Staying Committed

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This is not an 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:29.759 offer to buy your self securities, nor is it investment, 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:30.760 legal or tax advice. 0:01:31.240 --> 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. 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:39.240 If you enjoy today's message, why don't you be a 0:01:39.280 --> 0:01:40.800 blessing and share it with a friend. 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:01:43.920 --> 0:01:59.440 your life. God bless you. Thanks for letting us come 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:02.160 into your home things today. We love you, and if 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:04.960 you're ever in our area, please stop by and be 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.520 a part of one of our services. I'll promise you 0:02:07.680 --> 0:02:10.240 we'll make you feel right at home. I like to 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:13.680 start with something funny. I heard about this pastor. He 0:02:13.840 --> 0:02:18.280 was finishing up a fiery sermon on self control. He said, 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:20.960 with great passion, if I had all the beer in 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:24.880 the world, I'd throw it into the river with greater fervor. 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:27.440 If I had all the wine in the world, I'd 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.400 throw it into the river, almost at the top of 0:02:30.440 --> 0:02:32.920 his lungs. If I had all the whiskey in the world, 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:36.440 I'd throw it into the river. He sat down. Song 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.760 leader came up, said for a closing song, let's sing 0:02:39.840 --> 0:02:42.880 him three sixty five. Shall we gather at the river? 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:46.720 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:47.040 --> 0:02:49.360 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:49.440 --> 0:02:51.799 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:51.880 --> 0:02:54.600 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.800 of God. I'll boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:03.120 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:06.680 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:11.280 about stay in committed. We all have opportunities to give 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:14.520 up on what we're believing for, walk away from an 0:03:14.600 --> 0:03:19.240 uncomfortable situation, slack off, and not be our best. But 0:03:19.280 --> 0:03:22.320 if you're going to reach your highest potential, you have 0:03:22.400 --> 0:03:25.880 to stay committed. You can't be moved by what's not 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:29.160 working out. Give up on a child because he's not 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:32.600 doing what he should, slack off at work because you're 0:03:32.600 --> 0:03:35.840 not being treated right. You have to have a made 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:38.920 up mind that you are in it for the long haul. 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:42.840 It may be difficult, you have a good reason to 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:47.200 walk away. Don't take the easy way out. Stay committed 0:03:47.280 --> 0:03:52.040 to your marriage. Stay committed to raising those children. Stay 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:56.160 committed to your friends. They may make mistakes, give them 0:03:56.200 --> 0:04:00.000 some grace. Don't be a fair weathered friend. Be committed 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:03.880 in the good times and the tough times. Stay committed 0:04:03.880 --> 0:04:07.360 to your dreams. Don't give up on the promises God 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:10.480 put in your heart. It may be taken longer than 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.560 you thought, but God is still on the throne. He's 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:17.200 a faithful God. He's already set the time to bring 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:21.600 it to pass. Stay committed to your church, Stay committed 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:25.240 to your job. Be a loyal person, somebody they can 0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.839 count on day in and day out. You're not always 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:31.880 going to feel like it. There will be good days 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:35.800 and tough days, times when it's exciting, times when you 0:04:35.839 --> 0:04:38.640 feel like giving up. That's when you have to dig 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:41.280 your heels in and say, I'm going to do the 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:45.520 right thing when it's hard. I'm committed to this marriage. 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:48.480 I'm going to love you even though you don't deserve it. 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:51.800 I'm committed to this job. I'm going to be my 0:04:51.880 --> 0:04:56.240 best even though my supervisor isn't treating me right. I'm 0:04:56.320 --> 0:04:59.520 committed to my dreams, not going to give up because 0:04:59.560 --> 0:05:03.640 I don't see anything happening. I'm going to keep believing, expecting, 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:09.520 thanking God. I know it's on the way. God rewards consistent, faithful, 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:14.719 committed people. But too many people are wishy washing. They'll 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:18.000 love you as long as you perform perfectly. If not, 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:20.920 they're out of there. They'll be their best if you 0:05:21.040 --> 0:05:24.480 keep them encouraged, keep them propped up. They'll pursue a 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:28.320 dream as long as they're getting good breaks. Their commitment 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:32.520 is based on things going their way. But when it's difficult, 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:35.920 when it's taken longer than they thought, they get discouraged 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:39.960 start to slack off. Well, Joel, I don't like my job. 0:05:40.360 --> 0:05:43.240 They don't treat me right. That's why I show up late. 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:46.080 That's why I play on the computer half the day. 0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:50.480 You're not working under people, you're working under God. He's 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:55.240 keeping the records. The scripture says promotion doesn't come from 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:59.000 the North or the South, it comes from the Lord. Well, 0:05:59.040 --> 0:06:02.720 they don't pay me enough. I'm undervalued. If they would 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:05.680 pay me more, I would do more. But if you 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:09.000 don't pass the test of being your best, where you 0:06:09.080 --> 0:06:13.320 are showing up on time with a good attitude, doing 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:16.840 more than you have to, then you'll get stuck. They 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:19.719 may not be paying you what you're worth, but your 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:23.800 job is not your source. God is your source. And 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:29.560 yes God uses people, supervisors, companies, but don't get them 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:33.480 mixed up with your source. If you see your company 0:06:33.560 --> 0:06:37.680 as your provider, your boss as your source, then in 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:41.760 a sense, you're making them your God. You're letting them 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.280 control your destiny. They determine how high you're going to go, 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.560 and if for some reason they don't like you, they're 0:06:48.560 --> 0:06:52.400 not for you. Too bad, You're limited. No, stop looking 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:56.119 to people and start looking to God. He not only 0:06:56.240 --> 0:07:01.320 controls your destiny, he controls the whole universe. He determines 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:05.200 how high you're going to go. No person, no supervisor, 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:09.320 no company can stand against God. He knows what's happening. 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:13.680 He sees what's unfair when you stay committed to your job, 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.200 when you keep being your best day in and day out, 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:20.840 despite who doesn't like you. God will make it up 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:24.240 to you. God is your source. He has the final say. 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:28.120 But Joel, it's difficult to stay committed to my job, 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:32.000 committed to my marriage, committed to this dream. Nothing's going 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:35.600 my way. If it was easy, everyone would do it. 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:40.160 God chose you because he knew you can handle it. 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:44.240 You have the courage, the strength, the talent, the anointing. 0:07:44.840 --> 0:07:48.080 You're not weak, you're not lacking. You are full of 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:52.280 can do power. You didn't come this far to stop now. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:55.680 The people that see dreams come to pass are the 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:59.560 people that stay committed. I've heard it said on the 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:04.440 road to your destiny. Halfway through, every person will be 0:08:04.520 --> 0:08:08.560 tempted to give up, some turn around, go back. The 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:13.480 others stay committed and keep moving forward. What's interesting is 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:18.520 both people travel the same distance. One goes halfway back 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:22.120 to where they started, the other goes halfway ahead and 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:28.520 reach their goal. Committed people outlast the difficulty. Committed people 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:32.000 stick with the relationship even though they have a right 0:08:32.080 --> 0:08:36.360 to walk away. Committed people go the extra mile and 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.640 do more than they have to. Is there an area 0:08:39.920 --> 0:08:43.360 you've been tempted to give up in or just slack off, 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:47.960 not be your best? God is saying, stay committed, stay faithful, 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:52.600 stay loyal. Committed people reach the fullness of their destinies. 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:57.480 My parents started Lakewood in nineteen fifty nine with ninety people. 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:01.200 My father always knew that he would pastor a church 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:04.840 with thousands. God put that dream in his heart. But 0:09:04.920 --> 0:09:08.640 for thirteen years Lakewood didn't grow, had less than two 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:13.040 hundred people. One reason we're here today is because my 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:18.480 father stayed committed. He didn't say, I'm committed as long 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:22.880 as it's growing, I'm committed as long as it's exciting, 0:09:23.000 --> 0:09:25.520 as long as things are going my way. He was 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:29.440 committed when nothing was changing. He preached three times a 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:32.320 week to those ninety people like he was preaching to 0:09:32.400 --> 0:09:36.760 ninety thousand. He never missed a service. Year after year, 0:09:36.880 --> 0:09:41.600 no growth, no increase. But in nineteen seventy two, it 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.800 was like God flipped a switch. People begin to come 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.719 from all over the city grew to thousands and thousands. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:51.600 The dreams God's placed in your heart, the promises you're 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:55.400 standing on may be taken longer than you thought. You 0:09:55.400 --> 0:09:58.160 don't see any sign of it happening. That's a test. 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:01.520 Are you going to get discover give up on what 0:10:01.559 --> 0:10:05.960 you're believing for, Stay committed, keep doing the right thing. 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:10.320 God is in control. He sees your faithfulness. Like with 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:13.840 my father, You're going to come into your season of favor. 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:18.000 Your dream is right up in front of you. Tewod 0:10:18.080 --> 0:10:22.080 King's Chapter two. The prophet Elijah was about to be 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:25.400 taken up to Heaven in a whirlwind. He had an 0:10:25.440 --> 0:10:30.200 assistant named Elisha. Elisha was like a son to him. 0:10:30.840 --> 0:10:34.840 Elisha took care of Elijah. He went with him everywhere 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:37.680 and made sure that he had what he wanted. In 0:10:37.800 --> 0:10:42.360 verse two, Elijah said to Elisha, stay here, I'm going 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:46.520 to the city of Bethel. And Elisha knew the prophet 0:10:46.600 --> 0:10:48.880 was going to be taken away. He knew he was 0:10:48.880 --> 0:10:50.920 coming to an end. He could have thought, all right, 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:55.319 I'm gonna stay after all, his life's almost over. Instead, 0:10:55.760 --> 0:10:59.439 Elisha said to him, as surely as the Lord lives, 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:04.200 I will leave you. They went together to Bethel. In Bethel, 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:08.200 Elijah said, stay here, I'm going to the city of Jericho. 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.760 Elisha said it again, as surely as the Lord lives, 0:11:12.800 --> 0:11:17.040 I will not leave you. They arrived in Jericho. Elijah 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:20.320 told him the third time, stay here, I'm going to 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:23.840 the Jordan River. Elisha said the same thing. I will 0:11:23.840 --> 0:11:28.240 not leave you. Three times. Elijah tried to get rid 0:11:28.240 --> 0:11:31.839 of him. Three times. He said, in effact, you've done enough. 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.840 You've served me well all these years. You've been faithful, loyal, 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:39.679 Take some time off, go relax. Elisha wouldn't hear of it. 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:44.040 His attitude was, I'm committed to you. I'm going to 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:47.360 stick with you through thick and thin. I was with 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:50.280 you in the good times when you were performing miracles. 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:53.040 I'm gonna be with you in the tough times as 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:57.120 you come to an end. Nobody would have faulted Elisha 0:11:57.480 --> 0:12:01.040 if he had walked away. His boss told me he 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:04.360 had a good reason. But he wouldn't slack off. He 0:12:04.400 --> 0:12:07.880 wouldn't take the easy way out. He was committed, he 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:11.800 was loyal. He was someone you could count on. As 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:15.040 they crossed the Jordan River, Elijah said to him, what 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:17.560 do you want me to do for you before I leave? 0:12:18.360 --> 0:12:21.959 Elisha said, I want a double portion of your anointing. 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:26.080 He said, you've asked a hard thing, but if you 0:12:26.240 --> 0:12:29.280 see me when I'm taken away, you will have it. 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:32.640 In a little while, as they were walking along, a 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:37.640 whirlwind took Elijah up into the heavens. His mantle fell 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:43.040 on Elisha. Elisha picked up Elijah's rod, struck the Jordan river, 0:12:43.160 --> 0:12:47.760 and it parted. Elisha ended up performing twice as many 0:12:47.800 --> 0:12:52.040 miracles as Elijah. Here's my point. He would have never 0:12:52.160 --> 0:12:55.880 seen the double portion if he had not stayed committed. 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.520 If he had left the first time Elijah told him 0:12:59.520 --> 0:13:02.720 to go, or the second time or the third, he 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:07.160 wouldn't have seen the fullness of his destiny. There will 0:13:07.240 --> 0:13:10.680 be plenty of times where you're tempted to walk away. 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:14.120 Walk away from a dream it's been too long, it's 0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:17.640 never going to happen. Walk away from a marriage, walk 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:20.720 away from a church, walk away from a job. They 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:24.080 don't appreciate you, they never tell you thank you. You 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.679 could slack off, take the easy way out. But what 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:31.440 you can't see is there's a double portion up in 0:13:31.480 --> 0:13:36.160 front of you. Stay committed when it's hard, do the 0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:40.040 right thing when the wrong thing is happening. Keep loving 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:43.559 that man, that woman, even though they don't deserve it. 0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:49.880 When you stay loyal, consistent, faithful, a double portion is coming, 0:13:50.440 --> 0:13:55.240 double favor, double honor, double resources. God will pay you 0:13:55.400 --> 0:14:00.640 back for staying committed. But this double portion isn't for everyone. 0:14:01.240 --> 0:14:05.760 It's not common, it's not ordinary. It's for people that 0:14:05.840 --> 0:14:08.679 do more than they have to, for people that go 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:11.959 the extra mile, for people that don't give up when 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:15.520 it's not exciting. It's for people like you, people that 0:14:15.800 --> 0:14:20.720 stay committed. I can imagine after Elijah told Elisha to 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:24.080 stay that third time and he wouldn't do it, Elisha 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:28.000 must have thought, that is one stubborn boy. He will 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.080 not change his mind. He is determined to take care 0:14:31.120 --> 0:14:33.840 of me. That's the way you have to be to 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:38.000 see God's best. There has to be a stubbornness. I'm 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:42.040 committed to this marriage. Leaving is not an option. I'm 0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:45.080 committed to my children. No matter what they do or 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:47.720 don't do, I'm going to be there for them. I'm 0:14:47.800 --> 0:14:51.120 committed to being my best at this job. You don't 0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:54.000 let people talk you out of it. You don't slack 0:14:54.040 --> 0:14:57.960 off because it's not fair. You're lonely, you're not making progress. 0:14:58.240 --> 0:15:01.800 You have a made up mind when you stay committed. 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:05.280 God will make things happen that you couldn't make happen. 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:10.120 Suddenly things will turn around, Suddenly your marriage will improve, 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:14.440 Suddenly your business will take off. Many of you have 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:18.240 passed this test. You've been committed, You've been doing the 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:22.640 right thing. Be encouraged. You are close to your double portion. 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:26.240 You are close to a breakthrough, close to meeting the 0:15:26.320 --> 0:15:31.120 right person, close to your new level. When Jesus was 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.440 in the garden of Gasimine, he was so distressed that 0:15:34.520 --> 0:15:38.480 he swept great drops of blood on the way to Calvary. 0:15:38.680 --> 0:15:42.080 He was so beaten and bruised he fell down under 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:44.800 the weight of the cross. He could have said, God, 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.480 it's too much. I did the right thing. But these 0:15:48.480 --> 0:15:52.040 people treated me badly. They mocked me, ridiculed me, sent 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:55.400 me to the cross. I'm done. I've had enough. Jesus 0:15:55.480 --> 0:16:00.160 stayed committed. He was committed when it wasn't fair. He 0:16:00.280 --> 0:16:03.360 was committed when he had every right to give up. 0:16:04.080 --> 0:16:07.360 Nobody would have faulted him if he had walked away. 0:16:07.960 --> 0:16:10.760 But he was in it for the long haul. He 0:16:10.920 --> 0:16:15.360 was stubborn when it came to fulfilling his purpose. Where 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:19.160 are the people that would do like Jesus and stay committed. 0:16:19.800 --> 0:16:23.320 People that don't give up because it's not fair. People 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.120 that don't slack off because it's taken longer than they thought. 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:30.800 People that have a made up mind. Nineteen sixty a 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:34.720 young man opened a pizza place in Michigan. He was 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:38.280 an orphan that had been raised in a Catholic orphanage. 0:16:38.320 --> 0:16:42.080 He borrowed nine hundred dollars and started this small pizza place. 0:16:42.560 --> 0:16:46.040 He had all kinds of bad breaks. A business partner 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:49.440 got into his account and stole several thousand dollars his 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:54.000 life savings. Nineteen sixty eight, a fire burned his building down. 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:57.720 The insurance company paid him a penny on the dollar. 0:16:58.480 --> 0:17:01.360 He could have gotten discouraged, thought this is not meant 0:17:01.400 --> 0:17:05.320 to be. But this young man stayed committed to the 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:08.520 dream God placed in his heart. He had an idea. 0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:12.520 Instead of people having to come get their pizza, he 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:16.480 decided to take the pizza to the people. He came 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:20.320 up with the first delivery service. He called it Dominoes. 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:25.120 He started with one restaurant nine hundred dollars. Today there 0:17:25.119 --> 0:17:29.240 are over six thousand Dominoes. A few years ago, Tom 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:34.240 Monicham sold his company for a billion dollars. He's incredibly generous. 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:38.600 He helps underprivileged children around the world. What am I saying? 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:42.480 When you stay committed, God will open doors that you 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:46.280 could never open. God will bring you into your double portion. 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.000 And you may have plenty of reasons to give up 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:54.480 on your dream. Like him, You've had disappointments, setbacks, that's 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:58.480 all a part of the process. When you get knocked down, 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:02.119 you have to get back up again. God didn't bring 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:06.200 you this far to leave you. Don't settle for mediocrity. 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:11.040 God created you for greatness. There is something in you 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:15.600 that will cause you to stand out, something nobody else has, 0:18:16.080 --> 0:18:19.560 nobody else can do. God put a seed in you 0:18:20.000 --> 0:18:23.120 so you can leave your mark. Don't let people talk 0:18:23.160 --> 0:18:26.000 you out of it. Don't let failures convince you to 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.800 give up. Don't let delays and detours cause you to 0:18:29.800 --> 0:18:33.560 get discouraged. I know a man had an idea for 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:37.000 a business. He was turned down by thirty one banks. 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.800 Thirty one experts told him it wasn't a good idea, 0:18:41.119 --> 0:18:44.600 he was wasting his time. You would think he would 0:18:44.640 --> 0:18:49.359 get the message after thirty one banks said no. Like Elisha, 0:18:49.960 --> 0:18:53.560 this young man was stubborn those banks said, in effact, 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:57.080 go away, leave, it's not a good idea. He said, no, thanks, 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:01.040 I'm committed to my dream. When God puts a dream 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:04.680 in your heart, it won't go away. You can try 0:19:04.680 --> 0:19:07.840 to push it down, dismiss it, but that seed is 0:19:07.880 --> 0:19:12.040 still alive. This young man went to Bank number thirty two. 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:16.560 They loved the idea. He started his business. It's expanded 0:19:16.600 --> 0:19:20.040 all over the world, totally taken off. Other people may 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:23.840 have told you no, But when God says yes, his 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:28.920 yes cancels out there no. His yes over rules what 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:33.560 people are telling you. Stay committed to your dream, do 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:37.200 the right thing when it's hard. When you have permission 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:40.639 to give up on it, Joel the bank told me no, 0:19:41.440 --> 0:19:44.560 or you have permission to walk out of a relationship. 0:19:44.960 --> 0:19:49.040 Elijah said, I could go be an Elisha. Stay committed, 0:19:49.440 --> 0:19:53.840 stay loyal, stay faithful. In the scripture, Joseph and Mary 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:57.960 were planning their wedding. It was an exciting time. I'm 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:00.439 sure their friends and family were so happy for him. 0:20:00.680 --> 0:20:05.600 Life was good until God interrupted their plans. The angel 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:08.560 appeared to marry him, told her she was going to 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:11.800 have a baby. Without knowing a man. He would be 0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:15.560 the son of God. While she was excited, she wasn't 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:20.119 looking forward to having this conversation with her fiance. You 0:20:20.160 --> 0:20:24.040 can imagine how that went. Joseph, I have some interesting news. 0:20:24.440 --> 0:20:28.080 I'm pregnant. I'm having a baby. No it's not your child, 0:20:28.080 --> 0:20:31.360 but don't worry. The angel said, I'm going to give 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:34.960 birth to the Messiah. You can hear Joseph saying yeah, right. 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:39.800 What kind of angel was that. Joseph was an honorable, 0:20:40.359 --> 0:20:44.960 well respected man, and back in those days, especially having 0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:48.679 a baby out of wedlock was a big disgrace. This 0:20:48.840 --> 0:20:51.000 was going to make him look bad, so he was 0:20:51.040 --> 0:20:55.600 going to quietly call things off, not embarrass Mary. But 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:58.920 an angel came to him and said, take Mary as 0:20:58.960 --> 0:21:03.000 your wife. Everything she's told you is the truth. Joseph 0:21:03.040 --> 0:21:05.399 could have said, that's all fine and good, but I 0:21:05.440 --> 0:21:08.879 didn't sign up for this. I don't want all this controversy, 0:21:09.440 --> 0:21:13.800 people tarnishing my reputation, always talking bad about me. He 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:17.959 had plenty of reasons to back out, but Joseph did 0:21:18.040 --> 0:21:21.320 the right thing when it was hard. He was committed. 0:21:21.720 --> 0:21:27.000 He was loyal. In relationships with your spouse, your children, 0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:30.560 your friends. There may be times you have a good 0:21:30.680 --> 0:21:34.119 reason to get out. They did things to hurt you, 0:21:34.480 --> 0:21:37.840 They didn't perform perfectly, They let you down. You could 0:21:37.960 --> 0:21:42.280 justify walking away, nobody would fault you. But when you're 0:21:42.280 --> 0:21:47.120 a Joseph, when you're committed, you show mercy. You give 0:21:47.240 --> 0:21:51.879 second chances, You make allowances for mistakes. They may not 0:21:52.040 --> 0:21:56.560 deserve it, they were guilty, but only the guilty need mercy. 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:00.800 Stay committed to your family, Stay committed to your friends. 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:05.280 Be someone they can count on. A true friend walks 0:22:05.359 --> 0:22:09.560 in when everybody else walks out. A true friend will 0:22:09.600 --> 0:22:12.639 be there for you, not just when you succeed, but 0:22:12.720 --> 0:22:16.359 when you fail. I realize there are times that a 0:22:16.440 --> 0:22:19.159 relationship comes to an end you have to move on, 0:22:20.000 --> 0:22:23.240 But don't let that be a pattern where you bail 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:27.080 out if they're not meeting all your demands, living up 0:22:27.119 --> 0:22:32.640 to your expectations. People make mistakes. Good people can blow it. 0:22:33.200 --> 0:22:37.280 People that love you can let you down. God rewards 0:22:37.359 --> 0:22:42.359 people who are consistent when life is complicated, people that 0:22:42.400 --> 0:22:46.280 will stick with someone when they don't deserve it. People 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:49.560 that will be their best when someone else was at 0:22:49.600 --> 0:22:54.159 their worst. Years ago, Jim Baker, the former head of 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:58.080 the PTL television network, went to prison, for not handling 0:22:58.119 --> 0:23:02.000 things properly. He admitted he made mistakes and it was 0:23:02.040 --> 0:23:05.080 a big scandal all over the news. When he was 0:23:05.080 --> 0:23:09.000 about to be released from prison, our friend Franklin Graham, 0:23:09.440 --> 0:23:13.560 Billy Graham's son contacted him and said the Grahams wanted 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:16.040 to rent him a house and provide him a car 0:23:16.119 --> 0:23:19.280 to drive. Jim Baker said, Franklin, you can't do that. 0:23:19.920 --> 0:23:23.560 I have too much negative baggage. Can't be associated with me. 0:23:23.960 --> 0:23:28.040 You'll be criticized. Franklin said, Jim, you are our friend 0:23:28.440 --> 0:23:30.800 before you went to prison, and you will be our 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:37.159 friend afterwards. The first Sunday he was out, Ruth Graham, 0:23:37.200 --> 0:23:41.240 Billy's wife called the halfway house where Jim was staying. 0:23:41.800 --> 0:23:45.040 She asked the man in charge for permission for Jim 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:48.919 to come to church with their family that Sunday. He approved, 0:23:48.960 --> 0:23:52.120 and as he arrived at the church, they took Jim 0:23:52.160 --> 0:23:54.960 down to the front row and sat him next to Franklin. 0:23:55.560 --> 0:23:58.560 There were two empty seats next to him. Jim didn't 0:23:58.560 --> 0:24:01.680 know who they were for. Right before the service started, 0:24:01.840 --> 0:24:04.600 a side door opened, Billy and Ruth Graham came out 0:24:04.600 --> 0:24:07.440 and sat down right next to him. Billy Graham was 0:24:07.480 --> 0:24:11.320 saying to his friend Jim, I'm committed to you. You 0:24:11.400 --> 0:24:13.480 can count on me. I'll be with you in the 0:24:13.560 --> 0:24:16.080 good times, and I'll be with you in the tough times. 0:24:16.960 --> 0:24:20.640 You can tell who your true friends are not when 0:24:20.640 --> 0:24:24.800 everything's going great, not when you succeed, but when you fail, 0:24:25.240 --> 0:24:28.520 when you get off course. I'm asking you to be 0:24:28.600 --> 0:24:33.000 a loyal person. Stay committed to the people God's put 0:24:33.000 --> 0:24:36.440 in your life. They're going to make mistakes, They're going 0:24:36.480 --> 0:24:39.760 to do things you don't understand. They don't need another 0:24:39.960 --> 0:24:43.639 judge condemning them. They don't need more guilt and shame. 0:24:43.840 --> 0:24:46.720 They've got enough of that. You can help love them 0:24:47.040 --> 0:24:49.639 back into the wholeness. You can be the friend that 0:24:49.760 --> 0:24:54.359 walks in when everybody else walks out. When you're committed, 0:24:54.760 --> 0:24:59.200 when you're loyal, doesn't mean you're approving their actions. You're 0:24:59.280 --> 0:25:02.400 simply show in them the mercy that you would want 0:25:02.440 --> 0:25:06.200 God to show you. You'll being a healer, a restorer. 0:25:06.920 --> 0:25:10.200 They have enough things pushing them down. Let's be people 0:25:10.200 --> 0:25:14.160 that lift them up. Too many people today they're fair 0:25:14.200 --> 0:25:17.800 weather friends. They'll love you in the good times, walk 0:25:17.840 --> 0:25:21.239 away in the tough times. Our attitude should be you 0:25:21.280 --> 0:25:25.240 can count on me. I'm committed to loving you, I'm 0:25:25.280 --> 0:25:28.760 committed to being good to you. I'm committed to defending you. 0:25:29.600 --> 0:25:32.959 There are relationships that will go to a new level 0:25:33.480 --> 0:25:37.120 if you would quit basing your commitment on somebody's performance 0:25:37.680 --> 0:25:40.560 and let them know you're in it for the long haul, 0:25:40.960 --> 0:25:43.679 through thick and thin, through the good times and the 0:25:43.720 --> 0:25:47.520 tough times. That takes the pressure off. There's a freedom, 0:25:47.720 --> 0:25:51.040 a security when they know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, 0:25:51.280 --> 0:25:54.280 that you are for them. I read about two young 0:25:54.359 --> 0:25:57.399 men named Jim and Philip. They were best friends in 0:25:57.480 --> 0:26:01.840 high school, practically inseparable. They went to college and played 0:26:01.880 --> 0:26:06.040 sports together. After they graduated, they both joined the Marines. 0:26:06.560 --> 0:26:10.239 One day, they were in Germany on a battlefield. In 0:26:10.240 --> 0:26:14.160 the midst of this very fierce battle, gunfire was going everywhere, 0:26:14.280 --> 0:26:18.200 bombs were going off. They finally heard the command to retreat. 0:26:18.880 --> 0:26:22.760 As they were running back, Jim noticed that Philip wasn't 0:26:22.840 --> 0:26:26.280 around with him. He pinged into panic. He rushed to 0:26:26.320 --> 0:26:29.680 the commanding officer and asked for permission to go back 0:26:29.800 --> 0:26:33.640 and look for his friend. The officer said, are you crazy, 0:26:34.200 --> 0:26:36.920 That would be committing suicide. You don't have a chance 0:26:36.960 --> 0:26:40.080 to go back in all that gunfire. Without missing a beat, 0:26:40.280 --> 0:26:44.040 he turned around and took off running, defying his orders. 0:26:44.600 --> 0:26:48.520 In a few minutes, the officer saw him hobbling back, 0:26:49.040 --> 0:26:53.240 carrying the lifeless body of his friend. The officer screamed 0:26:53.280 --> 0:26:56.119 at him, you could have been killed. I told you 0:26:56.200 --> 0:26:59.480 not to go. I knew your friend was already dead. 0:27:00.160 --> 0:27:03.080 He said, no, sir, I got there just before he died. 0:27:03.560 --> 0:27:08.040 His last words were, I knew you'd come back. That's 0:27:08.080 --> 0:27:12.720 what I want our friends, our family to say about us. 0:27:13.520 --> 0:27:16.879 I knew you had come back. You were committed, you 0:27:16.960 --> 0:27:20.800 were loyal, you were somebody I could count on. Is 0:27:20.800 --> 0:27:24.240 there some area you're tempted to give up in or 0:27:24.280 --> 0:27:27.399 maybe just slack off, not be your best? God is 0:27:27.400 --> 0:27:32.080 saying stay committed, keep doing the right thing. You can't 0:27:32.119 --> 0:27:34.359 see it, but up in front of you is a 0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:40.160 double portion. There's something more rewarding than you could imagine. Yes, 0:27:40.280 --> 0:27:43.720 it may be difficult, but you are well able. Make 0:27:43.840 --> 0:27:46.359 up your mind. You are in it for the long haul. 0:27:46.880 --> 0:27:50.080 Be stubborn when it comes to not giving up. If 0:27:50.119 --> 0:27:53.760 you'll do this, I believe in declare La like Elisha, 0:27:54.119 --> 0:27:58.280 You're going to see double favor, double honor, double resources. 0:27:58.520 --> 0:28:01.399 God's going to open doors, old man can shut and 0:28:01.480 --> 0:28:05.240 take you to the fullness of your destiny in Jesus's name. 0:28:05.800 --> 0:28:10.160 If you receive it. Can you say amen? Today I'd 0:28:10.200 --> 0:28:13.040 like to give you an opportunity to make Jesus the 0:28:13.080 --> 0:28:16.440 lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, 0:28:16.720 --> 0:28:22.240 Lord Jesus, I'll repent of my sins. Come into my heart. 0:28:23.320 --> 0:28:27.119 I make you my Lord and savior. If you prayed 0:28:27.119 --> 0:28:30.480 that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get 0:28:30.480 --> 0:28:33.879 in a good Bible based church. Keep God first place. 0:28:34.760 --> 0:28:38.200 Thank you for listening to the Joel Oustine podcast. Help 0:28:38.280 --> 0:28:41.000 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:41.120 --> 0:28:45.000 all over the world. Visit jolustein dot com slash give 0:28:45.080 --> 0:28:46.760 Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:48.040 --> 0:28:50.960 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:50.960 --> 0:28:54.360 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:28:54.440 --> 0:28:57.640 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:28:57.800 --> 0:29:00.360 I know God's best is still ahead. Will see you 0:29:00.400 --> 0:29:00.920 next time. 0:29:07.760 --> 0:29:10.520 With millions of books on Amazon, there's a reading feeling 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:14.920 for everyone. 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