Hello, and welcome to Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. Before we get things started today, here's a special word from Meredith Shepard. Hello, Destined for Victory family. This is Meredith Shepard, Pastor Paul's wife. This is the first time you're hearing from me since my beloved husband went home to be with the Lord.
And I want you to know your prayers have carried me. Your letters, your messages, cards, books, the ways you've reached out during these months, they've strengthened me through the shock and the grief in ways I can't fully express. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You know, Paul often said that he wanted to be the black J. Vernon McGee.
He'd say it with that grin of his, but behind the humor was something deeply serious. A vision to create a teaching library that would outlive him, that would keep speaking biblical truth long after he was gone. And that's what he did. For decades, Paul poured himself into buildings destined for victory. not just as a radio programme, but as a legacy.
He wanted to make sure that timeless truth would be available to help people live victorious lives no matter what generation they're in. That's why I'm talking to you today, because what Paul worked so hard to build needs your help to continue. Recently, we experienced a change in one of our major funding sources, and for the first time in this ministry's history, we're at risk of losing radio stations, of having to pull back from communities where people depend on this teaching. I don't want my husband's voice silenced. I don't want the work he dedicated his life to building to disappear because of funding.
We need to preserve what Pastor Paul poured himself into creating.
So I'm coming to you, this family that's already been so supportive, and I'm asking. Will you help us? If destined for victory has encouraged you, Challenged you, or helped you grow in your walk with God, would you consider giving today? A monthly gift would especially help us stabilize our funding and keep Paul's teaching on the air in every community that needs it. You can give at pastorpaul.net.
Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for standing with us. And thank you for your generosity in helping to preserve this legacy. God bless you. Thank you, Meredith.
We do want to say a special thank you to those who have already responded to this need. And to those who haven't responded, we want to make sure you know how much you are needed right now. When you make your generous gift today, we'll gladly send you a brand new booklet that will help you persevere through life's challenges or through a past you can't quite forget. It's called Keep Moving Forward and it seems rather appropriate in this moment. Drawing from Israel's transition from Moses to Joshua, this book that will help you understand that God will go before you as your leader and your protector, even when you're facing new challenges.
Again, it's called Keep Moving Forward, and it's our gift to you for your generous donation to Destined for Victory Today. To give, call us at 855-339-5500. Once again, 855-339-5500. Or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online, or mail your gift to Destined for Victory. Post Office Box 1767.
Fremont, California, nine four five three eight. Uh You can be slanderous telling the truth. Uh-uh. I had that on reliable. Just because it was reliable and you have proof doesn't mean it ought to come out of your mouth.
Gossip is gossip, even if it's true. Coming your way next, we'll talk about the importance of not talking about other people. Gossip not only displeases God, it damages relationships, and it even has been known to split churches. Today's message will be a great reminder for all of us, and it starts right now. Here's Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message: The Process of Becoming New.
You can be slanderous telling the truth. Is what you need to understand. Uh-uh. I had that on reliable. Just 'cause it was reliable and you have proof.
Doesn't mean it ought to come out of your mouth. It's true and you oughta shut up. And if you talk to anybody, talk to God in your Private. Devotion, we used to call it private devotion. For a reason.
Jesus said, go in your closet and shut the door. Remember what he was teaching them? Teach us to pray. He said, go in your closet, shut the door. Meaning, you don't want to talk about something else, about someone else that you don't want other people to hear.
When you're talking to God, so speak to him in private. Even if it's true, there's a verse in Proverbs 20, 19. Look at what this verse says. Gossip betrays a confidence.
So avoid anyone who talks too much. Write in your Bible. A gossip betrays a confidence. A person who gossips is betraying a confidence. You said, No, they didn't tell that person they wouldn't say it.
They're betraying a confidence because they have no business handling someone else's matters. And so, when you take something that doesn't pertain to you. and put it out. to anybody. For any reason.
You're betraying something. Because it's a confidence that you don't have rights to. You didn't buy the license. You can't carry my stuff around. I didn't issue you a license.
I didn't say, well, you're one of my confidants, so let me share something with you. And so you got to understand. God is looking at our interactions. As it pertains to how we respond to his word. And he says, I hate gossipers.
A gossip is something that God despises. When you run your mouth about stuff that has nothing to do with you, God is displeased.
Now, I don't know about you. There's a lot of things I can deal with in this life. Displeasing God. And I never even get anything out of it. Like where's the wind in that?
I don't win if I'm talking about you, and it's your business, it has nothing to do with me. What do I get out of that?
Now, because I'm talking about you and it has nothing to do with me, God is displeased with me.
So I need you to understand Proverbs 20, 19 ought to be one of your verses. Look for the gossips in your life. And get rid of 'em. Avoid them. You saw it.
Avoid people who talk too much.
So if you say, well, let me give them a chance. Then tell them Look. The next time I hear you talk to me or in my presence, About something that has nothing to do with you and is negative or potentially negative about someone else, you and I have had our last conversation. See how that would go. See, some of y'all aren't used to calling people on this stuff.
And I want to suggest to you that if you want to be a holy person, we love talking about holiness. And we think holiness is your clothes aren't too tight, and that's holy. That's not holiness, holiness is stuff like this. Will you learn to shut up? And you learn to shut other people up.
Because they're treating you like you're a garbage can. They bring you any old thing they feel like bringing you and you sit there. And sometimes I heard people say, I didn't even say anything when they were talking about that. I didn't even say anything. You think you won something?
Because you didn't say you.
So, what you're doing is opening up wide and as a dumpster and let them dump all kinds of junk on you, in you. It's in your mind.
So it's not and I didn't respond to them. No, if you want to be holy, Do this. The next time they do that, say that's unacceptable. You're talking about somebody else's business, and God didn't give you the rights to talk about other people's business. If you think somebody's in sin, you who are spiritual, go restore them.
If you won't restore them, then shut up. And next time you come to me with somebody else's stuff, that'll be our last conversation. I dare you to do it. Talk about clean up your life, you clean up your mouth, you clean up your atmosphere. You'll get all these raggedy people out of your ear because people don't want to be called on their stuff.
Some folk can't wait as soon as they get something. They ringing your phone texting you Or, you know, sending you something, a message. Are you sitting down? Saints, we gotta understand. This stuff is offensive to God.
Doesn't matter whether I'm sitting down or not. About to bring me something that doesn't need to be in your mouth, certainly doesn't need to be in my mind. If it's somebody that I have confidence in, and you know I have confidence in, and you know there's something going on in their life that I would really be thrown if I found out about it, handle it right. Go to that individual. Oh no, I'm not in there in a circle, so they wouldn't take it from me.
Then take it to Jesus. Take it to Jesus. He can handle it. And say, Lord, I think something needs to happen here, but that's your child, these are your people. And I'm gonna leave it with you.
God, please move. And do that. And clean your life up. Ask yourself.
Some key questions like this. When you're looking at whether something's going to come out of your mouth, because I said you got to filter what you say. Ask yourself questions: first of all, is it true? Before you say something, is it true? And just because it's true, wait, got more questions.
Just because it's true don't mean your mouth's supposed to be open yet. Second question, is it necessary for me to say?
Some things are true. It's not necessary for me to say it. Another question, who would benefit? By me saying this. See that filter?
Who would benefit? Because if I were to say what just popped in my mind to say, Who gets benefit from that?
Well, they need inquiring minds need to know. No, they don't. You heard that phrase, inquiring minds need to know, that's some gossip show on TV, probably. I don't even know where I heard that inquiring minds need to know. No, they don't.
Inquiring minds need to mind their own business. Inquiry minds need to get a life. Inquiry minds need to leave mine alone. Inquiry miners need to take a long walk on a short pier. Is it true?
Is it necessary for me to say? Who would benefit from me saying this? Another question. Who would be harmed? or potentially harmed.
If I say it.
Sometimes, yeah, there's potential benefit, but on this other side, there's potential harm. Should I be responsible for causing someone harm? And most importantly, Of these two, who would be pleased if I say it? The Holy Spirit or Satan? Which one's gonna be smiling if I say it?
If the Holy Spirit, you know. then the filters in place, you're good to go. If the only one gonna be happy. Is the devil and his demons? You need to shut up.
All right, so Habit number four. Clean up your language. Filter what you say. That's the new man. That's the new person in Christ.
I'm cleaning it up.
Now, don't get under condemnations. I just had this habit of cussing, and I pastor, I'm not all the way over it.
Okay, keep working on it. See, there's no condemnation here. You're on a journey of becoming more and more like Christ. You know, I know some old-fashioned saints, as soon as you do something, they'll put you back in sin. I'm not living a lifestyle of sin.
I'm not a sinner. I'm a child of God. But sometimes I act in disobedience. When I do, the Bible doesn't condemn me. What does it say?
Repent. Get back on the right road. Don't condemn yourself, but don't stay in your mess either. Say, oops, I shouldn't have said that. Oh, I'm so sorry.
Lord, forgive me. And if you need to say it to the people, I'm so sorry, I spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have said that. That was inappropriate. I'm sorry.
Now, you knocked it out. Which is why you gotta walk in humility if you're gonna walk with God. God Resist the proud. You've read that in your New Testament? God resists proud people.
And he gives grace to who? The humble. I want to be in the in the group that gets grace. I need as much grace as I can get. I am greedy for grace.
And if I'm greedy for grace, the way I can qualify for more and more grace is I gotta walk in perpetual humility. Constantly low, constantly down, constantly not into myself, not about myself. If you are proud, too proud, do you know people? I know because you're humble, but do you know people Do you know people who you've known them for quite a while? and you've seen them at good times and bad.
Do you know of those people some who you could say, I've never heard him say, I'm sorry. Think about that. We all know people. Who It would kill him dead. To admit.
I'm wrong. I spoke out of terminal. I shouldn't have said that. I should have minded my business. That was inappropriate.
I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. There are some people you can't even imagine. them saying that. If somebody is so full of pride, you can't even imagine them humble.
Something is really wrong. We ought to be people who are known for our humility. Remember, we've seen the scripture say, be clothed. with humility. Humility on like clothes.
Like you got up and dressed to come to church today. You put on your clothes. Thank you for putting on your clothes. I'm preaching this message in the summertime. Thank you so much for putting on your clothes.
I have pastored through all sorts of seasons, and I have pastored at some times when, once when I pastored a megachurch, it grew quite large. And on the summertime, I would have to make a summer announcement. We come to the house of God. We're not going to the beach. And if you're going to the beach, you want to change your clothes after service is over.
Because I have seen some sights. In the kingdom. Like save you more than life to me. I know God has blessed you, but we don't all need to. We don't all need to witness how blessed you are.
Brothers and sisters.
Some brother come in with this tight tank shirt and that's showing you all that stuff, the abs and stuff and Cutting everything and pants and skinny jeans. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Just how skinny we gonna go, bruh. How skinny we gonna be? Oh my god.
Last. Of these habits, habit number five: make pleasing God your highest aim. Look at how Paul wraps up. What we call chapter 4, verses 30 through 32. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
With whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. That's why you don't want to grieve him. He's the one who got you covered. He's the one who got you covered in judgment that is coming. Don't grieve him.
And then he just wraps up all the things he'd been saying with some general final statements. Get rid of all bitterness. Get rid of all rage. Get rid of all anger. Get rid of all brawling.
Inside and out, you got to get rid of this stuff. See, some stuff is inside, there's bitterness and malice and all that. And then some stuff's outside. You're just a fighter, you're a brawler. You know, some of y'all are.
I know you're looking holy. But some of y'all will fight in a minute. Then he says, verse thirty two: be kind and compassionate to one another. forgiving each other. Just as Christ Forgave you.
He forgave you. He wraps up this chapter with three quick Exhortations. Number one, don't grieve the Holy Spirit. Number two, get rid of negativity, both inside and out. And then number three, he says, practice kindness, compassion, and forgiveness just like Jesus does with you.
Why do I want to be kind and compassionate and forgiving? Because Jesus is that way with me. All the time. He is kind to you all the time. He is compassionate all the time.
He is forgiving all the time. And if he's that way with you and he's God. You certainly have no reason, no justification for not being that way with other people. I'm so such a recipient. Of God's love, kindness, compassion, grace, forgiveness, all that.
I received so much of that, I've got leftovers I can easily give to you. I can really pass on something. Oh, you need some forgiveness. Here you go. Because I'm stored up.
My storehouses are full. Of the goodness of God.
So I can spare some.
Now, you've heard me talk about forgiveness, and I want to make sure no one walks away confused. If somebody's done you wrong and they are not the least bit sorry, You don't walk up to them and say, I forgive you. What you do is forgive them in your heart. You do what Jesus did on the cross. Remember what Jesus did on the cross?
He said, Father, forgive them. For they know not what they're doing. He was talking to God, he wasn't talking to them. 'Cause they proud. They down there playing.
At the foot of the cross. They proud of themselves. But he looked up to heaven. Say, Father, you forgive them. Ladies and gentlemen, I forgive all y'all.
He didn't do that. You know why? You know why it's important not to express forgiveness to people who are unrepentant? Because they're still guilty before God. I'm not gonna say something to try to release you.
when you haven't cleared things up with God.
So don't. I know people mean well when they go to these impact statements and trials, and somebody's been heinous and murdered everybody, and glad they did it, and unrepentant. I'm not going to walk to the mic and say, I forgive you. You killed my relative, I forgive you. I'm not walking to that mic.
Because they still stand guilty before God. If I say something, it's gonna say, you need to get right with God. Before it's too late. And turn around, go back to my seat. When that shooting in South Carolina church, y'all remember that time?
And the little boy don't even know how to be a decent racist yet, but he's trying to learn. And he went in there and he's following all the racism that's filled his heart. And he's young and stupid. Goes in there and shoots up a church. has the nerve to sit through the meeting.
And in his hearing, I know the relatives meant well, but some of them stepped up and said, We forgive you. I said, Don't forgive that boy to his face. Tell him you need to get right with God. Because you're guilty before God. Forget this sentence you're about to get.
Oh, the sentence you're going to get eternally is way worse than this one.
So, don't forgive people, express forgiveness to people who haven't asked for it. If you didn't ask for it, I'm not offering it. But I have it ready.
So I release you to God. That's what forgive means in the Greek: to release, to send. The Greek word means to send. Where do I send it? I send it to God.
But you know, the Bible says, forgive them seven times.
Well, first of all, they didn't ask for forgiveness. Saying I'm sorry, by the way, is not asking for forgiveness. 'Cause some folks sorry they got caught. I'm sorry I didn't get away with this. I'm trying to ease what's coming to me, so I say, I'm sorry.
You got to tell y'all you have little kids. Teach your kids.
Sorry, didn't do it. Oh, that's kind of stuff we heard growing up.
Sorry, I didn't do it. No, no, no, no. You have to take more responsibility than just two words.
So, anyway. We We are finally done with chapter four.
Next time we'll go into chapter five. I hope you've been blessed so far. Let us stay. Thanks for being here for today's message, The Process of Becoming New. Don't forget about the special gift reserved for you as you give generously to Destined for Victory today.
More details are available at pastorpaul. net. That's pastorpaul. net, or you can give by phone at eight five five three three nine five five zero zero. We need to understand that when spiritual life is concerned, the Bible says we are born again of the Spirit of God.
So if I'm born spiritually of God, it makes sense that some of who He is comes into my life. Spiritual DNA. That's next time in Pastor Paul Shepard's message: loving others the way God loves us. Until then, remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
In Christ, you are destined for victory.
