Our assets and strengths are subject to change either in a moment of time or over time. What will help sober you is when you realize that what you would brag about can be lost quickly. Don't brag because you might not have it always. Finding the center of God's will on today's Destined for Victory featuring Pastor Paul Shepard. Hello and thanks so much for spending part of your day here with us.
You know, it's one of our biggest struggles, discovering God's specific will for our lives. But it's far from impossible. And if you follow the right steps, it doesn't even have to be difficult. One of the most important steps is to learn to walk in humility. to be teachable even when you're older.
The surest way to find yourself outside the will of God is to think you've gotten to a point where you know all the answers. Remember, visit us at pastorpaul.net, where you can hear any recent Destined for Victory message on demand, including today's. That's pastorpaul.net.
Now, let's listen closely to Pastor Paul's Destined for Victory message: the center of God's will. It is amazing that God's the one who gave us the ability, then He sends us out to maximize it, and when we do, He says, Well done, good and faithful servant. God could just act like that's what you were supposed to do. But we serve such a benevolent God until he says to you, if you give me a return on my investment, if you work out that which I worked in, one day I'm coming and he said, my paycheck is in my hand and I'm going to reward you for what you've done on this earth. I want to let you know it is amazing that we have the opportunity to maximize gifts that God gave us, abilities that God gave us.
And when we do, he will actually give us a reward for doing so. And so you got to aid sober thinking by reminding yourself that everything praiseworthy about us is a tribute to the God that we serve. And that's exactly why God resists the proud. Do you know that the Bible says God resists proud people? He resists.
It offends God. When you're stuck up. It offends God when you think you're all that. Here you are, just a little, just breath in britches, my mama used to call it. That's somebody walking around thinking that's something.
Don't understand how limited they are, how fragile they are, how frail they are. Walking around thinking there's something. The old folk just looked at him and said, that's breath and britches. They need a reality check. And some of us need a reality check.
Because God resists the proud. You're told that in James chapter 4 and verse 6, the Lord actually resists those who are proud. Proverbs chapter 6, verse 16 and 17 talks about seven things that God hates. And the first thing on the list is a proud look. God hates folk.
Looking proud. He hates it when folk look haughty.
Now if he hates it when you look haughty, you know he hates you being haughty. And so you gotta you gotta decide. To aid sober thinking by reminding yourself to give God glory. Whatever you do. That is good.
for which you get congratulations from other people. Humbly accept it. Say thank you for honoring me in that way. I appreciate it. And then say to yourself, or say sometimes to them, just to remind them as well as you: to God be the glory.
God deserves the credit. for all that he has done for me. See, the Bible says, let everything that have breath praise the Lord. If you're breathing, you're all in praise. You're in praise.
You don't have to be saved. You're in praise. You ought to get saved too, but you owe God praise in your sins. For letting you wake up to see another day and another opportunity to experience His mercy. And so, to God be the glory.
If you're a teacher, The knowledge you've attained is because of the ability to attain it that God gave you. And so you give God glory as you teach wonderful concepts and all of that. If you're a physician or a nurse or someone in the healthcare industry, when you help to bring relief to someone, medical science is only tapping in to the wisdom of God. And so when you bring relief, don't be like your atheist counterpart. Say to God be the glory.
And when you work on someone, operate on someone, take them down to death's door while you operate, and then bring them back. You owe God praise. You owe God praise. Whatever you do, if you're one of these technological wizards, these folk are creating stuff, it's amazing. You buy a computer in six months, it's obsolete.
Now they got a new version. Oh, you had that? Oh, that. Oh, well. People look at your machine, act like it's such a dinosaur.
I just bought it last year. And that's something how quickly things are changing. And what you have to do at a certain point is make up your mind. You don't need the latest and the greatest because they keep making it too fast. Say, I'm gonna just hang out with this one for a while.
But if you're one of those who can build all of that and you're working in these high-tech companies and doing all kinds of innovations, you owe God praise. Don't be like your atheist counterpart who's just sitting up there swirling around in a big chair thinking there's somebody. You know that God is the one who blessed you with the wisdom you have.
So to God be the glory. You have to understand that everything praiseworthy is a tribute to Him, and God resists people who rob Him of His glory. The second point that aids our sober thinking is our assets and strengths are subject to change either in a moment of time or over time. What will help sober you is when you realize that what you would brag about can be lost quickly. Don't brag Because you might not have it always.
Some things can be lost quickly, overnight. Other things will definitely be lost over time. Isn't that right? Think about these assets and strengths I talked about. They all wane over time.
You can't do some things permanently well. You have a season where you kind of hit your apex. Where, boy, that's it. I've hit that zenith. There it is.
Man, I'm at the top of my game.
Well, enjoy the sight real quick. Because it's the nature of life on earth. What goes up must come down. You who have physical athletic ability, you don't have that always. When we were young, running around in the playgrounds, you could just run and jump and play all day long.
All day long. I mean, we would hit the playground early, just take a quick little lunch break, and then go right back to playing, just game after game after game. Your mama sends you somebody, send somebody down in town. Come on in this house. You come in, she says, Oh, get out, go get a shower.
Good Lord. Been out there ripping all day long. Running and jumping. Oh, just give it a little time. Isn't that right?
Just a little time. You said one game, I'm playing one game, that's it. Give y'all my best game and I'm out of here. You young boys who are dunking now, you won't be dunking always. Dunk while you can.
Skywalk while you can. After a while, you're going to be shooting jump shots. That's what you're going to be doing. It it fades. You're not as fast as you used to be.
Don't challenge your kids to stuff you can't win anymore. Be sober now. Think right about this. You know, don't don't let don't let your mind write a check your body can't cash. Because it's subject to change over time.
And some things are subject to change in a moment. For some people wealth was gone in a moment. Just a wrong series of events, and there it goes. Tragedy strikes in a moment. Good-looking people, face, body distorted in a moment.
And so what that does is helps you to keep it in perspective. You can lose it just like you got it. And you will lose it over time. Growing older is one of the best ways for us to sober our thinking and to prioritize our lives. Here's the way Moses put it in Psalm 90: He said, Lord, teach us to number our days.
That we might apply our hearts to wisdom. Lord, teach us to realize every day cells are dying in my body. Every day. Things are happening. You ought to get smarter as you grow older.
Now, see, you don't automatically get smarter, which is why you got to sit under the word of God and let it speak into your life. But it's designed, the aging process is designed to help you realize: I've got to get my life's work done because night is coming when no one can work. Whatever I'm going to do for God, I better get it done. Because time waits for no one. And you're growing older, and you're getting into different seasons of life.
And every season is designed to bring new praise to God, and it ought to bring new wisdom and depth to your own life. You ought to be smarter than you were 10, 15, 20 years ago. Ought to know some things you didn't know. You were so young and cocky, and now you learn some things. And so you gotta keep it in perspective.
And so you must understand that our assets and strengths are subject to change, either in a moment of time or certainly over time. That's why James said in James 4:14, what is your life? It's just a mist, it's a vapor. Here today, but it's gone. Before you know it, gone.
And I tell you what. When you see the pace of life today, isn't it amazing? It just seems to me like life has sped up. Anybody else feel that way? It just feels like life has spit up.
I know it's still the same 24 hours and all, but it just seems like months just shoot by. Just zoom there it goes We're in another month. Looks like Christmas comes about two, three times a year now. When you were kids it never got here. You're waiting on presence and what have you.
And so It'll aid our sober thinking to realize that what we have, we won't always have. The third point that will aid sober thinking is knowing God is more important than anything else in the world. Knowing God. Knowing God is more important than anything else. Knowing God is more important than having a hundred million dollars.
Knowing God more important. Than having fame. More important than having physical strength, more important than having good looks, intellectual prowess. Degrees, more important than having an awesome resume. Knowing God is the most important thing in the entire world.
If you don't do anything else in your life, get to know who Jesus is. For he is the one who makes life worth living. Don't go away. We have more of today's Destined for Victory message coming up next. We want to thank all of you who support Destined for Victory with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help us keep this media ministry going.
And if you'd like to join us in our mission to preach timeless truth for a victorious life, please consider making a safe and secure donation at our website, pastorpaul.net, or give us a call at 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. You know, when it comes to the blessings of God, almost all of them are preceded by humility.
Now here's the rest of today's message, the center of God's will. Jeremiah chapter 9. Verse 23. Says, this is what the Lord says. Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength, or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands.
And knows me that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth. For in these I delight. declares the Lord. Take that with you through life. Don't boast in anything except knowing God.
And remember, you don't know Him because of you, you know Him because of Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. And so we must understand that God alone is the one who deserves the glory for our lives. And so you got to get to know him.
What does it profit a man? Mark chapter 8, verse 36 says: What does it profit a man if he gained the whole world? And lose his soul. And so you want to understand that God Alone is worthy of praise. That what you have, you won't always have.
So, knowing Him is the most important thing. And so, if you really want to live in the center of God's will, It's governed not only by the principle of surrender to God, but it's governed by the principle of sober thinking about self.
Now, before I get off this point, I need to tell you something else, which is that this exhortation of Romans 12, verse 3 also has implications for those who think more lowly of themselves. Then they ought. I want to speak a word to some of you who wrestle with low self-esteem. Because the word said, don't think more highly, but think with sober judgment. according to the measure of faith God has given you.
Some of you don't think with sober judgment, not because you're conceited. But because you have low self-esteem. Do you know that low self-esteem is The same problem inverted as conceit. Conceit, low self-esteem. are inversions of each other.
Now here's what I mean. The common denominator. is self-preoccupation. For one person, self-preoccupation makes me feel great. I'm the bomb.
For another person, self-preoccupation makes me feel I don't measure up. I'm not as good as other people. They all run faster, jump higher. They're all smarter. They all get better grades than I do.
They all have more money. Look at the car they drive. Look at where they live. Look at the chances life gave him. And then you sing your sad song.
And you talk about how you came up the rough side of the mountain. And how you were disadvantaged and disenfranchised and disinherited. And all of that.
Now, listen, my friend, you got to understand the problem is not your circumstances, the problem is what you think about your circumstances. Just like the person conceded, the problem isn't them being aware of strengths, the problem is what they think about it. When you struggle with low self-esteem, you too insult God. Because you're not recognizing the treasure. He put in you.
You're looking at the wrong things. You're evaluating yourself based on a false standard. You say, but it is the world's standard. The world does judge me by the way I look or how smart I am, what schools I went to, and what I have. We're not talking about the world.
We're talking about living in the center of God's will. Remember, in part one of the series, I said the best way to live is to please God and see who else is happy. You know, rather than to try to please people. Please God. 'Cause you can't please all the folk.
So please him and find out who else likes it. And guess what? When you live that way, my friend, who struggles with low self-esteem, you'll begin to see yourself through the eyes of God. Do you know what God says about you? He says you are his child.
When you accept Him as Lord and Savior.
Now, when you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, You become a child of God. Beloved, 1 John says, now are we.
Sons of God. Ladies, don't be offended when the Bible calls you a son. Because it's talking not about gender, it's talking about standing. A son of God is the highest calling you can have. It means that you not only are a sibling, a child, but that you are an heir.
See in Bible times the sun was the heir. And we are called joint heirs with Jesus.
So, you need to understand.
Now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. God's got plans for your life. Oh, but you gotta get your thinking right. You gotta get this inverted self-preoccupation straightened out. Because God wants you to know who you are.
Well, how am I gonna find out who I am? Read your Bible. I am who God says I am. If God says I'm more than a conqueror, that's who I am. If God says I can do all things through him who gives me strength, that's who I am.
If God before you, who? can be against you. And so you have to understand. That your definition of life comes from your Creator. Stop comparing yourself to people.
The Bible says in one place, that's not wise. Not wise to compare yourself to other people because God didn't call you to be them.
Furthermore, you don't know them. And you look at what you like about them and wish you had, that's called envy. Envious when I look at you, you have what I want. And so I feel bad. Toward you, sometimes I turn it against you, but I burn with envy because I want what you have.
When you envy, you insult God. Because God says, if I wanted you to have it, I'd have gave it to you. And if I didn't give it to you, you don't need it. in order to please me. You don't need it in order to live a life.
That brings me glory. God gave you everything you need. to do his will. Nothing you need is missing from your life. God gave you every single thing you need.
to do his will. And so don't envy other people. Fret not yourself. Free yourself. You say, How can I do that?
By saying, Lord. From this moment on. I will let you and you alone define me. Not my culture. Not my friends or family.
Don't be the black sheep in your family anymore. If they called you the black sheep, don't accept that designation anymore. Say, no, I'm special to God. Special to God. I'm called according to God's purpose.
I live to do his will. And if you notice your Bible. Have you noticed that God often will take the lowly things. and do the most through them. Have you ever noticed that?
See, we love to think that the Bible is full of heroes. But these are people The only thing heroic about them is that they surrendered to God. I mean look at Moses. We say, oh, Moses, great lawgiver. We picture him L Charlton Heston.
You know, you ever seen Ten Commandments? He walks with that nice, strong, I mean, he looks like a man of God. Moses didn't start out that way. Moses spent 40 years growing up in Egypt, and then another 40 years on the backside of the desert. tending to his father-in-law's sheep.
Moses had a speech impediment. He stuttered. And when God said, I'm sending you to Pharaoh, he said, He started studying. And he told God he couldn't.
Now don't you know God knew who he was? When he called him Don't tell God you stutter. Don't tell God you have a learning disability. Don't tell God you lack resources. You think he doesn't know that?
It's the reason he called you.
So that when he gets his will done through you. Other folk will say, Look at that.
So you have to decide, you have to make up in your mind. I Am going to give my life over to God in such a way. that he helps me to think soberly about myself, whether I tend to be conceited. or whether I tend to suffer with low self-esteem. It's the same problem inverted.
I'm too preoccupied with me. I need to become more preoccupied with him. and with his call on my life. Because you can successfully fulfill his call no matter who you are. How far behind others you think you are, God can take you.
See, it's not about you, you're the pot. He'll put a treasure. in the pot. and get glory. for himself.
My friend. Think soberly. Don't think more highly of yourself than you are, but think soberly. according as God has given the measure of faith. When we humble ourselves and serve others, the Lord always gives back to us.
He fills us with a joy and peace that cannot be found anywhere else. You know, Destined for Victory could not exist without the faithful prayers and financial support of listening friends and partners. You've always been the lifeblood of this media ministry, and it's because of you that we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people all over the world. We hope you'll consider sending a generous gift to day. When you do, we've got a great message to share with you as our way of saying thanks.
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God put you in a perfect position to do His will. Whatever you don't have, you don't need. God made you just the way you are. He can use you just the way you are. He can get something done through you that he can't get done through some of the cute folk.
That's next time in our continuing message, The Center of God's Will. Until then remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
