A Miracle in the Midst of Madness pt. 1 (cont'd)

Paul Sheppard: What are you full of? You're full of something. Oh, you can bet that you are full of something. So, the question is what are you full of? What comes out of you the most? Is it hatred? Is it malice? Is it judgmentalism? Is it anger? If it's not the character of Christ, that simply means you got a lot to learn and to be transformed about on your journey.
Guest (Male): Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Hello and welcome in to another great day here on Destined for Victory with Pastor Paul Shepherd. Always great to have you join us. Well, sooner or later, what's in you always comes out of you. No matter how hard you try to hide it, the truth will ultimately be revealed. But, we've got good news for you today. Even if you're full of some of the wrong stuff, God can empty you and fill you with something better. Remember, if you can't stay with us today, you can always visit our website pastorpaul.net to hear any of our recent messages on demand including today's. That's pastorpaul.net or subscribe to the podcast at Spotify or wherever you enjoy your podcasts. Now, let's get started with today's Destined for Victory message, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness.
Paul Sheppard: Every one of us is going to see God deal with sin and junk and mess in our lives. That is his plan. Don't try to be saved while holding on to all your stuff. God's not going to have it. He will deal with you. Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines. You can't live any way you want and be in the blessings of the Lord. But, you got to understand how God gets at that end. The end is transformation. The end is getting your act together. The end is getting rid of besetting sin in your heart and in your life and in your lifestyle. But, the means is he starts out by saying I didn't come to condemn you. And we got to quit looking at sinners as objects of condemnation because such were some of us. The very people you want to condemn now, you used to be them. Such were some of you. You know what that means? All of us were some of it and some of us were all of it. He says I'm not here to condemn you. He said now, you can live better than this. God's got a plan for you. And his grace will empower you to lead this lifestyle. You don't have to keep doing this. And he gave her a charge. So, the Lord gets at it. But, God is not like religious people. We want to clean fish and we haven't even caught them. And Jesus is perfectly content to start you on the journey and deal with your junk as he goes. And compassion is what drives what he does in our lives. He is full of compassion. So, before I get on to the other points I want to make, let me ask you a question. Jesus is full of compassion. What are you full of? Just something to ponder on your way. What are you full of? You're full of something. Oh, you can bet that you are full of something. So, the question is what are you full of? What comes out of you the most? Is it hatred? Is it malice? Is it judgmentalism? Is it anger? Is it What are you full of? If it's not the character of Christ, that simply means you got a lot to learn and to be transformed about on your journey. Jesus' compassion made him stop and minister to these people. And as he ministered to them, he healed the sick. He cast demons out of demonized people. In other words, he left them better than he found them. And it's getting over toward the afternoon as you move along in Matthew 14. And the disciples are starting to think these folks still have to walk back to their various villages and towns and get home in time for supper. They say Jesus, you've been out here laying hands on people for hours now. Thousands of people we're talking about. He's been doing this for hours. They've been out there not eating or The disciples say this is a good time to send them home so that they can get home in time for supper. Y'all remember old fashioned you had better be home by the time the street light comes up. Y'all know that. Disciples are concerned. They they need to be home in time for supper and Jesus said no. Why don't we give them something to eat? Now, these people could have gone home having been healed and ministered to. And Jesus says no, let's feed them here. That's inconvenient. Why not just let them go home? Why I got to cook for all these folks? See the attitude you can have. Jesus wanted to take care of them right there. Jesus wanted to inconvenience him and the disciples. How's it inconvenience him? Because you know he wants solitude. And he inconveniences himself farther, pushes back the timeline so that he can take care of their need ahead of his own. He not only does that out of compassion cuz he could have compassionately sent them home. I love y'all. Bye. Could have done that with compassion. So, it wasn't just compassion that made him want to feed them. It was compassion that made him want to heal them. What made him want to feed them is he wanted to teach his disciples who it was that they're walking with. He wanted the disciples to learn that there is never insufficiency when I'm around. That if I'm with you, if I'm in your life, you will never do without. So, he decides to have them participate in a miracle. He says let's feed them. What's out here to eat? Who has some food that God can use? You know the story. From another account in one of the other gospels, you find out that the person identified with the food was a lad, a young boy who had fish sandwiches. Right? He had five loaves, two fish, fish sandwiches. Just hadn't put them all together yet. But, he's got that. And Jesus says that's fine. Bring it to me. God always works with what you have. Most miracles don't come out of thin air. Most miracles start with what you have being given to him. And so, they gave it to him. He blessed it. And then he started breaking. And as he was breaking fish, God was making fish. And as he was breaking bread, God was making bread. And the disciples got to participate. He would just hand them fish and and bread and they would take it out and feed the people and come back and get some more. He didn't let any of them stand around and look in the basket and try to figure out how this is happening. And you got to learn when you walk with God, God will put you to work. He won't answer a whole lot of your questions. He just put you to work and the miracle happens while you go about your business. And a whole lot of us can testify I never did figure out how God did what he did. But, somehow or another, he keeps on making a way for me. Somehow another, the bills are getting paid. Somehow or another, the need is being met. Somehow or another, I'm in the downturn. It doesn't feel good. I'm going through some changes, but somehow another, when I keep my eyes on him, he's taken care of me. That's what Jesus meant when he said seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything you need. He'll just add it. You don't get to look in the basket and figure out how he's adding. But, you know some of us have walked with God long enough to say you don't have to figure it out. Just thank him that he's adding. Thank you, Lord, that you're making a way. Thank you, Lord, that I haven't gone under. Thank you, Lord, that somehow another, we're making it. And he fed them. And the disciples participated in the miracle. And after all of these people, thousands of people have eaten. Now, it's even later. Now, it's pushing up toward evening which began at 6:00 p.m. And now, Jesus says to his disciples all right, I want y'all to get in the boat and go to the other side. And he sends the disciples onto the lake. And then we're told he dismisses the crowd. Now, look at the picture. We're now on the doorstep of our text. But, don't get in the boat just yet. Stop and think about this. Jesus is sending them into what we know is a storm. He's sending his disciples into a storm. He's sending the multitude home healed, delivered, full, burping. Talking about that Jesus all right. I think I'm going to come out here and heal him some more. They are satisfied. Their needs are met. God has blessed them miraculously. And the disciples get sent into a storm. Wait a minute. Why am I a Christian following you? I gave up my livelihood to follow you. You told me to leave what I had and follow you.
Guest (Male): Well, don't go away just yet. We're taking a quick timeout, but the second half of today's message with Pastor Paul Shepherd is coming right up. We can't say it often enough, but we like saying it just the same. It's because of you, our listening friends and partners, that we're able to air these messages on multiple media platforms. You're truly impacting this world for Jesus Christ and your donations do make a difference. They change hearts. They change lives. They bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ. To make a generous donation today, please give us a call at 855-339-5500 or give online at our website pastorpaul.net. That's pastorpaul.net. It's an age-old question, one that's been asked almost since the beginning of time. Why do the wicked sometimes prosper while the righteous suffer? At least part of the answer comes your way next in the rest of today's Destined for Victory message, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness.
Paul Sheppard: Remember that testimony. At one point, they testified we have forsaken all to follow you, Jesus. These are people who have made some light commitment. They've changed their life and lifestyle to follow Jesus. And some of them would have to be saying okay, here I am believer loving God, made a full commitment to discipleship, giving my tithes and offerings, ministering to people, serving in ministries in my church, helping missionaries, whatever it is, giving to the poor, doing things to help, witnessing, sharing my faith. How is it that I get sent into a storm? And these folk who don't even know God are going home healed, delivered, satisfied. Some of us have a issue with that. And before I even get you on the boat, I want you to stop and own it if you got an issue right now cuz you know what? You're not going to get to the place of real maturity until you're willing to be honest with your issues before God. Some of us are just like Asaph. You ever read the Psalm of Asaph in Psalm 73? Asaph said surely the Lord is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But, then he's going to give a real honest testimony. He said but as for me, my feet had almost slipped. I had almost lost my foothold for I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles. Their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man. They are not plagued by human ills. Their pride is their necklace. They clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts comes iniquity. The evil conceits of their minds know no limit. They scoff and speak with malice. In their arrogance, they threaten oppression. Their mouths they claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. They say how can God know? They have the nerve to scoff at God. How can God know? Does the most high have knowledge? This is what the wicked are like, always care free increasing in wealth. And Asaph said it made me say surely in vain I have kept my heart pure. In vain I washed my hands in innocence. All day long, I've been plagued, punished every morning. You ever been where Asaph was? You're looking at yourself now I'm working hard to live right and I'm getting sent into the storm. And here these folk that don't know God and they hardly catch a cold. Their money is flowing. They're increasing in wealth and I'm just trying to believe God. I haven't yet gotten to the place where my ends are meeting, but right now I'm believing God that my ends can get close enough to at least look at one another. I'm just wanting my ends to be able to say I think I see them over there. Meanwhile, the wicked buying houses, trading in cars, buying designer clothes, Gucci to the socks. Asaph said I don't get it. But, if you keep reading Psalm 73, he says after he gives his real part of his testimony, he says but then I entered the sanctuary and you started talking to me and started revealing to me that the problem is I'm looking at a very narrow perspective. Their end is not like their current prosperity cuz the wages of sin is always death. He said but meanwhile, I need you to also see that for your life, you're going through now. But, I'm guiding you the whole way. And when I bring you out and take you where I'm taking you, you will be sorry that you ever even questioned the process. I'm here to tell somebody you're questioning the process now. But, there's a day coming when you're going to look back and say that was nothing but a light and momentary affliction. You're going to look back and say I'm glad I went through that so I can handle this. God's sending me people now. God is giving me responsibility now that I would have never been able to handle before. But, now that I've come through my storm, now that I've learned my lessons, I can help people. I can encourage people. I can be compassionate with people. I will not envy the wicked because I know that they're going to end up in the wrong place. Now, let's expand the concept cuz not every storm is created equal. There's some storms in our lives. If we would be honest, we'd have to admit I made that storm. Anybody here ever created your own storm? I'm so glad I got some honest folk in this service. Some of us just need to just own that. Just own that. You don't have to live there in shame and all that, but own it for a minute. I did this. When you bring trouble and hardship and pain into your own life, you just got to say I did this. I was seriously tripping. I was deceived. I was whatever it is. Do not blame on the devil what you did. He took advantage of it. Oh, he loves to take advantage of stuff. He'll take what you did wrong and he'll hope to destroy you with it cuz that's what he is. He's a destroyer. Comes to kill, steal, and destroy. Guess what? God saw that you were heading for that disaster, that storm of your own making. He allowed you to experience the fallout of it. Bishop Jakes and I sat down one day shortly after I resigned my former pastorate. And he asked me a couple of key questions. I won't share the intimacies of our conversation. But, one of the things he said to me, I have never forgotten. He said I know a lot of people, a lot of leaders and ministers who have traveled the road that you're on. He said a lot of them that I know of never experienced the fallout that you're going to experience. He said but I've learned that when God lets this fallout happen, he said I learned that even that is for his glory. And I sat there believing him, but I didn't get it cuz I felt like the disciples. I don't see any glory. I see a whole lot, but glory's not among it. And I just took it and put it away. So, all right, Bishop, I said I'm in the Lord's hands. And he encouraged me and gave me some advice and what have you. And I can tell you now that I'm just starting. I don't have a full picture yet, but the fog is clearing. And I'm starting to see. The more we hear from people, the more we are ministering to people who are saying we needed to see somebody who the devil tried to take advantage of their failure and he wanted to destroy them with it. And we needed to see somebody who would say no, this is not going to be the end of us. This is the end of a really sad chapter, but it's not the end of us. It's not the end of our ministry. It's not the end of our ability to do the will of God. God's going to take what the devil wanted to use to destroy and God's going to bring life out of death. And we're just starting to see glimpses. I'm just starting to say oh, that's what Bishop was talking about. I don't care what storm you have sailed into. It's not going to kill you. How you going to die when Jesus is the one who sent you into the storm? Even if you made it yourself, he knew you were going to make it. He could have kept it out of everybody's view. He could have changed the whole fallout. He could have done all kind of things. But, I repeat what I said at the outset. The storm is not going to destroy you. You're going to make it through the storm. And when you come out, you'll know something more about God than you knew before you went in.
Guest (Male): No matter how difficult your circumstances may be today, remember nothing will ever separate you from the love of God, not even your own mistakes. Well, today we have a very special gift to share with everyone that supports this ministry and we think it'll be a great addition to the message you've heard today. To tell you about it, here's Pastor Paul's daughter and our executive director, Alicia Greer.
Alicia Greer: I really love reading the booklets each month because I really find them to be edifying and timely and I believe many of you do as well. And this month, the booklet is based on a story that I really find fascinating in the Bible and not just a story, but a story progression because our Pastor Paul bases this teaching on the progression of the feeding of the 5,000 going into Jesus walking on the water. And that is a story progression that I have found really fascinating in my walk when I read that section of scripture, especially what happens right after the feeding of the 5,000. And I've read it in different gospel accounts. Man, it's really this theme of Jesus is doing miracles and then there's testing, miracles and testing. And I always can glean so much when I read that with the Holy Spirit in scripture. And where my dad takes this series, it really highlights a similar point about how Jesus kind of tests our maturity after these amazing breakthroughs, but he goes somewhere so different and I just love how different teachers of the word like can dig into scripture and mine different revelation for us to clean from. So, this month, I hope you will enjoy the booklet that we're offering. It's called A Miracle in the Midst of Madness and I believe that you will be blessed. Thank you so much for all of your support. We're so grateful to you.
Guest (Male): All right, thanks Alicia. Again, the book that is called A Miracle in the Midst of Madness and it's our thank you gift this month when you make a generous donation to Destined for Victory. You can give by phone by calling 855-339-5500 Again, that's 855-339-5500 or visit pastorpaul.net to make a safe and secure donation online or mail your gift to Destined for Victory, Post Office Box 1767 Fremont, California 94538.
Paul Sheppard: We wish we could just sort of hop from one mountaintop to another mountaintop. But, the reality is you're not going to make progress without sometimes encountering challenges and storms. Do not ask God for a storm free life cuz you're not going to get one.
Guest (Male): That's tomorrow in our continuing message, A Miracle in the Midst of Madness. But, until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in Christ. You are destined for victory.