Tap into God's Power, Part 1 (cont'd)

We've got to learn to stop persecuting people. You can use the watermelon principle. That's what I call it. What's that?

Eat the fruit, spit out the seeds. That was Pastor Paul Shepherd, and this is Destined for Victory. Wherever you are and however you may be listening, thanks for making this part of your day. Well, not even the most mature Christians can live a conflict-free life. People argue, couples divorce, churches split. Today, Pastor Paul takes us to the Book of Acts to show us the right way and the wrong way for believers in Christ to handle their differences. Stay with us now or visit PastorPaul.net to listen on demand. That's PastorPaul.net.

You can also subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, at Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, here's Pastor Paul with today's Destined for Victory message. Tap into God's power.

We got to learn to stop falling out with people. So here's how I do it around the country when I minister. If you don't believe in tongues, don't speak in them.

I just settled a significant battle. You don't believe in them, so I don't expect to ever hear you speak in tongues. But what you need to do is stop disfellowshipping people like me because I do speak in them. And what we learn to do is just practice love.

Love charity allows you to disagree without becoming disagreeable. And so I don't fight with them. I've sat with Chuck Swindoll. I picked his brain.

When I was first starting in national broadcasting, I needed to learn how to do this because I didn't know what in the world I was doing on all these stations and having to raise money. And so I sat there. Chuck could hardly eat his lunch for me picking his brain. So what do you do about this? What do you do about that? And he said, well, because I've learned when you know what I don't know, I need to humble myself and ask you to teach me what I need to learn. No need of me sitting there saying, now do you speak in tongues? That's not the point. I need to raise some funds.

I need some English for some money. And we got to learn to stop fighting battles that don't need to be fought. And so if you are cessationist, you believe certain gifts went out, that's fine. But do not pass judgment on your brothers and sisters who believe all the gifts are still present. And let me say something to us who are kind of on the perpetual gifts side of the thing. Although you believe in and practice and enjoy the sign gifts, stop saying everybody else in spirit field because there are a whole lot of spirit filled folk.

They were never taught about tongues, aren't open to tongues and all of that. But Jesus promised power. And sometimes I see power on somebody who doesn't practice certain gifts. And if you have the power, I'm not worried about what gifts you're not manifesting. Billy Graham never spoke in tongues. That man won more people in his sleep than you have wide awake. So why in the world would I say he didn't even have the spirit? Of course he had the spirit. He was open to what he understood and God used him in a mighty way. And we need to quit persecuting people with our theology. I'm preaching better than you say an Amen.

We have learned to stop persecuting people. You can use the watermelon principle. That's what I call it. What's that?

Eat the fruit, spit out the seeds. If somebody believes something on a debatable matter or I'm sitting in a service, somebody else is preaching and I say, oh, that's good. Oh, that's a good point. And every now and then they'll say something that I think is totally off base. I don't have to get up, stop getting my Bible. I'm getting out of here. That's what some of y'all do. Every time somebody disagrees, that's it. That proves I can't eat the fruit.

When you get to a seed, say, and keep on going. I don't need to throw away everything you said cause you said something I really don't like. I've been a pastor for decades. I know how this works.

Every now and then I can expect it. Here come an email cause of something I preached and I was in your service such and such a day. And here's what you said. And then they tell me what I said. And I disagree with that.

That is not my understanding of scripture and all that. And that most of what you said I really enjoy. One time I got one that said 95% they said of what you said I really, but this 5% of your message really troubled me. Now here come a whole email over 5% of what I said that you don't like. I've been to school 95% is an A. What you need to do is be writing me, tell my pastor that was a 95%. You get an A. But no, here you come, whole email over 5%.

Like just cut it out. So you disagreed with me. That's fine.

You have the right to be wrong. I'm just messing around. I've never written anybody that in my life just so you all know.

I humble myself and say well I'm so glad that you enjoyed most of the message. Sometimes I don't even comment on the 5% cause I think what they said about the 5% was more whack than what they think I said. So no need of me fighting with you cause if I let it now we got a debate. And there are all kinds of needless debates in the body of Christ. I won't even start in on politics. I don't get to say what you believe in your political views on everything.

There's some things that we're always going to disagree on from various perspectives. I don't have to unsave everybody who's in a party I'm not in. I told you I'm still preaching good. You getting quiet already.

You getting nervous. You think I'm about to come for your party. I don't care about you or your party. I'm preaching truth. Fact of the matter is we got to learn sometimes we have to agree to disagree. And you need to do that without becoming disagreeable.

God doesn't get glory when we packing attitudes. Learn to get over it. Whatever it is if it's a non-essential if it's a debatable learn to get over it. Breathe in.

Breathe out. It's really not a big deal. It's not the end of life as you know it cause you disagree with a preacher. And we have to learn to keep our eye on the prize and keep the main thing the main thing. You say, but pastor, what do we do about differences? I get it. We have differences. We're always going to have differences. And sometimes differences cause us to separate from people when it comes to churches. But you need to understand that even when you physically separate because this view is different than so we got to separate co we those two views can live together in the same house.

I get it. And that's true. But even when that happens, you ought to separate blessing them as they go.

See, I knew you're going to get quiet. I'm going to still keep on preaching because sometimes it's not your call to make they so ungodly over there. You're not their judge. Jesus is their judge. God will deal with them about anything he needs to deal with them about. I have love for everybody who has left my life in a huff.

And over the decades, I've had many leave my churches as I've pastored people get mad. I'm out of here. I'm going somewhere where the spirit is really moving.

I'm not taking that bait. God bless you as you go. You know what I've learned to do?

Hold the door open. Well, you know what? It's been a wonderful opportunity to be your pastor here. Give me a hug. God bless you. Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious under you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. And I feel like saying bye.

Because sometimes we can't agree on certain matters. And it requires us to part the Bible will show you how to do that. Do you remember in Acts 15, when Paul and Barnabas having completed the first missionary journey, they're ready to go and do the second missionary journey.

Do you remember what happened? Barnabas said, Okay, we're getting ready to leave. Let me go get john mark and I'll be right back.

Paul says stop the presses. We are not taking john mark with us. We took him the first time and he left us in the middle of the journey.

It got a little hot out there a little thick they started threatening our lives. And john mark was like, Oh, no, the kid is not going through this. Because john mark was used to the saints in his house. His mother was one of the people who hosted one of the churches in her home in Jerusalem. And he used to you know how church kids are. You grew up in the saints always in your house, worshiping and praying, and then they eat afterwards.

You know how that works. And so john mark is used to the saints praying and fellowshiping and eating. And he said, we have any people talking about threatening us. He went on back home to his mama. And Paul said he left me once he's not gonna get a chance to leave me a second time. Now that's Paul's temperament.

He's choleric melancholy. And he doesn't play that if you can't stick it out. If you're not tough enough, then you go on to stay home. I'll have time for you. Barnabas is the son of encouragement. So Barnabas position is how you're going to know how the boy learn if we don't give him a second chance.

See people with that encouragement thing they always looking for now I'm gonna get you together. Paul's like, I don't care when his second chance gonna come. It won't be with me. And read your Bible acts 15 says the contention between them was sharp. I love that the Bible says stuff like that, to make sure you folks who think you can't love without grinning all the time.

Sometimes love creates sharp disagreement. Still ahead the second half of today's Destined for Victory message with Pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. We do want to thank all of you who sustained Destined for Victory with your prayers and financial support. These are gifts that help Pastor Paul share the gospel all over the world. Destined for Victory is a listener supported ministry. So as God leads, please perfectly consider making a gift today. Give now at pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net or call 855-339-5500. Well, all of us as believers in Christ need to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable.

Let's join Pastor Paul for the rest of today's Destined for Victory message. Tap into God's power. Sometimes love has to fight through some stuff you don't like a little bit. Sometimes love has to shake its finger in somebody's face.

Sometimes love had to say you are just as wrong as you know how to be. I resent what you said. I resent how you're treating me.

I resent what you are doing to me and I will not put up with it. And you can still do that and be in the will of God. See, some of y'all don't know that because all you practice is sloppy agape.

You practice a Christianity that has the grin and say nice things to people. Well, you know, dear brother, dear brother, you better get out of my face. Now, let me show you the power of love that sometimes has to be confrontational and have disagreement. Just because Paul wasn't willing to give John Mark a second chance on the second missionary trip didn't mean they had to part company forever.

That's what we have to learn. You got to grow up enough to say just because I can't deal with you in this season, I pray that the day may come when we can have fellowship. Don't throw people away when God hasn't thrown them away. Cause you don't know what the Lord might do down the road. And the fact of the matter is they party company.

You know what happened in Acts 15, John Mark and Barnabas took one route and Paul got a new companion named Silas and they went in a different direction, both strengthening churches, both doing the work of the apostles, but they could not do it together for that season. Sometimes we have to separate from saints. It's not fun. It's not pleasant, but you've got to do it knowing that we can't work together right now, but who knows what's coming down the road. You know why I don't throw away Christians cause I might need them someday. I might need a miracle and you have the gift of miracles, but because we fell out five years ago, I don't want nothing to do with you.

If you got miracles and I need a miracle, I'm coming, I'm putting my head down saying, please lay your hands on me and pronounce a miracle over my life. I don't disagree with somebody so much that they can't help me. And so we have to learn to practice that kind of unity.

And guess what? Paul shows us that because although he wouldn't let John Mark go on the second missionary journey, when Paul was at the end of his life, second Timothy chapter four are the last known words we have written by the apostle Paul to the church. Second Timothy chapter four.

It was from that imprisonment that he lost his head. He was beheaded during that imprisonment and the last words he gave Timothy gave to the church through Timothy are these. He said, Oh Timothy, and when you come visit me, bring John Mark with you. Do you see what that means? Although he was through with John Mark at the second missionary journey, somewhere along the line, he learned that he said to Timothy, bring him because he's been helpful to me in my ministry.

What does that say? That just because I was through with him then I let him grow. Barnabas helped him grow up. Barnabas thickened his skin. Barnabas taught him some ropes, came back and plugged back into my ministry and he's been a blessing to me.

Some of y'all need to quit throwing folks away because who knows what God's going to do down the road. I've seen folk who were divorced for years. God brought them back together. I mean divorced for years, not separated. They were straight up divorced, came to my church, God dealing with both of them and next thing I know they are in my office talking about we want to get married again.

I said, say what? Yeah, God was dealing with both of them and telling them that they had no business divorcing each other. They were stubborn and shortsighted at the time and now they got to act together and they want to get married. Pastor, will you marry? I said, of course I'll marry you. And I told him, I said, tell you what, let me marry y'all in the middle of a Sunday morning service.

That's just what I did. Middle of a Sunday morning service. I said, because this needs to be a testimony for folk to see that God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or even imagine. So those folks got married. I called them up in the middle of the service and they gave their fresh vows and all and got married and kissed and the church went up.

Why? Because God is able to do things at a far higher level that we can imagine. See, you say it, you quote it, but you got to believe it. Ephesians 3 20 said he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or even imagine.

And God is able to do that for us. Those folks got saved and I said, y'all old anyway, you don't need to have no wedding, just do it right in service. I'm real practical.

I tell folks, you know, some of these old folk is like, you're too old to be trying to be young. Just do something practical and sensible. I need to go get a dress and I'll just put on your dress and come to church and let me marry y'all. You're both broke.

You need to save up some money anyway. I'm sorry. I'm like the apostle Paul.

I can't help it. I just tell you what I'm saying. You never have to worry about what I'm thinking because I'm going to tell you the fact of the matter is we got to learn to be broad. I'm world class. We have to learn to be on one accord with people.

And the way to get on one accord is you don't fight stupid battles. One of my broadcasting colleagues, he's an evangelical and uh, and, and I heard him preaching one time and he said, my wife and I were traveling in the Appalachian area of the country and we were just driving, didn't quite know where we were. We were in this rural area and we saw a little church having a Sunday evening service and we said, let's pop in on them. And he said, we got the car, went in there and they were having a good Sunday evening worship and singing the hymns and what have you. He said, and then they said, all right, we're going to have communion. And here's the pastor, if I called his name, all of you would know who listened to Christian radio and he's used to fancy high church and all that stuff. He said, these people said it's communion time and they came out with cornbread and Coca Cola, cornbread and Coke. They get ready to have communion. And he said, do you know what?

That communion service was blessed with the presence of God. We had the richest time with cornbread and Coca Cola. You got to learn. You got to learn.

It's not all that important for you to have everything the way you like it. I'm like the late Evie Hill. He's a black Baptist preacher, phenomenal preacher.

Evie was one of those people like me. He said, I'm world-class by intentionality. He said, one Sunday, you might see me preaching for Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, Virginia. And some of his black Baptist colleagues were like, what in the world is he doing with Falwell over there at Lynchburg?

We don't even have any business in Lynchburg. He said, but one Sunday you see me preaching for Jerry Falwell. The other Sunday you might see me with Shambach. If you don't know Shambach, he was an old-fashioned charismatic Pentecostal rebuking the devil every chance he got. Shambach would rebuke devils that weren't even there. Just in case there's one. Just in case there was, I rebuke you too.

And Evie Hill said, I learned to experience God wherever I was. I'm not going to let the trappings mess me up. And he said, folk used to say, you are confused. He said, no, I'm not confused. I'm free. And that's the way I am. I'm free.

I'm not confused at all. I'm just free. I preach for folk who don't believe in the sign gifts, but when I go there, it's not my job to convince them that the sign gifts are still active. That's not, I was invited into somebody else's house.

So I'm not supposed to go in there disrupting stuff. I'm still preaching good. So I just, if you don't believe in tongues, I won't preach anything like that. So just, but what I preach you're going to say amen to because you need it and it's the truth. We got to learn to stop fighting silly battles. Learn how to get on board with people.

Why? Because we all need the power of the Holy Spirit. When you get right down to it, Pastor Paul's message today is about love. When you can disagree without being disagreeable, that is love. When you're patient with one another, when you are kind to one another, that is love.

The reason this is so important is because the world is watching. As Jesus said, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. If you need prayer today, if you're facing a challenge it seems impossible to overcome, the Destined for Victory ministry team would like to help. Visit pastorpaul.net, click contact us and share your prayer request so that we can join you in prayer. And while you're there, be sure to sign up for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement, yours at no cost or obligation.

As we approach the end of the year, we're praying that God allows us to finish in a financially strong position. And as you give generously today, we have a great resource to share with you, Pastor Paul Shepherd's brand new full length book, Lessons from the Vineyard. God has called all of us to go out into the world and bear fruit. And now it's true, each of us has different gifts so we will bear fruit in different ways.

But all of us have been called and equipped to lead people to faith in Christ and to help them grow in that faith. Pastor Paul shows you how in his book, Lessons from the Vineyard, and it's our gift to you today by request for your generous donation of $25 or more to Destined for Victory. Call 855-339-5500 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, CA 94538.

Again, the address is Destined for Victory, Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. One day every knee is going to bow. And so the only thing you can know is that since every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, the question that is most important in your life is when will I bow? Will I bow now in surrender or will I bow later in judgment? But you're going to bow. Make no mistakes about it. That's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Shepherd shares his message, Tapping to God's Power. Until then remember, He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are Destined for Victory.