Lessons from the Battlefield, Part 2 (cont'd)

We all have blind spots, and it often takes someone to help us see them a little more clearly. In just a few moments, Pastor Paul Sheppard reminds us why it's so important to surround ourselves with trusted, godly people in his message, Lessons from the Battlefield.

But before he starts, he joins me now from his studio in California. Pastor, last month you and I talked a little bit about your mom. Father's Day weekend is now upon us, and I thought it would be great if you would take a moment and honor your dad. I've heard you talk about him in the past, and I'd just love for our listeners to hear your heart about your dad.

Absolutely. Thanks for bringing that up, Wayne. My dad meant so much to me. I was blessed to be raised by a man who got saved in his teens. He had a godly mother who raised him and his siblings, and she ended up having ten children, nine of whom survived. And she raised them in church. She had a man who didn't get saved until he was in his 80s.

Is that right? But she learned how to let her light shine, and she raised my dad. She told him later, when I was pregnant with you, I laid my hands on my belly, and I said, Lord, I want you to make a preacher out of this one. And he was the only preacher of the nine siblings that she had, and he preached the gospel faithfully, raised his five children in the church, along with, of course, my mom. And I love the legacy, and I think of him often. He died in 2008 as an 81-year-old man, but he was such a blessing to not only to me, but to thousands of people as he shared the gospel. And I thank God this month in particular for the legacy of a godly father. Well, when I hear you talk about how your father raised you in the church, I'm reminded of Proverbs 22, verse 6.

Thanks for sharing those memories with us, Pastor Paul, and for teaching us the Word of God the way he did for you. Speaking of godly fathers and the legacy they leave behind, this month we have two very special gifts to share with you, yours for your best gift of $25 or more to Destin for Victory. The first is Pastor Paul's book, Why God Created Dads, an insightful and inspirational look at the subject of fatherhood through the lens of scripture. The second is the audio CD, A Tribute to My Dad, a message delivered by Pastor Paul following the death of his father.

Men and women alike will be inspired by these timely resources. That's Why God Created Dads and A Tribute to My Dad, our gifts to you this month for your best donation of $25 or more to Destin for Victory. Please call 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538.

Again the address is Destin for Victory, Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Some of y'all have thrown out everybody who ever told you anything you didn't like, you have dismissed them from your inner circle. And the only folk in your inner circle now are a bunch of folk who flatter you and lie to you. The first key to overcoming your giants is admitting you have them and sometimes it takes someone else to point them out. Today on Destin for Victory, Pastor Paul talks about our blind spots, areas of weakness that we simply cannot see without a little help.

So now here's Pastor Paul with today's Destin for Victory message, Lessons from the Battlefield. Some of us have a giant of inner bitterness and a lot of folk don't know because you've learned to mask it with a smile. And especially when you come to church you have your Bible and you smile and you say praise the Lord. And people don't think you're bitter. But you live in bitterness, you live in resentment, you live with those jealousies and envy in your heart. And I'm here to tell you that you cannot overcome what you will not confront.

So you got to take a good look at your Goliath. I want to encourage you to take a good look at your life this week in the coming days. And say Lord put yourself on the examining table and say Lord I want you to search me and try me and help me to get in touch with myself. Not only do it in prayer but find some folk who love you enough to tell you the truth. Do you know there are some people, not you but somebody on your row, who surround themselves with folk who only tell you what you already want to hear.

You will never grow that way. If all you do is spend your time talking to folk who tell you what they're committed to making you feel good, they don't love you right. Because Proverbs says that faithful are the wounds of a friend. When a friend tells you the truth, they're not trying to hurt you, they're trying to heal you. But they know that just like a surgeon, sometimes you have to cut to heal. And some of you all, soon as somebody says something cutting, no matter how gentle, no matter how much anesthesia they used.

And you know, that's what you want to do. If you got friends and you got to tell them something that's not pleasant to hear, get a little anesthesia with it. Because you know, some of you all are just too rough. You just bust up on somebody and say, you know what, you got a real problem. And you go on and jump right in and tell them what it is and you just lay them flat. No, no, you don't put a little anesthesia in there, you know you're my boy, right? Or you lay, you know you're my girl, now you know it's me and you, you know. Or pay them a compliment, say something nice to them.

And that's anesthesia. And then you say, but there's something, you know I really kind of think because I love you so much and you're probably not aware of it, I really need to share with you. And then you go on and let them, let me tell you something, if you got people who love you that much, you've got a valuable relationship. Quit rejecting all the folks. Some of you all have thrown out everybody who ever told you anything you didn't like, you have dismissed them from your inner circle.

And the only folk in your inner circle now are a bunch of folk who flatter you and lie to you. And I'm here to tell you, God has you in a place now where he is saying, I'm about to make a champion out of you. I've got big plans for your life, but you can't carry around these giants in your life. So I'm going to raise up some folk around you in your growth group, in your prayer group, on your ministry team, in your family who will tell you about yourself in love.

And even if they're not all that loving, learn to take it even when it came in a rough package. I remember God told me that once when, you know, somebody would say something to me I really needed to hear, but I didn't like the way they said it. And so I wanted to dismiss it on the basis of my rejection of their approach. And the Holy Spirit said, but was it true? And I said, yeah, but that's not the point. He said, that's my point. You have to learn to love truth even when you hate how the truth got delivered to you. Some of us sometimes got to raise up your kids to tell you the truth.

Oh, I'm not telling you what I think. You ever had your children? And I'm not talking about wait till they get all grown.

Sometimes a little one can see you better than you can see yourself. And, you know, they'll just be playing. Mommy, that wasn't true. They never stopped playing.

They just went right on. Daddy, you didn't say that. And now you want to suddenly become a disciplinarian.

Why don't you mind your business? I'm here to tell you, God's trying to grow you, but you've got to recognize and become familiar with the enemies. You cannot defeat what you will not confront. And so you've got to become aware of Satan's devices.

You have to become aware of your own personal tendencies that militate against the will of God in your life. And in this way, you can learn to wage successful warfare. Become familiar with the enemy. Become familiar with how the enemy moves in your life. He has a modus operandi.

He has a method of operation. Whether you're talking about the devil or whether you're talking about your own flesh, there are some patterns you can see if you will pay attention. The enemies will lie, whether you're talking about the devil or your flesh. Your enemies will always lie because if they can get you to buy a lie, they can take you out of the will of God. So John 8 44 tells us straight up, Jesus said, the devil is a liar and the father of lies.

So you have to make a decision that you are going to be sensitive. When you hear something that isn't consistent with the word of God, you're going to reject it out of hand. The Bible says in one place, buy the truth and don't sell it. Every place you see the truth, buy it. No matter what the price is, buy it. Truth is at a premium these days. Buy it.

When I see truth, oh, I need more truth. Buy it. Don't wait for it to go on a bargain basement sale. Buy it. Truth, that's the truth. I accept that. Buy it.

That message, I wasn't crazy about it, but he was right. Buy it. I don't appreciate people telling me that.

Buy it. Buy the truth and then don't sell out. When you own the truth and the lie comes along trying to replace itself, well, why don't we do an even exchange? No, no, I don't sell the truth. I keep the truth because I need it. The truth, Jesus said, will set me free. And so buy the truth and sell it not. Make sure, since you have a commitment to truth in order to win your warfare, make sure that the voices speaking into your life are voices of truth. Make sure you screen what you get according to the truth of God's word. I tell you, we live in a day where everybody's got an opinion.

They're all making DVDs and CDs. They all have talk shows and radio shows and then all these voices are speaking. The question is, how many are speaking truth? And so what you have to do is constantly compare it to the truth of God's eternal word. We'll be right back with more of today's Destin for Victory message from Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor at Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Remember, you can always listen to the program on demand at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net where you'll find a host of great resources at our online store. A wise theologian once said, God's word is the only source of absolute truth.

Everything else is commentary. From the early life of King David, here's Pastor Paul with the rest of today's message, Lessons from the Battlefield. Your Bible is God's eternal word. No book on the planet like it. Don't you dare put the Bible in the category with the Koran or with the writings of Confucius or with anybody else. It doesn't belong in that category. Oh, I know that's not politically correct, but it just happens to be truth. The Bible is the only book in the universe that was written by over 40 authors on three different continents in three different languages over a period of fifteen hundred years.

They didn't consult with one another. But when it comes together, it reads like God's story of love for us, his redemptive plan and his plan for you to walk in victory. It tells you that we were hopeless and helpless. It tells you about a God who wrapped himself up in flesh, came down through 42 generations, and came into this world to save you and to save me.

No other book like it on the planet. Well, you know, what I do is expose myself to all of the teachings. And that way I get a cross-section.

That way you get a mess. I'm sold out. I'm standing on this word because heaven and earth will pass away, but this word shall stand forever. And you've got to make up in your mind that I'm standing on the word of God. It is the word of God that holds up the very planet on which we live. And so I am sold out to the word of God.

And then you learn to screen all these voices by the word of God. Don't just take it because some expert said it. I know there's some people out here who have all this head knowledge and all this stuff that they've done. Just because they've got degrees doesn't mean they have truth. Some of the craziest ideas I ever heard in my life came from people who have more degrees than temperature. That's no sign that you've got degrees.

That's a sign that you've got a lot of school bills. That's all that is. That you have truth. I mean, listen, just because you have a philosophy, I've still got to check it out by the book. So when you hear folks talking to you on talk shows, check them out by the book. When you listen to talk radio, check it out by the book.

When somebody writes their latest ideas, check it out by the book. Even if it's a preacher, check them out by the book. We've got a whole lot of preachers now who don't have a commitment to the truth.

And the Bible said it would happen. 2 Timothy, Paul said, the time is coming. Talking to his son, he told him, preach the word. Preach it in season and out of season.

That means preach it when it's popular and the people enjoying it. Don't you love Pastor Paul? He's so good.

I just really love him. That's in season. That's when I'm preaching something you like. Oh, isn't that just marvelous?

Oh, let me go get in the CD line. In season. But he said, don't just do it then, preach it out of season. That means preach the parts of the book where the folks just say, now see, he up there tripping. Now he really need to mind his business.

Nobody asked him to go into that area. Out of season. He said preach the word, be instant in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort. It amazes me. People get offended when the leaders in the church have to deal in a disciplinarian fashion with their stuff. The Bible says reprove and rebuke. We can't just smile and grin at folk when they're in sin. You're not doing the will of God if you don't tell folk you're wrong.

I love you, but you're wrong. Let's get you right so you can be in the will of God. And it is amazing that sometimes people will persecute you for calling out sin rather than persecute the sin in other people. But the Bible says reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. And then he said, for the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine. But they will heed to themselves teachers having itching ears. It means people want to hear certain things and so they'll go find a teacher who will teach them what they want to hear. And I come to tell you, when you sit under a ministry like this, when you come to this church or when you listen to these CDs and broadcasts, I guarantee you, sooner or later, you're going to be mad.

And guess what? That's a good thing. I have to preach it, but sometimes I get mad myself. Because the Holy Spirit says, and now that you're done with that sermon, you need that CD. Why don't you go get yourself a copy of that CD and listen to it real good. Why? Because I'm just a messenger. I'm in the struggle with you. God has to deal with me, discipline me, speak to me.

We're all in this together. So we've got to screen everything by the book. Don't just take it because Oprah said it. Check it out by the book. Don't just take it because Dr. Phil said it. Check it out by the book. Don't just take it because Dr. Lauren said it. Check it out by the book. Don't just take it because it's on the New York Times bestseller list. Check it out by the book. Don't just take it because a preacher said it.

Check them out by the book. And that way you can live according to truth, because the enemy loves floating lies. The enemy loves tempting at moments of weakness. You got to learn yourself. You got to learn when you're in moments of vulnerability.

You got to watch that. If you're going to walk in victory, the enemy watches you. He exploits you. He sees those times and seasons in your life, and he looks strategically for ways to sneak up behind you. In warfare, you don't just always, you know, go straight in front of your enemy. Sometimes the enemy, there are some of them in front of you. Meanwhile, you don't notice, but some are coming up behind you.

And guess what? That happens in your life and mine. And you have to be prepared to deal. You have to be watchful. You can't just look straight ahead. Sometimes you have to whip your head around. You know you're going through a season of weakness. You have to watch it. You have to be careful.

I've given you the analogy before. You know, you're going through a season where if you're single, you know, you're kind of sexually frustrated, or if you're married and you're all fussing and fighting and not getting along and not having due benevolence. That's the King James. You know, there's a phrase in 1 Corinthians 7 that says, render unto your spouse due benevolence.

I love King James, how they put things like that. Remember when I first got married and read that, I said, baby, it's time for some due benevolence now. Oh, Lord, I'm running the children out, all right. I'm sorry. And you're going through a season of frustration, whether you're single or married, you have to be careful.

You can't just go out, just meet and greet any old body and hang out and talk to any old body. The enemy is trying to sneak around, I say, okay, how can I take advantage of this? Okay, they having a little frustration, huh?

And he'll float just the right person along. You in the gym, and here they come. Get on the stairmaster next to you, and smile. And smile. Now they don't know they're being used by the enemy, they just think they're being nice. But strategically, the enemy is trying to work something. And there you are, and you look over. Then the enemy get in your ear. Say, now see, that's the kind of attention you deserve.

Go on, talk to them, just a conversation. Go on, stripe up, find out who it is. He's trying to play on your Christianity. How you going to be light? How you going to be light in this world?

You don't even speak to people. He's trying to set you up. There are some folk, you say somebody else got to be her light, I ain't trying to talk to her today. You sisters, you see him come over there, he's like, how you doing?

Voice sound a little bit like Barry White. Mess your stuff up, you better be careful. And sometimes, in order to stay in the will of God, you got to get off that stairmaster, get yourself out of there. Go somewhere and just pray, oh God help me. You come to sense it, I told you before, if somebody comes hitting on you and they don't do anything for you, the devil didn't send them. You know when the devil sent them. See, if somebody comes hitting on you and they don't do a thing for you, the devil didn't send them, that's just somebody taking a shot. That's just somebody saying, hey, you never know unless you try. So they'll bust up on you, how you doing? You better, oh please.

I know you better go on and work out and get out of my face. That means the devil didn't send them. You know the devil sent them because you look over and you have to start praying, oh Jesus. Oh, you're on the stairmaster, oh Lord. Oh, the blood of Jesus right now, God.

Oh, Lord. And now we're talking warfare. And you have to become familiar with your enemy. Know Goliath when you see him. You can't afford to mistake Goliath for a friend.

You can't afford to think no big deal. Goliath has a javelin. Goliath will kill you. And whether it is the enemy, the work of the devil, whether it is the enemy that's enemy, I have to become familiar with it so that in the name of Jesus, I can speak truth to myself. I can exercise my power and my authority. And I can live in the victory that Jesus has secured for me on Calvary.

I hope you're as encouraged by today's message as I am. All the power and authority you need to slay your giants was won for you at the cross of Calvary. Identify your weaknesses.

Admit your weaknesses. Then lay them at the foot of the cross. In the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and lo, I am with you even until the end of the age. Thanks so much for joining us for today's message, Lessons from the Battlefield. If you'd like more information about the Destined for Victory ministry or this month's special thank you gift for your best donation of $25 or more this month, be sure to stop by our website, pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. God will never let you get into an impossible situation. The only way the temptation came your way is if God looked at it first and said, all right, you can handle it because there is a way of escape.

Isn't that good news? That's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message, Lessons from the Battlefield. But until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory. We'll see you next time.