A Public Display - Joel Osteen

Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into your homes. If you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we will make you feel right at home. Now, I like to start with something funny, and I heard about this Baptist man named Bill. He liked to sneak off to the horse races and bet. One day, after losing so much money, he saw a Catholic priest step onto the tracks and bless a horse. Sure enough, the horse won first place. He blessed another horse, and that horse won again. Seeing this, Bill went to the ATM, took out all of his money. This time, he saw the priest not only touch the horse's forehead but also touch his eyes, his ears, and all of his legs. Feeling confident, Bill bet all of his money. But in the middle of the race, the horse fell over dead. Bill couldn't believe it, so he went to the priest and said, "What in the world happened?" The priest said, "That's the problem with you Protestants, you don't know the difference between a blessing and the last rites."

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's name." God bless you.

I want to talk to you today about a public display. What God is going to do in your life is not just going to be in private, where nobody sees it, in the background, hidden. God is going to do something in public. He's going to show out where you not only see His power, but people around you see His power. It's one thing when God does something in secret—He turns a problem around, and nobody knows about it, or shows you favor in private. But when God brings you out in public, it's a different story.

When people were trying to discredit you, push you down, but God opened a door you couldn't open, promoted you when you didn't have the qualifications, and put you in a position of influence—that's when He gives you a public display. You don't have to answer your critics—God does.

When it looked like you had reached your limits, and relatives laughed when you told them you were going to pay your house off, they shook their heads, thinking you were kind of far out. But when you come into an explosive blessing, blessings that catapult you ahead, they won't be shaking their heads in disapproval; they'll be shaking their heads in amazement. God is going to show out, not only to take you into your destiny, but to prove to other people that the Lord is on your side. What He's about to do in your life publicly is not going to leave any doubt.

It's one thing to say the Lord is on your side; it's another to see the Lord is on your side. You've been saying it, you've been faithful, believing, expecting. Get ready, you're about to see it. God is going to do something so big, so unusual, that there won't be any doubt—to you and to people around you—that His favor is on your life. God said in Exodus, "I will perform wonders never done before. All the people around you will see the awesome power I display through you."

God is about to display through you awesome power. He could display it through anything—through nature, through creation, through the weather. But He said, "I'm going to display it through you." He's about to do something unprecedented, something that causes you to stand out, where there's no explanation. That sickness should have been the end. The medical report said you were done, but you defied the odds. You overcame it. God displayed His awesome power.

Or, some of the people you grew up with—they're still struggling, can't get ahead, stuck in dysfunction. Look at you—blessed, prosperous, living at a different level. Or maybe you weren't the most qualified, you didn't have the experience, but your business took off. You didn't have to find clients; they found you. That's God displaying His awesome power. Awesome means it's not going to be ordinary—it's going to be unusual. Not natural, supernatural. That's what this building is—the former Compaq Center—an awesome display of God's power.

We were up against opponents that were bigger, stronger, and had more resources. Critics laughed, people made fun, and said we were wasting our time. But sometimes God will let you get into a situation where there's no possible way out so that when He turns it around, everyone will know it was Him. There won't be any doubt—it was the hand of God.

Now, your situation may seem impossible. There's no way you can accomplish your dream, no way you'll get well, no way you can pay your house off. You're so in debt—it's a setup. God is about to display His awesome power, not just so you can see it, but so other people can see it. David said, "God prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Not private, not hidden. God is going to show out so your enemies, the opposition, and the critics will all see you promoted, honored, in a position of influence—a public display.

That's why you don't have to prove to people who you are. You don't have to try to convince them to like you. You don't have time to waste being worried about people who are not for you. Keep running your race, honoring God, and at some point, He's going to show out in such a way that your critics can't deny the favor on you. They may not like you, but they will respect you.

The same people who didn't want us to have this building—every time they drive by on the freeway—they may not like it, but they can't deny the Lord was on our side. God has some of these public displays for you. Not a secret sign, not in private. He's going to show out to prove to people who you are.

David said in Psalm 86, "God, make a show of how much You love me so that bullies that hate me will stand there slack-jawed." That means in astonishment. David knew what it was like to have opposition—people slandering him, people who didn't believe in him. His brothers made fun of him, his father discounted him. When he told King Saul he wanted to fight Goliath, Saul thought he was kidding. David was a teenager, didn't have any training. When Goliath saw David and how small he was, he thought it was a joke.

What's interesting is David could have defeated Goliath in private. They could have been alone, in a deserted part of a valley, with nobody around. It still would have been a great miracle, but God knows there are times when He has to bring you out in public so all your friends and your enemies—those that are for you and against you—will see firsthand the favor on your life.

When David faced Goliath, all the Philistine army was on the mountainside watching. The Israeli army was on the other side. King Saul was out there, other leaders, people from the town—they all heard about this big fight. It was like the Super Bowl—everyone came out to see. The odds were so against David, it was almost comical. Goliath stood over nine feet tall, the most experienced fighter. David was a teenager with no armor and no training. When he ran out to face Goliath, all eyes were on him. He slung that rock, it hit Goliath in the forehead, knocked him to the ground unconscious. David went over, took Goliath's own sword, and cut his head off. Everyone stood there in astonishment, slack-jawed. They couldn't believe what they had just seen.

Instantly, David had influence, credibility, honor, and respect. Instead of making fun of him, dismissing him, now when they talked to David, it was "Yes sir, no sir. Whatever you say, sir." Everything changed. His family never treated him the same way. His father now recognized the anointing on his life. Even the Philistines—the opposition—they didn't like him, but they couldn't deny the Lord was on his side.

Like with David, God has some of these times where He's going to prove to people who you are. He's going to open doors you couldn't open, help you accomplish what you couldn't accomplish on your own, help you defeat giants that look much bigger. Everyone will see His hand on your life.  He is not going to do it in secret; it's going to be a public display. A gentleman was in town several years ago for treatment at the medical center. He had a rare form of cancer. The physician treating him was a specialist in that area, very well-known in the medical field, one of the best in the world. Even with the treatment, he'd given the man only three years to live. This man told the doctor that he was going to pray. He believed that God could heal him. Well, the doctor came from overseas, and he didn't have any kind of faith. He's a nice man, but he smiled and said, "Unfortunately, this type of cancer doesn't respond to prayer." He had never seen anyone recover from it, and he was respectful; he just saw it from a scientific point of view.

Several months later, the man went back to see how the treatment was working. The doctor came in, looked at his chart, and seemed puzzled, thinking it was the wrong one. He went out, came back in a little later, and showed the man the old chart, compared it to the new, and said, "In 40 years of practice, I have never seen this, but I don't see the cancer anymore." The doctor stood there in astonishment. He asked the man if he would write down what he prayed, how long he prayed, everything he did, so he could include it in his research. What was that? A public display. God showed His awesome power through this man, not just to heal him, but so other people would see the hand of God. That doctor will never be the same. He may not be a believer yet, but a seed was planted in his heart.

It's significant that David prayed, "God, make a show of how much You love me." He was releasing his faith, saying, "God, I believe You can take me where I can't go on my own." I wonder what would happen if we would start praying, "God, make a show of how much You love me. Display Your awesome power through me. Let me not only see Your goodness, but use me to show other people how great You are."

In 1 Kings 18, 450 false prophets who worshiped the god Baal came against Elijah. It didn't look like he had a chance—it was all of them against him. They agreed to settle their feud by having a contest. They would both make an altar and put wood on it, and the god who started the wood on fire would be the true god. Sometimes, like Elijah, you find yourself in a situation where you feel outnumbered. The sickness seems bigger, the opposition stronger, the addiction too powerful. It's easy to get discouraged and shrink back. But you have to do like him—don't be intimidated by what's against you. The battle is not yours; the battle is the Lord's. God did not bring you this far to leave you. He allowed that situation so He could display His awesome power through you. Every circumstance may say, "You'll never get out, never get well, the obstacle's too big." Stay in faith; God has your back.

It was 450 against one, but what the prophets of Baal didn't realize was that Elijah had the Most High God on his side. They built their altar, put the wood on it, and started praying, dancing, begging, shouting hour after hour. Everyone was watching, but nothing happened. Finally, Elijah said, "It's my turn." He put the rocks down, put the wood on top of it, and then he told them to pour water on the wood—not once, not twice, but three times. He wanted to make sure that when it caught fire, they would know it wasn't a coincidence, it wasn't just an act of nature, it was the hand of God.

Verse 36 says Elijah prayed, "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that You are the Lord and that I am Your servant. Answer me so these people will know You are God." Think of the boldness that took. You know, it's one thing to pray and believe, and if God doesn't answer our prayer, no big deal, we'll pray again tomorrow, we'll keep believing. Elijah didn't have this option. His life was on the line—it was, "God, either show up, or I'm done." As soon as he finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned it all up. Everyone fell on their face and said, "Elijah, your God is the true God."

God is going to do some things in your life where He doesn't just bring you out, He gives you a public sign. People around you may not believe yet, but when God displays His awesome power through you, when He promotes you when others were trying to push you down, when He takes you to levels you've never dreamed of, they won't be able to deny it. They're going to know He is God. Elijah prayed, "God, prove that You are the Lord, and prove that I am Your child."

Now, God doesn't have to prove anything. He's God whether we believe it or not. But sometimes, He will prove to other people that you are His child. When you face difficult situations and feel outnumbered, when the giant seems too big, if you'll do like Elijah and say in humility, "God, prove that I'm Your child. Free me from this addiction. Turn my marriage around. Restore my health. Bring this dream to pass," if you'll ask big, God will show out big. He'll prove not only to you, but to people around you that you are His child, and He is on your side.

What's interesting is when the fire hit, it not only burned up the wood—fire is supposed to do that. It not only evaporated the water—that's normal. But the Scripture says the rocks were burned up. It was all gone. Rocks don't normally burn, but when God shows out in your life, He's going to change what looks permanent. Maybe your child has been off course for years, you don't think you can break the addiction, you feel stuck in your career, or you have big obstacles in your path. Don't worry, God knows how to burn up the rocks. When He shows out, the baby will be conceived, the loan will go through, your child will fulfill his destiny, and your health will turn around. He's a supernatural God. Get ready; He's about to burn up some rocks. He's about to move what looks permanent. It's not just going to surprise you, it's going to surprise the people around you.

Growing up, we knew a man who owned a company that moved houses. He was an unusual man, full of faith. He would believe for anything. One day, he and his men had traveled for hours down these country roads moving a house. They finally made it to their location. When they started to unload the house, the man realized he had forgotten to bring his main chain. Without that chain, he couldn't finish. He was so disappointed—they were way out in the country, a couple of hours from the nearest town. It looked like he'd have to come back the next day. He was about to leave when he decided to pray. He told the people around him, and they kind of laughed. They said, "What are you going to pray about?" He said, "I'm going to pray that God will give me a chain." Now, they really laughed. One of them said, "What do you think, God's going to rain down a chain from heaven?" They were all making fun, laughing. He said, "I don't know, but the Scripture says you have not because you ask not, so I'm going to ask." He said, "Lord, You can do anything. You control the universe. I'm asking You to give me a chain so we don't have to waste a day and come back tomorrow." They were standing on the side of this country road, and there was a big curve right in front of them. About that time, this old pickup truck came speeding down the road with its tailgate down. When it took that turn, going way too fast, a chain slung out of the back of the pickup bed, slid across the road, and ended up right at the man's feet.

He picked it up and said, "I got my chain, men. Let's go to work." Sometimes God will show out in your life, not so much for your sake, but to show other people that the Lord is on your side. Those men stood there in astonishment. When they prayed, there was no more making fun—they listened. Where are the people that would do like this man and believe God wants to display His awesome power through you? People who believe God wants to make you an example of His goodness. It's good to read about God's power, it's good to talk about it, it's good to remember it, but God wants you to experience it. He wants to show out in your life in a new way. When you do like David and say, "God, make a show of Your favor," that's when God will make things happen that not only amaze you but amaze the people around you.

A lady I know was on a flight a while back. A friend of hers on that same flight became ill. Her heart started racing, blood pressure went up, and she thought she was going to pass out. This lady heard about it, rushed back to her seat, and knelt down beside her in the aisle, praying for her. Everyone was watching, all this commotion. As she prayed, the young lady's heart rate began to go back down, and the dizziness began to go away. The man in the seat behind them was so impressed, he said to the lady, "What was it about your prayer that did that?" All of a sudden, turbulence hit the plane. It started going up and down, and everybody was holding on for dear life. This was making that young lady's heart start racing again. For about 10 or 15 seconds, this lady prayed, "Lord, let these winds calm down." Right when she said it, the plane went back to normal—all the turbulence stopped. That man's eyes got wide. He said, "Lady, where did you get this kind of power?" She said, "It's not me, it's my God."

When you believe that God wants to show out in your life and you have the boldness to ask, God will display His awesome power through you, and other people will notice. When the three Hebrew teenagers wouldn't bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol, he was so furious that he had them thrown into a fiery furnace. When the guard opened the door, it was so hot that he was instantly killed. Those teenagers shouldn't have lasted any time, but in a few minutes, the king went over to the furnace, looked in the window, and didn't see three people—he saw four, and one looked like the Son of God. It's a great miracle that they weren't hurt, but that's not the only reason God did it. It was so other people would be changed. He's going to display power through you so people around you will know He is God. After the teenagers came out unharmed, King Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego." A few hours earlier, he didn't believe in their God. He was against them and everything they stood for. Now he's giving God praise. Why? Because God displayed awesome power through those teenagers.

That's what God is going to do for you. He's going to open doors you couldn't open, thrust you to new levels, and cause you to overcome what looked impossible. The king went on to issue a decree. It said, "If anyone speaks against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they will be destroyed, for no god can save like their God." Words don't always affect people. You can try to convince them, debate with them, but when they see you go to levels you couldn't reach on your own, when they see you come out of the fiery furnace, beat the cancer, break the addiction, when they see the chain curling up at your feet, opportunities chasing you down, they will know the Lord is on your side. Like Nebuchadnezzar, they will want what you have. God is not going to do this all in private. He's going to give you a public sign, something so amazing that people will notice.

Before Paul was the apostle who wrote almost half of the New Testament, his name was Saul. He was the greatest enemy of the church. He had believers arrested and put in prison. But on the road to Damascus, a bright light shined down, knocked him off his animal, and in that moment, God revealed Himself to him. He became a believer. It was big news—a complete turnaround. Paul saw amazing things happen in his life. One time, he was on an island and had been shipwrecked. He went to pick up firewood, and a poisonous snake bit his wrist. He should have swollen up and died, but he just shook it off, went about his business, and it never affected him. Another time, at midnight, in prison, in the deepest dungeon, as he and Silas were singing praises, there was a great earthquake. The prison doors flung open, chains fell off their feet, and they walked out as free men. When the jailer, the one in charge of making sure they didn't escape, realized what happened, he went and found them and said, "What must I do to be saved?"

Paul's life was full of miracles and awesome displays of God's power. In Acts 26, he had been arrested and brought to the city of Caesarea. He was on trial, defending himself before King Agrippa and the rest of the council. As he told them about the events of his life and what brought him there, in verse 26, he said, "I'm sure these events are familiar to you because they were not done in a corner." What God is about to do in your life is not going to be done in a corner, hidden where nobody notices. People are going to see the favor, see the protection, the promotion, the abundance. Some people think you've reached your limits, that you'll never get out of that problem, never get well, that you don't have the talent. They're going to see God take you to levels you've never dreamed. They're going to see you accomplish goals bigger than you've imagined. It's not only going to amaze you, it's going to amaze them. It's not going to happen in a corner. God is not going to do it in private; it's going to be a public display.

Now, you may have some obstacles in your path. It feels like you're stuck, but it's a setup. God allowed it so He can show out in your life. He's about to do something unprecedented. Get ready for new ground. Get ready to go where you couldn't go on your own. Every morning, get up and say like David, "God, make a show of how much You love me." If you'll do this, I believe and declare God is about to display His awesome power through you. New doors are going to open, new opportunities, healing, favor, and breakthroughs. People are going to know the Lord is on your side. In Jesus' name. If you receive it, can you say "Amen" today?

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. Get in a good Bible-based church and keep God in first place.