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. Joshua, Moses, Gideon, Ananias, God asked each of them to do something risky, and you could be next. Hello and welcome to another great day here on Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. You know, many of the early Christians had to do a lot of growing and a lot of changing to accept Saul as an apostle Jesus Christ.
Ananias was the first, but there were still the original disciples to deal with. They had walked with Jesus for three years, and now God was asking them to help train a murderer of Christians for Christian ministry. We'll take an in-depth look at that story today. Online, you'll find us at pastorpaul.net, where you can listen to Destined for Victory on Demand and find details about subscribing to our podcast or downloading our free mobile app. That's pastorpaul.net.
Now, here's today's Destined for Victory message: when growth requires change. 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. You know, David said, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Well, if I'm down there by myself, I have a right to be afraid. But notice what David said: he said, But I don't have to fear evil. It's scary. But I don't have to fear evil. Why?
Not because there's an absence of threatening circumstances, but because there's the presence of a loving shepherd. I don't have to be afraid because of who's with me. The Lord is with me, he said. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why?
Because thou art with me. God is the one leading you into the change in your life. God is the one who is bringing you into new disciplines that you've never experienced before. God is the one who is changing your priorities in life. God is the one who's saying, No, I want you to handle your finances this way.
No, I want you to handle your time this way. No, I want you to make this level of commitment. No, here are the relationships I want you to build, and here are the ones I want you to throw away. And folks, that can be scary. When God tells you to drop people that you've been used to holding on to, that can be scary.
When God tells you to attach yourself to people you don't yet know. And you have to build those relationships, and you have to learn how to put up with things you don't necessarily like. It can be frightening. But you gotta understand. That in order to grow, God leads us into new pastures.
He leads us into new experiences. The key to spiritual growth is being led by the Lord. Paul said in Romans 8:14: those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. If God's not leading you, you're not going anywhere. We don't get anywhere on our own.
God has to lead us into change, lead us into growth, lead us into development. And He's going to take you places you've never been. And you've got a journey there. You'll be glad if you keep on going with God. One day you'll say, Oh, Lord, thank you.
Thank you that you brought me here. But he'll look, don't get it twisted. God will take you to some scary places, God will send you to some sales, God will call you to do some things you really don't feel like doing. Things that don't make sense to you. They violate your senses.
They violate your comfort. God will move you. How many know? He'll move you out of your comfort zone. You've been comfortable in a certain mindset in a certain place in your life.
And it looks like sometimes God waits for you to get good and settled. And then he'll say, all right. In order to grow, we've got to initiate some change here. And he'll wait till Abram is nice and settled in the land of Ur, and then he'll say, get up. And go.
Well, where are we going, Lord? I tell you, just go. Start moving. And I'll let you know when you get there, you're there. See, that's scattery.
And he had to take everything with him. See, God won't let you, well, let me just leave. This here.
So in case things don't work out. No, gossip, no. Get up. Take all of your household, all your cattle, everything you own. Make a full commitment to following me.
And, folks, it's scary. It's scary. And you need to develop relationships with other godly people who can walk with you and help you understand that God is up to something, He is taking us somewhere. But it's going to require change, and change can be frightening. Change can be frightening, but you got to understand: the Lord is the one who initiated this.
You didn't start the journey. And he who began the work is going to bring it to completion.
So Ananias explains himself to God. And then the Lord is gracious enough. I love the fact that when I talk to God, And I'm balking about something. He doesn't just end the conversation. He'll go on and give you an answer.
He said to Ananias, No, I want you to do this. This man, in fact, see, you're thinking of his reputation, but you got to understand that I'm at work even in him. And he said, He is my chosen instrument. To carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel, I'll show him how much he must suffer for my name.
So, I need you to play a role in his development. And so, Ananias has to push through the fear of: ooh, what is this man going to do to me? I've heard about what he's done to other people, and he's got to realize God now is saying, I'm at work in him, and I'm actually going to make you part of it. But Ananias has to have a change of mind. He can't go in there in fear, he's got to go in in faith.
And I want to tell you that some of us are being called now from fear into faith. God is saying, I want you to stop focusing on what scares you and begin to focus on who called you. In fact, if we will develop more of a fear of God, Than a fear of circumstances and a fear of people, our growth will be greatly facilitated.
Now, I'm talking about two types of fear. We're scared of people and circumstances. And I'm not suggesting that you need to be scared necessarily of God. But then, on the other hand, that reverence out of which that concept of fear comes when the Bible says the fear of the Lord really does have an element of awe to it. It is reverence that makes you realize how awesome God is, and that ought to s make you say, I want to be more concerned about pleasing Him than anything else.
Not because I'm scared He's going to hit me with His divine hammer. But because of how awesome a God he is. And if we will develop more of a fear of God, Than a fear of men, a fear of people, our growth will be facilitated. You'll get somewhere in your life when you don't wanna let God down. When you don't wanna disobey God.
Now, it's not that God is hung up on us, God can work with you or without you. But He started something in you, and God is faithful. I'm glad about that. I'm glad that God doesn't say, Oh, forget you then. See, that's people.
We dropped folks off.
Some of you have dropped off folk. in your life. They just disappointed you one too many times and you said that's it. That's it. And so God is faithful.
And he continues to deal with us, trying to take us to that next level.
So Ananias now has to move from fear to faith. That's why God spoke to him. You need a word from God in order to have biblical faith. And God said, No, I want you to believe me more than you believe your circumstances. Circumstances and history tell you that Saul is dangerous, but I'm telling you, Saul is a chosen vessel.
I want you to believe me and go. What is God saying for you to do? That you got to believe him to do it. Because if you look at your circumstances, you won't do it. And whatever that is.
If you'll get into faith and go with God, you'll see and experience His glory.
So Ananias goes with God. You can see he's in faith because when he gets there, verse 17 of Acts 9, he gets to the house and he places his hands on Saul and says, Brother Saul. Calls him a brother. See, he's changed his mindset now to accommodate what God is doing. It was frightening, but now that I've shifted from fear to faith, I'm going with God.
He says, Brother Saul, the same Lord who appeared to you on the road. As you are coming here, sent me that you may see again and that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit. You've got to get some power because God's got plans for you, boy. And he ministers to him and begins the process. He and others there in Damascus begin to disciple Saul.
Growth requires change often, and that change can be frightening. I want you to notice also that change can be threatening as well as frightening.
Now, here's what I mean by this. Jump down to verse 26. When Saul came to Jerusalem after spending many days in Damascus and beginning to declare that Jesus is the Christ, we are told that he then goes to Jerusalem Where look at this verse 26 It'll show us ourselves. Where he tried to join the disciples. But they were all afraid of him, not believing.
that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord, and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
So Saul stayed with him and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
Now here's what you got to understand. Change can only be frightening, but it can be threatening. When he comes to the disciples, they have the same response that Ananias had: one of fear. No, no, he must be pretending. They said, He's just pretending to be saved.
He just wants to infiltrate our ranks so he can find out who all the leaders are and what's going on. And then he's going to get all of us. Natural fear. But we've got to learn to go with God.
So Barnabas had the courage of his convictions. Barnabas is the son of encouragement. God places people like that in the body of Christ. To help you. If you are a Peter, you need a Barnabas.
If you are one of those people who just thinks you know everything, you need a Barnabas. You need somebody who will help you understand that there's more to life than what you see or what you think. Don't go away. The rest of today's Destined for Victory message from Pastor Paul Shepard is coming right up. In John 14, 6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me. And our mission here at Destined for Victory is to share that timeless truth, Jesus Himself, so that as many people as possible can be saved. You can help keep these messages coming your way all year round by sending a generous gift to day. Visit Pastor Paul. net to make a safe and secure donation online.
That's pastorpaul. net. or call 855-339-5500. Many of the early Christians had doubted the authenticity of the Apostle Paul even after he had completed his first missionary journey, but one man stood by him fiercely and publicly. The rest of today's message now, when growth requires change.
And God raises up, thank God, for those people who have that gift of giving somebody a chance. I mean, Barnabas, consistently, he was that way. He did that with Saul. Later on, you see him that way with John Mark. Remember when Saul, who needed somebody to go to bat for him, was a big shot apostle.
Over in Acts 15.
Now he's forgotten about his own roots. Disciples didn't want to receive him.
Somebody had to help him in.
Now he's a big shot apostle over in Acts 15, getting ready to go on his second missionary journey. Got a big long resume and all of that. All the people have been saved under his ministry. anointing dripping off of him. And you have to be careful as you grow.
That you don't forget that there are other people who are at the beginning of their journey, and somebody's got to help them along. And so when Barnabas, they're getting ready to go on a second journey, and Barnabas said, okay, let me go get John Mark. Saul said, wait a minute. John Mark, he's not going with us. He went with us on the first journey and he got scared and left in the middle of it.
John Mark, he wasn't used to that. It meant he got out there on that road, it was tough. You know, on those missionary journeys, they weren't staying, you know, in the Damascus holiday inn. You know. Antioch Hilton.
No, they were roughing it, and persecution abounded, and all of that. And John Mark was a little church boy. He used to growing up, the church met in his home. His mother had one of those church houses, and so he's used to the saints around him singing and praying and carrying on. And he's used to nice little spiritual comfort zone.
And he got out there on that road. And folks start throwing rocks and saying, You better leave town. If I see you tomorrow, I'm going to kill you. Man, you kidding me? John Marshall, I am out of here.
Catch you, brothers, later. He went on back home to his mama.
Now, let's not be too hard on him because some of us. Had some of the same experiences. God trying to grow us and push us out. We weren't quite ready to go. And it took somebody.
To say, no, he needs another chance. Barnabas said, No, no, he needs to go. I think he's learned from that. And how will we know if he's learned from it? Unless we give them a chance.
Saul said, read my lips. He is not going with me. But Barnabas just had that gift of saying, no, no, let's try this again. Let's try this again. And so Barnabas takes Saul to them and explains what's going on.
He gives Saul's whole testimony. He says, I've been with him in Damascus. He's been speaking with the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm telling you all, God is on this man. This is not a ploy, this is God at work.
And I want to say to the church in our day, we've got to be very careful because too often we are quick to say what's not God. And the fact of the matter is, you don't want to speak too soon. Until you have first given yourself so completely and surrendered to God that whatever He is doing, He can lead you in a process of opening your understanding. Because if you want what you've never had before, chances are God's going to have you do what you've never done before. and he's going to take you to places you've never been before.
and expose you to things perhaps you've never been open to. Before. And so it was threatening because the saints had the same reaction that Ananias had. Barnabas had to come help them. And then further, it was threatening, watch this, because the apostles now.
have to make room for Saul's budding ministry. Notice. That Barnabas introduced him to the apostles, said, Here's a young man, God's hand is on him. I know he was the persecutor, he's the one that started all this persecution, but God's hand is on him now. And they had to make room For someone to come and begin to minister.
And before long, Saul was reaching people they weren't reaching. I want to let you know that change can be both frightening and threatening.
Sometimes, in order to go with God, you have to make room for somebody who is going to occupy a place you. either held or wish you could hold. And you got to be so open to God until you say, Lord. I want to do only what you have for me to do, and sometimes that means God has me in a place just long enough. to prepare someone who is ultimately going to stand in that office.
And then God will shift me over to another assignment.
Now here's where the rubber meets the road. See, it's one thing for me to begin to get in faith and believe God to do risky things. It's another thing when God asks me, step aside. It's another thing when God asks me, I want you to learn to support somebody who's doing things you're not doing, who's taking ministry to a different level. I want you to learn to rejoice with those who are being blessed by me rather than to be threatened and to begin to make personal comparisons.
You got to understand this now as God moves, because we can easily get in God's way. I've seen people get in God's way by saying, No, no, this is what I do, and I don't care who tries to come in here. But if among the people God is saving, He is raising up people and preparing them to take an area of ministry to another level, if we say, No, I'm the leader. See, church folks are good for that.
Some of y'all are blessed because you haven't been in church. You just came straight out of the world. You are so blessed. Came in straight out the world, you say, and you don't know.
Some of us can tell you there is no fighter like a church fighter. Church folk have heavyweight championship belts. Church people can throw down. Church people can get you straight in nothing flat. This is my place.
Do you know how long I've been doing this? And they will get you straight. You are not welcome here. If you're welcome here, you better find your own little corner somewhere. But the fact is, God will raise up somebody.
See, remember, in the case of Saul, God knew what he was going to do through Saul. And he knew he was going to use Saul in a way that he wasn't even using the 11 apostles. 12 with the one they chose with Matthias. He knew God was at work in him. And all he needed was the church to do what he told him to do and then to be prepared to step aside when this young man is now ready.
to begin to operate in the way God ordained. And I'm telling you folks. The key To experiencing the glory of God is to move from fear to faith so that the change that would be frightening, you begin to say, No, I know God is at work in this. And then it takes a humility to say, Now, Lord. If you're going to raise up somebody to do what I've been doing, that means you have another place for me.
No one can beat you being you. And in the kingdom, you don't get to define what you do. God does that.
So for a season, God will have you doing a certain work, and then God will say, now I want you to step aside from that. And I want you to let someone else. I've raised up someone else. I want them in this place now. And I'm going to give you a new assignment.
And that takes a kind of humility. Because it's easy to become territorial. See, the apostles could have said, This is what are you talking about? We're the one. He didn't even see Jesus.
How's he going to be an apostle if he didn't even see Jesus? See, they could have fought God. But obviously, God's at work. And so their rule of you have to have been an eyewitness in order to be an apostle doesn't apply.
Well, it applies in the sense that, yes, he did see Jesus on the Damascus road, but he didn't walk with him like many of them had walked with him. But see they gotta realize that sometimes rules go out the window when you're talking about following God. And the seven last words of a dying church are: we've never done it that way before. Seven last words of a dying church. You are on your way out.
You're on the respirator when that is your idea. Because growth, some types of growth, require change. And that change can be frightening, that change can be threatening, but God is at work both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I was talking to a pastor. I'm getting in what would seem to be the prime of my ministry.
I'm already beginning to say, Lord, I want to be very aware of the young men that I am to groom and to train and to mentor. And I'm taking blocks of time now, beginning to spend it with young men that I see God's hand on them because it's only a question of time. When all of us are gonna have to play different roles. I don't want to play a different one any time soon now. But I gotta get ready For the inevitable.
See, if you hold on and become territorial, this is me, till I die.
Well then you might have to. Mm. And you know what? And this is true in every area of our lives. If you get out of sync with what God really wants you to do, you'll kill that area of your life.
If God's dealing with you about your finances and wants you to handle them differently and you refuse, you'll kill that area of your life. His blessings can't thrive where there's disobedience.
Some of us, the only way to save your marriage is to go with God. Get your feelings and your funk out of the way.
Well, I don't care what the Bible says. I don't care what Pastor Paul says the merit of said in making marriage work.
Well, if it was just our word, you wouldn't have to care. Because, you know, my word's as good as yours. But if I gave you the word of God, And you, yeah, but God's word.
Now you're in trouble. You can fight one another, but when it comes to God, no, no, it's time to take your gloves off. And hit your knees and say, Lord, not my will, but thine be done. Change can be frightening, but God calls us to go from fear to faith. Change can be threatening.
But God calls us from having that sense of territory and ownership. to developing an attitude of humility. To say, whatever God wants, that's what I want to be part of. I just want to go with Him, I want to be blessed by Him. And none of the apostles lost anything in terms of their anointing and their own calling by making room for Saul.
Saul had his unique ministry, and they began to develop their own. And so growth often requires change. Thanks so much for being here with us for today's Destined for Victory. Remember to stop by our website, pastorpaul.net, to find out how to listen to Destined for Victory on your favorite digital platform. While you're there, be sure to check out our online store for some great resources to help you grow in your Christian faith, including books and video messages from Pastor Paul Shepard.
It's found at pastorpaul.net. You know, it can be easy sometimes to be nice to strangers, but what about the people closest to you, especially your mother? With Mother's Day upon us this weekend, we've got a great new resource to share with you as our way of saying thanks for your donation to the ministry. It's a booklet called Clothed in Love Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most. Based on Colossians 3, verses 12-15, clothed in love will challenge you to direct your best selves toward the ones who matter most.
Pastor Paul Shepard points you to seven virtues: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness, and how giving these gifts away can transform your most important relationships. Again, it's called Clothed in Love: Seven Gifts for the Ones Who Matter Most, and it's our gift to you today by request for your generous gift to Destin for Victory. You can give that gift by phone by calling 855-339-5500. 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. We have a Bible full of things that we know clearly to be the will of God. But our first instinct, when it challenges some of our comfort zones and some of the things we really want, our personal desires, our first instinct. is to try to come up with a plan B.
If ever anyone needed a Plan B, it was him. Join us tomorrow to meet a hero of the faith who had his world turned upside down. Until then, though, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
