Hello and thanks for stopping by for today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. We'd love diving into God's Word with you and we'll be doing that in just a few moments. First, we want to remind you of our commitment to using media to share the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world. I want to ask Pastor Paul to talk about the importance of Destin for Victory's Media ministry and why he felt so compelled to use his voice to lead people to faith in Christ. Here's what he had to say.
Well, I want to tell you that it's important to me as a discipler. that my voice is heard, And it is used to help people grow in their knowledge of the Lord and in their faith walk with Him. Fact of the matter is, my voice doesn't sound like most of the other folks you hear on Christian radio. I'm well aware of that, and I'm really comfortable with that. I come from my own unique background, both ethnically and in terms of life experience.
There are things I share, there are things I say, and there are the ways that I say them that are unique. I believe that that perspective needs to be heard throughout Christendom. And so, while I'm so grateful for all of my heroes, your heroes are mine. I listen to the same people, the guys who have been on the radio for decades and have proclaimed God's word faithfully. I really do appreciate those guys.
But I've learned not to be intimidated by them because I've got my own way of processing and own way of sharing and helping people to learn and to grow in their faith.
So, It's quite intentional.
Sometimes I like to be really colloquial in what I say and how I say it because I'm just using who I am, and I think God wants to use that. He's the one who called me. I didn't call myself, He called me, and I believe He knows what He was getting when He called me into the ministry. And so I'm just trying to make a difference because the gospel really does change lives, and I believe I have a unique calling to help present the gospel from my own perspective. And I pray that that's resonating with listeners, and I pray that that means enough to them that they'll make sure my voice can continue to be heard right along with our other heroes who teach the gospel of Jesus.
And that is our mission, friend, to bring timeless truth for a victorious life on radio, online, on our free mobile app, and on every available digital platform. But we can't do any of this without your help.
So today we're asking you to send a generous donation to Destined for Victory. And as our way of saying thanks, we'd like to send you our latest booklet, Clothed in Love, Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most. You know, it's easy to be kind to strangers, but what about the people closest to us? In this message drawn from Colossians 3, verses 12 through 15, Pastor Paul Shepherd challenges us to direct our best selves toward the ones who matter most. With another Mother's Day right in front of us, these seven powerful virtues will help you discover what it means to honor your Mother and how giving these gifts can transform your most important relationships.
That's Clothed in Love, Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most, our gift to you today by request for your generous donation to Destined for Victory. Visit us and give at pastor Paul dot net, where you can make a safe and secure donation on line, or call us at eight five five three three nine fifty five hundred. That's eight five five three three nine five five zero zero. Or if you prefer, you can mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California, nine four five three eight. God is trying to bring us into conformity to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
He's making all of us like Jesus, and in order to get you there, He's got to make a number of changes. It isn't always easy.
Sometimes it can be a little scary. The challenge of change on today's Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. You know, 2,000 years ago, the church was asked to do the unthinkable, to lend a hand to a man who had murdered Christians and helped them prepare that same man to become a pastor and an evangelist. The message is called when growth requires change, and it starts right now. Acts chapter 10, beginning with verse 1.
At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known. as the Italian regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision.
He distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said, Cornelius, Cornelius stared at him in fear. What is it, lord? he asked. The angel answered, Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner. whose house is by the sea. When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants. and a devout soldier was one of his attendants.
He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. About noon the following day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry. wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, He fell into a trance. He saw heaven open and something like a large sheep being let down to earth.
by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four footed animals as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, Get up, Peter, kill and eat. Surely not, Lord, Peter replied. I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.
The voice spoke to him a second time: Do not call anything impure. that God has made clean. This happened three times and immediately the sheet was taken back. to heaven. Our subject is when growth requires change.
This is an old subject for me. But I need to revisit it and look at some of the key teachings and also focus in on some new things that I want to point out. in our current study. We've established the fact that to be the church at its best, we must. Be prepared to grow numerically.
Most recently, we've looked at the subject of winning the lost. at any cost. And understood that the early church. Preached the word of God wherever they went. Even when they were persecuted, we were told that they scattered.
As a result of the persecution that broke out in Jerusalem, but everywhere they went, they preached God's word. They understood that that was Job 1. And being prepared to win the loss, being prepared to enlarge our circle of love and include those that God is saving. Is part of what it takes to be the church at its best. But I want you to examine with me as we look at chapters 9 and 10 the fact.
That in order to be the church at its best and to continue to win the lost and to grow, we must be also prepared to change.
Some Types of growth in our lives. I want you to consider this concept with me.
Some types of growth require change.
Now, some growth has happens kind of In a normative fashion. For instance, look at what happens with living organisms. Their growth is normative as long as. They still have potential to reach, and as long as their basic needs are met, then you don't have to do anything except watch the growth occur. When you have a baby, It is amazing when you first have that little child.
I remember the birth of both of my children, and I remember holding both of them. fresh from their mother's womb and just how tiny they were. Just amazing to see this little life. I remember taking them home in this little bundle. I remember the nurse saying, now keep the blanket real tight, because it reminds them of the womb.
You know, they're curled up and they like that.
So she said, Keep it. And I remember that. I remember going home and making sure that the blanket was nice and tight and they're squished in there and happy. You know. You know, just little old something.
And I remember, in fact, my wife took pictures of me holding both of our children in the exact same position where, you know, on a day there in their very early days, I would be laying on the couch. holding one of them and then I'd fall asleep. Holding them. And they're sitting right up there on my chest, little enough to just sit there. And my wife has a picture of me holding both children in the exact same position.
I'm laying on the couch. They're on my chest. They're asleep. I'm asleep. She's happy taking pictures.
Guess could fit right there.
Well, all we had to do is make sure their basic needs were met and then watch them grow. We didn't have to make them grow. Beg them to grow, please grow. All you had to do is watch it. If the basic needs are met, it's normative.
If a living organism has not yet reached its potential, it's normative for growth to occur, assuming those needs are met. And all of you who are parents know, you just watch these different stages and you get amazed. At the growth that occurs, both physically and emotionally, how things begin to develop when they first start getting tall. I remember several years ago being in one part of the house and listening to my wife and my daughter arguing about who was taller. And I was in another part of the house, and I heard them down there fussing about who was taller.
And Alicia was contending that she had taken the title from her mother of the tallest female in the family. Meredith was holding on for dear life to the belief that she was still taller.
Well, it sounded like something I wanted to get involved in, so I ran down there. And. to get in the middle of it. And then I said, Well, we can settle this right here. Come on, stand up against the wall.
And so I put them up against the wall and I marked Alicia's height. And then Meredith stood there and I marked her height. And lo and behold, Alicia was taller than her mother. And thoroughly proud of that fact. And so that day came.
Then her son became taller than her, and now he's threatening to be the tallest male in the family. I'm trying to rebuke the devil in Jesus' name. But uh Growth is normative assuming, assuming basic needs are met and that there's still potential. Then it's normative.
Now, that's one type of growth, the growth that you kind of don't have to think about. It takes care of itself. But what I want to suggest as we look at this section of Luke's writing here in Acts is that other types of growth. demand change and cooperation. There are some ways in which growth demands change.
Either growth that is taking place and you've got to change to accommodate it, or in some cases, you have to change in order for growth. To take place. But in both cases, you have to be a deliberate part of the process.
Sometimes we grow, and then that growth results in change. When you buy your children's clothes, when they're in those growth years, when they come to you and say, I need new shoes, you can't go examine the old shoes and say, Well, these still have some life in them. No, it's not a question of whether the shoes are okay. It's a question of growth. They no longer fit.
What was once appropriate is no longer appropriate. And you have to continue to get them new clothes and give the other clothes to someone else whose children are in that phase of life. And the growth continues. In our own lives, growth requires change.
Some of us have clothes in our wardrobes. You know where I'm going.
Some of us, probably half of us, if not more, than half of us, have some article of clothing or several in our closets. They're there not because we can wear them. They are there because we either once wore them. Or we bought them hoping. But them hoping some of you exercise faith.
At the store and said, I believe. That I'm going to be able to get into this. They don't have it in my current size, they have it in the size smaller, but I believe. That I'm going to be able to get into this one day. And so you have some articles in your closet, many of us do, that are there by faith.
They're there by faith. We cannot wear them now, but we are hoping, praying, planning, working, doing something with the belief that one day. We will be able to wear them. Why? Because growth requires change.
And there's no need of you trying to live in denial. Don't try to wear what no longer fits. If it doesn't fit, don't force it now. You won't look good. Remember, we are all building accountability in our lives and people who can speak truth to us.
When folks speak truth, do you believe them? When they tell you, no, no, no, no, you don't want to put that on. Yeah. Then believe them. Don't fuss and fight and deny.
You know, you all wouldn't do that, but people I know. People are now, what's the matter with this? No, no, let's not go there. Let's just find something else. Because growth requires change.
In case you joined us late, you're listening to Destined for Victory, featuring the teaching ministry of Pastor Paul Shepard.
Now, stay with us. The second half of today's message is straight ahead. One of the things we love to do for friends and listeners like you is to pray for you when you're in need.
So if you have a prayer request, please visit pastorpaul.net and use the contact feature to share it with us. Our ministry team is always happy to lift you up in prayer. That's pastorpaul.net.
Sometimes God asks us to do the ridiculous, not only to help grow his church, but to grow our faith.
Now, let's get you back to the rest of today's message: when growth requires change. But some types of growth require our very deliberate cooperation, either in order to cause them to take place or because they already have. With that mindset, I want you to look with me at some of the things that occurred. As we move into Acts chapter 9, now we saw the church preaching the word everywhere they went. We talked about different styles of evangelism.
And as a result of them focusing on winning the loss, praying for people and evangelizing, sharing their faith as God gave opportunities, the Lord continued to save people. One of the persons He saved was one of the greatest persecutors of the church. Saul, the same one whose actions caused persecution to break out. He was the same one who was consenting to the death of Stephen and began to wreak havoc, we're told, in the early verses of Acts chapter 8, wreak havoc in the early church.
Now, God, as a result of the church praying and the church witnessing and staying focused on God's will, the Holy Spirit is free to move and he decides in his own sovereignty the moment that he will confront Saul. Saul was on his way, we're told in Acts chapter 9, on his way to Damascus armed with papers, ready to do even more damage to the church, when suddenly he has his encounter with God of the divine kind. And God speaks to him, stops him literally in his tracks. and begins to deal with him. And with that short encounter, Saul's life was completely changed.
And he comes to understand that he was persecuting the very God. That he thought he was fighting for. God said, You think you're fighting for me, but you're actually fighting me. By fighting the church. In other words, what God was doing through this group called the Way, the early church was known as the Way.
What God was doing through them Was in fact God's movement, but Pharisees and Orthodox Jews, such as Saul, did not perceive it as God. It was God, but they didn't know it was God.
Now, that happens in all of our lives.
Sometimes God is at work, but we don't know it. And so we have to come to understand what God is doing. And you always make a mistake when you try to box God into what you understand. If God is only doing what I think He's only doing, Then he's not doing much. Because most of us have a very limited, narrow view.
of who God is and what He's doing. And what we have to learn to do is to take the limits off. And to discover what God is doing. And so Saul has a discovery here. That a group he thought was completely out of bounds was actually in the center of God's will.
And then he had to make a decision. to go with God. And so the Lord said, I'm sending you on, going into Damascus, but now you have a different agenda. Instead of going in to grab the saints and to take them back to Jerusalem where you can do harm to them, now I'm sending you to Jerusalem where you will be discipled by the saints. And where you will begin to learn how to move with me and how to be part of what I'm doing.
So God sends him on into the city, but now with a different agenda.
Now, here's what I want you to notice: growth requires change in some ways. Look now at how the church has to deal with the fact that God has saved Saul. And we'll learn a couple of things from it. First, we're going to see that change can be frightening. What happened was Ananias was a disciple there in Damascus.
Now, If I were to do word association with you, And say Ananias, and you give me the first name that comes to your mind. I say, Ananias, what would you say? Sapphira, most of us who read the New Testament would say Sapphira, because we're thinking of the Ananias and Sapphira from Acts chapter 5. Those folk were killed, judged by God. For hypocrisy.
God made an example of them to let the church know that everything about what He does among His people is sacred, even giving. The church was giving sacrificially to meet the needs, and that that was sacred unto God. And their hypocrisy offended God, not their stinginess. They had the right to keep their money. Peter told them that when he spoke the words of judgment.
But they didn't have the right to pretend. That they were in sync with what God was doing when they knew they had deliberately chosen not to be in sync. And so God made an example of them. And isn't it funny how sometimes our focus really is on the things that we really shouldn't be focused on? Ananias isn't the best Ananias to take a look at.
The Ananias I want you to think about is the one here in Acts 9. God speaks to this man beginning in verse 10 of Acts 9. And says, Ananias, I want you to go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. That's a good place to live, huh? And as for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he's praying, in a vision he's seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.
Saul was temporarily blinded as a result of his encounter with God.
Now, look at verse 13. You'll see what I mean about change being frightening. Lord Ananias answered. I've heard many reports about this man and all the harm he's done to your saints in Jerusalem, and he's come here with authority from the chief priest to arrest all who call on your name. Isn't that something?
How we tell God some things. Have you ever explained Yourself to God. We'll see, Lord. As if he doesn't know. And then as if he cares.
He cares about us, but he doesn't care about what we think about everything. And so Ananias said, Lord, let me help you understand why what you asked me to do is a problem. Saul is a bad boy. He has come to town to do great harm to your people. Ananias is implying, Lord, you really don't want me to go to him because, based on what he has been doing, if I go to him, that's just like turning yourself in.
He's going to immediately, he's got papers, he's going to immediately incarcerate me, take me back to Jerusalem. That's what he's come to town to do, to get a bunch of your people. Lord, I just thought you ought to know. And change can be frightening in all of our lives.
Sometimes, in order to stay in God's will and to grow in what God is doing in your work, remember, God has begun a good work in all of us, according to Philippians 1 and 6. He has begun a good work in us, and he has promised to bring it to completion. But there are times in the process when our cooperation directly impacts how quickly we grow. And so if you stall, if you say, Lord, no, I can't do that, then you begin to thwart your own process of growth and development. And sometimes we're frightened by the things God calls us to do.
But you got to understand: the one who's calling you is the one who is at work in you. Your life is under construction, and God is trying to bring us into conformity to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. He's making all of us like Jesus, and in order to get you there, He's got to make a number of changes. And so, to back up, to resist God, is to thwart your own growth and to forfeit, at least for that time in your life, the blessings God has for you in terms of developing your spiritual life. And I want to help you understand then that yes, change can be frightening, but do not allow your fear to prevent your growth.
When God tells you to do things you've never done before, When God tells you to do things that seem risky or scary, please know that you are like a sheep who's being led by a shepherd through what appears to be a dangerous place. But remember, the shepherd is with you. Don't be surprised if God one day asks you to do the ridiculous. As we see time and again in Scripture, God often uses the unlikely to produce the undeniable. To find out more about Destined for Victory's mission and purpose, or about the special gift reserved for you when you give generously today, please come see us at pastorpaul.net.
That's pastorpaul.net.
When God tells you to do things that seem risky or scary, please know that you are like a sheep who's being led by a shepherd through what appears to be a dangerous place. But remember, the shepherd is with you. That's tomorrow in our continuing message when growth requires change. But until then, remember. He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
In Christ, you are destined for victory.
