Following Godly Leadership

We live in a world where there's increasing technology, there's increasing thought about various areas of life. But what is not on the increase, what is actually on the decrease is plain old godly biblical wisdom.

We're getting smarter and dumber at the same time. Hello and welcome to this Thursday edition of Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor at Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Well it's no secret that America is no longer the country of our founding fathers or even our fathers' fathers. In many ways we have exchanged the truth of God for a lie with severe consequences. Times change, cultures change, but the truth of God never changes. Today Pastor Paul reminds us of some of the key truths of God's word, truths that have been largely ignored in America for more than half a century. Stay with us now or stop by pastorpaul.net anytime to hear today's message or any recent Destined for Victory message on demand. That's pastorpaul.net.

You can also subscribe to or download the podcast at Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Now let's join Pastor Paul as he shares today's Destined for Victory message following godly leadership. We live in a world where there's increasing technology, there's increasing thought about various areas of life. But what is not on the increase, what is actually on the decrease is plain old godly biblical wisdom.

We're getting smarter and dumber at the same time. And I have a passion these days, I have a passion as a discipler to make sure that wisdom is held high and it is calling to people to say, don't forsake me and all of your getting, make sure you're getting wisdom and understanding. Don't just go for book knowledge, you got to go for wisdom. And I need us to do that and as a discipler, that's my passion.

I'm serious like never before about the Great Commission and the Great Commission isn't just the first part which everybody emphasizes. Go into the world, preach the gospel, baptize people in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them to observe all things. That's the second part. Teach them. After they get saved, after you get them baptized, thank God, they made a decision for Christ. Church people love talking about we had X number of decisions for Christ this year. Great, my question is then what did you do with them after they decided to follow Jesus? Because what we've got to do according to Jesus is now teach them to observe everything I've commanded and then he said, I promise I'll be with you to the very end of the age and that's my passion, that second part.

After we get you saved, I need to get some wisdom in you. I'm launching this series with two target audiences in mind. The first target audience for this particular series in my mind, now of course God is sovereign and he can take any word and present it to anybody in any way that they need it.

But I have in mind two target audiences. The first is the younger generation, the generation following me. As I present this message, I'm thinking and preparing and praying for teenagers and for those of you in your 20s and even for those of you in your 30s. If you're under 40, you are part of the target audience that I have in mind because I want desperately to speak into the lives of those that we'll be handing the baton to in just a matter of years.

As I bring this message, I have no plans to retire anytime soon. I got a lot of fire and vision left. There's a lot more to do but I'm beginning to think as early as possible, I need to identify the successors, not just to me as a preacher and pastor. I want to identify successors to the whole ministry, people who can come behind everyone who is currently doing fruitful ministry because we're going to have to have somebody to hand the baton to. And so I want to speak into the lives of people who feel that God is calling them to prepare for what he has ahead of them.

I'm grateful. I'm sure there is a younger generation that is being touched by God. It's not as obvious to us as it will be but not all the young folk are going to hell. Not all the young folk are going to live a crazy life. Not all the young folk are going to make stupid decisions and all of that because you could look at the world and you say, we're in trouble. I'm choosing to not look at it like that.

I'm choosing to say God is raising up a remnant of people, young people whose hearts he has already touched. At some level, they're already responding to an inner voice from heaven and they're already sensing, I'm not supposed to act like my knucklehead friends. I'm not supposed to act like some of my schoolmates. I'm not supposed to make stupid decisions that will haunt me the rest of my life. I'm called to be different.

I'm called to stand out for positive reasons. And I believe you're here and I believe you're listening to this word and I believe God's going to use this series as a download into your life. A prophet friend of mine recently spoken in my life, he said, you've got so much to download and God is calling you now to be intentional about downloading everything you got into those who are listening and those who are gleaning because you can't afford to sit on what you know. Can't afford to sit on what God has shown you and what he's brought you through and all of that.

You've got to download and I'm very sensitive about that now and so I want to speak to you. The other group of folks that are the target audience beside the younger generation, the under 40 generation are those of you who even though you're older, you're still hungry. I'm preaching for hungry folk.

I don't care how old you are. You got a hunger in you. You got something in you that says I want more.

I want all that God has for me. Yes, I'm past 40. I'm in my 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, but I'm still hungry. Mom's sitting over here in her 90s, still hungry, still want to go to church on Sunday. I want to preach to hungry folk.

Let me share with you a little bit about where I am in this season of my ministry. I'm sick of trying to feed folk who are already full of stuff. I spent a lot of years in pastoral ministry preaching to a bunch of folk who are already full of stuff. You can't get much in them because they're full, full of junk, in some cases full of religion. So religious you can't learn and grow and become what God wants you to be because you don't have a hunger and thirst for knowledge, for wisdom, for righteousness.

I'm tired of that. At this season in my life, I want to prepare some good spiritual meals. God has given me such to share.

And I don't want to try to convince people to eat who are full of spiritual donuts and cookies and been eating chips and pretzels all week long and feeding on foolishness and worried about how you feel and how you look and what other people are thinking. I need some folk who are ready to get in the face of God and say the only thing that matters to me is I want to be closer. I want to know more. I want to have exploits take place in my life.

I want to get rid of my junk. I want to unload the stuff in me that's not like God. I want to grow to deeper depths and higher heights. I want to preach to folk who have the Caleb spirit in you. Caleb said I'm 85 years old but I'm still ready to fight. I'm ready to claim my mountain. He said I don't need already claimed territory.

He said 45 years ago when I walked here as one of the spies, God promised me through Moses that Hebron was my country and although it's a hill country, Caleb said give it to me Joshua. I'll go up there. I'll fight the enemies up there.

I'm not scared of them. I'm ready to do battle. I want to preach to some older folk who say I know a lot of time has gone behind me and waters under the bridge but there's still time on the clock.

The game isn't over yet. I still got some things I want to do for God and I want to experience in God and I'm after hungry folk. You who are satisfied and just come because I don't know why you come, God bless you.

You're welcome and sit there all you want to. I'm really not talking to you. I mean you take whatever you can get but I'm after the hungry folk. I want folk who are going to pull on the anointing and say give me everything you got. God use him till we got to ring him out. I want it all.

That's who I'm after. I want people who want to experience the more of God. I want people even if you're like Esau, people who would look back and say, you know I made some dumb choices in my life. Esau is the kind of guy who says what was I thinking that day that I gave up my birthright for a bowl of stew?

What kind of crack was I on? Some of you all that's where you are in your inner life. You don't really share that with people but that's when you look back over some of the decisions you made and all of that you just say I don't know what I was thinking but I tell you what the game's not over yet.

Game's not over yet. And Esau, see everybody talks about how God blessed Jacob and turned his name into Israel and all of that. But before Jacob could get all the way where God was taking him, God said now you know you got some unfinished business with Esau. And God made him confront him and when he was on his way to meet Esau and he heard Esau was coming with hundreds of folk he was scared because he thought Esau was coming for revenge. And you know he's sending gifts ahead and all that when he finally got to him he sent these gifts and he's bowing and scraping trying not to get killed. And Esau looked at his brother Jacob and said man get up.

What's the matter with you? Well you know because of all that I did I just want to make sure you know that I'm your servant. He said man cut all that out. He said God has been good to me. Oh I made some dumb decisions but God had been good to me.

He said I don't need your stuff I got everything I want for myself. That's where some of y'all are. You made some wrong turns. You wish you had been walking in truth much earlier but you didn't. But God's not done blessing you yet. Stay with us the second half of Pastor Paul Shepherd's message is coming right up. We want to thank all of you who support Destin for Victory with your prayers and financial support. Gifts that help Pastor Paul share the Joy of the Gospel message with a growing audience.

Destin for Victory is supported entirely by friends like you. So please prayerfully consider making your best gift to Destin for Victory today. Give online safely and securely from our website pastorpaul.net Or simply give us a call at 855-339-5500 Again that number is 855-339-5500 You may not always feel like reading God's Word. You may not always feel like going to church or showing up for work. Pastor Paul has some old school wisdom for you next in the rest of today's message. Following Godly leadership. And you've got to know that even your failures are written in pencil in the plan of God. That stuff isn't permanent. It's going to help you get to where God is taking you now.

And so that's who I'm after in this series. The hungry people. And the younger generation that has been touched by God. I want to pass off some old school wisdom. Because what is happening now is in general society things are at such a place that you can't get to. Is in general society things are at such a place where if you're going to get old school wisdom you're going to have to get it at church. That's why y'all got to come to church.

You don't have an option. You can't stop. We got to cut out all this I don't feel like church today.

This generation got to quit all that. It's Sunday morning. It's time to go to church. Go to church.

That's not an option. I had nothing to do with feelings. Had nothing to do with feelings. I never in my life heard my mother ask me do I feel like going to church. Nobody in my house ever heard a question like what you mean do you feel like going to church. If you said something off the wall to your parents back in the day they'd have started preaching. They said do I ask you do you feel like going to school. Do you feel like consider perhaps getting an education rather than being dumb.

Have I ever asked you that. Why in the world would I ask you do you feel like going to church. You need church more than you need school.

You need both of them. But you need the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom. The only thing I ever heard is y'all got 45 minutes to be out this door. And we got to go back there and not just parents talking to children parents talking to themselves. You got 45 minutes to be out of this door and on your way to the house of God. Because the only place we're going to get downloads of divine wisdom is at church.

It's no longer in general society. This country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It was founded on people who even if they weren't saved in the biblical way they were God fearing people. They were at least fierce. They recognized that there was a God. And that they needed to honor him. They didn't have all light.

I never overdo that. Some people just make the founding fathers sound like they were you know the fourth person in the Godhead or something. That goes too far. Founding fathers George and them were jacked up in a lot of ways. But they did have some wisdom to seek God.

That's what I'm trying to tell you. They missed some revelation. They weren't sure for quite a while whether African Americans were full blown 100% human beings.

You've read about that controversy. You know they missed the revelation on that. So they missed a lot of revelation but God honored the fact that they honored him.

That they honored him. And so the country was founded on it. That's why you see stuff like In God We Trust. That's why you go in certain courtrooms you see the Ten Commandments.

Because they understood that wisdom and guidance and direction and principles for living came from God's Word. Well now we're fighting fiercely to get rid of all of the vestiges of our religious roots. In the name of separation of church and state. Now how are the same people who set these things in motion actually going to try to keep you from experiencing biblical principles?

No. Separation of church and state was never meant to be separation from church and state. It was simply meant to say this is no longer a place where the Church of England is going to be the mandated religion.

Let me give you a little quick history while I'm here. They were freeing themselves from religious tyranny. They were never freeing themselves from religion. They knew they needed God. They just didn't need a one church where that's the only church you can be part of. So when they got over here the idea is you can worship God in different traditions and all of that. But we believe as a nation and as founders in God. And that's why they became the superpower.

But now they're fighting fiercely to get rid of all vestiges of that. They're studying in universities that were founded by churches. Harvard was founded by church folk. I said it was founded by church folk. Because they never thought there would be a difference or a conflict between higher education and serving God.

Never. We came across and at some point folks decided we're too educated for God. A friend of mine recently said he was witnessing to somebody who said, Oh, I'm far too intelligent to believe that. They think their intellect has ruled out God. And the fact of the matter is that makes you a fool.

That makes you a fool because you're bought into anti-God philosophies that you can't even account for. Don't tell me why I believe in the big bang theory. Okay, let's stick with your theory for a moment. I got a question. Question is, although I don't buy into your theory, question is who created the stuff that banged? You mean you're so intelligent that you don't remember that your mama told you nothing from nothing equals nothing?

You can't get something from nothing. You're smart enough to know that. Something got something started.

I went to an Ivy League college. They tried to run up on me. I said, you ran up on the wrong person. Trying to make me feel unintelligent because I believe in a divine being. You're talking to the wrong guy.

I ain't the one. Because I got to have somebody who accounts for all that there is. And the Bible says the heavens declare the handiwork of God. When I walk out and see stars in the sky, something in me says there must be a God somewhere. And as I began to seek that God, he revealed himself to me.

And he has revealed himself to all of us in creation and in conscience and ultimately in Christ. And we are without excuse so that one day every knee will bow. Every knee will bow. Not the believer's knees will bow. One day every knee will bow. People say, well, you know, Darwin died an ardent atheist. What a moment he left this world and entered into eternity, he was no longer an atheist. Because one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. So don't create some false dichotomy between wisdom or knowledge and a divine being.

Don't do that. Don't show your ignorance that way. God and wisdom go hand in hand. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And so my point is, if you're going to find ancient wisdom now, you're going to have to find it in church.

Because we're so busy coming up with new technologies and we're so busy learning different ways to make a living that we've forgotten what you really need to learn is how to make a life. So you've got to come to church and get this kind of wisdom. You've got to go to the Word and get this kind of wisdom.

And that's what I'll be sharing in this series. Here's the first piece of old school wisdom I want to share with you. Just one piece of wisdom in this message and then we'll continue it as we move along.

Here's old school wisdom point number one. Become an excellent follower of those God has placed over you. I've given you ancient wisdom from the Word of God. Become an excellent follower of those God has placed over you.

Here's the problem. We now live in a mindset where we want to despise the thousands, multiplied thousands of years before us where people understood that my first job in life is to let somebody teach me everything I need to know as I try to grow and develop and mature. In old school days, in ancient days, in Bible days, it was understood. You don't grow up thinking you know much.

You grow up knowing you're ignorant and you have to be taught. And life was principally about honoring those and following those who were called of God to teach you. Let me give you some Bible. Proverbs 1 verses 8 and 9.

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Look at the chains that folk been wearing these days. Everybody got chained for something, a cross on the chain back in the hip-hop when hip-hop first started. You had to get this big, thick chain. You all remember back in the Run DMC days and all that, back chain. Everybody had chain, big, big old chain. Everybody say, ho, chain back, ho. Big old chain.

Look at what the Bible said. You want a chain? Listen to your father's instruction and your mother's teaching because they will be a chain. They will adorn your life.

They will make you look better. Listen to your father's instruction. Parents, let me give you some old school wisdom.

Even in our homes, I'm going to apply this principle spiritually, but let's just talk in our homes right now. Actual parenting. You parents have to get it. When God gave you a kid or two or three or five, he gave you jobs to do. It's a job. Don't you dare say, I don't work. I'm a stay-at-home mom.

Don't you dare open your mouth and say something like that. If you are home because you recognize my children need to learn from me, that is the best job you can have. Nothing wrong with you working outside the home.

Knock yourself out. But just know when you leave that job, you coming home to do some work. Train your children up in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it. That's Proverbs 22 6, a reminder that when you pour Jesus out, your children will let Jesus in. If you need prayer today, please reach out to us anytime and share your request with us. Our ministry team will be happy to join you in praying for whatever need you may have. Visit pastorpaul.net and use the contact us feature to share your request. And while you're there, be sure to ask for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement, yours at no cost or obligation. Well, we have a great resource to share with you today. A booklet from Pastor Paul Shepherd that goes hand in hand with his message from earlier this week, junk removal for the soul.

Inside these pages, you'll discover practical biblical advice about setting aside some of the habits from your old life in order to embrace the newness of who you are in Christ. It's our thank you by request as you give your generous gift to Destined for Victory today. Simply call us at 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to us at Destined for Victory, post office box 1767, Fremont, California 94538.

Again, the address is Destined for Victory, box 1767, Fremont, California 94538. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. Here's Pastor Paul. You can't come here and ask me to make you feel good all the time. I can't preach you happy all the time. I have a job. I'm a spiritual parent. My job is to feed you and lead you in the things of God. That's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepherd's message following godly leadership. Until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are Destined for Victory.