Displaying Christian Sermons by tag: sunday sermon
Watch John Hagee Sunday Sermon - Seven Signs of His Coming. America and the countries of the world are falling apart, laden with absolute corruption. Christ is coming for those who “eagerly” look for him, but many doubt his return. This deep dive through Scripture walks us through the signs of Jesus’ return.
Joel Osteen Watch Sermon: Don't Lose Your Joy. Your joy is what’s going to help you keep believing and keep standing strong. When you hold to your joy, you’re showing God that you trust Him. You have to get your joy back, so you’ll have the strength to step into the new things God has for you.
John Hagee - Watch Easter Sunday Sermon: "The Two Resurrections". Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection story. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is a fraud…our sermons are delusional. Did you know there are two resurrections? There is the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust. From the foundations of the earth, Jesus was destined to die on the cross, so that we could be redeemed and receive the gift of eternal life. The best news the world ever heard came out of a cemetery. He is risen!
Jack Hibbs Sunday Sermon (March 24, 2024) Epicenter Israel: What's Really Happening in the Middle East? - Part 2. Prophecies past and present converge as signs point to Israel's imminent restoration and Christ's return. Darkness us rising, but God's final Word stands.
Watch Matt Hagee Sunday Sermon - The One Thing Hell Hopes You Never Find Out. There’s one thing hell hopes you never find out…your true identity in Christ. The world doesn’t want you to know your true identity; once you discover who you are through Christ, you become a force that hell cannot stop. We often forfeit our uniqueness in an effort to be accepted by others. The devil is a master deceiver who wants to steal your identity. You’re an essential part of God’s plan to build the Kingdom on earth. Stay grounded in the Word.
Joel Osteen (March 24, 2024) Sunday Sermon: From Trouble to Double. On the other side of that trouble, is the double portion, greater joy, greater courage, greater influence.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Keep On Walking. It's easy to get discouraged while we wait for our dreams to come to pass. But just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God isn’t working. If you keep believing and doing the right thing, you’ll see things start to shift in your favor.
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Joel: God bless you. It's great to have you with us today. I hope you'll stay connected with us all through the week. You can download our daily podcast, listen to the messages any time. Or you can go to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Facebook. But thanks for tuning in. I like to start with something funny. I heard about this pastor. He found a dead mule on the church grounds. He called the health department; they said they couldn't pick it up without authorization from the mayor. Well, the mayor was known to be rude and hard to get along with. When the pastor called, the mayor didn't disappoint. He started ranting and raving.
Finally, he said, "Why did you even call me? Isn't it your job to bury the dead?" The pastor asked God for the right response. He said, "Yes, Mayor, it is my job to bury the dead, but I always like to notify the next of kin first." 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 keeping on walking. We all have things we're believing for, dreams to come to pass, problems to turn around. We have the promise in our heart, but nothing is happening. We've prayed, we've believed, but we don't see any signs of things improving. It's easy to get discouraged and think it's never going to work out. But most of the time, God doesn't do things instantly. There will be a waiting period. Thoughts will tell you, "It's too late. If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now." Just because you don't see anything doesn't mean that God is not working. As you keep believing, keep praising, keep doing the right thing, you're going to see things begin to change.
Many times, the miracle is in the process. It happens when you keep being obedient. Don't be frustrated because you're not seeing immediate results. What you're believing for is still on the way. In Luke 17, there were ten lepers sitting by the side of the road. As Jesus came passing through on his way to Jerusalem, they began to shout, "Jesus, have mercy on us and heal us." Jesus could have gone over and healed them right there. He could have spoken to them and caused that leprosy to suddenly disappear. But he did something interesting. He said, "Go show yourselves to the priest." Leprosy was contagious. They were forbidden to be around people. They had to live in colonies, isolated from society. Jesus asked them to do something that didn't make sense, something out of the ordinary. They could have thought, "Once I'm healed, once I see my skin clear up, then I'll go see the priest." But faith says you have to believe it before you see it. You have to act like it's on the way when you don't see any sign of it. These lepers started walking toward the priest. It could have been several miles, maybe taken them most of the day. I can hear people saying, "Why are you going to the priest? You're not well. You look just the same." The first couple of hours they looked at their skin, didn't see anything different. Thoughts said, "You might as well turn around, go back home. You're just wasting your time." But these lepers just kept on walking. No sign of things improving, no changes in their skin, but hour after hour they kept walking. I can imagine at one point, one of them looked at their skin and thought, "It looks like it's getting better." Another began to move his hand and said, "My fingers are starting to function." Another, "My skin is starting to clear up." The scripture says, "As they went, they were healed." If they would have stayed where they were, waited for things to change, they would have never seen the miracle. The healing was in the obedience, in the going. By the time they got to the priest, they were all perfectly well.
God has put promises in your heart. He's told you that he's restoring health back unto you, that you're going to lend and not borrow, that as for you and your house you will serve the Lord. But maybe like these lepers nothing looks any different, the medical report hasn't changed, your child is still off course, your business hasn't improved. You could get discouraged; think it's never going to happen. No, just keep walking, keep being obedient, keep praising, keep thanking. That's when the miracle is going to take place. You can't go by what you see or by what you don't see. Go by what God promised you. "Joel, I still have these symptoms." Keep on walking. "My business is still slow." Keep on walking. "These people at work are still not treating me right." Keep on walking.
God sees your obedience. He sees you believing when you could be discouraged, he hears you praising when you could be complaining, he sees you stretching when you could be shrinking back. I believe for many of you, you're about to walk into your healing, walk into your freedom, walk into a great spouse, walk into abundance. As you keep walking, you're going to see God show out in your life. Many of the miracles Jesus performed required an act of obedience. His first miracle, turning water into wine, he told the staff at the wedding to go fill up these large pots with water. They had to do something that didn't make sense. They could have said, "Jesus, we need wine, not water. What good is this going to do?"
The obedience is what brought the miracle. Without them filling the water pots, there would be no wine. Is God asking you to do something that doesn't make sense? To step out in faith when you don't have the experience, to forgive that person that did you wrong, to pray for others that need healing when you're still not feeling well? Is he asking you to bring him five loaves and two fish when you need to feed thousands? It's not so much what you're doing, it's the obedience. When you prove to God that you're going to do the right thing even when it's hard, even when it doesn't make sense, then you're going to see God do awesome things in your life.
In the Old Testament, there was a widow, her husband had died and left her in great debt. She finally ran out of funds. Now the creditors were coming to take her two sons as payment. The prophet Elisha showed up and asked her what she had in her house. She said, "I don't have anything except a small jar of oil." He told her to go out and borrow as many empty containers as she could find. That didn't make sense. What good was it going to do to borrow empty containers? She could have said, "Elisha, I need full containers. I need provision, I need funds." What God asks us to do doesn't always make sense. His ways are not our ways. Many times, it's simply a test. If you'll obey, the miracle will follow. Don't talk yourself out of what you know God is telling you to do. Sometimes it seems ordinary. You're asking God to promote you. He's saying, "Get to work on time, produce more than you have to." You're asking God for healing. He's saying, "Eat healthier, exercise, get more sleep." You're believing for your child to get on course. God is saying, "Help that neighbor's child, invest into that young man." It doesn't have to make sense. That's what faith is all about. This widow went out and borrowed all these empty containers. I can see her knocking on door after door. The neighbors thinking, "What does she need my container for? She doesn't have any food. No reason for it." But faith makes room for provision. You can't wait till it happens; you have to make room for it when you don't see any sign of it. You have to talk like it's on the way, plan like it's on the way, think like it's on the way.
After working all day, she came back to her house; now she had a couple dozen empty containers. Elisha told her to pour the little oil that she had into one of the empty containers. She could have said, "Elisha, that doesn't make sense. What good is that going to do, to just transfer the oil from one container to the other?" But instead of talking herself out of it, she poured that little bit of oil and kept pouring and pouring and pouring. She couldn't believe it. She filled up the first empty container, then another and another. The oil never ran out until all the containers were full. She sold the oil and not only had enough to pay the creditors, but she had plenty left over to live off of. But none of this would have happened if she had not been willing to do something that didn't make sense. Are you missing your miracle because you're reasoning everything out? You're looking at it all in the natural. God is supernatural. He'll ask you to do things that you may not understand. After Moses died, God raised up Joshua to lead the Israelites. The earlier generation never made it into the promised land because they complained and doubted; they wandered in the desert for forty years. Now the children of that generation had grown up.
Joshua was their new leader. They were headed to the promised land, but they had to cross the Jordan River. There were no bridges in that day. The problem was it was the rainy season, and the Jordan was in flood stage. It was over a hundred and fifty feet wide, with violent currents rushing down from the melting snow. Joshua was familiar with this type of scene. As a young man, he was there when Moses held up his staff, and the Red Sea parted. He had seen God make a way. When these two million people came to the Jordan River and saw how swollen it was and how strong the currents were, they didn't want to have anything to do with it. I can imagine Joshua did like his mentor Moses. He held up his rod and said, "Lord, please let these waters part." Everyone was watching with great anticipation, but nothing happened. Joshua thought, "God, this is my first test to show these people that you're really with me. Don't leave me hanging here."
God promised Joshua, "As I was with Moses, I will be with you." He didn't say, "I'm going to do for you everything I did for Moses." God does things in different ways. You have a unique anointing; there's a distinct calling on your life. You don't have to copy someone else and try to be what they are, prove your worth; prove that you measure up. Walk in your own anointing, walk in your own calling. The Jordan River didn't part. Joshua had to make a decision. "Are we going to turn around and go back, wander more in the desert, or are we going to keep walking?" Joshua's attitude was, "We've come too far to stop now. God, you wouldn't have promised us this land if you weren't going to give us the victory." Instead of turning back, Joshua put the priest out in front; he told all the people, "Let's keep walking." I can hear them say, "Excuse me, Joshua, do you not see, there's a violent raging river a few hundred feet in front of us. There's nowhere to go." Joshua acted like he didn't hear them. His instructions were, keep on walking. There will always be people that try to convince you to turn back. "Your dream is too big, the opposition too strong, nothing is working out. Just accept it." You have to do like Joshua, have a made-up mind. "I'm going to keep walking. I'm going to become all I was created to be." The priest got right up to the water. It was do or die, now or never, but the waters still didn't part. They looked back at Joshua one last time, thinking, "Surely he's going to retreat now, surely he'll come to his senses." Joshua answered with three simple words: keep on walking.
The scripture says, "When the priests got in the water, when their feet got wet, suddenly the waters began to push back." All two million people went through on dry ground. Miracles happen when there's obedience. God doesn't give us all the details. He doesn't show you how it's going to work out. It may not happen like you've seen happen with your family. There may not be any sign of things changing. Like Joshua, every circumstance may say, "It's not going to turn around, go back, no use believing for your dreams; it's too late. You'll never get well; it would have happened by now." Don't believe those lies. Keep walking. God is not moved by what's not moving. He's not intimidated by waters that aren't parting, by how big the obstacle is, by how impossible it looks. In fact, many times God will wait on purpose till the river is in flood stage. He'll wait till the experts say there's no way, the odds are against you.
So, when He turns it around, everyone will know it was His favor, His power, His goodness in your life. You may have situations where you don't see how it can work out, in your health, your finances, your relationships. You're tempted to quit believing. If Joshua were here today, he would tell you, "Keep walking. You're on the verge of a miracle. Those waters are about to open up." Now you may have to get your feet wet. It may not happen like with Moses, where the waters part first, you can see your way clearly. You know exactly how it's going to work out. Sometimes God waits to see if you're going to trust Him when the waters haven't parted. Are you going to believe when you don't see any sign of things changing? You don't feel like you have the strength, the courage, the ability. If you'll just keep walking, praying, expecting, doors are going to open that you couldn't open, healing that defies the odds, freedom from things that have held you back.
Some Jordan Rivers are about to part. Things you've been standing in faith for, for a long time, it's about to come to pass. It's not going to be ordinary; it's going to be the hand of God. When God parted the Red Sea for Moses, the waters opened before the people went through. They could see their way clearly. It was a great miracle, but that doesn't take as much faith, when you know where the funds are coming from, the medical report is good, your child is excelling. Those people wandered in the desert for forty years. But when God parted the Jordan River for Joshua, when the people had to get their feet wet and keep walking when it didn't look like it was working, that group of people made it into their promised land. I believe it's significant. When you don't see how it can work out, but you keep walking, you keep believing, keep being good to people, that means you're about to enter your promised land.
God is setting you up to go where you've never been, to see favor you've never seen. Now, don't complain because the water is not parting. That doesn't mean God is not going to do it. That's a sign that what He's up to is bigger than you've imagined. You may be at the Jordan River right now. Nothing is changing. God is waiting to see, are you going to turn around and go back? "Joel, I prayed, I believed but my dream didn't come to pass, these people at work stopped me, I couldn't break the addiction, the waters didn't part." You're right where Joshua was. It didn't work the first time. The obstacle looks impassable. The river is swollen, the problem is bigger than it's ever been. That's a test. You have to get your feet wet. If you'll keep walking, you're going to see God open up things you never dreamed would open, turn problems around you never dreamed would turn around. That Jordan River is setting you up for your promised land. David said, "I was young and now I'm old, and I've never seen the righteous forsaken." He was saying, in effect, "I've never seen a Jordan River God won't part. I've never seen a sickness that He won't heal. I've never seen a dream He won't bring to pass." When we were trying to acquire the Compaq Center, God gave us favor, and the city council members voted for us to have the building.
It was a year and a half process. Council members that were against us suddenly changed their minds and the facility was ours. Like Moses, we prayed, we believed, and God parted the Red Sea. We were grateful, we knew it was the hand of God. But a few days later, a company filed a lawsuit to try to keep us from moving in. They said that we violated the deed restrictions. Our attorneys told us it could be tied up in the courts for ten years. It was like a roller coaster. We went from this great celebration to the reality that it may not ever work out. It's times like these, where you don't see a way, the opposition is bigger and stronger, that you see what you're made of. It's easy to believe when God parts Red Seas, but what do you do when you come to the Jordan River? You prayed, you believed, but it didn't part. You held up your rod like your mentor, you did what your parents did, but nothing happened. Are you going to get your feet wet? Are you going to keep walking even though thoughts tell you, "It's not going to work out, you might as well turn around.
After all, God's been good to you. Be grateful for what you have." Don't let the enemy talk you out of your promised land. God has bigger things in your future. He has new mountains for you to climb. Keep walking when the waters aren't parting. Keep walking when you're not being promoted. Keep walking when your health isn't improving, when the pandemic seems like it's stopped your dreams. The reason you're facing a Jordan River at flood stage, not just a normal river but stubborn, is because your promised land is on the other side. You don't come to Jordan rivers, rivers that you have to get your feet wet, if it's just another ordinary victory, something common. The Jordan means God is about to thrust you to a new level. I woke up many times in the middle of the night when we were in that lawsuit with thoughts telling me, "You better turn around. You've told people that it's your building, you're raising funds for it. When you have to give it back, you're going to look like a fool. Nobody is going to listen to you." All these voices saying, "Retreat, it didn't part. If God was for you, you wouldn't have this opposition. If it was going to work out, you wouldn't have this lawsuit." No, God being for you doesn't mean you won't have opposition.
The enemy wouldn't be trying to stop you if you weren't a threat to him. He doesn't come against people that don't have great destinies. The reason you're facing big giants is because you're at the Jordan River. You're about to come into your promised land. I didn't see how this lawsuit could ever resolve. The other side was stubborn but I did what I'm asking us to do, I kept on walking. When thoughts told me it would never work out. "This company is bigger, stronger, more influential." "Father, thank you that you're fighting our battles. Thank you that you being for us is more than the world being against us." Our attorneys told us the other side would probably pay us a large sum of money for us to go away. They threw out numbers that we could practically build another facility, but we didn't want the money, we wanted the building. This building is one of the main landmarks in the city of Houston. Two million people a year came through it. It's on the main freeway, has great access. We could have thought, "Let's just be safe, we may not win, let's take the funds and go do something else." But God doesn't want you to water down your dream, to take less than what you know is in your heart.
John Hagee - Watch Sunday Sermon: "Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness: Thou Shall Not Covet". What is truth? The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. The Bible tells us that the Spirit will guide us into all truth. Our churches need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit of God, an infusion of truth. When you reject the truth, all that’s left is a lie. Do not covet what your neighbor has. God is your provider.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Just Keep Your Joy. Are you letting the little things steal your joy? We all have opportunities to get upset and go around frustrated each day. But in the big picture, most of the things that are upsetting us don’t really matter. Joel wants to teach you how to keep your joy no matter what goes on around you. Psalm 94:13 teaches us that God gives us the power to remain calm in times of adversity. We can’t control how other people act or what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. Don’t let the small things keep you from seeing the gift of each day. Live from a place of peace and joy each day and watch your life change for the better. I want to talk to you today about keeping your joy.
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God bless you. Thanks for letting us come into your homes today. And if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, right here at Lakewood. We'd love to have you come out. I'd like to start with something funny. And I heard about this man who was taking a walk through the woods with his friend when they suddenly encountered a huge grizzly bear about 20 yards in front of them. They both froze in their tracks as the bear intently stared them down. They contemplated what they should do. Finally, the man said to his friend, 'I think we should run.' His friend said, 'Are you crazy? You can't outrun a grizzly bear.' The man said, 'I know that. I don't have to outrun him; I just have to outrun you.' 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 keeping your joy. We all have opportunities to get upset and go around frustrated. Someone was rude to us; traffic was backed up; we can't find our car keys. Life is full of inconveniences, delays, and people that don't do right. We're never going to stop these things from happening. The key is how we handle them. The scripture says no man can take your joy; that means you control your joy. Nothing can take it from you; you have to give it away. Next time someone cuts you off in traffic, ask yourself, 'Is this worth giving them my joy?' That person that's rude to you on the phone that you've never met, are you going to give them your joy? That delay, that plan that didn't work out, that negative comment, are you going to let that sour your day? The reason some people are not happy is they're constantly giving away their joy.
I was in a crowded parking lot one time, waiting for a parking spot. The man was putting his groceries in his car; it took him a couple of minutes. I had my blinker on, patiently waiting. When he finally backed out, a car came from the wrong direction and pulled in right in front of me. They could clearly see that I was waiting. My first response was to honk my horn and tell them what I thought. Then I noticed he was bigger than me. I thought to myself, 'I'll give you my parking spot, but I'm not going to give you my joy.' I didn't like it; it wasn't fair, but I've learned not to let things I can't control sour my day. I've made up my mind: I'm going to be happy today; I'm going to enjoy my life.
You can't control what people do; you can't control what they say, but you can control how you respond. My message is very simple: quit giving away your joy. Quit letting the same people upset you. Quit letting the traffic, the delays, the things that don't work out frustrate you. You can't pray these things away. That person at the office that gets on your nerves, I don't mean to be negative, but they may not change. They may be that way for the next 20 years. My challenge is: don't go 20 years giving them your joy. They may not change, but you can change.
Life is too short to live frustrated, upset over things we have no control over. People have a right to have their opinion; you have the right to ignore it. People have the right to be rude; you have the right to stay happy. Quit letting their negative comments upset you. They wouldn't be talking about you if you weren't making a difference. Nobody talks about people that are not doing anything. They're talking about you because you're going places; they can see there's something special about you. You have the favor of God; you're blessed, talented, anointed. Sometimes small-minded people will try to push you down and discredit you. Don't pay any attention to it. What they say cannot keep you from your destiny. It is simply a distraction.
Every person has negative chatter. All your family members, unfortunately, are not going to be for you. George Burns said, 'Happiness is having a loving, caring, close-knit family living in another city.' Some of your relatives, you have to love them from a distance. If they're sitting by you today, don't say, 'Amen.'
Now, all of your co-workers are not going to celebrate you. All of your friends are not going to be loyal. Some people can't handle your success; they'll make remarks trying to bait you into conflict, trying to get you upset. Here's the key: don't get involved in battles that are not between you and your destiny. Most of the conflict we engage in is a distraction. The enemy would love to get you off course, offended, trying to straighten people out, trying to convince them that you're okay. Your job is not to change people's minds about you; your job is not to try to make people like you. Your job is to run your race, to be who God called you to be, and not worry about the critics and the naysayers. God will cause the right people to like you. One of the best things I've learned is everybody is not supposed to like you. Everybody is not supposed to approve of you. Some people are ordained by God, not by the enemy but by God, to not be for you. You have to accept that everyone is not going to accept you. We see it in the scripture: Joseph's brothers weren't supposed to be for Joseph. They were ordained to betray him. Without their betrayal, Joseph would have never made it to the palace to help the Israelite during the famine. Quit being sour because somebody betrayed you. How do you know that's not leading you to your palace? How do you know that disappointment is not a part of God's plan to take you to the next level of your destiny?
King Saul was ordained to not like David. If he would have celebrated David, been happy for his success, David would have never taken the throne. Are you upset because someone is not for you when the truth is God has ordained them to not be for you? When Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, there were two men, Sanballat and Tobiah, that didn't like what he was doing. They stood at the bottom of the mountain and constantly shouted insults at Nehemiah. They were trying to bait him into conflict, get him upset, frustrated. Nehemiah understood this principle. He said, "No, thanks. I'm not giving you my joy. You may not like me, but you not liking me has nothing to do with me fulfilling my destiny. I'm going to stay focused on what God's called me to do." If Nehemiah would have come off the mountain, got upset, went down there to straighten them out, even if he won, even if he shut them up, he wouldn't have finished the wall when he did. All the chatter that comes against you is a distraction. It's to get you upset so you get involved in battles that don't matter. Then you look up, and you're not accomplishing what you should. Do yourself a favor: don't pay any attention to it.
Quit being upset by people who are not for you, people that make negative comments, trying to marginalize you, push you down. What they say doesn't determine your destiny. They are simply a distraction; that's just noise. Don't give it the time of day. See, some people, no matter what you do, they're not going to like you. Even if you changed and did everything they wanted, they would still find some reason why you don't measure up. You have to be at peace with people not being at peace with you. You don't need their approval to fulfill your purpose. You don't have to have them before you to become who God's created you to be. But if you get distracted trying to win them over, spending your valuable time trying to convince them to be for you, then you will miss the fullness of your destiny. Don't take the bait. Don't let them get you riled up. Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek; they will inherit the earth." Meek doesn't mean weak. Meekness means strength under control. When you ignore negative comments, you don't pay attention to the Sanballats and Tobiahs of life, you're not being weak; you're being meek. You have the power to fight; you have the strength to straighten them out, to tell them what you feel, but your strength is under control. You're not wasting time engaged in battles that are not between you and your god-given destiny. I've learned when you stay on the high road, God will take care of your enemies. God can defend you better than you can defend yourself.
In the scripture, Elisha was traveling from Jericho to Bethel. Along the way, a group of young men came out and started making fun of him because he was bald. The scripture says they were mocking him, saying, "Go, Baldy, go." You didn't know that was in the Bible, did you? You know, Elisha was annoyed. He could have gotten upset, thought, "I'm going to go straighten them out. I'll show you what." Instead, he remained calm. He understood this principle: they couldn't take his joy. They were baiting him, trying to get him distracted. He just stayed focused and continued doing what God called him to do. While those young men were making fun of him, two bears came out of the woods and tore them to pieces. That tells me two things: number one, don't make fun of bald people; number two, you don't have to straighten people out. God will be your vindicator. God knows how to take care of the opposition. He sees what they're doing; he hears the disrespect. If you'll stay in peace, God will fight your battles. When God does it, I can assure you it will be better than anything you could have done. But your feelings will want to pay people back. Feelings will tell us, "Go in there, get even, stand up for yourself."
If you let feelings rule, you'll get upset, and you'll end up giving away your joy. Don't get on board with your feelings. The psalmist said, "God has given us the power to remain calm in times of adversity." It doesn't say God will keep us from all the adversity, from the opposition, the Sanballats, the negative chatter. It says they will come; we'll have opportunities to get upset, but God has given us power to stay calm.
Quit telling yourself, "I can't help it, this person at the office, they just get on my nerves." You have the power to stay calm. That doesn't have to keep upsetting you; that is a learned behavior. They say something negative, I get offended; traffic is bad, I get upset; the clerk is rude, "I can't help it, Joel, I just go off, I just let them have it." The problem is, you have strength, but it's not under control. You need to relearn how to respond. You need to develop some new habits.
Next time something happens that you don't like, pause for a moment and say, "Father, thank you that you've given me the power to remain calm. Thank you that I have a spirit of discipline and self-control." You don't have to let the same things keep upsetting you year after year. Change your approach.
I met a gentleman in another state at a restaurant. It was very windy outside, and when he walked in, the person in front of him let the door slam right in his face. This man had been hot-tempered his whole life; normally, he would have confronted them, told them what he thought, but he'd been listening to our programs. Just when he was about to lose his cool, he heard my voice saying, "Stay calm and let God fight your battles." He paused for a moment and decided to let it go. He walked away like nothing happened. We came into the restaurant and sat down. I was sitting a few tables away; he came over and told me, "Joel, if you had not been in my head, I would have let them have it."
Like this man, you may have been trained to respond a certain way. You grew up seeing people lose their cool, get upset, offended. Why don't you try a different approach? When you let people upset you, you are giving away your power. You are letting them control you. If they push this button, you get offended; that button, you get upset; this other button, they bait you into conflict. Why don't you turn those buttons off? Life is so much more freeing when you're not controlled by what people say, you're not offended when someone's upset, you're not soured because traffic was bad. You have tapped into the power to remain calm.
A friend of mine named David Pollay wrote a book called "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He was in a taxicab in New York City, headed to a meeting. A car pulled out right in front of them. The taxi driver had to slam on his brakes, swerved to the left, missing the car by inches. The driver of the other car put his head out the window, started screaming and yelling. He was so angry, so upset, shaking his fist. The funny thing, it was his fault. The taxi driver just smiled, waved real big, and drove on, didn't give it the time of day. David was in the backseat; he was so impressed. He said, "That man almost totaled your car, almost sent us both to the hospital. I can't believe you didn't yell back at him. How did you keep your cool?" The taxi driver gave an insightful answer. He said, "I've found many people are like garbage trucks. They go around full of anger, full of frustration, full of bitterness. As their garbage piles up, they need somewhere to dump it. Sometimes, they'll dump it on you, but you can't take it personally. It has nothing to do with you. Just smile, wish them well, and move on." Here's the key: successful people don't let garbage trucks overtake their day.
If someone dumps a load on you, don't get upset. If you make that mistake, you'll end up carrying around their garbage, and eventually, you'll dump it on someone else. You have to keep your lid on. These days, many people are dumping frustration, disrespect, criticism, bitterness. We can't stop them from dumping, yet, but we can keep them from affecting us.
Years ago, Victoria and I were at the airport. We were going through the security checkpoint. We put our bags on the x-ray machine. The security officer sent them both back and said, "You have liquids in there that you have to remove." "Oh yeah, I forgot to take my water out." Well, I thought he was only talking to Victoria, so I just stood there and didn't do anything. You would have thought I had committed a major crime. He was totally insulted. He practically screamed, "Sir, what are you doing standing there? I told you to open the bag and do it now!" Man, he's got a big garbage truck, and he was full of frustration, full of stress, and full of a lot of other stuff. But, I didn't say it; you just thought it. But I took care of it. As I passed by, I said, "Sorry about that. I thought you were just talking to her. Have a good day." Didn't mean it, but at least I said it. But I thought to myself, "I'm keeping my lid on. I don't need his garbage. I don't need that poison." We have enough things of our own to deal with. You don't need somebody else's bitterness, their sour attitude, their pressure. Keep your lid on tight. Let those things bounce off of you. Your destiny is too great, your time is too important, to go around weighed down with other people's garbage. You can't keep it from coming, but you can keep it from getting in. The longer I live, the more I realize how valuable each day is. We're not always going to be here. It's easy to live upset, offended, frustrated, but most of the things that are upsetting us, in the big picture, they don't really matter. Traffic was backed up, took you an hour to get home; should have taken you 30 minutes. Is that worth losing your joy over? You're alive, you're healthy, God's given you breath to breathe.
He's given you a family to love. Somebody was rude to you, they made you look bad, they said something negative. Is that worth going around offended, discouraged? What if we found out we only had a month to live? I wonder how many things we're allowing to upset us now. If we found out our time was limited, we wouldn't even pay attention to it. Can I tell you? Our time is limited. The scripture says our life is like a mist. We're here for a moment, then we're gone. That little quirk your spouse does that gets on your nerves, if we knew we weren't going to be here in a month, we wouldn't let it bother us. We would focus on all the things right, not on the few things wrong. We wouldn't complain about driving in traffic; we'd be happy to be in the traffic. We're alive. We've got another day to enjoy life. "Well, I've got to go to work." Not me. I get to go to work. Some people don't have a job. Some people are in the hospital. Some people aren't able to work. I'm grateful to be employed. "Well, it's Sunday. I got to go to church again." Not me. I get to go to church. God's been good to me. I'm going to go back and say thank you. Not only that, I get to go to Lakewood. I get to listen to that good-looking minister.
"Well, Joel, my boss is not fair. He's hard to get along with. This is not the position that I want." The truth is, somebody would love to have your job. Somebody would gladly trade places with you. It may not be perfect, but keep the right perspective. God's blessed you with a job. Don't let it sour your life. If you will pass the test of being happy where you are, then God can open some new doors. But if you don't get happy there, you probably won't get to where you want to be. And your boss may not be fair. I'm not making excuses for him. I'm asking you to quit giving him your joy. He doesn't control your happiness. You control your happiness. But if you let a grouchy boss, grouchy neighbor, a bitter relative steal your joy, keep you from being happy, it is not their fault. It is your fault. You are as happy as you want to be. You have to put your foot down and say, "This is the day the Lord has made. I am NOT going to live sour, defeated, depressed. I am NOT going to let what people do or don't do, what they say or don't say, what I have or have not, keep me from being happy. I've made up my mind. I'm going to enjoy this day." It dishonors God to go through the day upset, frustrated, bitter. God gave you breath to be here. He could have chosen anyone, but he chose you and me. One way we honor God is by being happy, living grateful, having a good attitude, seeing the best in life.
A couple of months ago, I was driving to the office during the week to meet some people. I was in a hurry. I had left a little bit late, but I knew I could still make it on time if I didn't have any delays. And I've driven this route a thousand times. I was almost here, a few blocks away, stopped at the intersection. I was in the left turn lane. This light is very short. You have to stay right behind the car in front of you to trigger it to stay green. Well, I was the third car back, waiting. The problem was, the car in front of me left about two car lengths between it and the first car. There was this huge gap. The light turned green, just like I thought, the first car went through, turned red before the second car could make it. I could feel myself starting to get uptight. I heard that voice, "End, Joe, keep your calm, keep your joy." I thought, "I don't want to hear one of my messages right now. I'm in a hurry." We sat there, waiting for a couple of minutes, and it seemed like an hour. About that time, the lady in the car in front of me got out and started walking toward the back. I thought, "She's going to get something out of her trunk real quick." She came over to me. I rolled down the window. She said, "Are you Joel?" I wanted to say, "No, I'm Fred." I said, "Yes, I am." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the light go green, back to red. We missed another one. She said, "I love you. I watch you on television. I have all your books. Would you sign one for me?" I said, "You mean like now?" She said, "Yeah, I'll run in my car and get it real quick." I said, "I'd love to sign your book in the middle of an intersection." By now, people were honking; it wasn't just me, everybody had lost their joy. I signed her book, made it to the office about 10 minutes late. Problem is, I forgot my key fob to get in. I knocked on the door and knocked. Nobody answered. Called a staff member; it went to voicemail, never goes to voicemail. Called another one, another one. Hot outside, ten minutes later, when I finally got in, I was just dripping with sweat. Had my meeting. Oh, went well. Later that night, I went up to the hospital to visit a friend that's fighting cancer, too. Serious situation. We had time to pray together. And on the way out, I prayed with several other families where they had loved ones. Didn't look good; they were very concerned. I left there with a different perspective. I had been frustrated that day by delays, by traffic, but not having keys. I realized those were small things. That wasn't worth losing my joy over. I wasn't believing for a loved one to make it. In the big picture, what was frustrating me really didn't matter. I wonder if you're doing like me, letting insignificant things steal your joy. Traffic, negative comments, you can't find something. Keep it in perspective. That's not worth losing your joy over. Don't let the small, insignificant things keep you from seeing the gift of this day.
In the scripture, Habakkuk said it this way: "Though the fig tree does not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vine, though my olive crops fail and my fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, though there are no cattle in the stalls, what am I going to do? Get depressed, complain, feel sorry for myself?" He said, "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation." He was saying, "Everything's come against me, had bad breaks, business is down, my income is low. Surely that's a reason to be discouraged. Surely I can go around sour." His attitude was, "No, I'm not giving away my joy. I'm going to rejoice in the God of my salvation." Salvation means deliverance. When you stay full of joy, despite what comes against you, God is saying salvation is coming. Turnarounds are coming. Healing is coming. Increases are coming. Victory is coming. I'm asking you to keep your joy. Life is going to throw us some curves. There will be disappointments, things that are not fair. That's when you have to say like him, "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord." We should make this decision every morning: "I will be joyful today." Decide ahead of time that you're going to enjoy the day. When somebody dumps a load on you, when they're rude, keep your lid on. You're tempted to get upset, remind yourself you have the power to remain calm. If you'll do this, I believe and declare you're not only going to enjoy your life more, but you're going to be free from unnecessary frustration, bitterness, anger. You're going to rise high, live happier, and reach the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, will 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 first place. Your partnership makes this ministry possible. Your faithful and consistent monthly support makes you a champion of hope. The vision of Joel Osteen Ministries is to use every avenue available to present the hope of Jesus Christ to people everywhere. We know it is this hope and the transforming power of the gospel that makes an eternal difference in people's lives. To partner with Joel Osteen Ministries, visit JoelOsteen.com/partner today.
Joel Osteen - Sermon: Calling Over Comfort. There are some seasons when God will call you to leave the familiar and step out into the unknown. It may be uncomfortable, but if you’ll push past the fear, God will make things happen that you couldn’t make happen on your own. I want to talk to you today about calling over comfort.
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Joel: God bless you. It's great to have you with us today. I hope you'll stay connected with us all through the week. You can download our daily podcast, listen to the messages anytime. Or you can go to our YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram, Facebook. But thanks for tuning in today. I like to start with something funny. I heard about these three men; a Baptist, a Catholic, and a Charismatic. They died on the same day and went to heaven. Saint Peter met them at the pearly gates and said, "I'm so sorry, men, your rooms are not available yet." He didn't know what to do. So, he decided to call Satan and see if he would keep them for a little while. Satan reluctantly agreed. A few hours later, Satan called back and said, "Peter, you've got to come get these guys. The Baptist man is saving everyone, the Catholic man is forgiving everyone, and the Charismatic has already raised enough money for air-conditioning." Alright, 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 calling over comfort. It's easy to get comfortable in life with things that are less than God's best. We know there's more in us, but we don't want to have to stretch. We don't want to take that risk. What if it doesn't work out? What if the door doesn't open? We can get comfortable with friends that are pulling us down, comfortable with addictions, comfortable with self-pity, always thinking about what we didn't get, how we're at a disadvantage. The problem with staying comfortable is you will miss your destiny. When God is about to take you higher, there will always be this conflict, something you have to choose, comfort or calling. Are you going to stay where you are, not rock the boat, not have to stretch, not have to be more disciplined, not have to push past your fears? Are you going to choose to stay comfortable or are you going to step out in faith and take a risk? If you'll leave the comfort and come into the calling,
God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen. Too often we think, "When I get the courage, I'll do this. When I have the strength, the confidence, then I'll get out of my comfort zone, then I'll forgive the person that hurt me, then I'll deal with this bad attitude." If you're waiting to feel what you need to feel, you'll be waiting your whole life. You may not ever feel like forgiving that person that did you wrong. You feel bitter, you feel angry. You have to make a move, then God will make a move. You may not have the strength now, that's because God is waiting for you to move. When you step out, strength will come, courage will come, favor will come. Are you choosing comfort over the calling? Are there areas where you know you need to make changes? You need to work on a relationship, you need to forgive, you need to stretch but you're letting fear and what people will think and how it seems too hard keep you in your comfort. God is saying, "If you'll choose my calling over your comfort, if you'll do what I'm asking you to do even though it's difficult, then I'll step in and give you supernatural strength, I'll give you the boldness, the courage, the favor to accomplish dreams, to overcome obstacles, to go where you couldn't go on your own."
In John 5 there was a man that had been crippled for thirty-eight years. Everyday people carried him on a mat to the pool of Bethesda. There was a legend they believed that when the waters bubbled up, an angel was touching the water and the first person in would be healed. There were five large porches around this pool. It was surrounded by sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed. Year after year this man came to the pool. I can imagine the first few years he believed he would get well, he came with expectancy, knowing that it could happen that day. But the first year passed and nothing happened, then another and another. Now, thirty-eight years later, he wasn't expecting anything to happen. He had tried; it didn't work out. Now, he was comfortable in his dysfunction. He was surrounded by other people who were dysfunctional. This is all he knew: going to the pool every day, laying there, talking to his friends who were lame, blind, couldn't walk. Sometimes, when we're dysfunctional, we like to get around other dysfunctional people. That way, we feel more at ease. When we're insecure, we find other people who are insecure. When we're struggling with an addiction, we find other people who are addicted. Don't get around people that enable your dysfunction.
If you're depressed, don't hang around people that are depressed. If you're fighting an illness, don't go find other people that are sick, so you can sit around and talk about your illnesses. Hang around people that have what you want, not people that are struggling with what you struggle with. The enemy would love for you to stay in a limited environment that holds you down, limits your vision, and keeps you from dreaming, believing, expecting. Don't fall into that trap. If you're depressed, find some happy friends. If you're addicted, find some free friends. If you're sick, find some healthy friends. If you're broke, find some blessed friends.
One day Jesus showed up at this pool. Out of all the people there, Jesus came over to this man. He said, "Don't you want to get well?" That seemed like an odd question. That's why he was by the pool. But you can be at the right place in the wrong frame of mind and miss your miracle. Jesus knew after all those years the man was comfortable. He had lost his passion to be well. Instead of saying, "Yes, I want to get well. That's what I've been believing for." The man said, "I can't get well. I don't have anyone to help me. When the angel comes, someone always gets in front of me." Jesus didn't feel sorry for the man. He didn't say, "Too bad, you're at a disadvantage." Jesus looked at the man and said, "Rise, pick up your bed, and walk." Jesus asked him to do something that he couldn't do. The man could have said, "What do you mean get up? Don't you know I'm crippled? I haven't walked in thirty-eight years." This man heard the call. Jesus told him to rise up, but every thought said, "You can't get up. You've been this way too long." He had to make a decision, "Am I going to stay in my dysfunction, where I'm comfortable, where I've been the last thirty-eight years? Or am I going to act on the calling? Am I going to stretch, try something that I've never done?" Something rose up in this man. Against all odds, he sat up. Suddenly strength came into his legs. He stood up and started walking. Instantly he was healed. None of this would have happened if he would have stayed where he was comfortable.
Anytime God is going to do something new in your life, give you more influence, more favor, more anointing, more resources, there's going to be this test of being uncomfortable. Are you willing to stretch, to do something you've never done? Move away from tradition, from certain people, from what you're familiar with? Don't let the comfort keep you from the calling. Where God is taking you is going to require risks. You're going to have to leave what's familiar and step into the unknown. Like this man, God is going to ask you to do things that you don't think you can do. In your own ability you can't, but when you take that step of faith, God will step in and give you supernatural ability. But sometimes we've been a certain way so long, we've convinced ourselves of what we can't do. "I can't run my department; I don't have the talent. I can't break this addiction; I've had it since high school. I can't get the Compaq Center; I've only been ministering for two years." God doesn't ask you and then not give you what you need. The question is, are you going to stay comfortable, where it's safe, or are you going to step into your calling?
I'm not saying this is easy; if it was easy, everyone would do it. This takes boldness. This takes a made-up mind that says, "I am not going to let fear, insecurity, what I don't think I can do, keep me in my limited environment. I'm going to stretch. I'm going to take risks. I may have to hurt some feelings, but I'm going to make changes to follow the call. I'm not going to sit around in dysfunction, surrounded by dysfunctional friends. I'm going to rise and walk." Your destiny is too great, your assignment too important, to let fear, what will people think, what if it doesn't work out, hold you back. If you know how everything is going to work out, you don't need faith. If you can accomplish your dreams in your own ability, then your dreams are too small. That may be a steppingstone, but God will put dreams in your heart where you don't have the finances, the connections, the experience. If He doesn't show up, then it won't happen. You'll be tempted to think like the lame man, "I can't walk. God, you're telling me to do something that I've never done." If you'll take that step of faith, you'll see God do something that you've never seen. You'll see doors open you couldn't open, you'll see divine connections, people show up that want to help you, things fall into place. That's because in your calling, there's favor. In your calling, opportunities will find you. In your calling, you'll break addictions, you'll beat the cancer, you'll defeat that depression. But in your comfort, you'll get stuck where you are. If you're always comfortable, then there'll be lack, dysfunction, mediocrity. God is saying to you, "I'm calling you up higher, I'm calling you into abundance, I'm calling you into freedom, I'm calling you into new levels." Now don't let comfort hold you back. The fear may still be there, but you have to act on your purpose, not on your fear.
Fear will keep you from your destiny. Fear will keep you by the pool another year. You may feel fear, but you have to do it afraid. As you step out, courage will come. Confidence will show up. The favor, the blessing, the healing, it's waiting for you not in your comfort but in your calling. If you're never uncomfortable, you're not growing. If you never have to stretch your faith, you're never over your head, then you're going to be limited. God will bring opportunities across your path so you can come up to a new level, go where you've never been, break bondages that have been passed down in your family line. It takes courage, it takes a holy determination. You'll be tempted to play it safe, don't rock the boat, "I don't want to have to stretch, try something new, it seems impossible."
God wouldn't have given you the opportunity, He wouldn't have told you to rise and walk if you couldn't do it. Don't let comfort hold you back. Being comfortable will keep you from your potential. You were created to stretch. You were created to go further. Yes, there will be seasons where you're comfortable, seasons where you're enjoying favor and blessings, but God is not going to leave you in your comfort. He's taking you from glory to glory. You can't reach new levels of glory without being uncomfortable, without having to stretch, without believing for things that seem unlikely. I've learned, the calling will disrupt your comfort. There will be strategic times in your life, like this crippled man, that God will call you up higher, He'll call you to break the addiction. You were fine for a long time, but suddenly you know you have to do something. He'll call you to leave the familiar and go into the unknown. That's what happened to me.
I worked seventeen years behind the scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. When my father went to be with the Lord, I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church, but I was comfortable behind the scenes. I didn't want to be in front of people. I wouldn't know what to say. All these fears, insecurity, intimidation were trying to hold me back. I had to make a decision: was I going to act on my calling or stay in my comfort? There were all these loud thoughts saying, "You better stay where you are. You don't have the training, the experience, you've never ministered before. It's not worth the risk." God was calling me to rise and walk. Like that crippled man, my first thought was, "I can't. I've never done it." But when I got quiet, I could hear this still small voice telling me, "Joel, you've got what it takes, you've been raised up for this time, this is your moment. You are well able."
The enemy will always tell you what you can't do, but if you'll turn down his lies, you'll hear a still small voice telling you what you can do. "You can break that addiction; you can beat that cancer; you can teach that class; you can start that business; you can pay your house off; you can rise and walk." "Joel, what if I try it and it doesn't work out?" What if you try and it does work out? What if you take that step of faith and you go to a new level? What if it thrusts you further than you've imagined? What if you discover you can do what you've never done, you can walk, you can lead, you can live free and whole. Don't let the what-ifs talk you out of your destiny. Turn them around. What if God shows up and favors you? What if doors open you never dreamed would open? What if you beat that addiction after all these years? Here's the key, if you never try, you're never going to know. There are no risks in playing it safe, no risk in lying by the pool another thirty-eight years. You already know what's going to happen. But how sad it will be to come to the end of life and never know what you could have become if you would have just dared to take some risks, if you would have acted on the call and not the comfort. If you would have listened to the still small voice, the Most High God, instead of all the loud, intimidating lies of the enemy. When my father went to be with the Lord, there were other family members on staff that were ministers. My sisters, brothers-in-law. They had more experience, they were very capable, excellent ministers. They could have wanted to pastor the church.
My personality type is I don't like conflict. I want everyone to be happy. I'll go out of my way to avoid even a possible confrontation. But I knew if I was going to step up and do what God called me to do, I had to tell my family what I was thinking. I asked if they would all meet me at the church one morning. You talk about being uncomfortable and way out of what I was used to. I called this big family meeting, the first time in my life. I was so nervous, wondering what everyone was going to think and how it was going to turn out. But when you make a move, God will make a move. I told them how I felt like God wanted me to pastor the church and I didn't know how it was going to work out or even if it was right but that's what I believed in my heart. I waited for all this conflict, all this debate. I'm sure some others felt the same way, that they were supposed to become the pastor, after all, they had more credentials. All I had was my high school diploma, one year of college, and my good looks. That was debatable.
After my big speech, the whole room went silent. Finally, my sister Lisa spoke up and said, "Joel, if you feel that way, we're all going to support you." The next person said the same thing, and again and again. I thought, "You mean there's not going to be this big debate, all this tension, strife, discord?" When you step into your calling, God will make your crooked places straight. He'll cause people to be for you that could be against you. He'll prepare their hearts; He'll fight your battles. That meeting ended with my mother saying, "Joel, I can't believe it's going to be you. You're the least likely one." I said, "Thank you, Mother, for your confidence." I walked out of there feeling about two feet tall. Friends, life is short, time is flying by. You have to make this decision: Are you going to stay comfortable, or are you going to step into your calling? On the other side of that uncomfortableness are new levels, new relationships, businesses, Compaq Centers. Are you letting fear hold you back, fear of what might happen?
I had played out in my mind over and over that family meeting, strife, discord, contention, arguing. None of that happened. Most of the negative things you think are going to happen are not going to happen. Why? God has already prepared the way. He's already lined up the right people. He's moving out the wrong people. He has the breaks you need, the favor, the strength, the healing, the freedom. All He needs is for you to step into your calling. Don't let fear hold you back, fear of what people are going to think. "What are they going to say, what if they're not for me?" If they're not for you, then you don't need them.
Your destiny is not dependent on everyone being for you. God has already lined up the people you need that will be there to support you, people that will help you accomplish your dreams. If a person or a group of people could stop your destiny, they would be more powerful than God. Quit worrying about what they might say, "They may not be for me, they may try to discredit me." They cannot stand against our God. Him being for you is more than the world being against you. We all have these times like I had; they are destiny moments. That opportunity is not going to pass by again. If you let fear keep you in your comfort zone, people didn't stop you, you stopped yourself. I'm asking you to choose your calling over your comfort. Every time God has taken me to a new level, every time I've seen favor in greater ways, one common thing has happened. I was uncomfortable, I had to do something I didn't like, I had to stretch, I had to walk down a path that wasn't familiar.
There was a lady in the Scripture named Rahab. She lived in the city of Jericho. She didn't have a good reputation; she was a prostitute. People looked down on her, didn't give her the time of day, thought, "Why would she live like that?" But God never writes anyone off. The Scripture says, "His calling on your life is irrevocable." That means God has already given you an assignment. He's already called you and He's not going to change His mind. You may make mistakes, get off course, do things you know you shouldn't but that doesn't change the call. God still has a destiny for you to fulfill. His mercy is bigger than any mistake you've made.
Joshua and the Israelites were headed to the Promised Land. The city of Jericho stood in their path. Joshua sent two men in to spy out the land. They looked around all that day; at night they needed a place to stay. Of all places, they came to Rahab's house. She found out who they were, and something came alive on the inside. All of the sudden she had this desire to help them. She told them how she believed in their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. She not only took them in, but she hid them. The next morning, the king of Jericho sent men to Rahab's house, and said, "Bring those men out, they're spies." She said, "I'm sorry, they left last night out the city gates right before dusk, if you hurry you can probably still catch them." Those men took off. The spies told her, "Because you've protected us, when we attack the city, we're not going to harm you or anyone in your house."
Rahab's life was spared. None of this would have happened if she wasn't willing to take a risk. She had to decide, "Am I going to stay where it's comfortable, keep living in dysfunction, doing things I'm not proud of or am I going to step into my calling?" She had this boldness, this courage to do something out of the ordinary. She had to take a chance that the king would find out she was hiding the spies. But deep down she knew this was a destiny moment, a chance to do the right thing, to show God that she believed in Him. I'm sure thoughts told her, "God's not going to have anything to do with you. Look at the life you've lived. Look at all the mistakes you've made." Somehow Rahab tuned that all out and thought, "God, I know you still have a purpose for me. I know I can still leave my mark." She took this risk and her whole world changed. Rahab ended up marrying a Jewish man, they had a son named Boaz.
Boaz married Ruth, they had a son named Obed. Obed had a son named Jesse; Jesse had a son named David. That means Rahab, this former prostitute, is in the family line of Jesus Christ. Like Rahab, when you choose your calling over your comfort, you can affect generations to come. Who knows how not only your life will be impacted for the good but because you chose to stretch when you felt like playing it safe, you chose to take the high road instead of compromising, you chose to leave the comfort of the addiction, the comfort of the dysfunction, and take steps to overcome. Your family line will look back and see the blessing, the freedom, the abundance started with you. You saying yes to your calling, you being willing to be obedient to do the right thing when it was hard, to forgive when you were wronged, to push past fear and step into your purpose. You were the difference maker. Is there some area God is asking you to leave your comfort and come into your calling?
Rahab felt the calling on her life, but the environment wasn't conducive to serve God. They didn't worship Jehovah. No one in her family believed in God. She was in an occupation that was looked down on, but because she stepped out of her comfort, what she was used to, she is now listed as one of the heroes of faith. Maybe like her, you come from a family that doesn't have any kind of faith, you're in an environment with people that don't have anything to do with God. All around you there's compromising, mediocrity, people taking the easy way out. The reason you feel that stirring in your spirit, the reason something is coming alive on the inside is because God is calling you. He's been waiting for you. You're not hearing this by accident, this is a destiny moment. The question is will you leave your comfort and step into your calling. Will you leave what's familiar, things that have held you down, people that are causing you to compromise, and make this decision that you're going to honor God. You're going to step up to who you were created to be. It's easy to play it safe, don't rock the boat. "I don't want to have to change, I don't want to be uncomfortable." But you'll never fulfill your purpose staying comfortable.
On the other side of the discomfort, is a new level of your destiny. I know today I am looking at heroes of faith. I'm looking at people that have greatness in them, great courage, great talent, great favor. "Not me, Joel. I've had a rough background, I'm not in a good environment." You're right where Rahab was. You are one decision away from stepping into your greatness. One decision from setting your family on a new course to freedom, honor, blessing, victory. Now do your part, leave the comfort and come into your calling. If you'll do this, I believe and declare, like the crippled man, chains that have held you back are being broken, sicknesses, addictions, lack, poverty, limited thinking. You're about to rise and walk. God is about to do what you couldn't do on your own. Like Rahab, you're going to see favor, promotion, protection, the right people, the fullness of your destiny, in Jesus' name. 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. We'd love to send you some free information on your walk with the Lord. Just text the number on the screen. I hope you'll get into a good Bible-based church and keep God first place.
Joel: Thanks for watching this message. I hope you enjoyed it. We upload new videos every week to keep you inspired and encouraged. So don't forget to hit the like button and make sure you subscribe to our channel.
Victoria: Let us know in the comments below how this message has encouraged you. We would love to hear from you. We're praying for you and your family. We'll see you next time.