Beautiful Cindy, Michael, thank you so much, and our choir, as well. Thank you for being here today. Can I see your hands one more time if you’re visiting? I just want to welcome you again and God bless you. It is our joy to have you. Come back any time; you’re always welcome. I’m going to be signing my book out there in the lobby, my new book. If you want to stop by, I’d love to meet you, whether you are a visitor or a Lakewood family member. We are just glad to have you here and see you and would love to see you afterward if you have time.
So, I want to add my two cents to say thank you to all of the faithful volunteers. I remember all of these people. I grew up with them. Sister Pew, I remember her teaching me in Sunday school. And that’s why I’m so smart, because of Sister Pew. So, anyway, I feel very honored to have faithful people. And some of you are newer but you know what you’re faithful as well. Lakewood is a team. It’s not just me and Victoria and our family. It’s all of us together so thanks for being here today.
We’ve got some special guests here today. I always love having our city and government leaders. But Sheriff Adrian Garcia is here in the front row. Thank you so much for being here with your beautiful family. Our pleasure to have you. We love you. And also we have a special speaker today in the Spanish service; Pastor Ray is right here and going to be speaking for us in our Spanish-speaking service today. So good to have you and to meet you.
Thank you for being here. Do you mind standing one more time, if you would please? I saw really quickly there’s a Lakewood Business Men’s meeting, a fellowship tonight at 6 o’clock. Some great Lakewood businesspeople, men and women, I should say. So if you want to come that’s at 6 o’clock. If you see yourself on the big screen can you give our TV audience a great big Lakewood welcome?
Well, God bless you. It’s a joy to come into your homes. And, if you’re ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you, we’ll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in and thank you again for coming out today.
I’d like to start with something funny. I heard about this Pastor and this song leader. They weren’t getting along. It started to spill over into the services. One Sunday morning, the Pastor spoke on being willing to change. Afterwards, the song leader got up and led the song, “I shall not be moved.” The next week the Pastor spoke about being a giver, and the song leader got up and led the song, “Jesus paid it all.” The next week, the Pastor talked about not gossiping, watching your tongue. The song leader got up and led the song, “I love to tell the story.” The Pastor got so frustrated he resigned. He told the congregation, Jesus brought me here and Jesus is taking me away. The song leader then led, “What a friend we have in Jesus.”
Hold up your Bible, 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. I am about to receive the incorruptible, indestructible, ever-living seed of the word of God. I’ll never be the same, never, never, never. I’ll never the same. In Jesus’ name. God bless you.
If you’d like to open your Bibles to 1 Peter 3:10. I’ll give you just a moment, 1 Peter 3:10. I’m going to quote it from the message translation. It might be a little bit different and we’ll put the other Scriptures on the screen. Don’t forget, as I said, 1:45 a great Spanish speaking service with Pastor Ray today. At 7 o’clock, our young adult service. Pastor Craig Johnson’s going to be ministering. Wednesday night, my brother Paul will be ministering for us. It’s going to be a greta time. And next weekend we’ve got a special treat for you, first time at Lakewood Max Lucado is going to be with us. He’s a great minister so hope you come out as often as you can.
One last big favor, please don’t leave until the very end, unless you have to go to work or catch a plane or something. Just so we can keep the House of the Lord in order. Thank you in advance for that.
I want to talk to you today about not fueling the fire. We all have opportunities to make people look bad. We hear rumors or things that we don’t know for sure are true but it’s tempting to repeat them. It’s not that we’re a bad person, we’re just telling what we heard. Or maybe we know something about a person that is true. They made a mistake, they had a failure. It’s easy to justify telling that because it’s the truth. But there are a lot of things that are true that we don’t need to tell. We should do our best to never show people in an unflattering light.
1 Peter 3:10 says, if you want to see your day fill up with good, here’s what you do. Say nothing evil or hurtful. We live in a society that’s filled with rumors, gossip, innuendos. There’s a lot of chatter these days. People talking on the Internet, at work, at school. They’re nosy, busybodies. They love to get things stirred up. They have no problem repeating things they know are only half true. On purpose, they’ll leave out certain details just to prove their point. And if we’re not careful, we’ll get pulled in and become carriers of their poison. Did you hear what I heard? I’ve got some big news, I’ve got some juicy information.
I read a quote that I like. Have you heard a word against your neighbor? Then let it die within you. In other words, have you heard any gossip lately? Have you read something juicy on the Internet? Has a friend told you some inside information about a person? It’s true, it’s hot off the press. They lied, they cheated. Here’s what you’re to do. Don’t go to the phone. Don’t go call 3 friends. Don’t get on the Internet and expose them. God says, let it die within you. Don’t say a word about it.
Somebody put it this way. Every person carries a bucket of gasoline and a bucket of water. When you hear rumors, gossip, juicy information, you can either pour your gasoline on it, add fuel to the fire and make it worse, or you can do what God says and pour water on it. Help to try to put it out.
Too many people are using their gasoline. They try to justify it. Joel, it’s the truth. They were wrong; I’m just stating the facts. Yes, they may be wrong, but the Scripture says, love covers a fault. Love doesn’t expose. Love doesn’t tell 5 friends. Love doesn’t get on Facebook and add fuel to the fire. Love says, they made a mistake but God can restore them. They messed up but God has a new beginning. They did wrong but I’m not going to add to their pain by talking about them, making them look bad. I’m going to show mercy and let it die within me.
When you know something negative about a person, you could easily show them in an unflattering light. That is a test. How you respond will determine how high you will go. If you add fuel to the fire, tell all of your friends, get everything stirred up. That will get you stuck where you are because God will not promote a gossip, a busybody, a fault finder. But if you’ll get your bucket of water and help put your fire out, don’t say anything about it, cover that fault, then you will pass that test. That’s the kind of people that God promotes.
The real question is, when we hear juicy information, when it’s hot off the press, will we use our discipline to let it die within us? A few years ago, I was at dinner with a friend of mine. This man’s name came up and I knew first-hand this man was having legal problems. He had done something wrong, got in trouble with the law, and the friend I was with knew nothing about. Human nature wants to tell it. After all, the man never asked me not to. It was all true. I had my gasoline, I had my water. It was very tempting to throw a little fuel on the fire. I don’t know how he’s doing, I heard that he may have some legal problems. I could have stirred it up. But I knew there was a chance that may never come out in public and this friend’s opinion of this man would never change.
But if I were to be undisciplined and just say whatever I want, then because of me this friend’s opinion of that man would forever be lowered. When you protect a reputation, you are sowing a seed for God to protect your own reputation. In our conversations, we need to ask ourselves, number one, do I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is really true, or have I heard it third or fourth hand? And, number two, even if it is true, is it absolutely necessary? Do I really need to tell it or do I want to tell it?
This friend that I was at dinner with, he had no connection with the other man. There was no reason, and I didn’t do it, to show that man in an unfavorable light. A lot of times we think, well I’m just going to tell this one friend, that’s not going to hurt anything. But that person will tell another person. That person another, and on and on.
And no matter how they retell it, it won’t be the same. Things will be exaggerated, blown out of proportion. What’s big will get bigger. What’s bad will get worse. That’s why if you’re hearing things third or fourth hand, you should take it with a grain of salt. It can be so tainted, so misconstrued that very little of it is true. Don’t believe it until you hear it from the real source.
Victoria and I have some good friends now, but for about 10 years they wouldn’t have anything to do with us. Like liked us from a distance, we’re in similar positions, but somebody that doesn’t know us well, that shouldn’t handle God’s favor on our life, poisoned their opinion of us. They took things out of context, very one-sided, and showed how we were these terrible people, and we did somebody wrong, we couldn’t be trusted, on and on.
When this couple finally let us, they said, you’re nothing like those people said you are. Since then, we’ve become good friends. My point is, don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t let the Internet and people that are jealous and people that can’t handle success poison your opinion of somebody else.
The other day a man came up to me and said, Joel did you hear about so-and-so? By the way he said it, I knew it wasn’t going to be good. I smiled and said, very politely, no I didn’t hear, and if it’s not good I don’t want to hear. You shouldn’t let people fill you with a bunch of trash. Somebody wants to talk bad about a person, gossip, put them down, don’t sit there and take that all in. Tell them, no thanks, my ears are not garbage cans, I don’t want to hear that trash. You want to talk bad about them, gossip, judge them, stir up strife, that’s your choice but you’re going to have to find somebody else to do it with.
You’ve got to put your foot down and not allow people to poison your life. You shouldn’t go to lunch every day at the office and sit with people that gossip, badmouth the boss, complain about the company, trash your friends. That’s sowing discord. That’s one of the things that God hates. But Joel if I don’t eat lunch with them, I may not have anybody to eat lunch with. Well, I would rather be lonely and not poisoned than to let that trash go into me.
Do you know, spirits are transferrable? The Scripture says don’t hang around angry people or you will become angry. You hang around gossipers then you will become a gossiper. If you hang around fault finders, you will become a fault finder. You hang around with nosy, busybodies, and that nosy busybody spirit will get off on you. Be careful who you associate with. Your time is too valuable to be poisoned.
We all know people that mind everybody’s business except their own. They’re nosy, prying into peoples’ affairs, trying to get the latest scoop. Let me tell you what I heard, you won’t believe what I found out. They’re busybodies, they’re always spreading rumors. They’ve got an opinion about everything and they’re going to give it to you whether you want it or not.
They keep trying to run everybody else’s life and the truth is they can’t even run their own life. Be kind, be respectful, but don’t associate with a busybody. Listen, if they’ll talk about somebody else in front of you, don’t be fooled; they’ll talk about you in front of somebody else. We have to realize it is just as wrong to listen to gossip as it is to tell it. It takes two to gossip, the mouth and the ears. The seed and the sower.
Proverbs 11:13 says, hang on, I think I did something wrong. No, no, I’m doing it, we’re good. Quit messing me up, y’all. Okay, Proverbs 11:13. What is it? Oh, you’re looking at it there. You can see it there. Alright, Proverbs 11:13 says, a gossip goes around spreading rumors but a person of honor tries to quiet them. Notice, a gossip has the gasoline. But when you’re an honorable person, you’ve got the water. You defend, you show mercy, you cover.
If somebody starts gossiping around you, starts talking bad about a person, you can do a couple of things. You can say, oh, I just realized, I’ve got to make a telephone call, I’m going to have to step out. You can politely excuse yourself. If you want to be more bold, you can say, hey, instead of talking about them why don’t we pray for them? If we would spend the same amount of time praying for people as we do talking about them, then they would change.
And a person of honor sticks up for their family. You defend your friends, you cover their weaknesses. If I hear somebody talking about you and I know you’re a part of the Lakewood family, I’m going to do everything I can to take up for you.
Well, Joel, one of your members tried to run me off the road last week. Now, I’m sure they didn’t mean to, they probably just dropped their cell phone, got distracted. No man they were honking their horn, had their fist up in the air. No, I’m sure they were just worshipping the Lord. You are good, all the time, you are good. I’m not going to pour gasoline; I’m going to pour water. You’re my friends. You’re my family. That’s the way you need to be with the people in your life. Defend them, stick up for them. Somebody starts gossiping, bad mouthing, your attitude should be, hey, you’re messing with the wrong person, that’s my family. They’re a part of my Church. They’re my friend. They’re my classmate.
You have a responsibility to help stop that gossip. You should be especially loyal to your own family. Your parents, your brothers, yours sisters, your siblings, your relatives, your cousins. You may not always agree with them, they may get on your nerves from time to time, they may be a little bit different, doesn’t matter. Somebody starts talking about your family, it’s your duty to put a stop to it. That’s your blood. That’s who God has chosen you to be with.
I’ve seen people, somebody starts talking about a family member and they jump on the bandwagon. Yeah, I know what you mean, they’ve been a jerk their whole life. I’ve had to put up with them for years. No, put a stop to it. They may not be perfect but you can say, I know they’re a little different, they’ve got some issues, but you know what they’re growing, they’re changing, deep down they’re a good person. That’s my family; I love them. Be loyal. Stick up for them.
Joel you don’t know what they’ve done. My brother borrowed money from everybody in the family and hasn’t paid us back. My dad ran off with somebody else, messed up our family. That’s unfortunate but it’s still your family. It’s easy to kick people when they’re down, it’s easy to be judgmental, say I told you so, but the honorable thing to do is stay on the high road and help restore them, help bring peace back to your family. They’ve got enough people trying to push them down. They should be able to count on you as family to help lift them up.
I feel very blessed because I have family members that I know would defend me till my dying day. I could go out, rob a bank, steal a car; they’d say oh Joel he’s not really stealing, he’s just borrowing it, he wants to help somebody. Now behind closed doors they’d tell me to get my act together. But in front of you, I can do no wrong. They’re my family. They believe in me. They’re loyal, they’re honorable people. If we can’t count on our family, who can we count on?
Proverbs says a friend loves at all times but a brother is born for adversity. That’s saying your friends are great, we all need them, but there’s something about your family. They were born for adversity. In the tough times your family needs you more than ever. Too often we let strife, jealousy, competition, and division, pull us apart. Rise above that. Get over the petty differences. Quit arguing over things that don’t matter. In a little while, we’re all going to be gone. Your brothers, sisters, cousins, relatives. They need you. Stick up for your family. Defend them. Cover their thoughts.
The Book of Genesis tells how Noah was on the arc for 190 days with his family and with all of the animals. It rained for 40 days and then it took 150 days for the waters to recede. You can imagine how Noah must have felt being cramped up all of that time not only with the animals but with all of his family, all of his relatives. 190 days. Nowhere to go, always together. Somebody pointed out when Noah got off the arc, the first thing he did was went out and got drunk. It wasn’t right but he had had enough. We laugh but most of us can only take a one-day family reunion. Imagine a 190-day family reunion with all of your relatives, never able to leave the house.
Well Noah was lying on the floor of his tent, drunk, passed out, totally naked. Taking off all of his clothes. His youngest son Ham came in and saw his father lying there drunk and naked. Ham ran out and started telling everybody. Found his two brothers. You won’t believe what daddy’s done, making a fool of himself. He’s drunk, he’s lying there naked, on and on. Ham told everybody he could find; instead of covering his father’s fault, he exposed it. He added fuel to the fire.
The other two sons did just the opposite. They went to Noah’s tent. When they saw their father lying there drunk and naked, they… They refused to look at their father. They got some blankets and backed into the tent, never looking at their father in that shame. They took those blankets and they covered Noah up. They were saying by their actions, dad was wrong, he made bad choices, he’s lying here drunk and naked, but we’re not going to do like our younger brother Ham and go out telling everybody and expose him and add fuel to the fire. We’ve got this water, we’re going to cover his fault. They were saying, it’s our father. That’s our flesh and blood. Yes, he’s lying here in shame but we’re going to protect him while he’s down. We’re going to defend him while he’s not up to par. We’re not going to let anybody else see him in this negative light.
When Noah woke up, he found out what had happened, how one son had exposed his faults, the other two sons had covered his faults. He said to Ham, the one that went out telling everybody, your children and your grandchildren will always struggle. There will be a curse on your descendants because you dishonored me. You didn’t protect my reputation, you exposed me. Noah said to the two sons that showed him honor by covering his faults, by protecting his reputation, you and your descendants will always be blessed. You will prosper, you will rule over cities, your land will increase, you will have God’s favor because you showed me honor even when I deserved dishonor.
It’s interesting. Ham could just as easily put water on him instead of the gasoline. He could have covered his father’s faults. He could have defended Noah. But he was undisciplined. He chose to go out and tell everybody. When we make the choice to make people look bad, to say things to damage a reputation, to say things to show them in an unfavorable light, that puts us on Ham’s side instead of the two brothers’ side. But when you show honor, even when honor is not due, maybe what the person is doing is wrong. They deserve shame. But because you choose to cover the fault, because you stick up for your father, because you defend your brother, your cousin, your relative, God says to you what Noah said to the two sons, you will be blessed. You will prosper. You will be in a position of honor. Make sure you say on the two brothers’ side.
Now let’s take this beyond our biological family. How about our Church family? That person you sit close to each week? That volunteer you see in the nursery. If they fall, if they make a mistake, are you going to cover them? How about that coworker that blew it, they were wrong. Are you going to go out like Ham and expose them, blow it up bigger? After all, it’s true. Now just because it’s true doesn’t give us the right to repeat it. Well Joel they’re guilty; they were wrong. Yes, but only the guilty need mercy. Paul said Galatians, when someone falls, you who are spiritual are to gently restore them. Notice he didn’t say to expose them, to tell everybody, make sure they feel embarrassed and ashamed. He said to gently restore them.
If you will cover people when they fall, cover their weaknesses, God will make sure somebody will always be there to cover you. It’s easy to expose, want to be critical, judgement, but remember this. The same amount of mercy you show others is the amount of mercy God will show you. When you protect a reputation, you are sowing a seed not only for your life but for your children. The Scripture talks about how we can store up mercy for future generations. When you cover that fault, you may not receive that mercy. It may go to one of your children, in their time of need.
I don’t know about you but I’m going to be generous in my mercy. I’m not going to be a fault finder; I’m going to be a protector. There’s nothing you can do that would cause me to expose you. If you fall, I’m going to cover you. If you blow it, I’m going to protect your reputation. If somebody’s talking about you, I’m going to defend you. If you drop out, I’m going to help restore you. I’m going to be a friend you can count on. Someone who will stick with you, through thick and thin. To protect you, to defend you, to cover you.
See, we live in a society that likes to kick people when we’re down. A lot of people jump on the bandwagon; wow they’re wrong, judgmental. No don’t be a fair weathered friend; stick with people. Your family, your friends, they need you more in the tough times than they do the good times. Where are the people that will defend their family? Where are the people like Noah’s two sons that will say, hey my cousin may have fallen but don’t you dare talk about them, that’s my family. He may be down, he’s not staying down, he’s coming back again. This is not the end; it’s a bump in the road, he’s going to come out stronger than before.
Yeah, but I don’t see how he could have made that mistake. What was he thinking? Just as them. Have you ever made a mistake? Have you ever done something that you’re not proud of? If not, you can throw the first stone. But if you have, you need to zip it up because you’re talking about my family. And these ears are not garbage cans, I don’t want to hear that trash. Defend your family. Stick up for your friends. Put an end to that gossip. Do what you can to cover a fault.
Years ago, there was a Minister that made some poor decisions. It was a very public ordeal, a big controversy in the press, went on for months and months. At one point, another Minister, that was also very well known, got on television and criticized this Minister, and told everyone what a disgrace he was, and how he was like a cancer that needed to be removed. No mercy. So hard. It’s as if this man’s reputation wasn’t bad enough already but this Minister just added fuel to the fire and made it even worse. Eventually, he had to resign, lost his Ministry. A very sad situation. But when we choose to expose, when we choose to run out and tell everybody, that’s just like Ham not covering for his father Noah. A couple of years later, this Minister that was so hard on the other Minister, he got involved in the same type of thing. It was an even bigger controversy; he ended up losing his Ministry, as well.
When somebody has done wrong, when they’re at fault, you could say that situation is contagious. Like a virus, you’ve been exposed. Now how you handle that is going to determine whether or not you come down with it. In other words, like a person that has the flu, they’re contagious. If you get around them, you’ve been exposed to it. That virus can get awful. What’s going to protect you is if you have a flu shot. The vaccination will keep you from getting it.
In the same way, when you’ve been exposed to somebody that’s done wrong, they’re contagious. You can catch the exact same thing that they have. Here’s the key. Mercy is your vaccine. Covering the fault is the equivalent of taking the flu shot. That’s what’s going to keep you from being infected. But if you’re hard, you show no mercy, you let them have it, the very thing that you’re critical about because they’re contagious it can come right back to you. We all face situations where we could be judgmental and I can’t believe they did that, and I’m going to let everybody know how wrong they were.
No, it’s much better to say I’ve been exposed to something that I don’t want. I know the secret and I’m going to show mercy. I’m not going to do like Ham, run out, telling everybody, let me tell you what my dad did, let me tell you what my neighbor got caught doing last week. No, be a person of honor and cover it. Show mercy. That’s your vaccine. That’s what’s going to keep you from doing the exact same thing somewhere down the road.
As a parent, when somebody does something good for our children, they help restore them in a time of need, they’re kind, they’re giving, they’re merciful, there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for that person. We’d be so grateful we’d go out of our way to do anything that they ask. In the same way, when you stick up for one of God’s children, when you help defend them, when you help restore them, when you protect a reputation, there’s nothing that God won’t do for you. When you are generous with your mercy, you will always have God’s favor. Mercy sets the tone for blessing.
My challenge for all of us, when you hear a word against your neighbor, against your family, against your friend, be disciplined to let it die within you. If you would be a person of honor, not let people gossip around you, cover their faults, then because you choose the water and not the gasoline, just like Noah’s two sons I believe and declare you will be blessed, you will prosper, you will succeed, and you will become everything God’s created you to be. Amen. Do you receive it today?
We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I’ll repent of my sins, come into my heart, I’ll make you my Lord and Savior.
Well, 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, He’s going to take you places that you’ve never dreamed of.
Let me pray for you, as well. Lord, I thank you for what we’ve heard today. I know it falls on good ground with the people of Lakewood. Lord, I thank you that we’re going to be generous with our mercy when we go out this week and the weeks to come. And Lord I ask that not one person would leave without knowing your son Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Draw them by your spirit. Let them feel your love as they’ve never felt it before, even right now.
With our heads bowed in prayer, let me ask you an important question before we dismiss. If your heart stopped beating in the next couple of minutes, are you at peace with Almighty God? Do you know where you’d spend eternity if you died a moment or two from now? If not, I would love to pray with you.
I’m not here to condemn anybody. I’m here to help you find a new beginning. I know that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And in just a moment if you’re not at peace with the Lord or maybe you are a Christian but you’ve grown cold toward God and you know in your heart of hearts you need to rededicated, recommit your life to Christ, you need a fresh new start and a new beginning. If that’s you, I’m going to ask you to take a step of faith and stand right where you are and we’re going to pray together.
I can’t think of a better time to get on the road to victory than right now. The good news is God is not mad at you. Your sins have already been forgiven. All you’ve got to do is accept the free gift of Christ Salvation. Will you do it today? The enemy will always tell you, do it later. He’ll give you a thousand reasons why you shouldn’t stand up. Listen, the Bible says today is the day of salvation. I can’t guarantee you you’ll have another chance to make this decision. Why don’t you do it today? We love you here at Lakewood.
Well you say Joel that’s kind of embarrassing to stand in front of all those people. This is what Jesus said, if you won’t be ashamed of me before men, then I won’t be ashamed of you before my Father in Heaven.
I’m going to give you a great opportunity to show God you’re not ashamed of Him. When I ask you if you’re not at peace with the Lord or you just need to rededicate, recommit your life to Christ, you need a fresh new start, a new beginning, if that’s you, would you be bold, take that step of faith and stand right where you are, and we’re going to pray together. Would you do that?
Come on, Lakewood, let’s give them a hand as they stand. Come on, don’t put it off. There ought to be others. Can I pray with you, young people? Anybody else who’ll take a step of faith today? Anybody else?
Well, God bless you. Please remain standing, if you don’t mind. Let me tell you, we’re proud of you. I know that took courage to stand. More importantly, I know the angels are rejoicing in the Heavens, even right now. It’s going to be a new beginning in your life.
Let’s pray again. Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart, wash me clean, I make you my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Well just remain standing one more moment. Let me tell you again how much we love you. We’re proud of you. I know that took courage to stand. More importantly, I know the angels are rejoicing in the heavens right now. It’s going to be a new day of victory in your life. Listen, 3 things. Number 1, come back and be with us on a regular basis. We ask new believers, give us at least a year of your life. Come as often as you can; I promise your life will never be the same. There’s a great class out here called New Beginnings. They’ll tell you three important steps for your new walk with the Lord. Stop by and give Victoria and myself an opportunity to meet you. I’m out there in the lobby after every service where I minister. I’d love to welcome you and your family to Lakewood.
Do me a big favor; when you come back next week, don’t come alone. Bring your friends and your family members with you. Last thing, the moment you stood up, God washed away all of your sins, your failures, your mistakes. You’re starting with a fresh, new slate. Write it down in your Bible, October 14, 2012. That’s going to be a new day of victory in your life. We love you. Amen. Amen.
Come on, let’s all stand together, if you would please. Thanks so much for coming out today. How many of you are going off better than you were before? Amen. Alright, let me speak the blessing. Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord show you His favor and have mercy on you. And may the Lord watch over you and give you His peace. God bless you. Have a great week. We love you very much.
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Well, God bless you and welcome to Lakewood today. It’s always good to have you here. I love the fact that you guys come out full of joy, full of faith, full of victory. How many of you are ready to worship the Lord today? God’s been good to you.
I say it often but just when I walk in these doors I can feel God. I can feel a sense of faith in the place today, a spirit of victory. That just tells me we’re not going to go home the same way we came in. It takes time to worship God and I know you’re saying like me this is another day the Lord has made. We are choosing to rejoice, choosing to be glad. I think it’s so important that you see every day as a gift from God. We can never get this day back. I say this very respectfully but some people didn’t wake up this morning, some people didn’t wake up last week, but you know what, hopefully they’re in Heaven. But we’re alive, we’ve got friends, we’ve got family; let’s not miss the gift of this day.
Because really it’s easy to think about what’s wrong. Well, you know, but I’ve got this problem, I’ve got this person bothering me, I’ve got this big deal at work. If you don’t watch it, that can steal the joy from this day so you’ve got to say God I’m not going to ask you for all I don’t have, I’m going to thank you for all I do have. I’m not going to look at the fact someone did me wrong. I’m going to thank you for all the things I have right in my life.
So when you do that it puts you in an attitude to receive. But we are so glad to have you. How many of you are visiting? If you just slip your hands up. We want to welcome you, especially. God bless you. If there’s anything that’s trying to hold you back, like I said, this is the time to just let it all go. Say God I’m not going to go into a new week upset, mad at somebody else or even mad at myself. Sometimes you’ve just got to forgive yourself and say God I receive your mercy today, I let go of the mistakes, I move forward today. I believe, as you do, you give God praise you’re going to go out of here with more joy, with more faith. Not going to have an average week but let’s believe for an exceptional week. Amen. God bless you. Glad to have you.
Victoria:
Amen. There’s no better place to have your hope renewed and your faith restored than Lakewood Church. Amen. When we give Him praise and when we give Him worship, it’s just amazing how things begin to change in your own thinking. How a grateful heart, like Joel was saying, is produced. You know, you can’t be in the presence of God and in the glory and the awe of the moment and not realize how good God has been to you.
Amen. So, as we’re praising Him today, I want to encourage you to look through your eyes of faith, and you do have eyes of faith, and look through those eyes of faith and let the presence and what’s going on in this place creating you vision on what you want. We’re supposed to have vision for what we want. And so many times, we go through those doors and we only have vision for what’s happened, what the world’s been trying to tell us, the circumstances that have been trying to slap us around.
But God is saying no I want to create vision in you that can only be created by me. It’s in the supernatural realm and it’s something that you can’t see right now. But if you’ll continue to look through your eyes of faith and you’ll continue to get a mental picture of my greatness and how great I am in your life, you’ll begin to take that same picture out into the world, into your daily life, into your home, into the streets. You’ll begin to make that picture permanent.
And when those circumstances try to slap you in the face, you’re going to say oh no that is not the vision God gave me for my life. I am overcoming. This is our time; this is our season. Let’s create vision through our eyes of faith, our God-given eyes of faith.
God said, if you want to give and increase your faith you’ve got to begin to say what you want. You’ve got to begin to sing what you want. You’ve got to begin to declare so this is our opportunity right now. Amen. Let’s don’t let this opportunity pass. Let’s don’t let distractions, annoyances, things that are bothering us, keep us from what we can do right now in God. Because I’m telling you, this can be one of the most effective times that you have all week in the presence of God. Amen. Let’s open our hearts and let’s let Him know how much we love Him this morning.
Father, we thank you for every person here. God, you know them by name; they’ve come in here God and you see where they are, you see what’s going on in their life, and Father they are asking you right now to continue, Father, to give them the vision they need to make it through. You said that through faith and patience that we inherit the promise. So Lord that is why we are here today to increase our faith, to strengthen and persevere in patience so we can go on and receive everything you have for us. Father, we rejoice in your presence already. We expect you to do great things in us right now, Father. And we bless you with our life, in Jesus’ name. And everyone says, Amen. Thank you, Lord.
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That we’ll bring healing, we’ll bring peace, and we’ll bring joy wherever we go. Lord, I thank you today that we are strong in the Lord in the power in our lives. Lord, I thank you than no weapon formed against us will prosper but that we are healthy, we are forgiven, we are redeemed, we are confident, secure, anointed, accepted, approved, talented, creative, disciplined, focused, blessed, prosperous, valuable, not average, not mediocre, but children of the Most High God. Lord, we celebrate all you’ve done in the past, we can all look back and thank you for that. We can thank you for all you do today. Lord, we choose to thank you in advance for the amazing future you have in store for each one of us. In Jesus’ name. If you believe, if you declare it. Can you give the Lord a shout of praise today?
I love to think about that, that God always does His greatest victories in our future.
That means if you’re alive, if breathing, there’s something more for us to do. There’s no obstacle you’re facing today that you cannot overcome. The Scripture says that God’s plans for us are for work and not evil, to give us a future. God’s already planned out our days for good. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we’re not going to have some challenges along the way but if you can just remember that God has the final say. God created the universe so if God is for you, since God says His plans are for good, you may go through a few bad ones, and you may go through a few bad times. But know this, God will not only bring you out but He’ll bring you out better off than you were before. So stay in faith today.
The Scripture says the steps of a good person, that’s all of you or you wouldn’t be here, the steps of good people are ordered by the Lord. You’re never – where you are is where you are supposed to be. God has you at the right place at the right time. Sometimes we think I’m not in a good place. No, God may not have sent that but where you are is not a surprise to God. If you will stay in place and not get bitter, God will not only bring you out but… You know, the enemy will always fight you the hardest when he knows God has something amazing in front of you.
So, He knows tough times. So, keep the right attitude. You know, God never wastes.. He will even use the tough times to make us stronger and grow us in character. So don’t get bitter, just keep reminding Gods plans for me are for good. I’m going to keep moving forward. There’s no sickness, no disappointment, no person, nothing can keep you from your destiny except really you. You know, if you quit, if you give up, if you get bitter. Listen, don’t think that person at work is going to stop you. If God needs to move them or if God needs to take you right over them, God knows how to take you to where you’re supposed to be in the same way.
You know, the Scripture says nothing can take this out of God’s hands. That sickness can’t keep you from your destiny. You keep believing; if it’s not your time to go, you’re not going to go. God will get you to where you’re supposed to be.
Last Scripture, I’m taking up all my time today. Listen, Isaiah 30:19, God is longing to be good to the people who are looking for His goodness. So, you need to go out, God I am looking for your goodness today. I’m expecting your favor. See, you may be in a tough time, you may not feel well, but you’ve got to say, God I’m looking for your favor. God, I’m expecting a breakthrough in my finances. God, I’m expecting my children to come back home and serve you. That attitude of faith is what allows God to work in our lives. We’re going to take a moment to pray today. Some of you came in, maybe with a heavy heart or maybe you have a big decision to make. You would like us to pray.
It would be our joy to pray for you, one on one. During the next song there will be prayer partners at the front of your section throughout the building. You don’t have to be a member. Anybody can come for prayer. Come on down if you need prayer. The rest of you, you’re welcome to be seated, if you like. We’re so happy to have you here today.
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Victoria:
– this morning, Amen. We say that God handpicked us. We can’t excuse that but but God handpicked us. He said it was before the foundation of the world. Even before we made it in… God already knew us and He approved us. So, today I want to encourage you. God loves you with an everlasting love. And if He didn’t, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be where you are today. God has been keeping you, He’s been protecting you, He’s been watching over you. You are in the palm of His hand because someday He’s going to meet you and you’re going to live with Him forever and ever and ever. Thank you, Lord. Hallelujah. Praise you, Jesus. Amen, and Amen.
It’s good to be in the House of the Lord, isn’t it? You feel strong this morning, you feel refresh and anew? God’s power is energizing you. Amen. You may be seated.
I just want to encourage you this morning about something we all know but it’s just a friendly reminder about unforgiveness. Unforgiveness that can sometimes creep its way into our heart and harm us. You know, Peter said to Jesus in Matthew, he said, Jesus, how many times should I forgive those who sin against me, insult me, are rude to me? Seven times, Jesus? And Jesus said to Peter, he said, no, Peter, not seven times, try 77 times. He was saying, Peter, you’re going to have to forgive them a whole lot.
He said, it’s going to take a lot to forgive them. See, by that answer, I think it shows us as humans living on this earth that when you have unforgiveness in your heart or someone offends you and it tries to turn into unforgiveness Jesus is saying you’re going to have to repeatedly give it to me. You’re going to have to repeatedly give it to me and give that person to me. You know, sometimes you can’t just say, take this unforgiveness. You have to take the whole person out of your heart, don’t you? You have to say, God just take the whole person, the whole matter, just take it from me. God is saying, do it until you finally settle it in your own heart. And it may take 77 times a day, it may take 77 times a second. Jesus said, do it. So that means He’s going to help us, isn’t that true?
The Bible says He crowns our efforts with success. See, unforgiveness is a trap that the enemy tries to hold us captive with. Because when we’re in unforgiveness, our prayers are hindered. The Bible says, when you’re in unforgiveness you can’t possibly move and be the person I’ve called you to be because you’re literally in a trap. You’re held captive. And when you’re a prisoner of something, you can’t move, you can’t be who you were intended to be. See, Jesus says, I commend you to forgive. So it’s up to us to give the unforgiveness and the entire person to God if that is what it takes. Amen. Because God is saying today I want you to move in the freedom and the places and I want you to be who I’ve called you to be.
I don’t know about you but you can tell when you have unforgiveness in your heart. You can say well I’ve given it to God but then do you ever feel some resentment? An annoyance, a frustration? Just something when you think about that it just does it all over again to you? That means that you know what you haven’t really dealt with the issue. But that’s okay. God’s not judging you by that. He’s saying, just give it to me, one more time. Just give it to me, one more time. And I will help you.
I’m not trying to ask you to do anything that I don’t help you with. Because the truth is we can do nothing, we cannot change ourselves outside of the help of Jesus Christ.
You know, I was raised in the jewelry business. My mother is in the jewelry business. And I remember, you know, studying diamonds and gemstones and precious metals. But there was one thing that I studied that is so fascinating to me. And that is how an oyster produces a pearl. And, you know, that little oyster does not try to produce a pearl. It wasn’t put here to produce pearls. But that little oyster, what it does is it’s trying to protect itself from the irritants that get inside of its shell. And it’s trying to protect itself from allowing those irritants to embed itself into the flesh or the mules of that oyster. So it has something that’s kind of like a lacquer, hard substance called nacre, and when that substance tries to come in and embed itself in there, and it does embed itself, it can cause great damage to the oyster and it even can kill the oyster.
Well, it automatically, when it recognizes that, it begins to secrete a nacre, it’s called, and that nacre releases that particle, and it just pushes it out and pushes it. It keeps covering that particle 77 times. It keeps secreting it until that thing is removed from it and it doesn’t attack itself. That is how a pearl is made. That little oyster works mighty hard to continue its energies and efforts to secrete that nature to get that pearl.
And just like that little oyster you and I are going to have to work mighty hard to keep the irritants and offences out of our life. We’re going to have to continue to secrete the love of God. We’re going to have to continue to give the situation to God. We’re going to have to continue to work so that those irritants, those experiences that would like to embed themselves in our hat and become unforgiveness, that they do not take root in our heart because God is saying you’ve got to forgive so that I can do the work. See, God is our vindicator; He promises that He will vindicate every wrong. But if we get in there and we try to fix the situation, there is no room for God to work. But I want to tell you something, that God is the best vindicator that there possibly is. And He will deal with the people that are trying to hurt you, harm you.
Your job is to continue to succeed the maker of that love on that situation. In fact, the Bible gives us a couple ways. And one way to help you secrete the nature of God’s love is to pray for your enemies. Now that is hard. But do you know how hard that little oyster has to work? It’s hard to make those irritants into precious pearls. But the Bible says this, when you pray for your enemies, it’s like heaping hot coals on their heads. Now, let’s not get real overjoyed about that. But, it does help, doesn’t it?
Because, listen, you can’t look at that person who has hurt you or those people who have hurt you and wait for God to knock them off the earth, wait for something to happen to them. That’s not what it means. It means that God will deal with them, and the truth is God wants us to pray for them to have victory because when you pray for them you are sowing seeds for people to pray for you. You are sowing seeds to give yourself the victory. You are sowing seeds that your prayers will be heard.
Jesus began a good work in us. Let’s don’t let unforgiveness, let’s don’t let bitterness keep us from our whole potential. Let’s don’t let the small things – and it is small in the scheme of things of what God wants to do in your life because you’ve got to remember those hurts and those pains they may be real. When you, when you give those to God, when you forgive, you know what, you’re not saying it didn’t happen, you’re not saying it didn’t matter, you’re not saying that it’s okay or excusable for what they did. You know what you’re saying? You’re saying God I trust you. I trust you to take me past this hurt and past this pain to a better place than I am today.
Because you don’t want to get stuck there. You don’t want to get stuck in bitterness because God has got so much more in store for you and the truth is nothing can separate you from where God wants you to go except yourself. When you get stuck and quit allowing God work in your life, that’s the only thing that can stop you from the rewards God has in store for you. And let me tell you one of the greatest rewards, when you forgive someone, is freedom. Freedom. Freedom to be who God called you to be, to hear what God called you to hear, to loosen the chains that would try to bind you and keep you stuck.
So know today God is the best vindicator there is. You just pray for those who have hurt you, pray for those who have hurt you. Because let me tell you, God has taken you past that hurt and past that pain; He’s going to vindicate you and you’ve seen nothing yet. You’ve seen nothing that He wants to do until you do that. Because God will take you to amazing places. Amen. Amen.
Just a friendly reminder what unforgiveness can do. Amen. Well this is volunteer month and we’re going to highlight some of our faithful volunteers. Paul, thank you for doing that. Don’t you love Doctor Paul? Glad he’s back, glad he’s back.
Paul:
You know, God tells us to honor those that labor amongst us, labor those that serve amongst us. And that’s what we want to do. We want to honor the volunteers that serve with us here at Lakewood Church. We don’t care if this is your very first day to volunteer. We want to honor you. If you’ve been serving for a month or a year or 5 years or 10 years. But there’s a special group of people we want to honor today. And those are people that have served here for a long, long time.
Like my friend, Sister Ana. That’s what we call her, Ana Pew. And I’ve known her as long as I can remember. And the thing I can tell you about Sister Ana is this. If there’s a hole to fill, if there’s something that needs to be done, she will do it, in the comfort ministry, the kids light or the inner ministry, she will do it, and she will do it faithfully. And she has done that faithfully for the last 46 years here at Lakewood Church. Let me put that in perspective; that’s 6,600 services that she’s served. And there’s a unique fact about Sister Ana. She taught my brother Joel, our Pastor, in Sunday school when he was a little boy, and he was smiling even back then.
Most of you know Sister Barbara. Sister Barbara Guthries. The most beautiful hats in the world. But Sister Barbara the thing I love about Barbara for 23 years she and her husband, I call him a prince of a man, William, he always used to kiss me on the cheek. They served faithfully as the head of the prayer partner ministry for 23 years. 12 years ago, William went home to be with Jesus. But did that stop Barbara? No ma’am, no sir. She’s still at her post, doing what God has called her to do. 35 years of ministry, 5,500 services she’s served at this Church. Thank you, Barbara. We love you.
This is Frank Jezek. Frank’s 81 years young and still going. Frank serves right over here. He always offers me the offering bucket. He has served for 3,200 services. For the last 31 years, he’s been faithfully an usher here at Lakewood. And what I love about Frank, I looked at his application and it said, why do you want to be an usher? And it said these exact words, I just want to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior. What an honor. And we honor you today for what you’ve done. God bless you.
Some of you may know Bernadette Gray. Have any of you been taught by Bernadette in the Children’s Church? She’s been teaching for 25 years in the Children’s Church. And we’ve been trying to figure out how many kids she’s taught, and all I can tell you is it’s probably 100,000 to 200,000 children that she’s taught over the last 25 years here at Lakewood. Bernadette, thank you for what you’ve done.
We have another whole group of people I’m going to ask to stand. On an average, this group of people have served at Lakewood for 27 years. Remain standing, if you will. We honor you. We honor you. Let me ask you, are you currently serving at Lakewood? Everybody stay up. Are you currently serving at Lakewood? All of the choir is going to stand up. Could you stand up? We just want to honor you right now. Isn’t that awesome? Remain standing. Maybe you served in a different season but you’re not serving now. I want you to stand up. We want to honor you if you served in a different season. Amen. Just stay standing, if you will. I want to leave you with these words.
People ask us all the time – remain standing – they ask us all the time why is Lakewood making such an impact for the Kingdom of God? And it’s a simple answer. Its faithful people just like this and just like this. People who are putting their hand to the plow and for 46 or 35 years and for 31 years they’re not looking back. They’re faithfully doing what God asked them to do. People planted themselves in the House of the Lord and not only are they flourishing in their own lives but they’re allowing this Church to flourish as called to do. So we honor you as a family, from Joel, Victoria, and all of our family.
And I want to leave you with one Scripture. Be steadfast, immovable, ever bounding in the work of the Lord. For you know, for you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. We love you, we’re grateful, thank you for what you do.
Victoria:
Amen. Amen to that. Well, we’re going to continue to worship the Lord as we bring Him our tithes and offerings. We’re cheerful givers here at Lakewood and we appreciate you sowing into this ministry. We believe we’re making a difference all over the world. I just encourage you to continue to be faithful because God said in Malachi that if you will give that He will give back to you. He will open up the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings you can’t contain when you give your tithes and your offerings to the Kingdom of God.
So, thank you so much for sowing into this Ministry. Continue to be faithful. Let God do what only God can do when you obey Him. And when you obey Him, He always does more than you can ask, think, or imagine. We love you. Go out and make it a great week. Know that we’re praying for you and the best is still out in front of you. God bless you.