 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 your generous year-end gift, please come see us at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. Yes, God loves us. Yes, His grace abounds in our direction. But you gotta understand something.
Grace doesn't just come to constantly cover up the same old mess. Grace comes to teach us how to live on a higher level. That's next time in our message, Life Lessons from the Christmas Story. Until then remember, he is. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
In Christ, you are destined for victory.
