Hello and welcome to Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard. We're excited to study the Word of God together today. But before we get to that, Pastor Paul's daughter, our Executive Director Alicia Greer, is here to share a brief word about this important time of year. I hope you're excited for summertime. I know I am.
And for all of you who, like me, have kiddos out of school, may God's grace abound to you in this season. But I do pray that it's a fun time of bonding or taking a vacation, whatever it is that you may have planned.
So I just wanted to stop by and remind you to please prayerfully keep in mind ministries like Destined for Victory during this season. Pastor Paul would always do this, and the reason for that is giving tends to drop the most during this time of year.
So I just wanted to ask you to prayerfully consider sending a special gift to Destin for Victory to help us continue airing these teachings during the often challenging summer months. And when you do, we're pleased to make available a special thank you gift in June. It's a video collection of Let My People Smile, and it's available to everyone who sends in their most generous donation of twenty five dollars or more. Thank you so much, and God bless you. Let my people smile as Pastor Paul at his very best, combining biblical wisdom with his unique style and humor.
And for the first time, we're making it available on video. You can choose from DVD format or a streaming link when you make your most generous donation of $25 or more in June. PastorPaul.net is the place to go to make a safe and secure donation online, or call us at 855-339-5500. That's 855-339-5500. If you prefer, you can mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, California, 94538.
Because on that day, everything's going to be exposed. That which was hidden in darkness is coming to the light. That which was buried in the motive of a man's heart is going to be exposed on that great day. And all of us will receive his praise from God. Have you ever looked back on something from 20 years ago and thought, that seems like yesterday?
Well, our lives truly are a vapor, and the second coming of Christ will take place before you know it. If you want to be found faithful on that great and glorious day, stay with us now on Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepard to see what a lifestyle of faithfulness is all about. Today's message is called Be Faithful, and it starts right now. Be faithful as a servant. He said, regard us as servants of the Lord.
Know that that is our calling. Then he goes on and talks about being faithful as a steward. Look at what he says. He says: Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. King James says it's required of stewards.
That they be found faithful. Those given a trust. Who is a steward? One who is entrusted with someone else's property. You are stewards of that which belongs to God.
He says, We are stewards of our gift. We are stewards of our calling. We are stewards of the things God is doing in us. And he says, We must prove faithful. He goes on to say, I care very little if I'm judged by you or by any court.
Indeed, I do not even judge myself. Why? Because I have to answer to God. He says it's not about what people think. I've got to please God, I am managing his resources.
And he says, I really don't care what people think. My aim It is to please the Lord. Look at what he says in verse 4. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.
Some of you need to understand that because we live in a world where people think their conscience is the end-all.
Well, see, it really doesn't bother my conscience. Who cares? Your conscience isn't your judge. Paul said, the Lord is your judge. It doesn't matter if you think it's okay, your thoughts don't count.
And so if your conscience is clear, don't mistake your conscience for your judge. Paul says, My conscience is clear, but that's not what I focus on. I'm focused on the fact that one day I must answer to my master. For what I did with the resources he entrusted to me. And he says, verse 5, I love this verse, therefore judge nothing before the appointed time.
Wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time, each will receive his praise from God. Oh, I love that. He says, you got to understand, you have no business judging situations in your life or the lives of others.
God alone is our judge. And he says, you have to learn not to judge anything before it's time. Oh, that's a good word for somebody. who loves calling the game too early. You write folk off, you decide God will never use them, God will never bless them, they'll never amount to anything.
Paul said, don't judge it before it's time. Wait till the Lord comes because the God factor can change anybody. God can turn a situation around. And so you've got to learn to not judge other people and not judge your own life, but to allow God alone to be the judge.
Now, let me be clear. Paul is not suggesting, therefore, anything goes. See, a lot of folk who want to live loose say the Bible said judge not. See, they're getting ready to justify some sin. That's what they're getting ready to do.
Bible said, judge not. I believe the greatest sin is judging people.
Alright, well, let's straighten you out. Why does the Bible say judge not? Because we're not the judge. Who is the judge? The Lord.
What has He given us? His word. And if we allow the Word to judge us now, we'll stand before Him clothed in His righteousness.
So, when we speak to you the word and the will of God, we're not judging you. God through His Word is speaking to you. When the Bible says judge not, it means don't set yourself up as the arbiter. Don't decide it's right or wrong based on what you think. Because we're not the judge.
But when you understand that, this is a wonderful statement. He says, judge nothing before the time. Don't write people off. Because you're not the one writing the story of their lives. Who told you to close the book?
On someone who doesn't look like they're getting anywhere. You're not writing the story of their life. Yes, they might be in a horrible chapter. It might look pretty bad right now. You might not, in your flesh, give a dime for them ever turning it around, but God.
Has a way. Of finding people where they are and meeting them where they are and turning their situation around. Don't judge someone who is full of failure and frustration and futility in their life because God can turn that situation around. Because of grace, failures are written in pencil. God is able to erase them and to make a permanent marker of His grace and do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
I want to encourage you: don't judge in anyone's life. You who are parents, don't judge your kids. Wait for the Lord to finish what He's doing in them. Teach Him the Word of God. Lead them in the way.
Set a godly example. Have reasonable rules. But when they go out, I don't care if they left your house mad and got drowned and out on their own and look like they will never walk with the Lord. Don't judge it before it's time. Pray for them and wait for the Lord to finish doing what He's doing in their lives.
Don't get depressed and all worked up over it. Just give them over to the Lord, love them. Speak kindly to them. Speak God's word into their lives. And wait for the Lord.
Because there's an appointed time. When all of us will be judged by him. And before that, you never know what his grace will do. And so he says, what you want to do is focus on the fact that you are a steward of your own responsibility. In other words, don't spend a whole lot of time judging other people.
Make sure you're ready to answer to the judge one day yourself. He says, because on that day, everything's going to be exposed. That which was hidden in darkness is coming to the light. That which was buried in the motive of a man's heart is going to be exposed on that great day. And all of us will receive his praise from God.
We've got to learn to be good stewards, faithful stewards. We are stewards of several resources. Number one, we're stewards of our time. Stewards of time. God has given us time.
And you got to understand something. Your time, because you're a steward, is not your time, it's God's. God gave you time for His purpose. And we must understand that God's given us enough time to do everything He has called us to do. What he hasn't given you enough time to do is everything he's called you to do, and then a few things you want to do that he didn't call you to do.
This is going to help somebody. When you borrow against God's time and use it to do things He has not ordained for your life. That's poor stewardship of your time. Because you're taking away then from some time that He has designated for other things to take place. And so all of us are to spend time worshiping God.
All of us are to spend time learning God's Word. All of us are to spend time fellowshipping with God. All of us are to spend time nurturing ourselves spiritually in the word, through worship, through the gatherings of God's people. Don't say you don't have time to go to church. God gave you time to go to church.
I said, God gave you time to go to church. If you're not using the time to go to church, that's your problem. God gave you time to go to church. He said, Do not forsake the assembling of yourself together with other believers. And so you find a time.
Well, I have to work at a certain time. There are other service times. There are other fellowship opportunities. You find the time because part of your time is to be spent worshiping God and fellowshiping with His people. You find the time to grow spiritually.
Get in small groups and grow and pray and share. You don't have to make it, God gave it to you. Just give Him back His time. And God has made us stewards of our time. God's given you time to rest, God's given you time to relax.
That's part of his will for your life. When you look at the example of Jesus, he didn't work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There were times when he withdrew because he knew he needed to be refreshed. He needed to spend time with the Father. Or else he wouldn't be any good.
Some of us have to learn that. That God's given you time to break away. God's given you time to relax. God's given you time to be rejuvenated. And so you have to identify that time and make it happen.
God's given you time to serve. We are servants. And so God wants you to serve the needs of other people. And so your life ought not be only about you, but it ought to be serving others in the name of Christ. And he's given you time to do that.
You have to make the time to do that. Because it is already there. And so you have the time to do that. But some of us are wasting God's resource called time, and it's the second most valuable gift you have. Second only to salvation, which transcends time.
Every other blessing, you need time to enjoy it.
So time is one of the most valuable gifts you have, and you can't afford to waste it because it's a resource you can't get back. When you waste time, it's gone. And so we must be about our father's business. Jesus said that at age 12. Didn't you know that I had to be about my father's business?
We've got to give God his time.
Some of us are just wasting our time.
Some of us are just in perpetual chill mode. All these ministries going unaddressed, needs unmet. While we're chilling, barely working on the job. After that, it's all me time. Not you, but somebody on your row.
Get home, chill out. Leave me alone. And you want the rest of your time for yourself. That's not why God gave it to you.
Some folk live on a perpetual vacation. You're not even doing enough to vacate. You know, a vacation ought to be a respite from something worthwhile.
Some folk just perpetual vacation. Work on the job just enough to keep from getting fired. That's not why God gave you time. You got to give him back his time and do with it what he has ordained for your life. We are stewards of time.
We're stewards of our talent. Stewards of our talent. God has given you abilities, spiritual gifts, natural abilities, passions, desires, dreams. These are placed in your heart. God has given you some abilities, some talents.
And you are to use them for his glory and for his honor. You're to use them to serve him and to serve others in his name. God didn't give you a talent and won't ask you about it. God's going to, on that day, say, What did you do with what I gave you? Where is the return on my investment?
When you get a chance, look at Matthew 25, beginning at verse 14, and read about the parable of the talents. It'll teach you that you are a steward, that the master entrusted his property to his servants, and he went on a journey. And he expected a return on his investment. And when God gives you talents, He wants to know where's the return on my investment? What have you done?
How did you take those abilities and gifts and passions and use them for my glory and to expand the kingdom of God? How did you use them to bless the lives of other people in my name? You are a steward. One day, God's going to ask you about your time, and He's going to ask you about what you did with your talents and abilities.
Now that ought to be sobering to know that one day we're gonna have to answer for it. And we can't afford to be like that third servant in the power board of the talents. You know, the first one took and doubled the resources. The second one did the same. He had a different amount of resources, but got the same 100% return.
But the third one took the one talent he was given and buried it. And when the master came back, Instead of getting a return on a talent, He gave a clean talent and got back a dirty talent. Because a man had hidden it in the ground. And the master said, you could have at least put it in the bank. Give me a little bit of a return.
But he called him a wicked servant. Brothers and sisters, I don't want God calling me wicked. You shouldn't either. And that means we want to learn to be good stewards. of the talent God has given us.
and to put it to work for his glory. and to do. You don't have to pray about it. Don't be super spiritual. You don't have to get a special word about everything.
If God has given you the ability and God has given you the time and the opportunity, the need is there, unless God says don't do it, assume that you're to give Him a return and do it. You know, these super spiritual folk, not you, but people I know. You can't get them to do anything in a ministry because they got to pray about everything. You pray about going to work? I don't know, boss.
I know you're calling one in the way I am, but I'm praying about whether to come in. Come on, we're just fooling ourselves using language like that, talking like that. You don't pray about whether to go to work? You wanna check? There's the question, do you want a check?
Answer yes, prayer is answered, go to work. That's all. And spiritually, do you want God to say, well done? If you want to hear him say well done, do something. That he can reward your faithfulness for.
Your time, your talent. We're also stewards of our treasure. of our treasure. That means your money. You know what that means?
Your money is not yours, it's God's. We're stewards. Matthew 6, Jesus made it perfectly plain that it is God's. He said, where your treasure is, that's where your heart is. He said, Give God a return on his investment.
Seek first his kingdom. Your money is not your money, it's God's. A lot of times when we teach tithing, we say the 10% belongs to the Lord. And there are statements in the Old Testament about that principle. But let me tell you something: the 10% was designated as the first gift you give to God.
But the Bible teaches that not 10%, but 100% is God's. Everything you have is God's. And so, when we become tithers, we're simply giving God the first fruits. of that which He has entrusted to us, hopefully, prayerfully, we're making sure that we honor Him with the remaining ninety percent. And anything else out of that that He wants us to give, He is free to tell us what to do with it because it's already His.
See, if I'm the owner of the resource and you're the manager, I can pick up the phone and call you and say, take $2,000 and do this with it. And I expect not to have a hard time about my money. Isn't that right?
So when the Lord says, give me a Generously, cheerfully give me out of those resources that I've entrusted to you. I believe tithing is the excellent first gift that you give, first fruit out the top. Not legalism, but just because, God, I want to begin to show you that before I do anything else, I know that this check is yours. And so I give you the tithe, and beyond the tithe, as the Lord might speak to you, and then the rest is available to God.
So God can tell you what to buy and what not to buy. Cause it's his money. I said it's his money. This going down slow, but it's his money. And I'm trying to get you ready for judgment because one day you're going to have to answer to God for what you did with His money.
And God will test you on it.
Some of you already know that.
Some of us who have learned to be generous and sacrificial givers as a matter of lifestyle, it's because we learned God taught us lessons about giving. God will make you give what you have something else in mind for. And he'll say, no, that's not what that's for. I've had those times where I was saving up for something I had in mind, and God said, give that to this minister, give that to this poor family, give that, help them get that need met. And I want to say, God, that's not what that's for.
But he'll teach you. It's my money. And you learn after a while. That you can't beat God-given. That when he tells you to give, like that widow at Zarephath, What he's doing is making sure you understand who it belongs to and setting you up to bless you at the same time.
And so You learn to say yes, Lord. Because you have the joy of knowing you've done his will with his property. And you have the fulfillment that comes with that. And then, on top of the fulfillment of doing his will, God loves to bless us for our faithfulness.
So we don't give to receive more blessings, but we give knowing that we serve a God who loves. When we give generously and sacrificially, He loves to turn around and give us a dividend. He doesn't owe it to you, but he's just good like that. And it'll give you a dividend. We have a couple in this church who, when we were raising the funds, and we're still raising the funds to pay off the loan for this building, and we first launched a campaign, and folk were praying about what they were going to give over and above their tithes to get this done.
And one couple came and said, The Lord told us to give the church, sign over to a church a piece of property. And they said to me very candidly, we were looking to build our dream house. On this property, but when we prayed, God said, give that to the ministry. And so I heard they were going to sign it over. I said, okay, praise God.
Thank you for your obedience to the Lord. And I didn't know anything about the property, and I was hoping it would sell for, you know, they said it was just a piece of land. And so I was hoping we'd get, you know, $5,000, $100,000. I didn't know what it was. I was hoping it's kind of good, though, you know.
We had to raise millions of dollars. And the Things sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. I mean, it was prime property. Hundreds of thousands. They turned it over to God because they knew it already belonged to God.
And just a few weeks I was talking with the husband of that couple. And he said, Oh, Pastor, let me share with you a praise report. And talked about God blessing them with a beautiful new home in a location that they've dreamed of for years. And I said to him. I said, man, that's an answer to prayer.
He said, what do you mean? And I said, when I heard what God led you all to do for the building campaign, I prayed and I asked God, Lord, they'd have just the joy of giving. They might not be looking to you to bless them beyond the fulfillment of knowing they did your will. But I'm going to ask you, God, to turn around since they were looking to build their dream house. Give them a house that they will love for the rest of their lives.
And when I told him that, he said, are you kidding? I said, I asked God to do it. He said, Pastor, I'm going to give you some more prayer requests. It wasn't my prayer, it was his obedience. And it was God deciding sovereignly.
God doesn't have to give you a dividend, but God can do whatever He chooses. In the lives of his faithful servants. But some of us know just doing the will of God is payment enough. Just being able to put head to pillow at night and to know I did with my time, my talent, and my treasure what the Lord wanted me to do today. Is payment enough?
And the other thing is, God will reward you. God doesn't always have to reward you with more stuff and resources. God can reward you with a good child. God can get your kids to act right. God can bless you with the kind of blessing you don't even know to pray for, but He knows it's what you need.
God will give you peace about a troubling situation in your life.
So when you look for God's blessing, don't always check the mail. But sometimes he's blessing you in these other ways. And to God be the glory. Be faithful as a servant. Be faithful as a steward.
We're so glad you stopped by for today's Destined for Victory message. Be faithful. 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. It is a wonderful thing when you understand the principle of servanthood, that you will never graduate from being a servant because, contrary to popular opinion, being a servant is the highest calling there is.
You'll hear that next time in our continuing message. Be faithful. I hope you'll join us. Until then, though, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.
