Making the Most of What We Have, Part 7 (cont'd)

Hello and welcome to this Thursday edition of Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd. In just a few moments, Pastor Paul shares his message, making the most of what you have. But first, we'd like to share a few words about the reality of the resurrection. You know, Pastor, as part of this month's celebration of Easter, we've prepared a booklet which will encourage everyone with the hope and power of the resurrection.

It's called He's Alive, and I'll give listeners the details of how to get a copy in a moment. But right now, why should the fact that Jesus is alive be so important to those who claim to follow Jesus? The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the truth that distinguishes our faith from all other religions.

When we think about it, if Jesus was only an outstanding leader and teacher while on earth, and many people, even non-Christians, realized that He was. But if that's all He was, then He is to be named among great men. But we who are Bible believers, we who are followers of Christ, we proclaim, because we believe it is absolutely true, that the historical fact is not only that He lived and died, but that He rose from the grave on the third day. Amen, He lives now. And He still lives. So that's a different message than you'll get from any religion anywhere in the world. He's not just a great man, He's the God-man, He is the Redeemer, He is the one who, Revelation says, was dead, but He's alive.

See, Wayne, you got me preaching. Who was dead, but He's alive, and He is coming again for His church. I'm excited because Easter is something we need to all rejoice about, because it is what makes our belief system different than any other in the whole world. And I praise God that that day is approaching, and once again, we're going to rejoice in the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

What a day that will be. Again, this booklet is called He's Alive, and it's our gift to you this month for your generous donation to Destin for Victory. Please 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 Destin for Victory, Post Office Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538.

Again, the address is Destin for Victory, Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Our churches have to stop having football stadium dynamics. Here's what I mean. In a football stadium, you have 50,000 people or more in the stands desperately needing exercise, watching 22 people on the field who desperately need rest. You may have heard it said that in most churches, 10% of the people do 90% of the work. It's true, but it doesn't have to be. Coming your way next on Destin for Victory, Pastor Paul Shepherd reminds us that it takes every member of the body of Christ using his or her unique gifts and abilities to carry out the Great Commission.

So let's join him now for today's message, making the most of what you have. If we're going to get the will of God done in our generation, our churches have to stop having football stadium dynamics. Here's what I mean. In a football stadium, you have 10, 20, 30, 40, 50,000 people or more in the stands desperately needing exercise, watching 22 people on the field who desperately need rest. And that's what happens in a football stadium. But it's not supposed to happen in the kingdom of God.

We're not supposed to sit back and eat popcorn and watch the superstars. We're supposed to be equipped and called and nurtured and sanctified and set apart and cleanse and get our act together so that we can go out and do the work of the ministry. That's what will result in the saving of souls, the changing of lives.

We've all got to do our part. And so the Bible is clear that God has given all of us abilities and we now have to set aside time to use those. And so you find a ministry in your church or in a neighborhood Bible club, whatever it is, but most churches at least that are really serious about fulfilling the Great Commission as they are constantly looking out at needs we can meet, then they need folks who will say, yes, I will be part of the ministry team of that church. You don't have to hire me, I have my own job, or God's blessed me with other income, but I will volunteer two, four, six hours of my time a week, whatever the particular ministry you get involved in requires, I will give some time weekly or regularly so that I can be serving others in the name of God. Dedicate your time to ministry here in our church every several months we put out a booklet that's called Are you on the team and we list hundreds of needs waiting to be met ministries that are understaffed waiting to be met.

Guess what all that we need is right in the house. But we've got to decide yes God has called me to be on the team. I don't have to pray and fast about it. All I got to do is look at the fact that he has put the giftings and abilities in me, and he has blessed me to have the time you have time and ability that equals ministry. And so I go and I say yes I will be part of what God's doing. I will be part of seeing him continue to save souls and change lives and make a difference for both time and eternity.

I want to encourage you to understand that this is God's will. Remember, all of us are going to give an account this passage says that when the master returned, he returned to settle accounts. My job is to help you be ready so that when you're standing before the Lord on that day, you are ready to settle the account. You're not saying Oh Lord, you're not panicking you're not worrying that you are going to be judged because you were an unprofitable servant, you come before the Lord with excitement knowing that I have by his help, I am giving him a good return on his investment.

That's what I've got equip you to do. And so that's why we must set aside time. It's like anything else you don't say I don't have time you make the time, time is not had time is made. People who are fruitful and productive and get a lot done in their lives they have no more time than you have, and they have no more ability they have different abilities but no more ability. You have time you have ability, so you have the opportunity to make a difference for God.

And I want to encourage you to do just that, and to realize that the Lord is expecting out of your life, a return on his investment don't get spooky and spiritual about it overly so just recognize that if the gifting is there, and you can make the time in your schedule, then you find the need in your church or in some ministry organization and you say, here you can count on me, I will be a solid volunteer, so I can use my giftings whether it's in children's ministry or outreach ministry or helping with addicts who are now in Christ and getting free from their addictions or I'll be an altar worker or prayer intercessor or whatever it is I'll be a greeter. God's given me a great smile I'll greet people in Jesus name. I can't use mean ushers.

So if God's given you a great smile and a great persona and you can greet people and make them feel special, you don't have to pray and fast find a ministry where some sort of customer service can come through, and you can be God's customer service agent, and help people understand that God loves them. In my former church in Philadelphia years ago, we had a lady she had the greatest heart, but she had the meanest face. She did great heart mean face, and she became an usher. True story, I was the associate pastor I wasn't a senior pastor. One day, I went to the usher leader and I said, tell me what's your impression of this sister and how she serves and well pastor. You know she's a good sister and what have you, but they are some folk who just wonder why we have a mean usher. I said yeah that's what I kind of thought because, you know, those of us who knew her knew she had the love of God in her heart.

It just never showed up in her face. And so I went to the pastor said, there's an usher we want to make an adjustment, and just want to make sure it's all he said no no y'all do what you need to do. And so we went and we set aside said, baby we love you and thank God for you being in this church, but I need to help you find another area of ministry.

And here's why I know you're a loving person I've gotten to know you and all, but you know your facial expressions. I was trying to find a way to kind of share it with her, but I got it out and she said pastor I've had other people over the years tell me about that. Even before I came to this church I knew that, and people say you look so mean you just look like you want to tear somebody's head off. And she said but I know in my heart that I don't feel that way I said and we know it too and I want to affirm you we know you're a loving woman, but there's some ministries where you don't have to have a certain kind of face in order to be effective, and that's where we go move you. And for some it's not a face but it's you know some other issues they got a little edge on them their words and what have you phrases, you got to find how God has equipped you if you don't know how to speak, there are certain ministries that aren't for you.

You can find though in every church in every ministry organization, there is something that your set of gifts will allow you to do and do well to glorify God and advance the kingdom. And that's what we've all got to find, find our unique place in God's plan because every one of us has such a place. And until we step in that place there'll be some ministry that's going on done. There'll be some deeds that are going unmet, because we haven't stepped into place. And so I want to encourage you to make sure that you have set aside the time and investigated where do I fit in the plan of God for my life. Here's the way Peter put it in first Peter for 10. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

Each one of us without exception. Don't go away we're only about halfway through today's message with Pastor Paul Shepherd, who is Senior Pastor of Destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. Be sure to subscribe to Pastor Paul on YouTube to watch some of his best video clips. For more details be sure to visit pastorpaul.net.

That's pastorpaul.net and there you can listen on demand to recent messages and find a variety of resources in our online store. While all of us have been given certain gifts and abilities talents that equip us for some type of ministry in the body of Christ. Here's Pastor Paul with a second half of today's message, making the most of what you have. Peter says, each one of us should use whatever gift we receive to serve others, you got to make the decision. I am going to volunteer my time.

Now listen, let me help you understand something. When you are a volunteer, but your plan your goal is to please God, you got to treat it like it's a real job. You don't say well they're not paying me. God is paying you don't volunteer for ministry and then you don't show up half the time don't call anybody don't check in, don't let them know what's going on in your life, treat it seriously. In fact, that's how many of us were trained who are now in vocational ministry. My dad wouldn't have thought about putting me in vocational ministry till I had passed a few tests. The first was the Sunday school test, and they started me out teaching a Sunday school class with no classroom, just put some chairs out and said that's your class, feel it, go find some folks asking do they want to learn the Word of God sit them down and teach.

And then they'd watch me learn how to teach. And then from there I had to pass the deacon test and be a deacon and my job as a young deacon was they decided to give me the job of taking a lady who lived the farthest from the church home every Sunday afternoon. She lives so far out of town, I don't even know what that town was she lived in.

I don't even know its name, that's the truth. And it was my job as a young deacon to drive her home every Sunday afternoon. This is after early morning prayer, Sunday school, morning service that was long, y'all got it made, trust me, y'all got it made.

I see some of y'all every now and then looking at the watch, and I feel like saying oh please. You got it made in the shade drinking lemonade. When we're getting out of here, that was about half time where I came from. Just a little stretch break, go out and get your little hot dog, a little something.

And so early morning service, Sunday school, long morning service and then had dinner after service. Down in the fellowship hall and the saints would eat and fellowship and this sister, bless her heart, she wanted to stay to the bitter end. She just sitting there fellowshiping and laughing and I'm standing over in the corner waiting to see when she's going to be ready to go.

Here I am a young man, single man trying to get my Mac on. I got some things I want to do with the rest of my day and I'm held up by this sister. This day before a cell phone you couldn't even talk to your girl while you drive and you just had to do what you do. And so I'm just standing there waiting, but what I didn't realize is the saints were checking me out to make sure I took seriously my assignment. They didn't give me gas money. They expected Jesus to put gas in my tank, I guess. I don't know what they expected, but they sure didn't give me gas money. They wanted me to prove faithful.

Every now and then I'd have to just kind of walk up and say, Parker, how you doing? Oh yes, son, yes, I'm ready to go, yes. And she'd say goodbye to all the saints and what have you, put her in the car and she would sing. She was a singing little sister, she'd just sing and clap and just worship all the way to her house. I'd be thinking, why don't you worship up some gas money?

But oh, how I thank God for those years. Because they taught me you're not in it for what you get out of it. You're in it so you can glorify God and help other people. And I want to say to you that if you will take seriously your ministry opportunities, your volunteering of your gifts and your time so that the kingdom can be advanced, then God will reward you by blessing the remainder of your time and the use of your abilities. And the Bible says God will actually bless the work of your hands. I submit to you that if you'll put the kingdom first and be a dedicated volunteer or unless they bring you on to the paid ministry staff, but whatever, whether paid or unpaid, if you'll take it seriously, the Lord himself will reward you. God will bless you on your job because you put the kingdom first.

God will bless your company, the company you worked for because you put the kingdom first. You don't believe me? Look at some incidents. Joseph was in jail. That's all he could do was minister the folk in jail.

You know the story. He's in jail because Sister Potiphar wanted to sleep with him and he had too much integrity and turned her down. And so she accused him of attempted rape and Potiphar threw him in jail. Now, first of all, that was the hand of God that Potiphar didn't kill him. He was such a man of God, so faithful, and God had a plan for him that the Lord's providence did not allow Potiphar to kill him.

Now, look at the circumstance. Joseph is a slave from a foreign country. He's not an Egyptian citizen. He's not even considered a person in Egypt.

He is a piece of property. So if Potiphar really believed that he attempted to rape his wife, Potiphar could have killed him and there wouldn't have even been a trial because he wasn't a citizen. It'd be like killing an animal before the days of Peter.

You know, it wouldn't have been a thing at all. And so when Sister Potiphar accuses him of attempted rape, the Bible says Potiphar got angry but watched the providence of God. Because this is a young man of integrity, God says, I have plans for him.

I'm not going to let this man kill him. Now, you know, if you really think in those days you're an Egyptian, you're a pagan, you don't know anything about God, and your slave tried to rape your wife, you know there'd be a whole lot of dead folk laying out in the streets. But Potiphar throws him in jail. That's the providence of God. God will turn the course of your life because you put the kingdom first.

Things that would have happened to you won't happen to you because you put the kingdom first. So now Joseph's in jail. And when you get to Genesis chapter 40, one day the kings Butler and Baker who were in jail because they offended Pharaoh, the Bible doesn't tell us what they did to offend him, I don't know if the baker cooked something bad or whatever it was, but they offended Pharaoh and he threw the butler and the baker in jail. And one day their faces are downcast and Joseph asked them, why are you so dejected? And he says, Genesis chapter 40 verse 8, they say, we both had dreams and there's no one to interpret them.

Then Joseph said, do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams. He's in jail and yet he's saying, I don't like my circumstances, but is there a way I can serve you down here? And he hears that these men have dreams and they're troubled by the dreams. And he says, I'm believing the same God who gave me a dream is going to allow me to interpret theirs. He says, tell me the dream. And there he is in jail serving God under those difficult circumstances.

What excuse do you and I have? We all have the opportunity to serve God. So you may not be making the money you want to make, but on that job you can encourage somebody. You can use your giftings and your ability to bless somebody. You can help somebody and God will reward you and he'll bless you. God is liable to do anything if you will just put the kingdom first. And so God wants to bless us as a result of our being kingdom first in our perspective to make a difference, not only in the kingdom of God, but he'll use us.

And what this will do is open doors. Now, think about what happened with Joseph as a result of him interpreting these dreams. I'm sure from his perspective, he was just being a blessing. I'm in jail.

Let me do what I can. And he interprets their dreams. The baker's dream, he shouldn't have wanted to know the interpretation of his dream. Baker's dream was that in three days you're going to die.

And he did. The butler's dream, though, meant in three days you're going to be restored to your job. Joseph didn't know it, but that was a setup for his deliverance. Because by this butler being restored and he is the servant of Pharaoh, he stands at the Pharaoh's side as his valet. Two years later, when there is a troubling dream that Pharaoh has, Pharaoh says, I wish I knew somebody who could interpret my dream.

And the butler's standing there. And he says, oh, you know, I was supposed to tell you two years ago. Isn't that like some of the people in your life? I was supposed to tell you two years ago about a young man who's in jail. I had a dream and he interpreted it and told me I'd be restored to my job. And all he asked me to do was remember him to you, to tell you about him.

And I forgot. But there is a young man, he's probably still in jail. And King, he can interpret your dream. Pharaoh said, go get him. And Joseph got out of jail, interpreted the dream, which meant there would be seven years of plenty, followed by seven years of famine in Egypt. And then Pharaoh said, well, I'm going to need someone of wisdom to oversee the proper gathering of resources during the years of plenty. And he looked at Joseph, not even an Egyptian, an ex-con, attempted felony, attempted rape. Pharaoh looks at him and says, there's no one in my kingdom as wise as you.

So I'm putting you in charge of all this. And the next thing you know, because of Joseph's faithfulness under meager circumstances in jail, he now is the second in command in Egypt, and he's not even an Egyptian. Don't tell me what God can't do in your life. If you'll be faithful, he can do anything that his will calls for. He can give you favor.

In fact, the Bible talks about that. Proverbs 18, 16 says, a man's gift opens doors for him. King James says, a man's gift makes room for him. If you'll exercise your gifts, both in the kingdom and in your everyday life, your gift, you won't see it working, but God will be strategizing, and your gift will open doors and make ways. And God will give you the opportunity to serve others and to do things that glorify him and that bless others, and they will bring fulfillment to your own life because you are now living out your calling. And I want to encourage you to be sure to understand that God is at work in your life, but it takes our deliberate cooperation.

It takes our deliberate decision that we will present to be used, our talents, back to God in service. First in ministry, find some time. Make the time. Get involved. Serve in your church. Serve where you can.

Meet some needs. And then watch God use you every day of your life to be a blessing to others. And the Lord who sees you in secret will reward you openly.

Thanks for being with us today for the Destined for Victory message, making the most of what you have. For more information about Destined for Victory, or to find out how you can request your copy of Pastor Paul Shepherd's booklet, He's Alive, visit pastorpaul.net or call us at 855-339-5500. Well, in the kingdom of God, the only ability you need is availability. Here's Pastor Paul.

Right now, you just need to prove faithful over a few things. And I'm here to tell you, that's the pattern, that's the biblical pattern. You serve God in the circumstances where you are. You do what you can do for God now because you are being tested in this season of your life to see if you will prove faithful. That's tomorrow in Pastor Paul Shepherd's message, making the most of what you have. Until then, remember, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory.