Go Beyond Invisible Walls

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.959 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for listening to 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.759 our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:36.880 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.399 blessing and share it with. 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:43.720 A friends, reappreciate you, and pray for God's very best 0:01:43.760 --> 0:01:53.000 in your life. 0:01:55.920 --> 0:01:58.320 Well, God bless you. It's the joy that come into 0:01:58.360 --> 0:01:59.000 your homes. 0:01:59.200 --> 0:02:01.920 We love you, We know God has great things in store, 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:04.680 and if you're ever in our area, please stop buying. 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:07.080 Be a part of one of our services. I promise 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.280 you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks 0:02:09.360 --> 0:02:11.360 so much for tuning in, and thank you again for 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:14.120 coming out today. And I like to start with something funny. 0:02:14.160 --> 0:02:17.360 And I heard about this groom at the wedding rehearsal. 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.639 He said to the minister during the vows, if you'll 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:24.119 leave out all that honor, love and obey stuff, I'll 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:26.840 give you one hundred dollars. He pressed one hundred dollars 0:02:26.840 --> 0:02:29.440 into the minister's hand and walked away with a smile. 0:02:29.960 --> 0:02:33.240 The next day, during the ceremony, the minister said, do 0:02:33.320 --> 0:02:36.519 you promise to bow down before your wife to take 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:40.040 her breakfast in bed every day to fulfill her every desire? 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:43.160 And he gulped in astonishment and said, in a weak voice, 0:02:43.200 --> 0:02:45.919 I do. He then whispered, I thought we had a deal. 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:48.760 The minister handed him the money back and said, your 0:02:48.800 --> 0:02:53.320 wife made me a much better offer. Hold up your bible, 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:55.840 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:56.160 --> 0:02:58.440 I am what it says, I am. I have what 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.080 it says I have, and do what it says I 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:04.160 can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:08.960 I'll boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:09.320 --> 0:03:12.840 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.360 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:22.440 going beyond invisible walls. An invisible wall is something very subtle. 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:26.600 It's an attitude that says, we don't associate with those people. 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:30.160 They're not like us, they don't dress like us, they 0:03:30.200 --> 0:03:33.119 don't live in our neighborhood, they don't worship the way 0:03:33.200 --> 0:03:36.800 we do. They're not our same nationality. So we just 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:40.600 very quietly keep our distance. We can smile, we can 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.920 say hello, but they're this unseen barrier that separates us. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:48.840 But if all your friends look like you, and dress 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:51.840 like you, and live in your same neighborhood, can I 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:53.360 tell you you're missing out. 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:58.080 You're experiencing a small portion of what God really wants 0:03:58.120 --> 0:03:58.840 you to enjoy. 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.480 You don't broaden your life and go beyond your tradition 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:08.400 and get rid of little prejudices, then those invisible walls 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:12.680 can keep you from your destiny. The very people you're avoiding, 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:15.560 the ones you're saying they're not from my camp, they're 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.800 not for me. They could be the divine connection that 0:04:19.880 --> 0:04:21.400 hold the key to your dreams. 0:04:21.440 --> 0:04:23.560 Coming to pass. I've learned. 0:04:24.040 --> 0:04:27.600 God doesn't use people to help me that just look 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:30.640 like me and dress like me and come from my 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:35.880 same background. God likes variety, but sometimes we get stuck 0:04:35.920 --> 0:04:40.320 in our little box. I call it a prison of prejudice. 0:04:40.480 --> 0:04:43.760 Doesn't mean that we're bad people, but we have these attitudes. 0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:47.240 They're Baptist and I'm Catholic. I'm staying away from them. 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:52.479 They're Democrat and I'm a Republican. They're unclean, they're an aggie, 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:53.480 I'm a longhorn. 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:55.400 That's a major issue. 0:04:56.360 --> 0:05:01.479 Or more seriously, they're black and I'm white Hispanic, I'm Asian. 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:03.760 They're blue collar and I'm white collar. 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:06.599 Big deal. God chooses all people. 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:11.640 Every person that has breath to Breathe was created in 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:15.159 the image of God. Who are we to judge and 0:05:15.240 --> 0:05:18.400 think you're not from me. You're the wrong skin color, 0:05:18.600 --> 0:05:22.880 you're the wrong nationality. No nobody chose their skin color. 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:25.760 None of us could choose who our parents would be, 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:30.160 what country we be born in. God chooses that if 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:33.640 we look down on people and refuse to associate with them, 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:36.320 we're not really doing it to them, We're doing it 0:05:36.360 --> 0:05:39.919 to our creator. He holds the key to blessing, to favor, 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:43.680 to honor. You cannot disrespect God's children. 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:45.559 And expect him to bless you at the same time. 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:51.120 We may be black, white, brown, yellow, American, African, European, Hispanic, 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.359 but one thing we have in common is we all 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:59.080 bleed red. No matter what you look like, no matter 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.160 where you come from, As long as your blood is. 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:04.640 Red, you're my brother, You're my sister. 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:09.040 Do you know skin color is less than one sixteenth 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:12.159 of an inch deep. I'm not gonna be so petty 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:15.520 to let us sixteenth of an inch come between us. 0:06:16.080 --> 0:06:19.160 I need your friendship, I need your wisdom, I need 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:24.600 your encouragement, I need your blessing. We may be different cultures, nationalities, 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:29.040 different skin colors, but let's remember, really we're only one. 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:30.400 Sixteenth of an inch different. 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:35.200 They say that Sunday morning is still the most segregated time. 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:37.880 Of the week. I'm happy to report that's not the 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:39.120 case here at Lakewood. 0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:46.400 A well known reporter called us the most diverse church 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:49.919 in America. The amazing thing is we never tried to 0:06:49.960 --> 0:06:52.839 do it. Experts have come from all over the world 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:53.800 to try to figure. 0:06:53.520 --> 0:06:56.400 Out how this has happened. They used to ask my father. 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:59.640 Did you bust people in Did you have a big, 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:03.960 diversey campaign, Did you have specialist design a plan. No, 0:07:04.120 --> 0:07:07.240 we didn't do anything except love people and share good 0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:12.200 news and speak faith and victory. When you go beyond 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:16.920 invisible walls, God blesses you when you treat all people 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:18.200 with respect and honor. 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:19.520 That pleases God. 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:23.400 When you're just as kind and considerate to the people 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:25.920 that don't look like you as you are to the 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:29.200 ones that do, then you're positioning yourself to go higher. 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.200 And that's what I love about Lakewood. It's all races, 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:34.640 all colors, all nationalities. 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:37.000 All walks of life. This is what heaven is going 0:07:37.040 --> 0:07:37.480 to be like. 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:43.160 And if you're only comfortable being around people like your own, 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.520 if you have these hidden prejudices, then now is a 0:07:46.520 --> 0:07:48.880 good time to deal with it, because if not, when 0:07:48.920 --> 0:07:50.720 you get to heaven, you're going to be in for 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:54.160 a rude awakening. There's going to be black, white, yellow, red. 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:57.160 You might as well get used to it. That group 0:07:57.200 --> 0:08:00.000 that you're avoiding, the people you don't like to be around. 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:03.080 God will make sure your mansion is right next door 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:08.600 to theirs. Raleigh Washington is an African American minister and 0:08:08.680 --> 0:08:11.480 he said something that I really like. He said, when 0:08:11.480 --> 0:08:14.320 I was born, I was black. When I grew up, 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:16.640 I was black. When I go out in the cold, 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:18.840 I'm black. When I go out in the sun, I 0:08:18.880 --> 0:08:22.600 get more black. When I'm sick, i'm black. And when 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:25.680 I die, I'm sure I'll still be black. But what 0:08:25.800 --> 0:08:29.040 I found is when white people are born, you're pink. 0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:32.840 When you grow up, you become white. When you go 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:36.160 out in the cold, you turn blue. When you go 0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:39.520 out in the sun, you turn red. When you're sick, 0:08:39.679 --> 0:08:44.360 they say, he looks green. When you die, you turn purple. Now, 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:46.720 what I want to know is why are blacks called 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:54.720 colored people. I have a friend, he's a Hispanic police officer. 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:57.640 He said, Joe, what do you call two Hispanics playing 0:08:57.679 --> 0:08:58.920 each other in basketball? 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:04.480 Wan on Colossians three eleven. 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:09.040 In Christ, there's neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:13.960 black nor white, no difference between any nationality. Notice, God 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:17.280 doesn't see us as different races. God doesn't see us 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:22.560 as different social standings. Our tradition magnifies that what we wear, 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:24.800 what we drive, what our skin color is. 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:28.400 God looks past all the superficial. 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:30.760 Things, and he sees us all the same, not black 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:34.520 or white, just his children, not upper class or lower class, 0:09:34.559 --> 0:09:38.800 just one big family. Sometimes we make the mistake of 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:42.680 judging a whole race by a few people. We make 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:47.400 sweeping generalizations, and it keeps us from enjoying who God puts. 0:09:47.200 --> 0:09:48.560 In our life. 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:50.680 In high school, I had a good friend that was 0:09:50.679 --> 0:09:54.280 from Mexico. He was one of the kindest, most respectful, 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:56.720 most fun people you could ever hope to be around. 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:59.920 We had a great time together. But I had another friend, 0:10:00.440 --> 0:10:03.640 young white guy like myself, and I noticed that every 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:06.360 time I hung out with my Hispanic friend that he 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:09.360 wouldn't come around. One day, I asked him about it, 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:11.000 and please don't be offended. 0:10:11.040 --> 0:10:13.280 This is what he said. He said, Joe, you're right, 0:10:13.600 --> 0:10:17.520 I don't trust Mexicans. I said, you don't trust them? Why? 0:10:17.800 --> 0:10:21.040 He said, because my father told me a long time 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.199 ago they stole something from us, and you just can't 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.280 trust them. I said, you mean you're going to judge 0:10:27.320 --> 0:10:30.679 a whole race and stay away from them and live 0:10:30.720 --> 0:10:33.480 in your little box because of one person that did 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:35.160 something wrong years. 0:10:34.880 --> 0:10:36.800 Ago that you heard about. 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:40.280 He talked about a narrow point of view, but his 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:42.720 father had ingrained this in him. 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:44.640 Just stay with your own kind. 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:48.800 Don't associate with those people invisible walls. 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:49.520 That were holding him back. 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:53.520 I wonder how many of us have little prejudices that 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:57.360 had been passed down just subtle these stay away from 0:10:57.360 --> 0:10:57.920 that group. 0:10:58.200 --> 0:11:00.959 They're dishonest with those people. 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:03.600 They think they're too good. Don't hang out with that group. 0:11:03.640 --> 0:11:07.040 They're far below you. I said to this friend, do 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:11.400 you realize there are dishonest white people, just like dishonest 0:11:11.400 --> 0:11:17.400 people from other races. Plus there are also some incredibly kind, caring, friendly, honest, 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:22.040 genuine white people, Black people, Hispanic people, Asian people. Stop 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:25.440 judging a whole race by a few people. Don't let 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:29.320 statistics form your opinion before you even meet the people. 0:11:29.920 --> 0:11:33.320 If you do, like my friend, these prejudices will get 0:11:33.360 --> 0:11:37.400 passed from generation to generation. We end up not liking 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.240 somebody and we don't even know why. 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:42.000 It's just what we've heard. I'll never forget. 0:11:42.000 --> 0:11:44.000 I saw on the news these little four and five 0:11:44.080 --> 0:11:47.040 year old boys, this was in another country, that were 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:49.559 on a dirt road and they were throwing rocks at 0:11:49.559 --> 0:11:52.160 these men that were passing by. There's been a lot 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:55.640 of fighting in this country. A reporter went over and 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:57.640 asked one of the little boys. 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:59.959 Why are you so angry? Why are you throwing rock? 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:04.200 He said, because these people are bad, They're mean, they're evil. 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:06.920 We hate them. The reporter said, how do you know? 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:09.480 Have you ever met them? A little boy said, no, 0:12:09.960 --> 0:12:11.080 have you ever talked with them? 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:11.439 No? 0:12:12.040 --> 0:12:14.400 Have you ever played with their children? No? Then how 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:16.760 do you know that they're so bad? The little boy 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:17.520 thought for a moment. 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:21.439 He said, because mommy and Daddy told me they were bad. 0:12:22.160 --> 0:12:25.200 Think about it, five years old and all this hate 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:29.760 being ingrained in his heart. If he doesn't break that cycle, 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:32.720 he will grow up hating people that he's. 0:12:32.640 --> 0:12:35.360 Never met, angry with people that. 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:38.959 He's never been to dinner with, avoiding someone that he's 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:40.480 never taken time to know. 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:42.960 Could it be that we do the same thing. 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:46.520 We avoid certain groups of people because of what we've 0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:49.959 been told or because of what we saw model growing up. 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:54.480 Some people have never had a friend outside their own race. 0:12:54.920 --> 0:12:57.480 They've never had a black friend, a white friend, an 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:58.200 Asian friend. 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:01.760 All they know is what they've been told, that all 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:05.280 white people are this, All Hispanic people are this, All 0:13:05.360 --> 0:13:06.280 black people are this. 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:10.199 You better stay away, you'll get hurt. They're not for you. Now. 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:12.840 My prayer is, God make us color blind. 0:13:13.360 --> 0:13:17.560 God help us to not look on the outside superficial things. 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:21.839 But God help us to see people for who they 0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:26.480 really are, their gifts, their talents, their strengths, their personalities, 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:31.560 their uniqueness. The Living Translation says, in this new life, 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:36.920 one's race and nationality and social standing is not important. 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:40.080 What matters is that we are in Christ and He 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:43.840 is equally available to awe. We got to look past 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:47.520 the surface. I didn't do anything to get my skin color. 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:51.160 This is what God chose to give me this suit, 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:54.520 my dress is not who I am, where I live, 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:57.280 what I do. That's not the real me. The real 0:13:57.320 --> 0:14:03.000 me is on the inside. Prejudice means to prejudge. When 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:07.240 I'm prejudiced, I judge you without even knowing you. I 0:14:07.320 --> 0:14:11.360 form an opinion based on superficial things based on the outside. 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:14.520 You can't really know somebody by the outside. This is 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:16.000 simply the house. 0:14:15.720 --> 0:14:19.600 That we live in. The real me is on the inside. 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:22.160 You can't really know me by just looking at me 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.600 and thinking, well, he's white and good looking. 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:27.600 That's true. 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.960 But the way you really know me, the way you 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.080 really know me, is by spending time with me, by 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:37.280 going to dinner with me, by hanging out together. Don't 0:14:37.360 --> 0:14:40.560 make the mistake of judging people by the surface. I 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:43.320 talked to a lady about a year ago after the service, 0:14:43.320 --> 0:14:46.480 and she was an African American woman, probably in her 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:49.720 early sixties, and I could tell that she did not 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:52.280 want to be here and she did not like me. 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:54.480 A friend talked her into coming. 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:57.520 In fact, this was the first time she had ever 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:00.600 been at a church with a white minister. She had 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:04.880 been raised by very angry, bitter, hateful people. It was 0:15:04.920 --> 0:15:08.480 being passed from generation to generation. She made no bones 0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:11.120 about it. She said, Joel, I don't like white people. 0:15:11.640 --> 0:15:14.360 I resent the way we've been treated. It wasn't fair, 0:15:14.400 --> 0:15:17.520 and on and on. And I'm not making light of 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:19.920 anything that's happened in the past, because there were some 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:25.200 terrible injustices, but we cannot undo the past. Hating a 0:15:25.240 --> 0:15:28.520 group of people now because it's something that happened years 0:15:28.520 --> 0:15:31.040 ago is not going to make it any better. You've 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:33.840 got to move forward with your life and trust God 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:39.000 to restore and repay what's owed you. And I asked her, 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:42.320 have you ever had a white friend? She said, no, never, 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:44.240 And I don't want a white friend. All white people 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:47.360 are bad. She started into it again. She was very bold, 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:50.120 and I was bold right back with her. I said, listen, 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:53.120 if you got to know me, you would like me. 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:55.600 I mean, look at this smile. Could you resist this? 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:59.680 And she didn't smile. I thought, oh lord, it didn't work. 0:16:01.360 --> 0:16:06.400 This one's gonna take prayer and fasting. I called one 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:09.400 of our volunteers over, a young white girl. I looked 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:11.560 at that lady and I said, I dare you to 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:14.280 get to know her. I dare you to spend time 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:17.120 with her. I dare you to be open minded and 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:18.680 find out what she's really like. 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:22.840 She reluctantly agreed. I was surprised. 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:25.400 Today a year later, do you know who's here at 0:16:25.520 --> 0:16:28.560 every one of our services, sitting by her new best friend, 0:16:28.840 --> 0:16:34.000 This lady. You can hardly pull them apart. Sixty years 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:37.000 she let an invisible wall keep her back. 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.320 Sixty years she let hatred. 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:45.120 And bitterness and anger that had been ingrained in her 0:16:45.800 --> 0:16:48.320 by hateful people keep her from God's best. 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:49.760 Don't let that be you. 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:53.280 I don't know what wrongs may have been done in 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.280 the past. Maybe in the natural, you have a valid 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:59.520 reason to be angry. To be bitter, to not like 0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.000 people or a whole group of people. But I'm asking 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.960 you to let it go. This is a new day. 0:17:06.680 --> 0:17:09.800 One bad experience doesn't mean the whole group is bad. 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.080 Get out of your comfort zone, be open minded, get to. 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:15.960 Know somebody that's not like you. 0:17:16.359 --> 0:17:20.439 Find out for yourself what they're really like. Like this, lady, 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:24.399 I believe you'll be surprised. I saw a commercial on television. 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:27.040 It was had this little white girl out in the 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:30.840 park swinging on a swing set. In a few seconds, 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:33.520 a little black girl came in and joined her, then 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.040 a Hispanic girl, an Asian girl, an Indian girl, on 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:40.800 and on until there were fifteen or twenty different nationalities represented. 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.400 And it ended with the little white girl walking off 0:17:44.480 --> 0:17:48.639 holding her mother's hand. Intrigued by all the different nationalities, 0:17:48.920 --> 0:17:53.520 She said, Mommy, what color is Jesus? The mother said, honey, 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:57.680 Jesus is called the light of the world, and pure 0:17:57.760 --> 0:18:01.760 light is made up of every color of the rainbow. 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:06.520 You asked me, Joel, what color is God? He's every color. 0:18:07.320 --> 0:18:09.960 He's not just a white god, just a black god, 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:13.560 just a brown God. Not just an American God, African God, 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:15.280 Hispanic God, He's. 0:18:15.119 --> 0:18:16.920 The God of all flesh. 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:20.360 God put a part of himself into every one of us. 0:18:21.080 --> 0:18:24.800 That's why every person can say he's my God, he's 0:18:24.880 --> 0:18:29.879 my savior, he's my redeemer. Now, some of you, you 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:32.760 need to let God out of your box. He's not 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:36.520 just a Baptist God, just a Catholic God, just a 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:41.000 Pentecostal God. God is bigger than any one group. He's 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:45.479 bigger than any one denomination. He is not an exclusive God. 0:18:45.800 --> 0:18:49.359 He's an inclusive God. This God of ours, the God 0:18:49.359 --> 0:18:53.240 of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He loves the Muslims just 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:55.840 as much as he loves the Christians. He loves the 0:18:55.840 --> 0:18:58.520 atheists just as much as he loves the believers. 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:01.360 And God will save. 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:03.919 Who he wants to save. He will bless who he 0:19:03.960 --> 0:19:07.479 wants to bless. Sometimes we look at groups and think, well, 0:19:07.800 --> 0:19:08.400 God will. 0:19:08.200 --> 0:19:09.119 Never save them. 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:11.639 They don't worship the right way, they don't believe like 0:19:11.720 --> 0:19:14.640 we do. Know I've learned, don't ever write anybody off. 0:19:15.280 --> 0:19:19.560 In the Scripture, Saul of Tarsus hated Christians. He was 0:19:19.600 --> 0:19:22.680 the one leading the opposition, having them put in prison. 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:25.719 But in a split second, God turned his life around. 0:19:25.920 --> 0:19:29.080 He became the Apostle Paul and ended up writing over 0:19:29.119 --> 0:19:32.000 half of the New Testament. Friends, God will save who 0:19:32.040 --> 0:19:36.240 he wants to save. Quit writing off big groups. We're 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.119 not called to judge people, We're called to love people. 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:42.160 Well, you say, Joe, what group are you in? What 0:19:42.240 --> 0:19:43.240 group is Lakewood? 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:47.680 Are y'all Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Charismatics, independence, evangelical? 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:48.199 Who are you? 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:51.040 We're just a group of believers that love the Lord 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:53.040 and are excited about life. 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:57.680 I don't want any labels. 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:00.360 If you draw a circle and shut me out, I'm 0:20:00.359 --> 0:20:04.160 gonna draw a bigger circle and shut you in. We 0:20:04.240 --> 0:20:07.200 may not agree on everything, but that's not gonna keep 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:10.400 me from loving you. We may not see eye to eye, 0:20:10.640 --> 0:20:13.320 but as long as your blood is red, I'm gonna 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:16.119 be kind and respectful and treat you like my brother. 0:20:16.440 --> 0:20:18.760 I'm not gonna focus on what we don't agree on. 0:20:19.080 --> 0:20:22.000 I'm gonna focus on what we do agree on. So 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:25.679 often we get focused on our groups and our denominations, 0:20:25.680 --> 0:20:27.760 and we think we're the only ones that are right, 0:20:27.840 --> 0:20:30.359 and nobody else we can associate with them. 0:20:31.080 --> 0:20:34.040 It's funny. The church that Victoria grew have been They 0:20:34.040 --> 0:20:35.960 thought they were the only ones going to heaven. 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:38.560 When we got married, I said, Victoria, would you go 0:20:38.640 --> 0:20:40.720 ask them if I could please go to heaven too. 0:20:42.240 --> 0:20:44.240 I never heard back, But whether they like it or not, 0:20:44.280 --> 0:20:45.520 I'm gonna be up there with them. 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:51.360 We have to realize when we get to heaven, there's 0:20:51.400 --> 0:20:54.520 not gonna be a Baptist section over here, Catholic session 0:20:54.560 --> 0:20:57.400 over here. You Pentecosters are so loud, go back there 0:20:57.400 --> 0:21:00.520 in the very back and a black section of white. No, 0:21:00.600 --> 0:21:04.120 we're all going to be up there together, side by side. 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:06.640 Might as well learn to enjoy each other down here. 0:21:07.440 --> 0:21:09.800 A lot of times we think, well, they're Baptist and 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:12.400 I'm Episcopalian. I don't have anything to do with them. 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:16.639 This happened back in Jesus' day. They said I'm of Paul, 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:20.840 I'm of Apolus. They were saying, I belong to this group, 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:23.840 and we don't associate with this other group. Now go 0:21:23.960 --> 0:21:27.520 beyond that wall. We can all learn from each other. 0:21:28.359 --> 0:21:31.160 One thing I'm sure of is I don't know everything. 0:21:31.920 --> 0:21:34.320 I'll be the first to admit I don't have God 0:21:34.400 --> 0:21:35.160 all figured out. 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:36.560 I stay open. 0:21:37.280 --> 0:21:40.359 I constantly am listening to people that are outside my 0:21:40.480 --> 0:21:43.600 camp that didn't grow up like me, that don't think 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:47.160 exactly like I do. You have to get past that 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:50.240 wall of tradition that says this is the way I 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:51.280 was raised, and this. 0:21:51.359 --> 0:21:54.560 Is the only right way. This is the way we 0:21:54.600 --> 0:21:55.879 worship Joel. 0:21:55.960 --> 0:21:58.240 This is the church my family's been in for four 0:21:58.320 --> 0:22:01.440 hundred and twenty seven years. If I even thought about 0:22:01.520 --> 0:22:04.440 going to a place like Lakewood, my relatives. 0:22:03.920 --> 0:22:05.480 Would turn over in their graves. 0:22:06.240 --> 0:22:08.960 Now, if your relatives were alive today, they'd probably be 0:22:09.000 --> 0:22:13.400 over here at Lakewood. They'd be celebrating God's goodness. This 0:22:13.440 --> 0:22:17.200 is a new day. Go beyond the walls of tradition. 0:22:18.160 --> 0:22:20.679 Some people are stuck in a church where they're not growing, 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:24.760 not being fed, no life, no victory, but it's tradition 0:22:24.920 --> 0:22:28.280 that keeps them there. Listen, life is too short to 0:22:28.359 --> 0:22:31.480 live that way. It's time to break free. It's time 0:22:31.520 --> 0:22:34.760 to get out of a limited environment and go someplace 0:22:34.760 --> 0:22:37.560 where they lift you up and not push you down. 0:22:38.040 --> 0:22:41.439 Someplace where you're challenged to dream bigger, to go further, 0:22:41.720 --> 0:22:45.399 to become all God's created you to be. This is 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:49.840 how Lakewood got started. My dad went beyond an invisible wall. 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:53.919 You see my father was raised Southern Baptist. It was 0:22:54.000 --> 0:22:57.960 bred all throughout him. Dad is barber was Baptist, his 0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:01.879 banker was Baptist, his grocery was Baptist. Even his dogs 0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:07.000 were Baptists. He was so steeped in tradition, and it 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:10.560 wasn't said, but it was certainly felt that everybody else 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:13.760 was just a little below par, not quite up to 0:23:13.800 --> 0:23:17.639 their standards. One day in the late nineteen fifties, some 0:23:17.720 --> 0:23:21.439 of his staff told my father about this woman that 0:23:21.560 --> 0:23:24.280 was holding a revival in town and was shaking the 0:23:24.280 --> 0:23:27.160 whole city in They wanted my dad to go hear her. 0:23:27.480 --> 0:23:30.200 It was a big deal. First off, she was a lady. 0:23:30.680 --> 0:23:34.320 There weren't many women ministers back then. And secondly, she 0:23:34.440 --> 0:23:38.320 was Pentecostal. Back then, the Pentecostals and the Baptists wouldn't 0:23:38.320 --> 0:23:39.480 have anything to do with each other. 0:23:39.920 --> 0:23:40.880 Third thing is. 0:23:40.840 --> 0:23:44.840 When she ministered, she took her shoes off and ministered barefoot. 0:23:45.640 --> 0:23:49.400 My father was a distinguished pastor the first Baptist church. 0:23:49.920 --> 0:23:52.520 He said to his staff, are you kidding? You want 0:23:52.560 --> 0:23:55.919 me to go here a barefoot woman preacher. I've got 0:23:55.960 --> 0:24:00.399 a reputation. He was saying. She didn't belong to our group. 0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:04.880 She's not in our camp an invisible wall. They finally 0:24:04.880 --> 0:24:07.959 talked him into going. As the lady began to minister, 0:24:08.119 --> 0:24:10.600 she talked about the love and the goodness of God, 0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:14.439 and big tears started flowing down her cheeks, and my 0:24:14.600 --> 0:24:17.920 father felt something that night that he had never felt before. 0:24:18.600 --> 0:24:22.400 He left there determined to become everything God created him 0:24:22.400 --> 0:24:22.600 to be. 0:24:23.359 --> 0:24:24.440 Years later, my. 0:24:24.440 --> 0:24:27.240 Dad couldn't even call the lady's name, yet he would 0:24:27.280 --> 0:24:30.679 still credit her with giving him the courage to step 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:33.920 out and start Lakewood Church. And when you go beyond 0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:37.240 invisible walls, you never know what's on the other side. 0:24:37.680 --> 0:24:42.119 When you break free from tradition, when you get rid 0:24:42.200 --> 0:24:46.639 of prejudice, you will step into favor and increase like 0:24:46.680 --> 0:24:50.000 you've never seen before. In the scripture, there was a 0:24:50.000 --> 0:24:53.720 man by the name of Cornelius. He was an Italian soldier, 0:24:54.200 --> 0:24:57.960 very faithful, very generous. One day God spoke to him 0:24:57.960 --> 0:25:01.960 and said, Cornelius, send me in down to Joppa to 0:25:02.080 --> 0:25:03.000 Simon's house. 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:05.520 Peter will be staying there as a guest. 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:07.800 And they were to invite Peter to come back to 0:25:07.880 --> 0:25:12.840 Cornelius's home. When these Italian men went to Joppa to 0:25:12.920 --> 0:25:16.680 get Peter, a Jewish man that could have easily started 0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:21.720 a conflict. They were two different cultures, different races, different 0:25:21.840 --> 0:25:25.920 faiths even But while they were traveling, Peter had a dream, 0:25:26.320 --> 0:25:29.560 and in this dream he saw meat coming down from 0:25:29.560 --> 0:25:33.200 the four corners of the earth. This meat was considered 0:25:33.320 --> 0:25:36.680 unclean and was forbidden by the Jewish law to eat. 0:25:37.080 --> 0:25:40.480 Anyone that was serious about their Jewish faith, like Peter, 0:25:40.680 --> 0:25:41.280 would never. 0:25:41.160 --> 0:25:42.280 Eat this meat. 0:25:42.680 --> 0:25:46.119 But in the dream, God said, Peter, rise up and 0:25:46.240 --> 0:25:50.880 eat Peter said, not so, Lord, it's unclean. God said, no, no, Peter, 0:25:51.320 --> 0:25:53.720 don't call unclean what I've cleaned. 0:25:53.760 --> 0:25:54.520 Go ahead and need it. 0:25:55.080 --> 0:25:57.080 Peter said again, O Lord, I'm not going to eat it. 0:25:57.080 --> 0:26:00.600 It's not clean. Happened three times. Interesting. 0:26:01.240 --> 0:26:04.320 Even though God was the one asking him to change, 0:26:04.560 --> 0:26:05.960 Peter wasn't willing to do it. 0:26:06.280 --> 0:26:08.000 God was the one that made the laws. 0:26:08.840 --> 0:26:12.600 You could say that Peter loved his tradition more than 0:26:12.600 --> 0:26:16.639 he loved God. This dream was about food, but really 0:26:16.680 --> 0:26:20.000 it represented people. When Peter woke up, there was a 0:26:20.040 --> 0:26:23.359 knock on the door. It was the Italian soldiers inviting 0:26:23.440 --> 0:26:30.359 him to Cornelius's home. Understand, Cornelius was a gentile Gentiles back. 0:26:30.240 --> 0:26:31.800 Then were considered unclean. 0:26:32.520 --> 0:26:35.480 Up to this point, the Gospel had only been preached 0:26:35.480 --> 0:26:38.320 to the Jews. Now Peter had to make a decision. 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:41.600 Was he going to let his culture, his tradition, his 0:26:41.720 --> 0:26:44.560 background keep him from associating. 0:26:44.080 --> 0:26:47.119 With people that were not like him. No, Peter was 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:47.840 bold enough. 0:26:47.880 --> 0:26:51.160 He was radical enough to go beyond the invisible walls. 0:26:51.520 --> 0:26:55.120 Now at Corneus's house, out of his comfort zone, out 0:26:55.160 --> 0:26:57.760 of his culture, he began to share the good News. 0:26:58.400 --> 0:27:02.320 Acts ten forty four says that while he was still ministering, 0:27:02.480 --> 0:27:05.560 the Holy Spirit fell on all of them, and those 0:27:05.600 --> 0:27:08.800 that were with Peter, the other Jews. They were astonished 0:27:09.040 --> 0:27:13.320 because on the Gentiles, for the first time, the Holy Spirit. 0:27:13.119 --> 0:27:17.400 Was poured out. Today you and I are enjoying God's goodness. 0:27:17.760 --> 0:27:20.199 We have salvation. It's come to our house. 0:27:20.560 --> 0:27:25.800 Because Peter was willing to go beyond tradition, culture, races, 0:27:26.000 --> 0:27:29.080 even religion, and share with people that were not like him. 0:27:29.480 --> 0:27:32.720 From that day forward, the church exploded. It went into 0:27:32.760 --> 0:27:36.960 all races, all cultures all over the world. But had 0:27:37.040 --> 0:27:40.719 God not prepared Peter's heart by giving him that dream, 0:27:41.200 --> 0:27:44.000 I doubt that Peter would have ever gone to see Cornelius, 0:27:44.400 --> 0:27:47.040 he probably would have never broken free from that tradition. 0:27:47.760 --> 0:27:51.840 I believe today God is preparing our hearts to go 0:27:51.880 --> 0:27:57.040 beyond invisible walls, beyond tradition, beyond what we're used to. 0:27:57.720 --> 0:28:02.199 God is saying, broaden your life, get to know people 0:28:02.280 --> 0:28:05.840 that are not just like you, get rid of tradition, 0:28:06.080 --> 0:28:09.680 and don't let prejudices that have been passed down keep 0:28:09.720 --> 0:28:13.000 you from the fullness of what God has in store. Remember, 0:28:13.040 --> 0:28:16.240 our skin color is only a sixteenth of an inch deep. 0:28:16.920 --> 0:28:17.840 Don't judge by. 0:28:17.760 --> 0:28:21.840 The outside, find out what's on the inside. Friends, invisible 0:28:21.880 --> 0:28:25.320 walls have held us back long enough. Let's go out 0:28:25.320 --> 0:28:28.160 this week and get out of our comfort zones. Let's 0:28:28.200 --> 0:28:30.720 be willing to be a friend to someone that we 0:28:30.800 --> 0:28:34.720 might normally stay away from. If you do, their life 0:28:34.760 --> 0:28:37.439 will not only be fuller, Your life will be fuller. 0:28:37.680 --> 0:28:40.960 God will be pleased, He'll pour out his blessings in favor. 0:28:41.000 --> 0:28:43.800 You'll rise higher and higher, and I believe and declare 0:28:43.840 --> 0:28:46.240 you'll live that life of victory He has in store. 0:28:46.280 --> 0:28:47.640 Amen, do you receive it today? 0:28:48.920 --> 0:28:49.080 Well? 0:28:49.080 --> 0:28:51.680 We never like to close our broadcast without giving you 0:28:51.720 --> 0:28:54.480 an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. 0:28:54.640 --> 0:28:58.680 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I 0:28:58.800 --> 0:29:03.440 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:03.480 --> 0:29:04.840 you my Lord and savior. 0:29:06.240 --> 0:29:08.640 Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you 0:29:08.720 --> 0:29:11.600 got born again. Get in a good Bible based church. 0:29:11.880 --> 0:29:13.160 Keep God first place. 0:29:13.400 --> 0:29:15.760 He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. 0:29:16.560 --> 0:29:20.000 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:29:20.080 --> 0:29:22.800 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:29:22.920 --> 0:29:23.800 all over the world. 0:29:24.160 --> 0:29:27.840 Visit joelostin dot com slash give Hope to give a 0:29:27.880 --> 0:29:28.560 gift today. 0:29:29.840 --> 0:29:32.280 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:29:32.400 --> 0:29:35.160 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:35.200 --> 0:29:36.600 podcast to keep you. 0:29:36.680 --> 0:29:39.719 Inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. I 0:29:39.760 --> 0:29:42.640 know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you next time.