Pushed into Your Purpose

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See terms and conditions at 0:01:29.360 --> 0:01:30.080 UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.840 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:45.240 ministry going. 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:57.320 Enjoy the message. 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:00.240 Oh God bless you. 0:02:00.440 --> 0:02:02.640 It's always a joy to come into your homes and 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.680 in our area. Please stop by and be a part 0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:08.160 of one of our services. I promise you we'll make 0:02:08.160 --> 0:02:10.360 you feel right at home, but thanks so much for 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:13.080 tuning in, and thank you again for coming out today. 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:15.880 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:18.600 about this couple. They were driving down the road and 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:22.560 they came upon this sign that said Nacodochius forty miles ahead. 0:02:23.320 --> 0:02:26.400 They began to argue about how to correctly pronounce the 0:02:26.480 --> 0:02:30.400 name Nakodochius. The husband got so upset he said to 0:02:30.400 --> 0:02:32.760 his wife, I'm gonna stop when we get to town 0:02:32.880 --> 0:02:36.200 and prove to you that I'm right. They drove silently 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.960 for the next thirty minutes. When he arrived in town, 0:02:39.000 --> 0:02:41.959 he pulled into the first fast food restaurant he could find. 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.040 They both marched up to the counter. 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:47.160 He said to the young lady working behind it, my 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.480 wife and I have been arguing for thirty minutes. Can 0:02:50.560 --> 0:02:55.120 you please tell us, very slowly, very clearly, how you 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:58.119 pronounced the name of this place. The young lady's eyes 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:00.919 got real big. She leaned over the counter and said, 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:07.400 burger King, hold up your Bible. Say it like you 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:10.320 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:12.680 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:15.680 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:18.520 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly 0:03:18.600 --> 0:03:22.400 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I 0:03:22.480 --> 0:03:26.440 will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God bless you. 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:30.680 I want to talk to you today about pushed into 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:35.520 your purpose. We don't always understand why things happen to us. 0:03:36.280 --> 0:03:39.240 Maybe a friend you thought would be with you for years, 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.920 somebody you counted on had to move away suddenly, and 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:44.440 now you have to find new friends. 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:46.720 Or at work things. 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:49.560 Were going great. You had all this favor, but now 0:03:49.600 --> 0:03:54.040 there's conflict. Everything's a struggle. You don't enjoy it. A 0:03:54.080 --> 0:03:56.680 friend of mine was the sales manager at a big 0:03:56.720 --> 0:04:00.000 car dealership here in town. They were always breaking wracks, 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:03.360 but a while back they sold to a national company. 0:04:03.960 --> 0:04:07.680 His new supervisor didn't care for him, treated him unfairly, 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:11.400 said Joela. I never dreamed after all these years, i'd 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:15.480 have to find a new job. But I've found sometimes 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:19.400 God will let us be uncomfortable now so he can 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:23.279 bless us. Later on, he'll close a door. We don't 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:26.960 like it, we don't understand it, But later on he'll 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:29.560 open up a bigger door. He'll take us to a 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:33.480 new level of our destiny. God is not as concerned 0:04:33.560 --> 0:04:36.400 about our comfort as he is our purpose. 0:04:37.320 --> 0:04:39.440 There are times God will stir things up. 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:42.880 A friend will do you wrong, you lose a loved one, 0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:49.479 business goes down. God uses loss, betrayal, persecution to force 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.440 us to change. He's not just trying to make your 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:57.279 life miserable. He's pushing you into your purpose. See, every 0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:01.159 closed door is not a bad thing. Every person that 0:05:01.240 --> 0:05:05.159 walks away is not a mistake. God knows we wouldn't 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:09.440 go without a push. And when everything is good, we're comfortable, 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:12.520 we don't want to have to stretch. We don't want 0:05:12.520 --> 0:05:16.119 to have to find new friends, develop new skills, step 0:05:16.160 --> 0:05:17.160 out into the unknown. 0:05:17.440 --> 0:05:18.640 What if it doesn't work out? 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:21.760 We may not like it, but if God had not 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.560 closed those doors, we would be satisfied to stay where 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:25.960 we were. 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:28.680 God loves you too much. 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.799 To let you miss your destiny. You have too much potential, 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:35.159 too much talent, too much in you to get stuck 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:38.000 where you are. And God will put us in these 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:42.159 situations that force us to stretch, that help us to grow. 0:05:43.040 --> 0:05:46.800 Every difficulty you've been through, every bad break, every person 0:05:46.800 --> 0:05:49.640 that did you wrong that wasn't meant to stop you. 0:05:50.040 --> 0:05:53.359 It was meant to push you, to mature you, to 0:05:53.480 --> 0:05:58.360 make you stronger. It's deposited something on the inside. It's 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:02.039 made you into who you are. You wouldn't be prepared 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:04.400 for the new levels if you had not gone through 0:06:04.440 --> 0:06:08.640 those things. Don't complain about what didn't work out, the 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.240 job you lost, the loved one that went to be 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:11.760 with the Lord. 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:13.320 It was all a part of God's plan. 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:17.680 And when you face a difficulty, especially things you don't understand, 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:20.960 instead of being critical, complaining negative. 0:06:20.680 --> 0:06:24.080 Have this new perspective. This is not meant to stop me. 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:25.680 It's meant to promote me. 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:29.080 I may be uncomfortable, I may not like it, but 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:31.880 I know God is using it to push me to 0:06:31.960 --> 0:06:35.320 a new level, to push me to greater influence, to 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:39.080 push me into my purpose. When I look back over 0:06:39.120 --> 0:06:42.039 my life, I can see the pivotal moments where I 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.120 really grew, the times where I really stepped up to 0:06:45.200 --> 0:06:49.400 a new level. The common denominator was I was pushed. 0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:52.680 I didn't like it, I was uncomfortable. 0:06:53.040 --> 0:06:54.040 I wanted to stay. 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:58.640 It took God closing the door, forcing me to take 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:01.159 a step of faith. I was pushed pushed into my purpose. 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:05.400 Nineteen years old, I came back from college to start 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:08.920 a television outreach here for my father at Lakewood, and 0:07:09.000 --> 0:07:11.840 that was always my passion, anything that had to do 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:14.840 with production, sound, lighting, cameras, editing. 0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:16.119 I was young. 0:07:16.520 --> 0:07:18.920 I had a lot of enthusiasm, but not a lot 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.880 of training. So we hired this gentleman in his sixties, 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:26.960 a seasoned television producer. He used to produce The Today 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:30.680 Show and went on to produce Major League Baseball. He 0:07:30.760 --> 0:07:34.280 was not only extremely talented, but he was very friendly. 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:36.320 He and I hit it off. 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:38.960 And became the best of friends, and for about a 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:42.360 year I was with him practically night and day. I 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:47.120 was very excited to be learning so much. During the services, 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:49.640 I would watch him in the control booth as he 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:52.880 directed the cameras. He taught me what the right angles 0:07:52.880 --> 0:07:56.520 were and what good lighting was, how to edit. As 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:58.880 I watched him, I would sit there in amazement, thinking, 0:07:59.120 --> 0:08:01.680 how in the world does he know how to do 0:08:01.760 --> 0:08:04.600 all of this? He was so talented. I was so 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:08.240 blessed to have him. But about a year after he started, 0:08:08.480 --> 0:08:11.239 he came in one morning and said, Joel, I'm moving 0:08:11.280 --> 0:08:14.800 back to California. I've done everything here that I need 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.680 to do. You can take it from here. I nearly 0:08:17.760 --> 0:08:21.520 passed out. I said, you gotta be kidding. You can't 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:24.400 leave us. What are we gonna do. Who's going to 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:27.040 direct the program, who's going to edit it? He said, 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:29.800 you are. I've trained you for a year. You can 0:08:29.840 --> 0:08:32.080 do what I've been doing. Said, there's no way, I 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:35.120 don't know how to do that. We offered him more money, 0:08:35.559 --> 0:08:38.800 more time all I said, you can live in California, 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:40.920 just come back a couple of times a month and 0:08:40.960 --> 0:08:43.559 help us put everything together. Say, oh, thanks, Joel, but 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:47.439 now I'm done here. I was so disappointed. I thought 0:08:47.480 --> 0:08:49.680 that was the worst thing in the world that could 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.600 have happened to me. And I prayed, God, please change 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:55.000 his mind. God, don't let him leave. God, you know 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:59.520 it's all going to fall apart. Sometimes we're praying against 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:03.200 the very thing God has ordained. We're praying against what 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:08.120 God has set into motion. The enemy doesn't close every door. 0:09:08.679 --> 0:09:12.680 Sometimes God closes the door. God moves people out of 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:15.840 our life because he knows they would become a crutch. 0:09:16.280 --> 0:09:19.400 They would keep us from our destiny. So God causes 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:23.160 things to drive to force us to change. My friend left, 0:09:23.200 --> 0:09:26.559 went back home to California. I had to get out 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:30.480 of my comfort zone, stretching, start doing things that I 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:33.400 didn't think I could do. I discovered it as I 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:36.600 stepped out. It wasn't as hard as I thought. First 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:39.000 month went by and I thought, not too bad. At this. 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:41.839 Six months went by, I thought I'm pretty good. At 0:09:41.840 --> 0:09:44.160 this year went by, I thought, what did. 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:44.840 We ever need him for? 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:50.360 But the truth is him leaving was a turning point 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:54.359 in my life. That was God pushing me into my destiny. 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.560 Even though I was uncomfortable. It was the best thing 0:09:57.600 --> 0:09:59.800 that could have happened to me. If he would have 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:03.560 that would have stunted my growth. I wouldn't be where 0:10:03.559 --> 0:10:07.559 I am today if God had answered my prayer. Quit 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:11.600 being depressed over somebody that walked away. If they left 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:15.320 your life, their time was up step into the new season. 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.559 If the door closed, you went through a disappointment, don't complain. 0:10:21.200 --> 0:10:24.680 You're about to be pushed into your purpose. You're about 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:29.320 to see new growth, new opportunities, new friendships. In the scripture, 0:10:29.600 --> 0:10:33.200 the prophet Samuel spent years pouring in to King Saul. 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:36.560 He had mentored him as a young man, loved him 0:10:36.600 --> 0:10:40.120 like his own son, but Unfortunately, Saul wouldn't do what 0:10:40.320 --> 0:10:43.080 was right, and God told Samuel he was going to 0:10:43.120 --> 0:10:44.920 take the throne away from Saul. 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:48.600 And Samuel was so heartbroken. He felt like he had 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:49.880 wasted all that time. 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.920 God said to Samuel, quit mourning over what I have rejected. 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:59.840 God is saying, quit being depressed over who walked away. 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.520 Quit being sour over what didn't work out. If they 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.320 were supposed to stay, they would have stayed. God went 0:11:07.320 --> 0:11:10.319 on to tell Samuel, I found a new man. His 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:11.240 name is David. 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:13.440 Go anoint him as the next king. 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:18.440 Notice the principle, if you'll stop being discouraged over who left, 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:19.520 God will. 0:11:19.360 --> 0:11:20.360 Send the right people. 0:11:21.080 --> 0:11:24.120 But as long as you're complaining about the Sauws, what 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:26.040 didn't work out, and if they wouldn't have left me, 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.600 you're going to get stuck. When you accept it and 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:32.880 move forward, you'll not only step into a new level, 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:34.559 but the Davids. 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:34.880 Will show up. 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:38.080 The right people will be there for every season of 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:42.360 your life. For seventeen years, I did the television production 0:11:42.559 --> 0:11:44.319 behind the scenes here at Lakewood. 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.240 I thought that's how to spend the rest of my life. 0:11:47.320 --> 0:11:48.040 I was content. 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.840 I enjoyed doing it, but in nineteen ninety nine, my 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:53.520 father went to be with the Lord. 0:11:54.320 --> 0:11:54.920 Once again. 0:11:55.640 --> 0:11:58.800 I was forced to change, forced to make an adjustment. 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:03.600 God closed that door. Job said, I thought I would 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:06.960 die in my nest. He was saying. He got his 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:10.160 nest all fixed up God, his house like he wanted it, 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:14.680 had a successful business, everything was going great. He was 0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:19.000 finally comfortable. What happened. God came along and stirred up 0:12:19.040 --> 0:12:23.080 the nest. Now God doesn't send the trouble, but he 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:27.680 will use difficulty to push us into our destiny. Job 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.640 had a lot of things go wrong, lost his business, 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:35.000 lost his health, lost his family. If the story stopped there, 0:12:35.400 --> 0:12:38.640 it would be a sad ending. But Job understood this 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:42.600 principle right in the midst of the difficulties. He looked 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:46.959 up and said, I know my redeemer lives. He was saying, 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:49.920 I know God is still on the throne. He has 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.600 the final say. This trouble is not going to defeat me. 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:58.000 It's going to promote me. In the end, Job came 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:01.360 out with twice what he had before. God used that 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:06.440 adversity to give him double Don't be surprised, like with Job, 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:10.440 when you get comfortable, when you get everything figured out. 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:14.160 If God doesn't stir up the nest, it's not to 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:18.359 harm you, it's to push you. You have a bigger destiny. 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:23.280 God has new levels, more favor, more influence, more resources. 0:13:23.720 --> 0:13:28.280 His dream for your life is bigger than you can imagine. 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:30.960 I knew I was supposed to step up and pasture 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:34.160 the church, but again, like with the production, I didn't 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:36.560 think I could do this. I didn't have the training, 0:13:37.200 --> 0:13:40.400 the experience. My father had tried to get me up 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:44.080 here for years, but I was comfortable behind the scenes. 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:46.840 I didn't have to stretch anymore. I could do the 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:50.960 production in my sleep like job. I thought I would 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.960 die in my nest, But when my dad went to 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:56.640 be with the Lord, it was like the whole process 0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:00.840 started all over again. That loss pushed me out of 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:04.720 my comfort zone. It pushed me to discover new talents 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:05.800 that I didn't know I had. 0:14:06.400 --> 0:14:08.599 It pushed me into greater influence. 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:13.000 Every time I've seen major growth, every time I've stepped 0:14:13.080 --> 0:14:15.880 up to a new level, it's because I was pushed. 0:14:16.360 --> 0:14:18.800 There was adversity, challenges lost. 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:23.760 Maybe you're in a situation now you could easily be discouraged. 0:14:24.200 --> 0:14:27.560 You lost a loved one, went through a breakup, business 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.920 didn't work out. The enemy may have meant that for 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.440 your harm, but God is going to use that for 0:14:33.560 --> 0:14:37.080 your good. God didn't allow it to stop you. He 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:40.440 allowed it to push you. Like job, you're going to 0:14:40.520 --> 0:14:45.440 come out stronger, healthier, wiser, increase, better off than you 0:14:45.480 --> 0:14:49.000 were before. That sickness is going to push you into 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:52.400 your purpose. That bad break is going to push you 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.240 into greater fulfillment. Or perhaps that betrayal it's going to 0:14:56.280 --> 0:15:01.440 push you into better relationships, into new happiness. Here's the key. 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:05.640 The pain is a sign you're about to see a birth. 0:15:06.480 --> 0:15:09.960 The greater the difficulty, the closer you are to that birth. 0:15:10.720 --> 0:15:12.800 Like me in that law, she think go, oh, this 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:14.640 is as good as it gets. But no, you're going 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:17.400 to see God push you into a new level of 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:22.080 your destiny. The disappointment, the betrayal, the bad break. Yes 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:25.120 is painful, Yes we don't like it, but if you'll 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:28.920 stay in faith, it's going to promote you. I wouldn't 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.640 be here if God had not pushed me when I 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:33.440 was nineteen taken away. 0:15:33.480 --> 0:15:35.760 My friend wouldn't be here if. 0:15:35.640 --> 0:15:39.359 God hadn't pushed me in nineteen ninety nine when my father. 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.160 Went to be with the Lord. 0:15:40.880 --> 0:15:43.760 It's difficult, but God doesn't waste the pain. 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.200 The pain is a sign of new birth. 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:50.520 Steve Jobs was one of the most brilliant minds of 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:55.200 our generation. Twenty one years old, he founded Apple Computer. 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:59.080 By the time he was twenty three, he was incredibly successful, 0:15:59.400 --> 0:16:03.880 known around the world. But seven years later, after developing 0:16:03.920 --> 0:16:07.240 this global brand so many products that we all like, 0:16:07.880 --> 0:16:11.479 he classed with his board of directors and was eventually 0:16:11.520 --> 0:16:15.600 fired from the company he started. He told his friends 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:19.960 how betrayed he felt, how wrong that was. But instead 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:22.760 of sitting around in self pity, he went out and 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:27.760 started another company and learned new skills. This company developed 0:16:27.800 --> 0:16:32.240 something that Apple needed, and that was so successful that 0:16:32.280 --> 0:16:37.440 Apple purchased his company and brought him back. As the CEO, 0:16:37.800 --> 0:16:40.800 Jobs said, if I hadn't been fired, I would have 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.920 never learned these new skills that have made me into 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:47.760 who I am. The betrayal wasn't sent to stop you. 0:16:48.080 --> 0:16:49.280 It was sent to push you. 0:16:49.840 --> 0:16:52.800 Don't complain about who hurts you, who did you wrong. 0:16:54.160 --> 0:16:56.600 If that was going to keep you from your destiny, 0:16:57.160 --> 0:17:01.040 God would have never permitted it. Shake off the self pity, 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:04.119 Get ready for the new doors that are about to open, 0:17:04.440 --> 0:17:09.439 the new opportunities, the new skills, the new talents. Moses said, 0:17:09.720 --> 0:17:13.200 as an eagle stirs up her nest, so God will 0:17:13.280 --> 0:17:17.480 stir up his children. When things are stirring in your life, 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:21.560 when you're uncomfortable, a door closed, a friend betrayed, you 0:17:21.680 --> 0:17:23.520 don't think all great, just. 0:17:23.520 --> 0:17:25.320 My luck, always have these bad breaks. 0:17:25.440 --> 0:17:28.560 No turn it around, God, I know you're stirring things 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.520 because you're about to open up a new door. You're 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:34.160 about to take me to a higher level. You're about 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:37.679 to push me into my purpose. I was in the 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:41.360 hospital room when Victoria gave birth to both of our children. 0:17:41.800 --> 0:17:44.159 I was sitting by her bed, and she had a 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:47.600 hold of my arm right here at the bicep. When 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:51.199 she had a contraction, she would squeeze my arms so 0:17:51.320 --> 0:17:56.600 tightly she would scream, then I would scream. At one point, 0:17:56.760 --> 0:17:59.960 the doctor told her, the next time you have a control, 0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:04.520 I want you to push. He didn't have her push 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:08.560 until the baby was ready to come. In the same way, 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.359 when you're being pushed, it means the door is open. 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:17.680 Something new is coming, new growth, new influence. God wouldn't 0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:21.000 be pushing you if the door was closed and nothing 0:18:21.040 --> 0:18:23.919 new is on the way. A doctor doesn't tell a 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:27.320 woman in labor just push whenever you want to, push, 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:29.919 whenever you feel like it. They have to wait until 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:34.720 the exact right time. When you're being pushed, don't be discouraged. 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:38.479 Be encouraged. It is the right time. Get ready. Something 0:18:38.560 --> 0:18:43.520 good is coming your way. That little baby, when he's 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:48.159 in the womb for nine months, everything is great. He's comfortable, 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:51.639 he doesn't have to do anything. He gets his food 0:18:51.680 --> 0:18:55.000 from his mother, gets carried around all day. He can 0:18:55.040 --> 0:18:58.760 sleep whenever he wants to. It's peaceful, calm. Life is 0:18:58.840 --> 0:19:02.399 good for a season. That's healthy. 0:19:02.480 --> 0:19:05.680 He's growing, he's maturing. That's where he's supposed to be. 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:10.080 But if he stays in that wound too long, instead 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:13.480 of being a blessing, the womb will become a curse. 0:19:14.040 --> 0:19:17.800 It's too small, it will keep him from his destiny, 0:19:17.880 --> 0:19:21.280 it will limit his potential. He has to get out. 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:26.040 When he comes through the birth canal, it's tight, it's uncomfortable, 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:29.879 it's traumatic. Up to this point, all he's known is 0:19:29.960 --> 0:19:33.080 peace and calm, lying around doing nothing. 0:19:33.720 --> 0:19:34.560 Now it's like. 0:19:34.520 --> 0:19:38.560 All hell breaks loose. He thinks, what in the world 0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:41.560 is wrong with mama. Has she lost her mind? Is 0:19:41.600 --> 0:19:45.720 she trying to kill me? He's being pushed, squeezed, pressured. 0:19:46.080 --> 0:19:48.760 He gets pushed again, pushed again, pushed again. 0:19:49.320 --> 0:19:50.200 Finally he comes out. 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:53.440 He's born, breathes new light, steps into that new level. 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:57.480 It's the same principle. When things are tight, when you're 0:19:57.520 --> 0:20:00.679 being pressured, when you're uncomfortable, it's easy to think, what 0:20:00.800 --> 0:20:03.159 in the world is happening. I like it when it 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:05.760 was peaceful. I want to go back to how it was. 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:09.520 But if you stay in that wound too long, in 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:13.280 that protected place, it won't be a blessing. It will 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:16.240 keep you from becoming all God created you to be. 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:19.000 God controls the universe. 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:22.120 He knows what's best for you. 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:26.439 If you're being pushed, it's because the door is open. 0:20:26.960 --> 0:20:31.119 There's something greater in your destiny. It may be uncomfortable, 0:20:31.480 --> 0:20:35.960 don't complain. God is stretching you. He's enlarging you. You're 0:20:36.000 --> 0:20:39.480 about to see new growth, new talents, new opportunities. 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:41.639 This is what happened with my father. 0:20:42.040 --> 0:20:45.359 For years he pastored a large denominational church. 0:20:45.760 --> 0:20:46.960 It's very successful. 0:20:47.320 --> 0:20:50.560 The church was growing that just built a beautiful new sanctuary. 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:52.720 Looked like he would be there forever. 0:20:53.400 --> 0:20:57.120 But my sister Lisa was born with something like cerebral palsy. 0:20:57.960 --> 0:21:00.880 My father went away for a few days to get 0:21:00.880 --> 0:21:04.960 alane at a hotel. He began to search the scriptures 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:06.800 like he had never searched them before. 0:21:07.560 --> 0:21:09.200 He came back with a new fire. 0:21:09.800 --> 0:21:13.119 He told his congregation that God is a good God, 0:21:13.480 --> 0:21:16.600 that he can still heal and perform miracles, and that 0:21:16.640 --> 0:21:20.200 God wanted them to live an abundant life. He thought 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:23.679 they'd all be excited, so happy for him, but it 0:21:23.760 --> 0:21:27.200 was just the opposite that didn't fit into their tradition 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:31.199 back then, and some of his longtime friends, people that 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.120 had known my parents for thirty years, turned on them, 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:38.320 started stirring things up, talking about how my father needed 0:21:38.359 --> 0:21:42.240 to leave. My dad was devastated. He thought, God, why 0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:45.320 is this happening. I've given my life to these people. 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:49.360 But the fact is God was the one stirring it up. 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:53.919 God knew my father couldn't reach his highest potential in 0:21:53.960 --> 0:21:58.640 that limited environment. It looked like a disappointment, but behind 0:21:58.680 --> 0:22:01.960 the scenes, it was the and of God orchestrating it all. 0:22:02.800 --> 0:22:07.040 My father resigned from that church, feeling rejected, feeling betrayed, 0:22:07.680 --> 0:22:11.520 but he didn't sit around talking about how bad life 0:22:11.560 --> 0:22:14.919 had treated him. He understood this principle that he was 0:22:15.000 --> 0:22:19.240 being pushed into his purpose. He realized the same God 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:23.719 that opens doors closes doors. He went out and started 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:27.159 Lakewood Church on Mother's Day in nineteen. 0:22:26.840 --> 0:22:28.680 Fifty nine with ninety people. 0:22:29.040 --> 0:22:33.800 Here we are today, still going strong. But had those 0:22:33.920 --> 0:22:37.439 people not come against him, he would have never reached 0:22:37.440 --> 0:22:41.280 his full potential. Don't complain about people that do you wrong, 0:22:41.560 --> 0:22:45.360 betray you lead you out. God uses people to get 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:48.000 you to where you're supposed to be. They may think 0:22:48.040 --> 0:22:50.800 they're pushing you down. What they don't realize is they're 0:22:50.800 --> 0:22:55.320 pushing you up. They're pushing you into your destiny. Judas 0:22:55.400 --> 0:22:58.879 thought when he betrayed Jesus, he was stopping him. The 0:22:58.960 --> 0:23:02.960 truth is he was promoting him. God ordained the betrayal, 0:23:03.880 --> 0:23:08.520 and the scripture says in Acts that persecution arose in Jerusalem, 0:23:09.040 --> 0:23:12.760 so Philip went down to Samaria. It doesn't say that 0:23:12.840 --> 0:23:16.399 Philip prayed and decided to go to Samaria. He didn't 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:19.600 have a choice. The persecution forced. 0:23:19.320 --> 0:23:20.639 Him out of his hometown. 0:23:21.160 --> 0:23:25.440 He was pushed out of his comfort zone. It's interesting 0:23:25.800 --> 0:23:27.600 God could have stopped the opposition. 0:23:27.800 --> 0:23:28.399 He's God. 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:32.200 He closed the mouths of hungry lions. For Daniel, it 0:23:32.240 --> 0:23:33.400 would have been no big deal. 0:23:34.200 --> 0:23:36.760 But the persecution was for a purpose. 0:23:37.160 --> 0:23:41.159 He allowed that opposition to get them into their destiny. 0:23:41.200 --> 0:23:44.760 It was in Samaria that Philip saw his greatest days 0:23:44.760 --> 0:23:48.399 of ministry. If it had stayed in Jerusalem, he wouldn't. 0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:49.600 Have reached his highest potential. 0:23:50.800 --> 0:23:53.800 Maybe Jerusalem has closed up for you, so to speak, 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:56.399 a bad break, a disappointment, a betrayal. 0:23:56.840 --> 0:23:57.920 Don't be discouraged. 0:23:58.320 --> 0:24:02.360 Jerusalem may have closed, but Samaria is about to open up. 0:24:02.880 --> 0:24:06.000 God wouldn't be pushing you if he didn't already have 0:24:06.200 --> 0:24:09.560 another open door. A friend of mine was working at 0:24:09.560 --> 0:24:12.720 this job and he wasn't fulfilled. He knew he had 0:24:12.720 --> 0:24:16.600 more in him. He wasn't being stretched and using his gifts. 0:24:16.800 --> 0:24:19.080 But he was afraid to take a step of faith. 0:24:19.840 --> 0:24:22.360 And this man is one of the nicest people you'd 0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:26.960 ever meet. He's kind, he's friendly, easygoing, he's a model employee, 0:24:27.160 --> 0:24:31.000 comes early, he stays late, never causes any trouble. Well, 0:24:31.000 --> 0:24:33.680 he called me one day and said, Joel, you won't 0:24:33.680 --> 0:24:36.800 believe what just happened to me. I said what he said, 0:24:36.840 --> 0:24:40.280 I just got fired. I said you got fired. You 0:24:40.320 --> 0:24:42.560 got to be kidning. That's like saying, mother, Teresa just 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:46.440 robbed a bank. That was so out of character. Here's 0:24:46.480 --> 0:24:49.800 my point. God loves you too much to let you 0:24:49.880 --> 0:24:53.160 stay in mediocrity. He knows how to get you out 0:24:53.200 --> 0:24:56.840 of your comfort zone. He opens doors, and he can 0:24:56.840 --> 0:24:59.800 close doors. If we don't take the hint, he'll push 0:24:59.840 --> 0:25:03.639 you us. Today, my friend is the vice president of 0:25:03.680 --> 0:25:08.160 a major corporation. He continues to see increase in new growth. 0:25:09.119 --> 0:25:13.120 Don't be discouraged by your closed doors. That's God pushing you. 0:25:13.840 --> 0:25:17.199 Don't get upset because of a bad break. If it 0:25:17.280 --> 0:25:19.720 was going to keep you from your destiny, God would 0:25:19.720 --> 0:25:23.680 have never permitted it. In the scripture, God told Paul 0:25:23.840 --> 0:25:26.720 that he was going to stand before Caesar, and Paul 0:25:26.840 --> 0:25:30.000 was on a boat headed toward Rome. But they encountered 0:25:30.000 --> 0:25:33.439 a huge storm. The winds were so strong that it 0:25:33.480 --> 0:25:37.040 blew the boat aground. The whole boat fell apart. They 0:25:37.080 --> 0:25:40.480 all had to swim to this little island called Malta. 0:25:41.040 --> 0:25:45.080 Looked like a bad break, a disappointment, but that storm 0:25:45.359 --> 0:25:48.639 didn't stop God's plan. It was a part of God's 0:25:48.720 --> 0:25:53.080 plan on that island. The chief's father was very sick. 0:25:53.680 --> 0:25:57.439 Paul prayed for him. God healed him. They started bringing 0:25:57.520 --> 0:26:00.880 other sick people, same thing. God healed them. Paul ended 0:26:00.960 --> 0:26:04.320 up sharing his faith with the whole island. What am 0:26:04.320 --> 0:26:07.560 I saying? The winds that were meant to stop you, 0:26:07.960 --> 0:26:11.480 God will use to push you into your destiny. You 0:26:11.600 --> 0:26:14.199 may not like it, you may not understand it, but 0:26:14.280 --> 0:26:17.639 if you'll stay in faith, it won't defeats you. It 0:26:17.680 --> 0:26:21.639 will promote you. The storm blew my father from a 0:26:21.720 --> 0:26:25.840 restricted environment to a ministry that touched the world. It 0:26:25.880 --> 0:26:28.320 blew my friend from a job where he wasn't using 0:26:28.359 --> 0:26:31.440 his talents to the vice president of a large company. 0:26:31.960 --> 0:26:35.080 Blew me from behind the scenes into the position that 0:26:35.119 --> 0:26:39.840 I'm in. Now. You're being pushed for a reason. There's 0:26:39.880 --> 0:26:44.600 something bigger, something better, something more rewarding in front of you. 0:26:45.400 --> 0:26:48.200 Now you've got to be willing to go through the process. 0:26:48.880 --> 0:26:53.000 When it's tight, you're uncomfortable, you're being squeezed. That's a 0:26:53.040 --> 0:26:57.000 sign you're about to see new birth. Where you are 0:26:57.400 --> 0:27:01.240 is too small. That woumb was for a time. It 0:27:01.400 --> 0:27:04.560 served its purpose, but now it's a new day. There's 0:27:04.600 --> 0:27:09.199 about to be new growth, new opportunities. Keep the right perspective. 0:27:09.600 --> 0:27:12.639 This sickness is not going to stop me. It's pushing me. 0:27:13.200 --> 0:27:16.960 I'm coming out better. This trouble at work, it can't 0:27:16.960 --> 0:27:21.080 hold me back. It's pushing me. I'm getting stronger. These 0:27:21.119 --> 0:27:24.000 people that did me wrong, they can't stop my destiny. 0:27:24.359 --> 0:27:26.639 They meant it for harm, But God's using it for 0:27:26.720 --> 0:27:30.960 my good. He's pushing me. Every difficulty you went through, 0:27:31.400 --> 0:27:34.879 every storm, every person that did you wrong, it was 0:27:35.040 --> 0:27:38.600 pushing you to mature, pushing you to know God in 0:27:38.640 --> 0:27:43.880 a greater way, pushing you to become stronger, more resilient. Now, 0:27:43.920 --> 0:27:47.800 don't be discouraged by the process. Perhaps you feel like 0:27:48.000 --> 0:27:51.840 you're being pushed right now, it's tight, it's uncomfortable. You 0:27:51.920 --> 0:27:55.480 need to get ready. I believe and declare. God is 0:27:55.520 --> 0:27:58.320 about to push you into a new level. He's going 0:27:58.359 --> 0:28:03.040 to push you into greater strength, greater influence, greater resources. 0:28:03.480 --> 0:28:09.680 You're coming into a new season, health, favor, victory, breakthroughs. 0:28:09.960 --> 0:28:12.760 The winds that were meant to stop you are going 0:28:12.800 --> 0:28:16.840 to push you into your purpose. In Jesus's name, If 0:28:16.880 --> 0:28:21.440 you receive it today, can you say amen. We never 0:28:21.600 --> 0:28:24.800 like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity 0:28:25.000 --> 0:28:27.600 to make Jesus the lord of your life. Would you 0:28:27.640 --> 0:28:32.159 pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of 0:28:32.240 --> 0:28:32.880 my sins. 0:28:34.359 --> 0:28:35.680 Come into my heart. 0:28:36.520 --> 0:28:40.440 I nake you, my Lord and Savior. Friends, if you 0:28:40.480 --> 0:28:43.480 prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. 0:28:43.960 --> 0:28:47.320 Get in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:28:47.680 --> 0:28:50.120 He's going to take you places that you've never dreamed. 0:28:50.800 --> 0:28:54.240 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:28:54.320 --> 0:28:57.040 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:57.160 --> 0:29:01.040 all over the world. Visit Joelustin dot com slash give 0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:02.800 Hope to give a gift today. 0:29:04.080 --> 0:29:04.960 Thanks so much for. 0:29:05.000 --> 0:29:06.560 Listening to today's message. 0:29:06.640 --> 0:29:09.400 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:29:09.440 --> 0:29:12.480 podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. 0:29:12.720 --> 0:29:13.680 We're praying for you. 0:29:13.840 --> 0:29:15.600 I know God's best is still ahead. 0:29:15.800 --> 0:29:16.920 We'll see you next time. 0:29:23.880 --> 0:29:26.360 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:26.440 --> 0:29:30.160 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:30.200 --> 0:29:33.480 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. 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