A Transfer Is Coming - Joel Osteen`s Sermon

 God bless you. It's great to be with you today. I hope you'll stay connected with us during the week through our daily podcast, our YouTube channel, and social media. We'll keep you encouraged and inspired.

I like to start with something funny. I heard about this mother. One Sunday morning, she went to her son's bedroom and said, "Son, wake up. It's time to go to church."

The son said, "No, Mom, I'm not going to church today."

She said, "Why not?"

He said, "I'll give you two good reasons. Number one, I don't like the people, and number two, they don't like me."

She said, "Alright, I'll give you two better reasons why you should go. Number one, you're forty-nine years old, and number two, you're the pastor."

Say it like you mean it:

This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today, I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess: my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I will never be the same, in Jesus' name.

God bless you.

I want to talk to you today about "A Transfer Is Coming."

We all have dreams and goals we want to accomplish. We know God has put it in our hearts to start a business, to build that orphanage, to send our children to college. But we don't have the means to do it. We don't have the resources, the position, the influence. It seems like we're limited.

But the Scripture says, "The wealth of the ungodly is laid up for the righteous." One version says, "It will be transferred into the hands of the righteous."

You may not be able to accomplish your dreams on your own. What's in your heart is too big for your bank account. You have the vision, you want to leave your family better, but you don't have the position.

The good news is a transfer is coming.

God doesn't give you the vision without having provision. He's already lined up these transfers—good breaks, promotion, divine connections—because you're righteous, because you keep God first place, because you're faithful, generous, and good to others.

God said He's going to take from those who are not using their resources in a positive way. They're not using their influence or their means to help mankind. They're only focused on themselves, and He's going to transfer that into your hands.

It's going to be out of the ordinary—where you have the means to accomplish things you never dreamed. You can leave an inheritance, like the Scripture says, to your children's children. You can expand your business. You can support that girls' home. You can move into that nice neighborhood.

Here's the key: You don't have to chase the blessing. Chase after God, and the blessing will chase you. These transfers will track you down.

The Scripture says when you honor God, His blessings will overtake you. One version says, "They will catch you by surprise." You didn't see it coming.

You never dreamed you could pay your house off. You thought it would take thirty years, but then suddenly—a transfer. God favors you—a promotion, an inheritance, a business opportunity.

You never dreamed you would be running that department. You thought you were stuck in the background.

You never dreamed you could send your children to college. You thought you were limited.

What happened? You came into a transfer. God suddenly shifted things.

You went from the back to the front, from renting to owning, from not having enough to more than enough.

This transfer is not just about material things. It's about influence. It's about honor, prestige—where people see you in a new light.

They looked down on you, didn't give you credit, wouldn't take your ideas.

Keep doing the right thing. Keep being your best where you are.

They don't control your destiny.

They may discount you now, but a transfer is coming.

There will be a day when the roles are reversed. They have the upper hand now, but when the transfer happens, you'll be in a position of honor, influence, and prestige.

We see these transfers all through the Scripture.

Egypt was one of the greatest superpowers of that day. They had more wealth and affluence than any other country.

When God delivered the Israelites out of slavery, as they were leaving Egypt, the Scripture says, "The Egyptians gave them all their gold, silver, and fine clothing."

They didn't leave empty-handed. A transfer took place.

These people had oppressed them for years. They had the upper hand. They were forced to work without pay, in unfair conditions.

While their oppressors lived comfortably—in nice homes, with whatever they needed—the Israelites suffered in lack, not having enough, being mistreated.

But the time came when God said, "I'm going to take from those who are not using their resources for the right purposes, and I'm going to transfer them into the hands of my people."

The Israelites went into the desert loaded down with the wealth from their oppressors.

God knows how to transfer resources, influence, and abundance.

You may be in a situation that looks like you're stuck, at a disadvantage, not being treated right.

My encouragement is—stay in peace. Keep doing the right thing.

A transfer is coming.

God knows how to make it up to you. He has good breaks that will suddenly shift things in your favor.

The Israelites wandered in the desert for years. When they finally went into the Promised Land, the Scripture says, "They lived in houses that they didn't build. They reaped from vineyards that they didn't plant."

The clusters of grapes were so large that it took two people to carry them.

They didn't have to start from scratch. They didn't have to go in there and build, plant, and work their way up.

It was transferred to them.

God has some of these transfers in your future—houses that you didn't build, vineyards that you didn't plant.

That means promotion where you weren't next in line, opportunity you didn't see coming, blessings that chase you down.

You didn't earn it. You didn't work for it.

It's simply the goodness of God—transferring resources, influence, and favor into the hands of the righteous.

That's what happened to us with this building.

For thirty years, the Compaq Center was the premier facility in all of Houston. Two million people came through this building a year.

The Rockets won two world championships here. Practically every major entertainer had played in this building—Elvis, Michael Jackson, the Rolling Stones.

When we were looking for property to build a new auditorium, someone mentioned that we should try to get the Compaq Center.

In my mind, that was so far out—I couldn't fathom that being a possibility.

I said, "What do you mean? That building is worth four hundred million dollars. We could never afford it."

My mind said, "There's no way."

But deep down, I could hear a still, small voice saying, "Yes, Joel, it's supposed to be yours."

It was a long battle, but we ended up signing a thirty-year lease with the City of Houston for eleven million dollars.

That comes out to a little over three hundred thousand dollars a year to lease this building.

When we do events in buildings like this across the country, they cost about three hundred thousand a night.

We rented this building for the same amount for the whole year.

But here's how amazing God is—seven years into the lease, the mayor called and said the city was behind on tax revenue and asked if we wanted to purchase the building.

We always wanted to buy it, but the lease was the best way to get the facility at the time.

I said, "Yes, Mayor, we'd love to purchase it, but it depends on how much it is."

She said, "Let us run an appraisal, and we'll make you a good deal."

We had a thirty-year lease with an option for an additional thirty years, so they had to appraise the building based on the fact that we could be in it for sixty years. The appraisal came back—not at three hundred million, what the building is worth, not at a hundred million, not at fifty, not at twenty-five. They said, "We'll sell it to you for seven million dollars."

The land is worth many times that amount. What was that? A transfer—God putting resources into the hands of the righteous.

In my twenties, I had season tickets to watch the Rockets play basketball here, right back there in Section 104. I never dreamed that one day we would own the Compaq Center. God has these transfers in your future that are going to boggle your mind—things you never imagined: resources, influence, favor.

The key is: Is your heart to build the kingdom? To help others? To take your family to a new level?

If it's just for me—to build my ego, to show off what I have—if I'm self-absorbed, that's going to limit what God will do. God is looking for kingdom builders, people who will use the resources and influence to be a blessing, to accomplish their God-given dreams, to support that charity, to pay off that single mom's house, to leave their family better than it was before.

In the scripture, Nehemiah was living in a foreign country, working as a cupbearer for the king. He had an ordinary job. One day, his brother came to visit him and told him how the walls of Jerusalem, their home city, had been torn down and the gates were burned—how the city was unprotected and the people were in danger.

The scripture says that when Nehemiah heard this, he wept. He was heartbroken. For days, he mourned. He asked God to do something. God put a dream in his heart to go back home and rebuild those walls. That seemed impossible. He was living a thousand miles away. He didn't have the funds, the materials, the crew, or the experience.

But God won't give you vision without provision. You may not see how—the odds may be against you—but what you can't see is that there are transfers coming. Things that you couldn't make happen, God will make happen.

The king asked Nehemiah why he was so sad. Nehemiah said, "It's because our people are in danger, our city is unprotected, the walls are down."

The king could have said, "Too bad, it's not my problem. Don't bring your troubles to me." But instead, the king said to Nehemiah, "How can I help you?"

What's interesting is that this king didn't worship Jehovah. He didn't believe in the God of Abraham, yet he wanted to help Nehemiah.

God will cause the right people to be good to you. Not everyone who's going to help you accomplish your dream will believe like you believe. They may not be living a godly life, yet they've been positioned in your path to help you move into your destiny.

One of the main people who helped us acquire the Compaq Center was the biggest partier. He loved to drink and curse. He liked me, but he would make fun of the church. A colleague asked him to attend Lakewood with him. He said, "No, I don't like going to the circus."

He didn't offend me—I like the circus. My brother Paul is going to come out on the high wire in a minute.

I thought, You can make fun all you want as long as you keep using your influence to move us forward. He was a big reason we got the building.

You may be surprised at who God uses to fund your dreams, to open that door, to put in a good word for you.

The king told Nehemiah that he could take time off and go back home to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah was grateful, but he said, "I don't have any materials. I don't have any funds to buy the wood, the stone, the rock, the mortar."

The king said, "That's no problem. I'll give you a letter requiring people to give you what you need."

Nehemiah said, "That's great, but it's dangerous traveling back home. I don't know if I'll make it there safely."

The king said, "Don't worry, I'll let all the governors know that you're traveling through their city. They'll watch after you."

It should have taken Nehemiah years, but he rebuilt the walls in just fifty-two days.

How could this happen? This king, who didn't worship Jehovah, transferred his funds, his materials, his favor, and his influence.

God will put dreams in your heart that you can't accomplish on your own. Don't be intimidated—God is setting you up for a transfer. He's put the right people in your path, people who will use their influence to thrust you ahead.

You may not have the experience, the funds, or the connections, but God does. You're just one transfer away from seeing that dream come to pass.

One transfer, and you'll pay your house off.

One transfer, and your business will take off.

I believe many of you are close to seeing this happen. You wouldn't be hearing this if there wasn't a transfer on the way.

Don't talk yourself out of it.

"It will never happen for me, Joel. I don't have the resources. I don't come from a prominent position. How can I do something great?"

You're right where Nehemiah was. He dared to believe. He dared to go to the king. He dared to pray bold prayers.

Don't be intimidated by the size of your dream. God doesn't give big dreams to small people.

There is greatness in you. There are new levels in you. There is a world changer in you. There is a history maker in you.

That's why God put something big in you—He knows what you're capable of.

Like with Nehemiah, He has people who will fund your dreams, people who will use their influence to open doors, people who will go out of their way to be good to you.

It's significant that Nehemiah was weeping over what he wanted to make better. His heart was broken over the wrongs that he saw.

This wasn't about having a big position, being well-known, or acquiring more. His dream was tied to building the kingdom, helping people rise higher, seeing his family and his relatives reach their potential.

When your heart is to make a difference—when you're moved over that child you want to send to college, moved over those people you want to help, moved over those loved ones who are struggling—when your motives are right, then you will see these transfers.

God is looking for Nehemiahs—people He can entrust with influence, with favor, with resources.

I received a letter from a single-parent mother. She and her family immigrated to the United States from Europe years ago. English wasn't her first language. She had three small children and didn't know how she would ever be able to send them to college. It looked like she was at a disadvantage—in a foreign country, alone, didn't know anyone.

She applied for a job as a secretary at a prestigious university. There were dozens of people applying for the same position. The lady in charge wasn't nice to her at all—she was very harsh and condescending.

All the applicants had to take a five-minute typing test. She was not a great typist. She started typing, doing her best. Five minutes later, the bell went off. She stopped, but the lady in charge had gotten distracted, answering a phone call.

She told this mother, "Keep typing—that's not your bell."

It was her bell—it was right in front of her.

The mother said, "Okay," and typed for another five minutes.

They added up the number of words she had typed—ten minutes' worth—and divided it by five. She, by far, had the best typing skills and ended up getting the job.

One of the benefits of working for the university is that your children can attend school for free.

That was over thirty years ago. Now, all three of her children have graduated from this prestigious university—over seven hundred thousand dollars in free education.

God knows how to transfer what you need.

You may be limited, but He's not limited. When people are not treating you right, not doing what's fair, don't get discouraged. They don't have the final say—God does.

What's interesting is that this lady who was so condescending, so unhelpful, now works for this single mother. She used to have the authority, but now it has been transferred to this mother.

God is keeping the records. He sees who tried to stop you, who played politics and held you down, who walked away. They may have the upper hand, but your time is coming. Stay on the high road. Let God fight those battles.

No person, no group, no boss can stop what God has ordained for you.

In the scripture, Ruth was out working in the fields. She was a widow at a young age; her husband had died. She was picking up leftover grain, barely making it. That’s how she and her mother-in-law, Naomi, survived.

Ruth had a heart after God. She could have been bitter, had a chip on her shoulder, but instead, she was taking care of Naomi. She would get up early every morning and go find the food they needed.

It looked like she would always struggle. Life had been unfair—a bad break. Her husband was gone. Her dreams were shattered. She never imagined she would be at this place in life.

But God sees what you've been through. He sees what wasn’t fair, how you've been dealt a tough hand. If you'll stay in faith, He'll make it up to you.

You're not limited by what's happened to you, what you didn't get, or who wasn't there for you. You may be at a disadvantage, but God is not at a disadvantage. He controls the universe.

One day, the man who owned all those fields—one of the wealthiest men in that area—his name was Boaz—saw Ruth, and they fell in love. Eventually, they were married.

Now, instead of working in the field, Ruth owned the field. She never had to pick up leftover grain again.

A transfer took place.

Suddenly, she had more than she ever dreamed.

Like Ruth, many of you have been faithful. You've done the right thing when it was hard. You didn’t complain. You had a bad break, but you didn’t get bitter. You’ve been overlooked, but you’ve kept being your best.

I believe you’re about to see a shift. God’s about to transfer some things. It’s going to be unusual, out of the ordinary.

The right people—the Boazes—are going to notice you. New doors are going to open. Some suddenlies—promotion, opportunity, houses that you didn’t build, vineyards that you didn’t plant.

When Ruth was out in the fields, she didn’t see Boaz. She didn’t know who he was. But Boaz saw her.

The right people are seeing you.

God is arranging things in your favor, ordering your steps.

Don’t believe those lies that you’re stuck, that you’re limited. You’ve seen others blessed, successful, with good relationships, but you think that will never be you.

No—a transfer is coming.

A shift.

Something that catapults you to a new level.

When we acquired the Compaq Center, it wasn’t just a transfer of resources. It was a transfer of influence.

This one good break put us fifty years down the road in respect and credibility.

Several years before we moved in here, I would see certain people at our children's school events. I would politely say hello, but some of them wouldn’t give me the time of day. If they saw me coming, they would turn and look the other way.

They saw me as second-class.

I came from that church on the other side of town.

We didn’t have a good location, a prestigious address, a fancy building. In their minds, we were not up to par.

But when we moved into this place—the Compaq Center—it was a different story.

Now, people who never paid any attention to me would come up and be so friendly.

One lady—she had never acknowledged me. If I walked up, she acted like I didn’t exist.

Now, she was my best friend. She brought other people over.

“This is Joel. He pastors the church in the Compaq Center.”

One day she said, “Joel, I want to come to your service. Can you save me a seat?”

I said, “Sure, I can.”

I did—right up there by the flag. (Laughter)

God knows—I saved her a good seat.

God knows how to make you be seen in a different light. He’s going to transfer influence, honor, prestige.

You don’t have to manipulate things, play up to people, or try to convince them to respect you. Let God do it His way.

This is what Joseph did.

He was in prison. He had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery.

A lady lied about him. Now, he was sitting in his cell.

He had no influence. No resources. No future to speak of.

But one night, the Pharaoh had a dream that he didn’t understand.

The butler remembered that when he was in prison with Joseph, Joseph could interpret dreams. He told Pharaoh.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream.

Overnight, Pharaoh made Joseph second in command over all of Egypt.

Joseph went from no influence to the highest influence.

Pharaoh said, “Nothing will be done in this country without Joseph signing off.”

He went from no resources to being in charge of all the food supply of Egypt.

When his brothers and family eventually came to see him—over seventy people—Joseph had a place for all of them to live, land they could farm, an abundant life.

What happened?

A transfer.

Don’t judge where you are as where you’re going to stay.

God has some transfers for you—transfers of influence, transfers of resources. Houses that you didn’t build. Promotion that you didn’t work for.

Now, this transfer requires obedience.

Honoring God.

Doing the right thing when it’s hard.

There will be seasons, like with Joseph, when it’s not fair. Nothing is changing. People who don’t honor God are passing you by.

Don’t be discouraged—your time is coming.

It’s going to happen suddenly, out of the ordinary.

You couldn’t have made it happen—it’s the hand of God.

What’s significant with all three of these people—Nehemiah, Joseph, and Ruth—is that none of their circumstances looked like they were about to change.

Joseph was sitting in prison.

“You’re telling me he’s about to be the prime minister of this powerful nation? I don’t think so.”

Ruth was in the fields picking up grain.

“You’re saying she’s about to own this field? I don’t see how.”

Nehemiah was a busboy, working in the kitchen.

“You mean he’s going to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? I think you have the wrong person.”

When you look at your situation, everything may say, There’s no way you’ll accomplish your dream. No way you’ll own your company. No way you’ll get out of this problem. No way you’ll meet the right person.

You’re right where they were.

The good news is—one transfer, one shift—and you’ll have the resources, influence, and opportunity that you’ve never seen.

Don’t talk yourself out of it.

Don’t live with a scarcity mentality.

You have to give God permission to bless you.

Quit believing those lies that you don’t deserve it, that you come from the wrong family, that you’re not that talented, that you’ve reached your limits.

God needs you to build His kingdom.

He’s counting on you to make the world a better place.

He’s destined you to take your family where they’ve never been.

He wants to entrust you with resources and influence that you’ve never imagined.

Be faithful where you are.

Honor God with what you have.

I believe and declare—a transfer is coming for you.

In Jesus’ name.

If you receive it, can you say Amen?

I'd like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me?

Just say:

"Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make You my Lord and Savior."

If you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again.