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 will make you feel right at home. I like to start with something funny and one day Adam was feeling very lonely. God said Adam. I’m going to make you a companion. It’s going to be called a woman this person will cook for you wash your clothes. She will bear you children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night. She will always agree with you. And if you have a disagreement, she’ll be the first to admit. She was wrong. Adam said wow God what will a woman like this cost? God said an arm and a leg Adam said what can I get for a rib? And the rest is history?
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 sleep on it’s easy to live frustrated because somebody’s not doing what we want or discouraged because of a disappointment upset because a dream hasn’t come to pass but I’ve learned God doesn’t remove every frustration. He doesn’t change every person. We don’t like take away everything that’s bothering us. The scripture says be still and know that he is God this implies if we’re not still if we’re upset worried frustrated, we’re not going to know that he is God most of the times I’m frustrated. I’m trying to change things that only God can change. I’m trying to be God and fix things that I can’t control. You can’t make people do what’s right. You can’t make yourself do well if you’re trying to control everything you’re going to be frustrated.
You have to turn it over to God do what you can then let him take care of. The rest life is too short to live frustrated because we’re not getting our way frustrated because something unfair has happened. God wouldn’t have allowed it. If it was going to keep you from your purpose. It’s a test. Are you going to let it steal your joy live stressed out or are you going to be still and know that he is God. If God is not changing it. You have to be mature enough to say God. I don’t like it. But I know you’ve allowed it. And until you change it. I’m going to stay in peace and enjoy my life. The real Victory is not when God does everything you want removes all your frustrations. The real Victory is when those things happen, but it doesn’t bother you anymore. You’re at peace, you know, God is still in control.
Matthew 26. Jesus was about to be betrayed and go to the Cross he went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He was so troubled and so overwhelmed he asked his disciples to stay there and pray for him. He went away by himself fell on the ground said father if it’s possible take this cup from me little while. He went back to check on his disciples hoping to gain some strength some encouragement from them, but when he showed up he found that they were all sound asleep. He couldn’t believe it he woke him up said guys couldn’t you stay up and pray for me? This is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. He was kind of frustrated. He asked them again even more in fatica Lee, please stay awake. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak praying. Jesus went away again by himself to pray he thought for sure this time they got the message.
He came back a little later. Same thing. Still sleeping. You can imagine how disappointed he was. He turned around went back to pray some more then he thought I’ll go check on them one last time this third time. I know they’ll be praying after all I’ve done for them. I know they’ll be standing in faith with me. He went back to third time, but they were still sleeping this time. He didn’t try to wake them up. He didn’t try to get them to be for him. He looked at them and said sleep on he came to the point where he didn’t let it bother him anymore. He could have kept waking them up trying to make it happen being frustrated instead. He accepted. He wasn’t going to have their support. He accepted. It wasn’t going to work out his way. He didn’t fight it. He didn’t let it frustrate him anymore. He said sleep on and moved forward.
There are times in life when things don’t work out the way we want it. The people we were counting on weren’t there for us. The medical report wasn’t good. The dream isn’t happening on our timetable. We could be frustrated. We did the right thing. We stayed in faith, but it’s not working out you have to do what Jesus did tell the disappointment tell the delay till the frustration sleep on you’re not going to bother me anymore. I know God is still on the throne. I know he’s fighting my battles and he will get me to where I’m supposed to be. Are there some things you need to tell sleep on that person. You’ve been trying to change no matter how hard you try they won’t do what you want. It’s time to say sleep on you can’t control people you can’t make them do what’s right pray for them be respectful, but
Don’t go the next 30 Years letting them frustrate you two simple words can change your life sleep on Jesus wanted his disciples support. He deserved it. He had been good to them. But sometimes God will pull back people support he knows if they’re there all the time. Then you would become dependent on them. You would think they were your Source. They will your savior. You don’t need everyone you think you need God has already lined up the right people to come into your life to help you reach your destiny the right people. You don’t have to play up to you don’t have to try to manipulate convince them to be for you convince them to stay awake. They’ll be for you through thick and thin they’ll show up when you didn’t ask they’ll encourage you when nobody else is around.
But sometimes we’re being frustrated by people that are never going to be for us. We’re spending all this energy trying to win them over no matter how good we are to them every time we need them. They’re asleep. They’re busy. They’re not interested. I’ve heard it said quit swimming across an ocean to be good to someone that won’t walk across a puddle to be good to you.
And I’m all for overcoming evil with good blessing our enemies but the scripture says don’t cast your Pearl among swine. Your Pearl is your gift your personality your anointing. It’s who God made you to be some people want value your Pearl. They won’t respect you a gift. They won’t recognize what you have to offer the calling the fever on your life. Your time is too valuable to waste it with people that discount your Pearl don’t hang around people that try to lessen you or you feel like you have to prove to them who you are prove to them why they should be your friend. You don’t need their approval. You have Almighty God’s approval he breathes his life into you he crowns you with favor. You have royal blood flowing through your veins, hang around people that celebrate your Pearl people that polish your Pearl people that respect your Pearl.
Too often. We’re trying to drag someone along convince him to like us convince him to stay away. Do yourself a favor? Tell them sleep on if you’ll let go of the wrong people. God will bring the right people. He’ll send you divine connections people that will love you for who you are and not for what you can do for them people that will inspire you to go further people that will bring out the best in you people that will cause your Pearl to shine but Jesus was wise enough to recognize the disciples couldn’t stop the plan of God for his life their lack of support couldn’t keep him from doing what his father called him to do. They were good people they loved him but sometimes good people won’t be there for you. It’s a test. Are you going to get frustrated? Keep trying to wake them up or are you going to recognize? It’s a new season.
In and say sleep on here’s the key if they didn’t wake up. You don’t need them for this season. If they’re not giving you what they used to give you that means God has taken you to a higher level. He’s weaning you off the support the encouragement. It’s like a little baby. They love to have their bottle makes them comfortable makes them feel secure and that’s fine. As long as they’re a year or two old. But if there are 47 walking around with that bottle that’s a problem. But as parents when we take the bottle away from our children, they don’t like it. They’re uncomfortable, but we do it so it won’t limit their growth. Sometimes God will make you uncomfortable. He’ll take something away that you were used to a friend that always called and encourage you a co-worker that always helped you with the report a neighbor you could always count on to go somewhere together.
It’s because God is weaning you off that bottle so to speak as long as your dependent on people. It will limit how high you can go when God removes the support when he takes away someone that you were used to don’t get mad at them. Don’t keep trying to wake them up. God put him to sleep. You can’t open a door that God is closed. And that friend that’s not there anymore the disappointment you may not like it. It may be painful, but it’s ordained by God. You have to recognize that’s a sign you’re coming up higher that discomfort means you’ll go into a new level and every one that’s with you now may not be able to go where you’re going. Some people are like scaffolding they come into your life for a season to help you reach a certain level, but at some point God is going to remove the scaffolding so you can shine.
This is not that they’re not good people but their part in your story is over God’s taking you to a higher level quit being frustrated by somebody that’s not supporting you like they used to why don’t they call me anymore Joel? Why don’t they compliment me? The right attitude is I love you. I respect you, but I don’t have to have your support your compliment your encouragement sleep on we spend too much time trying to get people’s approval trying to get them to validate us. Then we’ll feel good about ourselves the problem with getting your validation from people is people can change their mind. One moment. People were cheering for Jesus shouting Hosanna waving palm branches a few days later those same people were shouting crucify him.
People can have a short memory people can go to sleep. And if you’re getting your value based on what people give you how much they compliment you then if for some reason they stopped doing that you’ll forget who you are. Your self worth is coming from them. Quit relying on people and go to God. You don’t need their approval you have God’s approval.
But in life we all go through Gethsemane, we all have disappointments and things we don’t understand what I’ve learned. God gives us Grace for every disseminate Grace for every unfair situation. It’s very freeing when you can look at the people that have left you can look at the disappointment and say sleep on amazing things are up ahead. If you don’t give up in Gethsemane, yes, there will be crosses to bear betrayals setbacks. But can I encourage you if you keep moving forward there will be resurrections. There will be New Beginnings times were God pays you back for what was unfair times were God catapults you years ahead don’t get stuck in Gethsemane. Don’t let the sickness caused you to become bitter. You don’t understand it. It’s not fair. You could say God why this doesn’t make sense or you can look at
The frustration the discouragement the fear and say sleep on I’m not going to drag through this day to feed it. I may be in Yosemite but I know a resurrection is coming because simony doesn’t have to stop you. God wouldn’t have allowed it. If it wasn’t going to somehow move you toward your purpose. The next time that co-worker is rude to you instead of being upset just smile and say sleep on when that car cuts you off in traffic instead of saying what you normally say try a new approach sleep on your not approving their behavior. You’re not enabling them. You’re simply saying your actions are not going to control my life. This traffic is not going to ruin my morning. This setback is not going to sour the rest of my future.
Maybe you need to tell your past sleep on you had a tough childhood. You went through a rough divorce. You lost a loved one. Tell the hurts tell the questions till the failures sleep on I’ve learned you’re either feeding your history or you’re feeding your destiny, but you can’t feed both. You’re either looking back living in regrets thinking of everything that went wrong or you’re looking ahead saying God. I know what was meant for harm. You’re turning to my advantage. I know you have Beauty for these ashes I know weeping indoors for a night, but joy is coming in the morning. If you’re always feeding your history, you’re going to be frustrated guilty angry in self-pity. Do yourself a favor. Tell your history sleep on.
You can’t go forward if you’re always looking backwards. You can’t see the new things on the horizon. If you’re focused on what’s behind start feeding your destiny father. Thank you that your plans for me or for good. Thank you that the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter. Thank you that you hold victory in store for the upright. If you’ll get your mind going in the right direction your life will go in the right direction. I talked to a gentleman last week. He’d gone through a lot of disappointments his marriage of many years had ended very successful career went downhill everything fell apart. He was so discouraged. He was going to end his life. He got in his car and was driving to a remote place. He turned the radio on and just so happened to tune into our SiriusXM station. Now, I was talking about Not Looking Back not reliving the hurts and failures and how God has good things up ahead. He said when he heard,
That it was like somebody breathe new life into his Spirit strongholds in his mind were broken. He turned around went back home today. He’s back on track living a life of Victory what happened? He quit feeding his history and he started feeding his Destiny. If you feed your history long enough, it will pull you into depression the enemy would love to keep you so focused on your hurts and what didn’t work out that your to discourage to move forward don’t fall into that trap. You wouldn’t be alive unless God had something amazing in front of you. You may be in Gethsemane a place of discouragement frustration. But if you’ll say sleep on and start thinking some new thoughts then you’re headed for a resurrection. You’re headed for a new beginning a place of restoration.
Few years ago. I was flying to an event with some of our staff and we want a smaller plane that held a couple dozen people after it took off. I wanted to open up my tray table so I could write some notes and the table was in the side of the plane right underneath the window and I pulled and pulled but I couldn’t get it open. My friend was sitting across the aisle his looked exactly the same and he pulled his straight out. No problem. I went back to mine and I pulled I yanked I struggled I thought I’m going to get this table open if it’s the last thing I do we’re stuck my friend came over he started pulling and pulling another staff member. They pulled and pulled it wouldn’t budge. I sat across the aisle kind of frustrated about that time. I looked up and over the window where we had been pulling there was a sign with big bold letters it read not a tray table emergency exit only.
Sometimes what we’re frustrated about is God keeping us from real frustration.
In my case God keeping me alive. If God answered all of our prayers opened every door. We asked him to open brought every person we begged him to bring we wouldn’t reach our destiny the longer I live the easier it is for me to say sleep on I may not understand it. It may not make sense. But I’ve learned God is smarter than I am. He can see things. I cannot see he knows what he’s doing. I wonder if what’s frustrating you has an emergency exit only sign on it and you can’t see it. You don’t understand why God won’t answer the prayer while the dream is taking so long and why that guy at work you like so much hasn’t even noticed. You you’ve won your best clothes your best perfume giving him your best move. He acts like he’s dead. Maybe it’s because God can see something you can’t see.
Under his shirt is an emergency exit only sign that’s hidden from you.
God has your best interest at heart if he’s not giving you what you want. That means he has something better. He loves you too much to let you miss your destiny.
A couple of years after I took over from my father the church started to grow and we needed a larger Auditorium. We found a Hundred acre tract of land right by the other location a few miles away on the freeway. It seemed perfect. The owner told us the property had been on the market for 20 years. We knew God had saved that property for us. He said we didn’t need to sign the contract right then we could do some preliminary drawings and do some soil samples while the paperwork was getting taken care of several months later. We went to close on the property. We had an eight o’clock in the morning appointment. We showed up at 7:45. The secretary walked out said I’m sorry the owner sold the property last night.
I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t keep his word. I went home. So disappointed not told Victoria what happened and how there was no more property and how now we were stuck. She looked at me and said Joel this means God has something better. He close this door for a reason. She started preaching to me one of my own sermons. I didn’t want to hear that. She was saying sleep on I would say no no wake up. This is bad.
I had to do what I’m asking you to do. I said God, I don’t understand it. It doesn’t seem fair. But God I trust you. I believe you know, what’s best several months later. We found another piece of property. It seemed better than the first one. We went to close on it the same thing happened. They sold it out from under eyes. If you don’t pass the test the first time you get to take it again this time. I said God, I’m glad they sold the property. I didn’t want it in the first place.
God knew I was lying but it felt good but six months later a friend called said Joel those Euston Rockets basketball team is moving out of the compact Center. That would be a perfect place for Lakewood what he said that something came alive on the inside. I knew that’s why God in close those doors. He had something bigger better. I never dreamed we could have the compact sinner things fell into place. Here. We are today. What am I saying? The things you’re tempted to be frustrated about today? If you will stay in faith one day you’ll look back and say like me. Wow God you outdid yourself. I never dreamed. I’d meet somebody this great. I never dreamed. I’d feel this healthy. I never dreamed you’d take me this far God’s plan for your life is so much bigger than your own. The real question is what will you do in Gethsemane?
When it’s not working out you away when your friends aren’t there for you when the contract doesn’t go through when the medical report is not good too many people don’t see their Resurrection because they get bitter in Gethsemane God. Why did they fall asleep? Why did they sell it out from under us Gethsemane is the real test. We like when everything’s going great, but that’s not when we grow the most because simony is where you can be promoted. God is seeing what you’re made up. He’s seeing if you’re ready if you’ll stay in peace, if you’ll be still and know that he is God that he’ll take you into your Resurrection the way you know, you’re ready to be promoted is not that God has removed all your difficulties, but you don’t let them frustrate you anymore.
You’ve learned this principle to simple words sleep on.
Maybe these two words could help you get your joy back to words could help you sleep through the night to words could bring you peace sleep on I read about a lady that was complaining about everything that went wrong that day. She said God, why did you let so many bad things happen? My alarm didn’t go off and I was late to work at lunch. They made the wrong sandwich and I had to send it back driving home my cell phone dropped the call in the middle of the conversation to top it off when I got home. I wanted to put my feet in the foot massager, but it wouldn’t turn on. God said. All right, let me go down the list your alarm didn’t go off because there was a drunk driver on the road. I delayed you on purpose. So you wouldn’t be harmed you had to send your sandwich back because the first person that made it wasn’t feeling well, I didn’t want you to catch what they had. So I had somebody else make you a new one the cell phone dropped the call because that
Listen was about to fill you with gossip. And I didn’t want you to be contaminated and the foot massager. It had a short in it. If you would have turned it on it would have knocked out the power and I didn’t think you wanted to sit around in the dark all night. Could it be what’s frustrating you is really the hand of God. Could it be he’s behind the scenes doing things? You can’t see but it’s for your good protecting you guiding you positioning. You nothing happens without God’s permission. We’re not always going to understand it. This is when we have to trust him.
You may be in Gethsemane today. You have a good reason to be upset frustrated. I’m asking you to do what Jesus did tell the frustration tell the past tell the disappointment sleep on it may not be fair. But God sees what’s happening. He has you in the palm of his hand. He’s breathing in your direction right now. Don’t give up in Gethsemane. You are close to your breakthrough. You are close to a new level. If you will pass this test, I believe and declare you’re going to come out of Agra cemani into your Resurrection. You’re going to see promotion healing restoration Vindication God’s going to turn the frustration into favor. You’re going to rise higher accomplish dreams and become everything. He’s created you to be in Jesus name and if you receive it, can you say Amen today?
I’d like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me just say Lord Jesus I Repent of my sins come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior.
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